Two Kingston University students were among the volunteers helping a local charity bring a little love to the Bentall’s Centre over Valentine’s weekend.

The volunteers handed out thousands of heart-shaped balloons to shoppers during the course of Friday and Saturday in exchange for a small donation towards the children’s cancer charity Momentum.

One of the Kingston volunteers, second year Forensic Science Criminology student Christine Daniel was delighted to have helped out such a worthy cause.  He said:  “It was a really great event, it was so nice to see a local charity flourish and local people still generously donating money despite the economy.“                                                             

Girls dressed up as Cupid armed with bows and arrows and a local photographer taking free Valentine’s photographs were also on hand to spread the love on at the charity fundraiser.

Head fundraiser Anne Brown said:  “The day has gone better than we ever possibly could have imagined.  The response from the public has been fantastic and all the kids helping out have had a really great time.  Thanks must go to everyone that has taken part.”

The event is expected to raise well in excess of last year’s £3,700 total for the charity and the money will go towards improving the facilities in the isolation rooms at the Dolphin Ward in Kingston Hospital, where children suffering from cancer and their parents spend much of their time. 

Over three hundred university students get involved in volunteering projects over the course of the year.  Projects range from helping out at a local school or old people’s home, working on environmental projects and mentoring troubled children.

Volunteer Co-ordinator Celina Jevons said: “The Momentum one-off event is just one example of the volunteering opportunities available through the Stand Out volunteering department at KUSU.  We provide a range of volunteer opportunities throughout the year which are open to all KU students.”

To coincide with National Student Volunteering Week, the KU volunteering department will be running a series of one-off events, training and taster days next week to give people an idea of the kind of opportunities available to students. 

For more information on the activities taking place go to: www.kusu.co.uk/volunteerweek. To contact the volunteer team email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it