Cambridge University’s Amnesty International branch have been awarded one of the organisation’s ‘Raise-Off’ prizes as ‘Best Fundraisers’ for the second year running. They were given the award, after raising £5,469.75, during Amnesty’s student conference at the Human Rights Action Centre in London last weekend.

This amount, the highest collected by any student group in the country, represents over a quarter of total donations obtained by thirty-eight UK universities and was raised through a range of activities. These included sponsored letter writing; a fashion show featuring ethical designers Noir and Izzy Lane, with talks by Lily Cole and Sam Roddick; a ‘Secret Porters’ Ball’ comedy night; and a publicity stunt supporting Ethical Investment for the University on Senate House Lawn.

In addition to being awarded the prize, CU Amnesty International also saw their current Chair, Hannah Perry,  elected to the Student Action Network, which oversees all student campaigning for Amnesty, and is responsible for organising student conferences.

The Cambridge students were also among over 150 Amnesty activists to participate in a demonstration in Hoxton Square. This called for Shell to stop using gas flares in the Niger Delta as part of the ‘Demand Dignity’ Campaign. Students held burning torch ‘flares’ and were dressed in white jumpsuits. They collected 285 signatures for the campaign from passers-by.

Catherine Lough, an Amnesty member at the conference, stressed the importance of the campaign.

“Gas flares are cancerous, have a hugely detrimental impact to communities in the region, and have been illegal in the Delta since 1984,” she said.

Other campaigns that took place on the weekend included focus on the identity of being an activist, the restriction of access to clean water in the Gaza Strip, and a ‘Stop Violence Against Women’ campaign, on rape during conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Cambridge Amnesty’s other activities include letter writing and the cage campaign.