Students pledge up to £3000 for charity

**A group of eight Warwick students are together pledging up to £3000 out of their own pocket for a charitable cause.**

The students are seeking donations for the charity Against Malaria Foundation (AMF), which is a recommended charity of Giving What We Can (GWWC), an international society for the promotion of cost-effective poverty relief.

They will match any donations received with the same amount, doubling the money donated.

Five of the group have even pledged 10 per cent of their income for the rest of their lives to the most effective charities as recommended by GWWC, along with over 250 GWWC members worldwide.

Three of the students, third-year Philosophy student Bede Hager-Suart, third-year Maths student Callum Calvert, and English Phd student Chris Maughan spoke to the _Boar_ about their cause.

“We chose AMF simply because, pound for pound, it saves more lives than pretty much any other charity around,” said Mr Hager-Suart.

“I may have to buy cheaper drinks, have the heating on less, or eat more pulses,” he said. “But that’s okay really when you see the effect you can have. I can’t see how you can think it isn’t worth it.”

AMF funds and distributes anti-malaria nets to countries affected by the disease. Each net costs $4 (about £2.50) and lasts for three to four years. The charity estimates that for every 50-250 nets it distributes, one child’s life can be saved.

Mr Calvert said that when he realised how much good he could do by pledging money it gave him ‘butterflies’.

“Someone who earns an average of £37,000 and gives 10 per cent of that till they retire could easily save at least 100 lives,” he said. “That’s 100 real actual people who would otherwise die but will instead lead enjoyable lives.”

Mr Maughan was keen to stress the modesty of their pledge:

“I’m really interested that this become normalised,” he said. “That people don’t see it as ‘worthy of praise’ but as something you just do. Though we are students, we are still often, in real terms, in the richest fifteen, ten or even five per cent of world earners.”

The group urges Warwick students and staff to kindly offer donations, no matter the size of their contribution.

Donations can be made at www.AgainstMalaria.com/TheBigMatch

As of March 5, the students have now decided to pledge a further £1000, raising the total to £4000