By Jasmine Tarmey
Fusion President Fiona Lavelle has succeeded in securing the ability to donate to RAG following past confusion over the legality of the situation.
Fusion’s original plan to simply donate their profits were scuppered by the restrictions governing all charitable organisations, as reported earlier this month by Nouse.
Vision can now report that after seeking legal advice the Fusion team were told that YUSU and its affiliates should be able to donate to RAG, something that would have otherwise been prohibited under the ultra vires law, since technically their objectives are shared – they both place student development as a priority.
To sidestep charity restrictions, this year Fusion will be selling RAG their tickets at cost price, which RAG will then sell on to the audience. This prevents Fusion from directly handing over any money to RAG and thereby violating of YUSU’s charity status.
If they sell every available ticket for Fusion – which is usually a sell-out event – RAG will stand to make over £11,000 courtesy of the society, at least £1000 more than Lavelle had originally aimed to raise when she assumed presidency of the society.
Lavelle and Janey Stephenson, Fusion’s Creative Director, have said that they and the rest of the committee are “really glad to have resolved the problem and that we are now allowed to give to RAG,” adding that they were “so glad we’ve managed to limbo underneath this red tape.”
Now that they have resolved these issues, Fusion have said that “we just need an audience,” an especially relevant statement this year since the sale of the tickets is key to raising money for RAG.
This year’s theme may be playing games, but Lavelle and her committee show that when their humanitarian objectives are concerned, fun and games go out the window.