RAG cleans up

A brand new shop has opened in Market Square this term. Launched by RAG (the charity arm of YUSU), ‘The Big Green Clean Shop’ stocks a wide range of items from clothes to household essentials all priced from 50p to £1. “You can kit out your entire kitchen for £6,” explained RAG Officer Rebecca Irwin.

The shop is part of an initiative launched at the end of last year in which students in university accommodation were asked to donate any unwanted items to RAG.

They were then stored over summer and, at the beginning of this year, the items were cleaned and sorted for sale in time for the shop opening last week.

In its first three days the shop raised over £1,000. “Big Green Clean is a great idea, and the best bit is knowing that it’s all for a good cause,” says second-year History student Emily Smith. However the unit is only being occupied by RAG on a temporary basis, and the shop will close once the stock is cleared.

Aside from raising money, The Big Green Clean was also launched to “encourage people to recycle, and to serve as somewhere on campus where you can get everything you can possibly need to get through cooking your first meal for yourself!” said Irwin.

The opening of the shop is part of Irwin and fellow RAG Officer Baxter Willis’s new hands-on plan to raise awareness of the organisation.

Students can also look forward to a number of other events this year including, for the first time, a large-scale event in the autumn term which promises to be “a first for the University of York,” according to Irwin. The Winter Wonderland-themed event will take place on the first weekend of December, and at this early stage is intended to include performances from societies and an ice rink.

Other events lined up in RAG’s calendar this year include city raids, hitch hikes and expeditions to Kilimanjaro and Morocco. “It’s all a-go-go with Rag this year, we’re very, very excited!” said Irwin.
Students interested in volunteering opportunities are encouraged to drop into the Big Green Clean for information on opportunities available within RAG, including manning the shop over the coming weeks.