Monday 27-02-2023 - 10:13

In Conversation With: Yas Wayland-Edgson, DUCK’s Pink Week Officer

Meet Yas Wayland-Edgson, a third-year Psychology student from Van Mildert College and Durham University Charities Kommittee's (DUCK) Pink Week Officer. DUCK is a student group that passionately fundraises for charities. Through its exceptional charitable ventures, it strives to create a difference not just at the community level but at a national and international level as well. It provides an invaluable opportunity to be active contributors to tangible social improvement and impact-driven change. From Amnesty International and Go the Distance to the British Heart Foundation, DUCK is an outreach group that rallies its support for a multitude of charitable institutions. In its commitment to local development, it has adopted a centralised prioritisation of charities from the North East of England. It has been a tremendously popular group on campus, with growing memberships and applications each term. 

Having been involved with Pink Week at DUCK since her first term at university, Yas expresses her excitement for this year's activities commencing next week. DUCK's Pink Week is a seven-day lineup of social events focused on raising money for breast cancer charities. It also determinately works on generating public awareness and combating the taboo concerning this issue. As one of the most commonly diagnosed cancers in women and a leading cause of death among them, breast cancer is a threatening disease with rampant proliferation. Also affecting men, this disease lacks a cure but can be mitigated with early detection and timely treatment, making breast cancer awareness crucially significant. 

This year, DUCK's Pink Week efforts are in alliance with ‘Breast Cancer Now’ and ‘Hug in a Bag’. The largest British breast cancer charity, Breast Cancer Now, is a research and support charity that offers a diverse spectrum of support at all stages of breast cancer. Moreover, it relentlessly spreads instrumental guidance and information through community-building forums and groups. Hug in a Bag is a local charity working in association with the University Hospital of North Durham. It provides every patient diagnosed with breast cancer with a bag containing gifts and vital information leaflets to aid the understanding of their diagnosis. Furthermore, Pink Week shall also extend its support to 'Children’s Cancer North', a charity that endeavours to lend support to cancer-affected children and their families alongside investing in path-breaking research in this domain. 

Yas affirms that the Pink Week events are a tremendous way for students to participate in this important cause. These events make charitable actions accessible to the student community through exciting activities. Starting this Monday, 27 February, DUCK has scheduled a slew of enthralling events like the Open Mic Night, The Pub Quiz at the Library Bar, the Club Night at Bohemia, a Pink Lemonade Stand and even a Doggy Destress event. Additionally, it shall collaborate with trained experts to conduct Yoga and Spin class sessions. Its ‘Crochet and Cupcakes’ event and the ‘Paint a Plant Pot’ event present a great opportunity for those who wish to indulge in their artistic side. They are also hosting a charity dinner on Saturday, a sought-after event not to be missed. You can click here to learn more about each event and get yourself registered for the same. 

Apart from Pink Week, DUCK regularly organises fun-filled fundraising events. From skydiving for 'Alzheimer's Research UK' to conducting a jailbreak in support of the charity 'Unseen', there are numerous ways to get involved with DUCK and its charitable undertaking. To know more about the fantastic work done by DUCK and to keep up with their initiatives, follow them on their Instagram account - @duck_charities.

This 'In Conversation With...' was written by our Digital Content Creator, Malavika Pillai. If you're interested in sharing your story, please get in touch at malavika.pillai@durham.ac.uk.