Wessex Scene has launched a crowdfunding project aimed at enabling the printing of a special investigative magazine issue on poverty and class at the University of Southampton.
The special edition, to be entitled ‘Poverty & Class‘, will be published towards the end of the second semester of this academic year, an endeavour expected to cost around £800.
The crowdfunding site introduces the project by saying:
A recent investigation by money advice website Save the Student revealed that 1 in 25 students have turned to various forms of adult work in order to cope with rising living costs. The report shows that the number of students resorting to adult work has doubled since 2017, and that this trend has spread all over the country due to UK universities’ lack of financial support. Since 2017, tuition fees have risen from £9,000 per year to £9,250, whilst maintenance grants were scrapped in favour of maintenance loans ahead of the 2016/2017 academic year.
All of this money will go towards printing ‘high-quality, FREE copies of the magazine‘ which will then be distributed across the University campuses, broadening outreach. If the target fundraising amount of £800 is exceeded, the remainder will go towards funding future investigative projects focusing on ‘bettering and changing‘ the lives of Southampton students.
According to the crowdfunding page:
We will use Wessex Scene’s social media platforms – including Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to ensure students are involved in every step of the project. More specifically, we will develop a hashtag for Twitter/Instagram and ensure the social media posts are interactive with a mixture of attractive graphics, pictures of the development of the mag in action, social videos and short clips/Instagram/Facebook stories where committee members will talk about what they’re doing to develop the mag (i.e.. If they’re visiting someone to interview etc).
Wessex Scene is also offering incentives for those who donate to the cause, namely:
- £10 – A shout-out on social media platforms and a named dedication in our magazine.
- £25 – A shout-out on social media platforms, a named dedication in our magazine and a mailed copy of the magazine.
- £50 – A shout-out on social media platforms, a named dedication in our magazine, a mailed copy of the magazine and a personalised thank-you card signed by committee members.
- £100+ – A shout-out on social media platforms, a named dedication in our magazine, a mailed copy of the magazine, a personalised thank-you card signed by committee members and a bundle of Wessex Scene merchandise including a pen, fridge magnet and tote bag.
At the time of writing, £130, or just over 16%, of the target figure had been reached. The first £200 donated to the project, led by Wessex Scene editor Charlotte Colombo, will be match-funded by the University of Southampton’s Student Excellence Fund, which supports student-led projects through financing student clubs and societies.
If you would like to help Wessex Scene in reaching its £800 goal, please follow this link.
