A group of five second year event management students have raised over £13,000 for the charity Sarcoma UK by organising a glamorous fundraiser gala on a zero budget.

Second year students, Aimee Lucas, Emma Broadbent, Bethany Commins, Marianne Smith and Courtney Sellers, working under the name 'Inspire Events', organised the event as part of their Event Planning Design and Community Engagement module at the University of Hertfordshire which smashed the current module record for the amount of money raised.

Aimee, student member of Inspire Events, from Longfield, said: "Being able to organise our own event was such an amazing opportunity to put into practice all that I have learnt over the last two years. I gained a lot from the experience and the importance of skills such as organisation, communication and time management. I think the amount of effort we put in and the generosity from the local community contributed hugely to the success of the event."

With one of the groups family members diagnosed with sarcoma before Christmas, deciding to help the charity was an easy choice for the group. The students raised the money by inviting guests to a sit-down meal with a raffle and auction; which prizes included a holiday to Spain, signed sports merchandise, VIP concert tickets and a car for the weekend.

Lindsey Bennister, Chief Executive of Sarcoma UK, said: "Thank you so much to Inspire Events for their phenomenal efforts. The money raised will help us fund ground-breaking sarcoma research projects at centres of excellence around the UK. This year, we will invest our largest amount ever - £350,000 - into high quality research that will benefit everyone affected by sarcoma cancer. We couldn't do this without the amazing support from the Inspire Events team. I am so proud of their achievements."

Allan Jepson, Module Leader at the University, added: "The project remit was to raise awareness, raise funds and to create a live event which would make a difference to a third sector organisation and the communities it serves and Inspire events have most definitely done that. This event is testament to the impact our students can have."

Sarcomas are rare cancers that develop in the muscle, bone, nerves, cartilage, tendons, blood vessels and the fatty and fibrous tissues. They make up 1% of all cancer diagnoses in the UK. Further information on Sarcoma UK can be found at http://sarcoma.org.uk/.

Based on information supplied by Aimee Lucas.