More than 300 students and staff ran away from West Nottinghamshire College this week (17 December).

This was all in the name of charity as students and staff from across the college donned their fancy dress for a sponsored 5km fun run organised by the academic studies, public services and sports school of learning, with college wide support.

The fun run, which has become a Christmas tradition at the college, saw staff, students and even dogs, pounding the pavements from the college’s Derby Road campus, to Berry Hill Park and back to raise cash for the Mansfield Cold Weather Shelter.

The shelter is based at the Mansfield Baptist Church Centre, on Rosemary Street, and provides refuge for people sleeping rough.

The money raised will be used to provide much needed catering equipment for The Hall Homeless Support Project and the Winter Shelter which is run as a partnership between the Baptist Church, Stonham Housing, Transforming Notts Together and Mansfield District Council.

The college will also been donating, warm clothing and provisions for The Beacon Project, which provides a range of services to homeless people in our local community

Programme area leader for the school of learning, Trudi Dean, said: “Everyone who took part or supported the event should be extremely proud of what they have achieved today.

“Thanks to their efforts, some people in a community may be able to have a warm bed and food during the Christmas and New Year period; this is afterall the true spirit of the season.”