Welcome to The Lancaster Tab’s Good News Column, bringing you heartwarming stories, funny moments and all the Lancaster trash stories from the heart of Lancaster campus to help you get through the day during the Coronavirus Pandemic. 

LU Red Rose Refugees have started a Bake and Donate challenge

Lancaster Red Rose Refugees have started a Bake and Donate challenge with the money raised being donated to Care4Calais, to provide funds for the desperate resources they need to keep people safe.

The challenge involves baking a cake, donating to Care4Calais, and nominating your pals to do the same. In a post on Facebook, LU Red Rose Refugees said: “With the surge in this virus affecting those everywhere – infiltrating every corner of the globe, it has become clearer than ever that those without homes – those seeking safety from an already awful situation – are already disproportionately affected by this horrible disease.

There are so many wonderful charities and organisations that are working to help those most in need at this time, but it is dangerous for everyone, and they are struggling – resources are low, funds are low. So we thought, what can we do to help?”

A man from Lancaster built Lancs Castle out of toast to beat lockdown boredom

Matty Close, originally from Lancaster but now living in London, built Lancaster’s beloved Castle out of toast. Matty told The Lancaster Tab: “I used Kingsmill 50/50 and it took approximately five hours to make. I used cocktail sticks and a little bit of my construction skills to piece it together in the correct places!

Being alone and away from home inspired me to create something from back home, I also worked there for a period of time so that helped. The idea came to me in the shower when I was thinking of something to do to keep me busy for the day. I would advise people to have a go themselves but a fair few have shared their dislike with the fact it’s wasteful of food during these times so I’d say it’s at your own peril.”

Third year, Beth Ellis, was green screened around the world

Beth Ellis, a third year from Grizedale posted on Instagram this week, asking to be green screened outside her house and it absolutely blew up.

Beth told The Lancaster Tab: “Being bored in lockdown, I figured I had to do something to cure my boredom. So, I saw the opportunity to utilise the bright green wall in my sister’s bedroom for some entertainment and a funny caption opportunity.  I took the picture and thought it might provide a source of entertainment for a few friends.

I posted the picture thinking a few of my close friends would find it funny but was very surprised when people actually started sending me their edits. Some of the places that people edited me into were so creative, it really made me laugh.”

“I’ve been green screened back to uni, to my graduation, a literal interpretation of my Instagram caption to right outside my house, to the beach, onto the Mona Lisa and to the moon.

My favourite one has to be the one outside the university sign made by my best friend Nadia Hussain. Being in final year and with it ending so abruptly, there’s nowhere I’d rather be. Would still love to be green screened to Extrav 2021. I’m gutted to be missing out this year.”

A second year student has been helping to produce ventilators and distribute food in their local area

An anonymous second year marketing management student from Chennai, India told The Lancaster Tab that they had been helping to produce ventilators and distribute food in their local area. The student said: “Just got the privilege to help my city with 10000 ventilators and a million masks to fight the virus.”

We were able to collect donations at high levels to produce ventilators at a small scale and also purchase some to donate to the government along with masks. We also helped my states’ relief team to distribute food and essentials to the poor people and migrants stuck around who aren’t able to go home amid the lockdown.”

TABUKI released a disco funk playlist that will certainly lift your spirits

Student club night favourites, TABUKI, recently released a playlist that will make the lockdown hours feel like a Friday night funk fest. TABUKI told The Lancaster Tab: “It’s great to hear such a positive response from our Disco Funk playlist! We plan to continuously update our channel with great music, so ensure to follow us to stay up to date.

Now that our events in third term look unlikely to go ahead as a result of everything going on, we still plan to keep our TABUKI family as entertained as possible. So over the coming weeks, alongside us updating our Spotify playlists, you will see guest mixes on our Soundcloud page and live-streams on our socials. Stay home, stay safe and stay connected.”

Do you think you’ve got some good news to contribute to The Lancs Tab Good News Column? Dm us on Instagram!

Related articles recommended by this writer:

• I got bored in Quarantine so I phoned up all my exes to ask them what went wrong
• Every final goodbye Lancs final years wish they could have said 
• Lockdown can’t stop you from voting for heat three of Lancs most notorious BNOC