The SU cancels Karnival RAG Raids after a failure to ‘safeguard’ students

Following an SU investigation into Karni’s RAG Raids, action is being taken to help safeguard students and protect their welfare.

The investigation was launched after complaints were made in November 2016. According to the official statement complaints were made about against two specific halls, details of which are confidential.

These complaints led to a full assessment into the way Karni operate their charity collection. And unsurprisingly the SU had ‘concerns over compliance with safeguarding and health and safety requirements’. RAG raids have continued this semester however, with the SU blaming the length of the investigation on January exams and coursework deadlines.

Last year Karni was forced to rethink the way they conducted their fundraising, after changes to the Charity Act imposed more control over the way organisations raise funds on behalf of charities. The changes were supposed to be a way of safeguarding fundraisers and those who are indirectly affected by charity activities.

The investigation found Karni to be breaching the safeguarding and health and safely policies, and given the weight of potential risk to students, the Chief Executive, supported by the Board of Trustees, has ‘ceased RAG Raids’.

The Karnival Executive Committee said in their statement to the SU:

“While the news that RAG raids will cease comes as a huge disappointment to us all, we are now looking forward to the future and are working to improve and expand Karnival. We aim to develop a more sustainable model for our group that includes activities that can engage more students than ever.”

The SU are now working with Karni to reinvent their charity work, and create a new system that abides by the rules but will continue to raise tens of thousands for charity.

If you’ve ever been on  RAG, the fact that there were supposed to be health and safety rules at all might be a shock. Despite making people eat raw fish heads, forcing them to drink disgusting amounts of lash and make you wee in a bucket next to the coach driver, Karni’s RAG raids have been known to make over £66,000 in one day.

SU president Ishmail said of the issues:

“The failures and learnings have been identified and the Karnival Executive Committee and the  Students’ Union Officers and staff are now working together to review and improve the training, support and the policies for all Karnival activity.”

Having lost 7 legged to Carpe Noctum and with RAG raids now banned, Karni has taken a big hit this year and is set to look very different by September. The SU expressed its hope that Karni “continues to make a huge contribution to many charities through its fundraising activities, and to the local Nottingham community through its volunteering activities” despite the changes.

The official SU statement can be found here.