Article by Calum Beeson, Teaching Lab Manager / Senior Geological Technician, Penryn.
CSM held three successive mineral sales in the late Autumn term, they were a roaring success with over 95% of the specimens sold to raise money for charity. The stock was a result of a careful reorganisation of all the teaching mineral samples and the surplus material was sold. This was a very social event with students and academics alike having great fun searching through the samples to find their favourite minerals, either for their own collections or as Christmas presents for their loved ones, and helping each other find what they were after. The sales were so popular we had long queues at the door to the Geology Teaching Lab waiting for them to start. These events were organised by Calum Beeson and Katie Smith and at each of the sales we had plenty of help from students to lay out the samples and collect the money for charity.
At the end of the sales we have raised £1,801.19 for a total of 7 charities, with donors choosing which charity they wanted the funds to go to. The final split of the funds is:
- Cancer Research UK £550.36
- Cornwall Air Ambulance Trust £433.60
- RSPCA £233.50
- British Heart Foundation £225.15
- Shelter Box £200.13
- Age Concern £83.40
- NSPCC £75.03