For some folks DUCK is immense. It gives them opportunities to do crazy stuff, experiences beyond imagining, from climbing Everest to rafting the Wear, the kinds of skills and experiences that guarantee jobs, It does an awful lot of worthwhile stuff, funny stuff and makes a huge difference to charities.

To some people DUCK is a blight, constantly begging, rude and crass, insistent, mithering and distracting, non-transparent and dubious in costs and proceeds.

The first lot of opinion makes you really excited and happy… and the second lot just makes you want to wind it all up, go the swan and three and drink beer. An easy road out is to do less, bother people less, raise less and organise less.

And I’m going to try my best to convince you that’s not how it has to be.

DUCK: Something to be proud of

I’m a firm believer that DUCK isn’t doing too much or working too hard, but maybe it’s working in the wrong places. If you look at DUCK’s revenue streams you can see there are loads of un-tapped sources of cash that will be easier for reps and exec to get into without having to bother the same old (poor) students.

• Lets make 20% less effort on student events that don’t raise, and 10% more instead on community events that do. “Quality not quantity”
• Better communication: does one college rep know that the event they are planning just went belly up in the college next door? Probably not. Does the college rep trying to get folks involved in marathons know when the next one is, who it’s for and when they have to sign up? Is not knowing gonna help?
• Through DUCK’s reputation with locals and it’s unique position between town and gown, lets make people feel better, not hassled. Show locals students aren’t all bad- and take their cash in the process.

DUCK: Something we all own

A victim of its own professionalism, students see DUCK as an almost outside institution they might buy services from. Yes, some students will always be more committed to the committee than others- but our (the whole of Durham University) collective fundraising efforts need to be a shared achievement. Students supporting DUCK need to feel they are investing in something they own, not giving to a society their friends are members on.

We need to work out how to give DUCK back.

Why?

• Because it is. DUCK is the face of Durham Students’ charity. Not a society. No-one ever has to become a member, ‘join,’ or sign up to something.
• Because it is Durham students that make it what it is- everyone who chips into a bucket or buys a DUCK race ticket. Everyone. Not just the exec, not just reps. (We elect those to facilitate things, but they aren’t ‘who DUCK is’
• Because it’s going to help DUCK raise more money- it’s difficult to be excited about how much someone else’s society raised last week. It’s great to celebrate what we, as Durham students, have all participated in. If don’t feel like I’m subsidising someone’s charity addiction but taking part in something I own, I’m more likely to give, I’m more likely to give more, and I’m more likely to feel happier about it.
• DUCK doesn’t need 10 people to each raise a squillion pounds. It needs to foster across all students an attitude which gets behind charities in a small or big way.

Ok, I believe you! So how, Mr. Bright-ideas?

That answer is long and open ended… and some of it includes:

• More transparency. Not just availability of data, but active publishing of information. An article in Palatinate from a charity DUCK supported. A confession maybe of a cock-up that didn’t take. A clear explanation of costs and where my money goes! The charities that take the money need to appear on the promo publicity, where applicable.
• More student events. I mean, events that students actually like. Like going paintballing, getting sponsorship to do it cheap, then taxing the tickets to raise more for charity.
• More participation with societies- DUCK expressions in theatre, student journalism and the arts.

So, you have any ideas?