Queen Mary Malta students have taken volunteering to a new level. The 3rd Annual Gozo Coastal Charity Walk at the end of April saw a group of Medicine students embark on an ambitious hike across the northern island of Gozo. Walking around 50 kilometers (about 31.07 mi) in one day, the scenic coastal route took students from the starting point in Marsalforn Bay to Nadur, Mgarr, Xlendi, San Lawrenz and back to Marsalforn.
Students taking part in the 3rd Annual Gozo Coastal Charity Walk
Together, the participants of Gozo Coastal Charity Walk raised money for Malta-based mental health charity Inspire (Malta). Inspire focuses on supporting neurodiverse children and adults and those with other diverse disabilities. The charity currently helps more than 1,700 individuals and their families by providing holistic Special Education and Therapy services that nurture the potential of every individual.
“Over the past 3 years we have raised over 2200 Euros. We hope to continue the walk as our flagship charity event and contribute to helping those with neurological disorders and mental health challenges,” 5th year graduate Yassar Malik, co-founder and former president of BL Malta psychiatry society, said.
“The purpose of this walk is to give Queen Mary Malta students the opportunity to explore the best sights that Gozo has to offer whilst raising money for a mental health charity. We aimed to create a new and different challenge: rather than a standard long-distance run we opted for a hike; something, which would be achievable by people with a moderate level of fitness."
Laila Moharram, BL Malta psychiatry society president and this year’s event lead, added: “In addition to raising money for a cause that is important to this society, the charity walk is an amazing opportunity to explore Gozo in a way most individuals normally wouldn’t. For me, it is something I need to have experienced at least once during my years living in Gozo."
As part of its student volunteering programme, the Queen Mary University Malta campus offers a number of volunteer opportunities all year-round. Find out more about the local charities we work with and how you can get involved.