Waves cheerleaders come together to raise hundreds for charity in memory of former student

Students at Sussex and Brighton universities have come together to keep the memory of a popular former student burning brightly.

Brighton and Sussex Waves cheerleading team have raised hundreds of pounds for charity in memory of University of Sussex medical student Hester Stewart, who died after taking a legal high in 2009.

Waves remember their former member, who attended an awards ceremony with the cheerleading squad the night before she died, every year with Pink Night – chosen as the theme because it was the 21-year-old’s favourite colour.

Emily Yarnold, Waves fundraiser and University of Sussex student, said: “I wasn’t on the Waves when Hester was, but the team’s keen spirit to keep her memory alive and to help others through raising money for the Mentor charity is inspiring and something we all feel a part of.

"As Waves we truly care for one another, and we try to lift each other up through whatever we may go through. The sense of community and friendship is an integral part of our team’s dynamic, and Pink Night is a very important part of this.”

This year almost £500 has been raised, with donations still coming in, through an event run at Pryzm nightclub in West Street, Brighton, earlier this month where Brighton and Sussex students dressed in pink t-shirts to carry out bucket shaking, facepainting, a raffle and selling food.

The money is being raised for the Mentor Foundation - the UK’s leading charity working to prevent alcohol and drug misuse among children and young people.

Previous Pink Nights have raised money for The Angelus Foundation, founded by Hester’s mother Maryon Stewart following the death of her daughter, before the foundation merged with Mentor in October last year. 

Eve Page, Waves society president and University of Brighton student, said: "We pride ourselves on the fact that this event has taken place every year since Hester passed away. She loved everything pink and we still incorporate pink in our uniform today in her memory.

"This event has always been hugely successful, with lots of university sports teams having a theme regarding the colour pink. This year was just as successful, with everyone we spoke to happy to donate to such a worthwhile cause."

Brighton and Sussex Waves are a competitive university cheer squad who have won a string of national and international champions titles, having begun in 2006 as a cheering squad for the Brighton Tsunami American Football team.

Thousands of pounds have been raised since the first Pink Night in 2009, with almost £2,000 raised in the past three years alone.

Donate to this year’s campaign.