A 20 year old University of Sheffield student is fundraising for the Meningitis Research Foundation by hosting a comedy night, bake sales and taking on UK Kilimanjaro in 2026.
Martyna Goliasz took on fundraising for the foundation as a massive challenge for her own growth and was inspired by her co-worker who survived meningitis as a child.
Miss Goliasz, a first year international law student from Newcastle, said: “This challenge is not just about pushing myself outside of my comfort zone, it’s about making a difference too. Every donation, big or small, will help me reach my target and support Meningitis Research Foundation’s important work”.
Meningitis research foundation predicts to completely defeat bacterial meningitis by 2030 and improve quality of life after diagnosis.
She said: “As I started raising money a month before the outbreak in Kent, this helped gain more attraction since it was a hot topic at the time
“I haven’t met anyone that’s doing this so I’m throwing myself in the deep end as well as doing it here alone”.
Overall, £1,500 has been collected, with the most rewarding fundraising event resulting in £350 from a Student Union bakesale and she wishes to do three more before the academic year ends.
Moreover, she aims to host a comedy night at Gentings Casino with 100 guests to help raise awareness.
She said: “I thought it would be a nice idea to get like the older generation involved, it’s something different, especially for students, to meet new people and push myself”.
Additionally, Miss Goliasz plans to climb the tallest mountain in Africa starting on the 25th of August with hopes to raise £2,980.
She said: “I didn’t really know much about meningitis in the beginning, but now that I’ve spoken to so many people and I’ve done my own research about it, I just feel like it’s good to raise awareness
“Before uni I was not out there so I wanted to do more and raise awareness”.
To track Martyna Goliasz progress and support her: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/uk-kilimanjaro-25th-august-2026-student-choseachallenge-6921a88901caa?utm_medium=FA&utm_source=EM
