RIASA Students Raise over £1,400 for Disability Football Club
Author: Richmond American University London
Students on Richmond’s Sports Event Planning and Promotion module at RIASA in Leeds have successfully delivered the Unity Cup, a student-led football tournament that raised more than £1,400 for Danby Rovers Disability Football Club’s pan-disability football programme.
The live event forms part of an annual authentic assessment in which students work as an event organisation team, taking responsibility for planning, promotion, delivery, and fundraising with a community partner.
Reflecting on the event, Associate Professor for RIASA Samantha Bracey said that it was “encouraging to see students deliver such a successful event while making a meaningful social contribution to the football community in Leeds.”
Across the project, students adopted professional roles such as event manager, marketing and promotions lead, stakeholder and partnerships coordinator, operations lead, and finance director, while using industry-standard tools to manage timelines, actions, and budgets. This approach develops highly transferable employability skills, including leadership, teamwork, communication, professionalism, and critical reflection, and aligns with Richmond’s commitment to the UN-supported Principles for Responsible Management Education (PRME).
Anthony Hall of Danby Rovers Disability Football Club said:
“It was a truly brilliant event from start to finish, and a credit to the hard work, professionalism, and passion you’ve all shown throughout your planning. Having worked alongside RIASA for over eight years now, I feel incredibly proud and grateful for the strong relationship we’ve built, and it’s been a real honour to work with the Class of ’26.
From our early discussions around pan‑disability football, specific impairments, England Para Football, and Danby Rovers, to seeing everything come together on the day, it was great to see your learning brought to life in such a meaningful way.”
Following the successful delivery of the Unity Cup, students now complete the final stage of the authentic assessment through critical evaluation, reflecting on individual and team performance, decision‑making processes, employability skills developed, and areas for future improvement.
Richmond congratulates all students involved on an outstanding achievement that demonstrates authentic assessment in action, PRME principles in practice, and the powerful role of sport‑based education in delivering positive social impact through inclusive community partnership.
