Livewire Jailbreak is back and better than ever

It’s time to go travelling. 

Pack your bags, shake your charity buckets and get ready to lose some sleep because Jailbreak is back.

Last year the event, hosted by Livewire 1350, raised a staggering £13,000. This year organisers want to beat this record and raise £15,000 for Macmillan Cancer Support

If you’re unfamiliar with the concept of a Jailbreak, from 12pm on Friday 11^th March 15 teams will have 48 hours to get as far from campus as they can, without spending any of their own money. Attempting to hitchhike, blag tickets or find donors, teams will also be collecting money in charity buckets along the way.

Previous winners have made it to destinations including Budapest, Berlin and Dubai.

As well as the teams competing in the event, students will be attempting to raise money in a variety of ways from both the Square and the Library, with Livewire committee members broadcasting live for the entirety of the weekend without sleeping.

Organiser Siân Cooper said: “The Square is going to be packed with loads of people trying to raise as much money as we can for Macmillan Cancer Support whilst our Jailbreakers are trying to get as far away as possible!

“I’m going to attempt, with Charlotte Greenbury, to dance for 10 hours straight so we’ll be playing music all day in the Square. Come down and help us keep going.”

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First year Accounting student Calum Bilney is half of one team taking part in the event. He said: “It’s pretty scary knowing that in those 48 hours anything could happen; we might make it half way round the world or might spend two freezing nights camped in a service station near Dover!

“Hopefully it’s the first one. But as long as the event raises loads of money though we’ll consider the weekend a success.”

MA student, Maisie Anteney-Tipper, took part in Jailbreak in her second year with her flatmate. They managed to hitchhike all the way to Saarbrucken in Germany.

Her advice to the teams was to “be as friendly as you can to everyone. You might just start chatting to someone and next thing you know they’ve bought you lunch or given you train tickets”.

“At the same time – make sure you don’t annoy train conductors. They’ve got the power to kick you off anywhere and you’ll end up stuck in Luxembourg in the rain.”

Teams set off at 12PM on Friday from the Square and throughout the day there will be food stalls, music, other sponsored challenges and a charity raffle, with a range of prizes including an iPad.

Siân said: “We would love for as many students to support the event as possible, and if people can’t make it to the Square on the day we’re raising money through our JustGiving page, so any donations would be amazing!”

You can donate to this year’s Jailbreak here and check the teams’ progress here.