A HITCH-hike to Morocco will provide a highlight in this year's Rag fundraising by students at the University of York.

During the past year's York Rag, students raised well over £15,000 to support their favourite local and national charities.

The ten chosen charities will this month be presented with more than £1,500 each.

They include York Student Community Action, Happy Days Children's Charity, Headway: The Brain Injury Association, Mencap, Appropriate Technology Asia, and the Rainbow Trust.

A new group of charities has been selected by the students to be supported this year.

Their six local charities will be Child Victims of Crime, St. Leonard's Hospice, The Laura Crane Trust, York Student Community Action, York Nightstop and York Rape Crisis.

They will also support national charities Happy Days Children's Charity, Headway: The Brain Injury Association and the Leukaemia Research Fund, plus international charity Wateraid.

One-off events will be held for Comic Relief and Children in Need, World AIDS Day, the Royal British Legion, Cancer Research UK and WhizzKidz.

Another highlight will be the hitch hike to Morocco to support Link Community Development, to develop education programmes in Ghana, Uganda and South Africa.

The students have developed a new system to ensure all charities have a fairer chance of accessing their funds in future.

Charities hoping to be backed by the students next year can get application forms from www. Yusu.org/rag.

York Rag president Mary Gaunt said: "Students can have some wonderful experiences and really develop by taking part in our activities.

"The charities are chosen very democratically, particularly when we choose six local charities.

"We think this is important as when we go out on the streets of York for a collection people know that this money will stay here, and the students are putting something back into the area."

Nine international students at the university have been commended or short-listed for a prestigious award.

The Shine International Student Awards, run by the British Council, recognise students who have achieved personal ambitions, made contributions to their institution or community or who have enjoyed new experiences since coming to the UK.

Updated: 12:03 Saturday, August 07, 2004