University of Chester plays active role in Student Volunteering Week

STUDENTS from the University of Chester have again been playing an active role in the community by taking part in a range of activities during Volunteering England’s Student Volunteering Week.

Sponsored by Santander, this is the 10th anniversary of Student Volunteering Week along with the UN’s International Year of Volunteers and the European Year of Volunteering.

To celebrate this, the University’s Student Development team ran a number of events to benefit residents in and around the Chester area.

At the start of the week students gave an artistic hand to the Fairtrade organisation’s attempt to break the World Record for one continuous string of bunting for Fairtrade Fortnight in May.

They were involved in decorating a Fairtrade cotton triangle which will be sewn on a string and used in the World Record Attempt in London.

Working with Flintshire Countryside Service, a group of students planted trees at Flint Castle on the Dee Estuary as part of a long term volunteering programme to experience life as a Countryside Ranger.

The week ended with a gardening challenge at the Mulberry Centre, a day centre for adults with learning disabilities two miles from the university’s main campus.

The centre has a large garden which has been reclaimed after a period of neglect.

The hard work of the students helped to clear a large flowerbed of scrub and weeds to unearth a large pile of compost and growing space.

Student Volunteering Week was established in 2001, and raises the national profile of student volunteering in further and higher education.

The theme for 2011 is Inspiring futures; connecting communities and it aims to highlight the way in which volunteering plays a vital role in enhancing personal and professional development, and creates cohesion between different communities and sectors.

Claire Britton, volunteer co-ordinator at the University of Chester, said: “Our student volunteers give so much back to the community throughout the year through the hours that they give and the hard work they put into their volunteering projects.

“We are very proud of their commitment and the organisations they help are extremely appreciative of all they achieve.

“Volunteering also enables them to learn new skills which they can take on to their future careers. Well done to all who took part.”