400 students sign up at Community Action Fair

Organised via a partnership between the London Borough of Barnet and Middlesex University Students’ Union, the Community Action Fair brought together over 25 local organisations and around 3,000 students looking for volunteering opportunities in the borough.

The event took place on the Middlesex University campus, and was supported by Barnet Council through its local knowledge of, and networks with, the voluntary and community sector in the borough.  Just under one in three of the estimated 1,400 organisations active in the borough have an income of less than £5,000, employ no staff, and rely solely on volunteers.

Sophie McKay, Middlesex University Students’ Union’s Deputy President and Vice President of Health & Education, Science & Technology schools, made a pledge in her student officer manifesto to develop a volunteering programme during her time in office.

Sophie said:  “400 students signing up to be change-makers in their local community through volunteering is incredible – particularly in these tough economic times. This is the start of the only local university volunteering programme and I believe this will ultimately see our students turn into long-term volunteers with local charities and have a real, lasting impact on their local community."

Sophie attributed the success of the Community Action Fair to the partnership approach, which was to address barriers to students’ involvement by collecting crucial information from organisations in advance, such as time commitment required, training offered and the skills that students would develop in the role. This resulted in opportunities presented at the Fair which were high-quality and student-friendly.

The next phase of the partnership will involve building six student-led volunteering projects, one with each of the university’s Academic Schools, and bidding for seed funding from the Council’s Big Society Innovation Bank ‘Micro Fund’. With strategic direction provided by the Council, the projects will be designed to address social need in the borough and coordinate with existing Council services.

Councillor Robert Rams, the London Borough of Barnet’s Cabinet Member for Customer Access and Partnerships, said:

“I am delighted to see Barnet’s large and diverse student population – one of the borough’s key assets – engaging with the local voluntary and community sector in this way. Student volunteering offers mutual benefits for the sector and for graduate employability – it’s a win-win. I look forward to receiving Micro Fund applications for new student-led community projects to grow the sector and support the work of the Council.”

Students can still view the full list of volunteering opportunities at www.mdxsu.com/communityaction and register their interest by emailing communityaction@mdxsu.com