INTRODUCTION
The UK Shared Prosperity Fund is a central pillar of the UK government’s Levelling Up agenda and provides £2.6 billion of funding for local investment by March 2025. The Fund aims to improve pride in place and increase life chances across the UK investing in communities and place, supporting local business, and people and skills. For more information, visit https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-shared-prosperity-fund-prospectus
This project is part-funded by the UK government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.
AIM OF THE FUND
This funding will support us to recruit and train students as volunteers. We will run a range of our own volunteering projects and work with other charities in Swansea to promote their volunteering roles to our student volunteers.
We will enable students to undertake impactful and meaningful volunteering opportunities and have a positive impact on the community around them. We will help the other charities we work with by supporting them to access the skills, enthusiasm, and energy of student volunteers.
The students who volunteer with us are a core part of the future voluntary sector workforce, both as continuing volunteers and as workers. By engaging them in impactful volunteering while at university, we help to set them up for a lifetime benefiting the sector.
This will enable the students and the organisation to build social and human capital through:
• those volunteering activities
• the connections they will create
• enabling students to be part of and contribute to the wider community
• enabling those organisations to access a brilliant pool of volunteers.
Our monitoring and evaluation have shown that young people who volunteer with us as students are likely to form lifelong habits around volunteering and social action. They also report a significant increase in their wellbeing and improved mental health.
The quotes below demonstrate how students have benefited from and continue to need volunteering opportunities.
‘Volunteering has been a professionally enriching experience that allowed me to contribute my skills to a worthy cause while expanding my social network. Through engaging with diverse individuals who share a passion for creating positive change, I developed crucial interpersonal and teamwork skills. The connections I made while volunteering have not only enhanced my understanding of the sector but also opened doors to new learning opportunities and potential collaborations.’
‘The experience reinforced my commitment to sustainable practices and inspired me to continue advocating for a cleaner and healthier environment.’
‘Volunteering has helped me look after my mental health while surviving university.’
Quotes from staff at our partner organisations illustrate the impact our volunteers have as seen below:
‘It was very rewarding to see the children work out their differences, negotiate calmly and reflect so they could perform better as a team next time. The children were also very highly motivated and liked Lego construction very much.’
‘We have four fabulous Discovery volunteers who are coming on a Friday to drop-in. They have fitted in, willing to help wherever needed, smiling, wonderful.’
‘One child in Lego club has had speech and language issues. It is so nice to see him over the last few weeks discussing the lego and what he is doing.’
‘The baubles were lovely and so much thought we hung them on the tree in the main areas (of the care home) and everyone was commenting on them. They will come out again next year.’
