We want our local communities to share the benefits of our place in the region, making it a better place to live, work and visit.
Our Community Engagement team
Working with local residents, organisations and our local authorities to build long-term relationships with, and be a valuable part of, our surrounding communities.
Canley is one of our closest neighbourhood communities and home to many of our students and staff. We’ve enjoyed a decade of partnership in Canley, working with local people to help them define their future, build community capacity and amplify their strengths. We are embedded in the local area and developing together.
“I could see all the groups working in silos across Coventry. I was keen to leverage all their efforts and get everyone working together to make a bigger difference.” Read Nor's story
Playing Out in Canley was a collaborative programme of activity for all ages between the people of Canley and Warwick Arts Centre which aimed to support the residents of Canley to realise a vision for a new community hub. ‘Play’ is our central theme.
In summer 2023, over 100 people took part in the Canley Parade as part of the project. Watch this film and hear from residents, celebrating an amazing day of community spirit, creative engagement and a love of all things Canley.
We were pleased support this year's Canley Parade on 22 June 2024.
Warwick Volunteers uses the skills, energy and enthusiasm of our volunteer students to run a wide variety of projects which benefit the local community. Student volunteers look after local green spaces, reduce loneliness among older residents, run craft activities, support local school children and community events. In 2019/20 around a 1,000 students were involved in community-focused projects in Coventry, Leamington, Kenilworth and Warwick.
"It is a highlight of my week and it is making such a difference to my life and world and I know it is to the whole of phab too. The Warwick Volunteers who come to Phab zoom are like a huge burst of life and energy that lifts us all up. I am so grateful to them and feel they are so much part of our Phab family, thank you” Nat Parr, Kenilworth Phab.
If you are a not for profit community organisation based in Coventry or Warwickshire Warwick Volunteers can help advertise a range of opportunities to students, from weekly volunteering to event support and short term group projects.
Our Warwick Law students volunteer on a range of community-based projects with the Central England Law Centre (CLEC) in Coventry and other local partners.
In 2021/22, 81 students volunteered. This included 36 volunteers through the Strategic Public Law Clinic, 15 students volunteering through our arrangement with the Immigration and Asylum Team at the CELC, 12 students completing a range of community-based projects through our Public Legal Education Module, 5 Summer interns and 13 students on the School Exclusion Project with Warwickshire County Council.
We offer our local SMEs and charities in the Coventry and Warwickshire area the opportunity to host a graduate trainee, who would work as a Project Officer putting their project management skills into practice. A skilled graduate trainee will work at your organisation for 3 days per week, for an 8-month period, before returning to Warwick to complete the rest of the scheme. The graduate trainees will continue to be employed by (and 100% paid by) the University of Warwick.
External placement bids will be open when our next cohort have been recruited ready for placement 2 in 2025. Exact dates will be shared nearer the date.
We have placed students in local small and medium-sized enterprises and Not for Profit organisations. If you are looking for a summer placement student,Employer Connectcan support you.
"The partnership built with Warwick University has been established for over 4 years and throughout this time we have successfully provided 5 paid internships, engaging with students that have contributed a wide range of skills and competencies in an organisation that is a significant local business with a charitable purpose" Helena Wallis, Chief Executive of Heart of England Mencap
Warwick Institute of Engagement (WIE)pays for student internships in the West Midlands so that students and recent alumni can gain experience of public and community engagement outside the university context. Last year, internships ran at museums and galleries with Culture Coventry, the arts charity Coventry Artspace, the community organising charity Grapevine, and Warwick Arts Centre. Read about the2023 intern experiences. These internships typically take place in July and August.
We are members of the Business in the Community Coventry Responsible Business Leaders Network - a group of Coventry organisations committed to supporting the local community.
Our WIE regional fellows come from across Coventry and Warwickshire and help us build and strengthen links into the region. We also benefit from the expertise and knowledge they feed into the Institute.
In 2019/20,122,000 people connected with our research through public lectures, exhibitions and other activities.
The WIE Collaboration and Co-Production Fund was launched in the autumn of 2021 to support staff and students to develop ongoing strategic relationships with local, regional, and national partners. Read some of the success stories.
Grapevine and the University of Warwick: A ‘Fresh’ approach to participatory research
Community organisation Grapevine and the University of Warwick have teamed up to enable Ball Hill residents in Coventry to investigate issues around local air pollution. By measuring pollution levels around a local school and high street at different times of day, they hope to gain a better understanding of air quality and to advocate for change through a citizens’ jury. This project blends elements of both participatory research and citizen science, with non-professional scientists in Ball Hill undertaking scientific work with a focus on empowerment, education, and change.
"Working with Warwick University to introduce research skills to people in Ball Hill is another key way we can help them become advocates and informed spokespeople for the needs of their area." Clare Wightman, Grapevine CEO.
Research with Coventry City Council on health inequalities
We’re working with Coventry City Council and partners to tackle inequalities and improve health outcomes across Coventry through research, as part of a wider £50 million investment across the country.
A programme that united researchers with local artists and cultural organisations to produce digital artistic commissions in response to university research. The programme has involved over 120 researchers and local creatives.
30 pieces of research, 30 creative responses – 2 years in the making. Coventry Creates launched in Spring 2020 as an innovative way to support the local arts and cultural sector during lockdown. Over 2 years The City of Culture University Partnership (with additional funds from Arts Council England) has funded 30 projects resulting in a wide range of innovative artworks presented through a Digital Exhibition. A full evaluation of the programme has been undertaken and knowledge-sharing case study report created to inspire others.
Research by Professor Max Birchwood and Professor Swaran Singh has improved quality of care, response and access to mental health services. In particular, their work has led to the creation of improved mental health services for 0-25 year olds.
The model for 0-25 year olds first introduced in Birmingham linking Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) and adult services, has transformed mental health care for young people across the West Midlands and has now been copied in 10 cities across the UK, as well as in Canada, France, Ireland and Australia. Their research and work has informed the national NHS Long Term Plan of 2019.
We worked with the local community to generate impactful research to benefit Coventry throughout the year of the City of Culture and beyond.
From exhibitions with local artists, to food resilience, to regenerating local green spaces, we created pioneering projects and brought research to fresh audiences in new and exciting ways. Researchers worked with lots of different local communities on projects that focused on making connections, unearthing hidden stories, and positively impacting people’s lives.
Whether it's your first or 100th visit, find out more about visiting campus and how to get here with our campus maps, travel advice, parking information and public transport information.
Our Esports Centre can be found at Fusion in the Rootes Building. It has state-of-the-art esports equipment and games, and a bar offering food and drink. The Esports centre is open to everyone.
Bookings are open for pay to play sessions, social events, business events, skills programmes, and school experiences.
One of the largest multi-artform venues in the UK, delivering a high quality, engaging, diverse programme of cinema, performing and visual arts, presented in world-class venues and spaces at the heart of campus.
Our 40,000m2 Sports and Wellness Hub opened in May 2019 and includes a multi-functional sports hall; the biggest gym in the higher education sector; a 25m-long swimming pool; 17m-high indoor climbing walls; fitness suites; and squash courts. It is designed to be physically accessible to all to encourage participation by all with Changing Places facilities and a Pool Pod lift.
Our 290 hectare campus and surrounding area offers a lovely environment for a short stroll or a longer adventure. Find out more about two suggested routes: around our lakes or through the Warwickshire countryside.
Why not visit one of our cafes, bars and restaurants on campus. You'll find a great range of international food including Middle Eastern and Asian and, of course, a selection of tempting British cakes.
Getting creative is for all ages. Our Warwick Arts Centre is excited to welcome you to our building with free, artist led, creative activities for families each week. All of our activities are led by artists and designed for families to create, make and play together.
You can Take the Sculpture Trail challenge at Warwick Arts Centre! There’s no need to book, simply download our FREE family activity packs and explore the University campus. It’s suitable for all ages and everyone is welcome.
Members of the public can access our Library for reference. Find out more about how to arrange a one-off visit or how to apply for free reference-only membership and consult our collections.
