"It is unbelievable how much impact we can have when we all pull together."
Community engagement is a huge focus for Warwick - but what does engaging with our local community look like in practice?
We caught up with Ben Hayday, Community Partnerships Manager, to learn more about the work that takes place with our neighbours in Canley and beyond.
Tell us about Warwick's partnership with Canley, and the origins of Canley Parade...
Ben: Canley is one of our closest neighbourhoods 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.
Canley Parade was suggested by Canley community leaders during our conversations about how to bring people together after the Covid-19 lockdowns. Warwick Arts Centre secured £200,000 from Spirit of 2012 for the Playing Out project, three years of participatory creative activities, including the Parade and open air film screenings.
The Parade is about celebrating Canley and the people who live there. Can you share one of your favourite people stories?
Ben: A couple of years ago, the day of the Parade was baking hot so we took a short break in the shadow of some trees. A woman heard the samba band and laughter outside her house, so opened her front door to see what was going on. The parade-goers grinned, waved and chatted with her during their break.
After a little while, she opened up to say she had been so scared during the pandemic – having lost someone – and that she hadn’t been outside in months. Living alone, she felt so isolated, but this had been her opportunity to re-connect with her neighbours. It gave her the confidence to come together with people again.
Warwick collaborates with other institutions and organisations on many regional activities, such as Pupil Parliament. Tell us a little about that...
Ben: The University of Warwick’s success is built on partnerships, and that’s true for our community work too. We engage with local authorities, residents groups, politicians, charities, businesses, libraries, and more.
Almost everything we do in Coventry, Warwickshire and the wider West Midlands is collaborative with people who can help make the biggest positive impact. The Pupil Parliaments are a great example: with Coventry City Council, we have brought together large numbers of primary school children to discuss their safety, health, feeling valued and the opportunities available to them. Key local decision makers are actively listening in the room to understand these young citizens’ experiences.
How can other departments get involved in regional engagement, or learn from your team?
Ben: We’re a world-leading university and our impact stretches far beyond the boundaries of our campus, working in partnership with people and organisations in our local communities and across Coventry and Warwickshire. We believe our closest neighbours should share in the benefits of our place in the region, to make our neighbourhood a better place to live, work and visit.
It is unbelievable how much impact we can have when we all pull together. The Regional Strategy and Partnerships team can help facilitate meaningful engagement in local communities, if you think you have something to offer. We help broker long-term relationships and opportunities so our contribution is focused where it can most help.
Email community@warwick.ac.uk if you think you or your team have something to contribute.