Originally published 6 January 2003

Warwick staff and students are being invited to sign up and support local community projects in Coventry and Warwickshire at a Volunteering Day on Tuesday 14 January.

Organised by Warwick Volunteers, the new name for “Community Action”, the day will provide opportunities to get involved with a wide range of projects and organisations.

Jamie Darwen, Warwick Volunteers Project Manager, said: “We have a great tradition of community support. Now we want to increase the range of activities with more youth support, environmental work, arts and sports activities.”

The Volunteering Day is supported by a number of local community groups and projects, including the Warwickshire Wildlife Trust and the Warwickshire College Princes Trust. Each organisation will have a stall on the day where people can find out more about the opportunities. Some organisations will also be giving talks about their work.

“Volunteering is an opportunity for staff and students to give something back to the local community,” says Jamie. “ It’s fun and you will meet new people, pick up and develop new skills, as well as getting lots more people involved in providing support and services.”

Warwick Volunteers are keen to involve people from beyond the student community. There will be a stall at the event specifically for University staff with more information about the projects and how they can volunteer.

Current activities supported by Warwick Volunteers include:

• Encouraging staff to become School Governors
• Providing emergency night stop accommodation for young homeless people
• Acting as appropriate adults for young people in custody
• Acting on the management committees of a charity

The Volunteering Day runs from 10am – 4pm on Tuesday 14 January, in the Market Place, Union South.

For more information on Warwick Volunteers:

Website: http://www.warwick.ac.uk/volunteers/

Email: volunteers@warwick.ac.uk

Office: Level One, Union North between 10am and 5pm weekdays

Telephone: 024 7656 2763 (or internal ext 72763)