FXU community volunteers lead the nation

At a national conference held earlier this year regarding student community volunteering attended by Jill Dunn, who is the Volunteer Co-ordinator for FXU, the combined Students' Union for University College Falmouth and the University of Exeter in Cornwall, it was reported that on average, around 3% of students actively volunteer for community work.  However, at the Woodlane and Tremough campuses, it is a different story - the figure is 7% of the student population, more than double the national average.

"Volunteering whilst at university is such a rewarding thing to do," explained Jill.  "It doesn't require a long term commitment, so can be worked in around studies," she added.  "Our students have made an extraordinary contribution to the local community this academic year through a programme of more than 35 diverse projects and activities from countryside conservation days, and beach cleans to art workshops with the elderly, reading in hospitals and projects with local schools, and we are immensely proud of all that they have achieved."

Falmouth Hospital benefited from student volunteers who worked with 12 short-term care patients to co-create canvas panels that have been combined to create a colourful mural.  The patients decided what they wanted to paint, with some of them either taking an active role or enjoying watching the students bring their ideas to life for them.  A further group of students then returned to the hospital to paint a colourful mural in the children's area.

Gwinear Primary School also benefited from FXU community action when it sent out an SOS for one of their toilet blocks to be repainted in a ‘New York graffiti street' style.  A group of foundation students answered the call and created templates in the style of famous graffiti artist, Banksy, carried out a half-day ideas workshop with the schoolchildren, and then returned to transform the block with images of their favourite cartoon characters, footballers and street style art - much to the delight of the schoolchildren.

Each year mini-bus loads of student volunteers descend upon Cornwall's beaches, in conjunction with Surfers Against Sewage and Friends of the Earth, and take it upon themselves to clean up the coastline for all to enjoy. They have also attended a number of Cornwall Marine Life Rescue volunteer training days at the Silver Dolphin Centre in Penzance where they have gained specialist knowledge to enable them to assist with the action required when caring for live dolphin and whale strandings.

The Falmouth Gardens Project organised by Carrick Leisure will also flourish due to UCF student volunteers throughout the summer.  Students will be using their skills as artists to provide insightful, fun, stimulating, safe and inspirational activities from storytelling sessions to making puppets of birds and other garden animals, weaving and feltmaking - taking inspiration from the gardens, enabling children, young people and their families to interact with their environment.

FXU has also raised in excess of £2000 for local and national charities this year as a result of extensive fundraising activity amongst the students.  This includes the presentation to Falmouth's Bowly Committee of a cheque for £300 towards its recent refurbishment. The FXU has been instrumental in implementing the Ssshhh campaign, an initiative involving the handing out of lollipops outside pubs and clubs as an antidote to anti-social late night noise.

"We would like to say a huge thank you to all the students who have worked so hard for the benefit of the local community this year," concluded University College Falmouth  FXU President, Steven Whiting.  "Volunteering not only provides students with valuable organisational and practical skills, but also demonstrates the will of the student body to work with local residents to maximise the area's immense potential for the benefit of all." 

If you have a project that you think would benefit from the help of student volunteers in the next academic year, please contact Jill Dunn - FXU Community Action Coordinator on 01326 213631/3665.

In April 2008, University College Falmouth merged with Dartington College of Arts to create a new institution focusing on the expansion of Falmouth's expertise in Art, Design and Media and Dartington's expertise in Choreography, Music, Theatre, Art and Writing.

The merger will pave the way for a new specialist Arts University in Cornwall in 2012, creating a Higher Education institution unique to the South West.

University College Falmouth is a founding partner in the Combined Universities in Cornwall (CUC), a unique initiative to promote regional economic regeneration through Higher Education, funded mainly by the European Union (Objective One), the South West Regional Development Agency, and the Higher Education Funding Council for England, with support from Cornwall County Council.

For further information about FXU Community Action at University College Falmouth, visit http://www.fxu.org.uk/

Ends

For further information about University College Falmouth, please contact Jilly Easterby, Head of Public Affairs, Telephone: 00 44 (0)1326 213792; or email: jilly.easterby@falmouth.ac.uk

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