Volunteering and Awards Team building a strong partnership in Ardwick

volunteeringArdwick Climate Action (ACA) is a community action group with a mission to protect the environment through grassroots advocacy and local engagement. The University’s Volunteering & Awards Team has been working with the local group since it was formed in Autumn 2022. Over the past year, regular volunteer days have been held in partnership with ACA, giving students the opportunity to make a difference in the Ardwick community which neighbours the University campus.

During these volunteering sessions, students have helped ACA break a Manchester record by planting over 12,000 flower bulbs in a day and by building and placing lots of bird boxes across the ward. Many student volunteers have also been involved in hedge planting throughout Ardwick. The creation of new hedges helps combat the air pollution from the heavy traffic flow along many of Ardwick’s busy roads, including the A6.

The Volunteering and Awards Team also partnered with ACA to host the Big Volunteer Day as part of Student Volunteering Week 2023. With around 70 students taking part throughout the day, three sites in the Brunswick area of Ardwick were cleaned and greened up.

A group of student volunteers have also assisted ACA in developing a PR and marketing plan. The students volunteered with the community group for eight weeks to create a solid strategy that aligned with its messages and goals. ACA is now able to use the strategy to attract further press engagements, implement marketing campaigns, and assist in large-scale grant applications.

The Volunteering and Awards Team is looking forward to progressing further projects as it develops its partnership with this great grassroots organisation.