A vibrant Voluntary Sector Marketplace has introduced university students and lecturers to groups across the county, to further champion working together in classrooms and communities.
More than 300 students and lecturers from the University of Derby met with charities and community organisations from across the county at a packed event on November 24th 2022, as part of the partnership between the University and local charity Community Chesterfield.
Over 40 representatives from the charity and voluntary sector in Derbyshire helped to make this event a huge success, presenting a series of lectures to nursing students at the university talking about the impact of groups in our community and on health and social care, and encouraging staff and students to become champions for the invaluable work being done.
Introducing hundreds of students and lecturers to connect with groups such as Ashgate hospice, the Volunteer Centre, Derbyshire Carers Association, Chesterfield Football Club Community Trust, and many more, the event encouraged the participants to make plans together to strengthen their links and plan future collaborations in the classroom, and in communities across the region.
The university this week was awarded the Bronze Engage Watermark for its community engagement and partnerships, working with education is critical to ensuring the continued success and reach of charities and community groups across Derbyshire.
Daniel Jones, Marketing and Communications officer at Community Chesterfield said: “Our partnership with the University of Derby is integral to our success in delivering such outstanding support to both students and community groups across the county, helping to shape the future of charities and volunteer groups and increase the understanding of how vital support within our communities is”.
Community Chesterfield is a collaboration between Derbyshire Voluntary Action and the University of Derby, connecting students, university lecturers, and community groups across the county to work with and support each other in a true partnership and has been recognised this year with awards at the Voluntary Sector Awards and the Nursing Times Awards for their successes.
One University of Derby student commented: “It has opened my eyes to the possibilities both for employment and to signpost people to. It has highlighted that there may be opportunities and options out there for me once I graduate… I think what the volunteer sector do is absolutely amazing and I would imagine that it could be very rewarding.”
Community Chesterfield, Derbyshire Voluntary Action and University of Derby support the marketing and economic growth of the town through Chesterfield Champions, a network of over 200 organisations across Chesterfield and North Derbyshire.
