Student volunteers head for south Manchester
04 Nov 2010
More than 200 students from The University of Manchester will hit the streets of south Manchester next week to make a positive impact on their local communities.
The students, through the Manchester Leadership Programme (MLP), will take their wellies, spades and paint brushes to a range of volunteering projects in Withington, Moss Side, Rusholme and Fallowfield.
Lindsay Gilbert, Head of Volunteering and Community Engagement at the University: “We hope this week will help to challenge or even change some of the negative perceptions of students as we forge positive new relationships between our students and the wider community. All of these projects will create lasting changes that impact people in our local community.”
The Projects:
Monday, November 8
50 students will renovate Depaul Safestop in Withington, a young people’s homeless hostel. They will paint and spruce up all 12 bedrooms in the hostel as well as tidying the large overgrown garden, tidying up a herb garden and planting bulbs. This will be a real challenge that Depaul UK would not be able to do without the students help. Depaul UK is the largest charity for young homeless people in the UK, helping more than 3,500 young people a year, as well as 2000 more through their Nightstop schemes.
Wednesday, November 10
60 student volunteers will create a new allotment for the local community on an overgrown plot on the corner of Bowes Street and Claythorpe Street in Moss Side, where they will also prepare the area for an orchard, a seating area and a BBQ area.
Thursday, November 11
60 student volunteers will visit Frank Hatton Court, sheltered accommodation for older people in Rusholme, to clean up the outdoor area that is currently unused, including painting, planting and weeding. The students will also join the residents for lunch to build lasting relationships
Friday, November 12
Students will clear and tidy the Fallowfield Loop cycle path to encourage more people to use the path, and help to create a mini allotment plot for use by homeless families.