Coventry University Students’ Union and the Student Warden Project Tochukwu Ajare, Caron McKenna, Aiden Ramsey and Josie Llewellyn

Context Why did Coventry need a Student Warden Project? What issues faced the partners and who are the partners? How do the local communities view their student neighbours? How do the groups benefit each other? The Community Warden Project!

Why did we need a Students ‘ Warden Project? Neighbours Local councillors Landlords

What issues did we face? Negative media Anti-social behaviour Rubbish issues Crime and safety concerns Student integration

Who are our partners? Both Universities – Coventry and Warwick Both councils – Coventry and Warwick West Midlands Police British Heart Foundation Local neighbourhood groups

Cross-departmental working (both inside the SU and the University) An absolutely invaluable method of practice There may be other groups working to the same goal Resource and knowledge sharing Too many cooks spoil the broth!

Exercise One Who would your partners be? What would the top three issues be in your University/college?

What did we do? Established working groups with specific targets Agreed a reporting protocol for anti-social behaviour across Coventry Developed a ‘Your Rubbish’ app which is available to everyone in Coventry Expanded community volunteering projects

Dealing directly with the public It is a rewarding but often challenging experience Remember that you are a representative of a larger group Know what you’re talking about, and don’t be afraid to admit when you don’t! You don’t have to agree with/appease them on everything Be prepared to face criticism Remember, most of the time all they’re looking for is you to show a genuine interest

Promotion Visibility and promotion to students and members of the community Recruitment of volunteers A strong branding is extremely helpful Have several points of contact for people to get in touch Outreach – attend community events/meetings and working groups How else can you promote yourself?

Keeping volunteers motivated Dependent on your budget – some schemes can pay a small wage! Training opportunities Experience for CVs (and references) Recognition – awards Clothing Personal development Socials Community spirit

Running your group Hold regular meetings and keep in good contact with volunteers (we use a WhatsApp group!) Allow opportunities for volunteers to take ownership over projects Delegate different roles to volunteers Keep in the loop with larger campaigns Regular stalls and patrols Keep it fun!

Creating a project – Go Green Week Identify a need, get feedback Decide what your campaign/event will be What resources do you need? Equipment, volunteers, etc. Advertise the project Run the project Record the impact (photos, feedback) Follow up in the future

“Students do not always get the warmest of press coverage in Coventry “Students do not always get the warmest of press coverage in Coventry.  Residents in the Gosford Park area, however, were delighted by the efforts of a group of Student Volunteers who organised a litter pick last Saturday and on behalf of the two Residents Groups in the neighbourhood I would like to give a big thanks to Aiden and his jolly student gang.  They gave time and made efforts in an area with which they had no connection or responsibility for.  They were supported by a small group of residents but residents were certainly outnumbered by the students even though the event had been widely publicised and their involvement invited.  The social responsibility, energy,  commitment and good humour of the students did them credit and we are all very grateful. George Moore”

Exercise 2 Through discussions with local police you are aware that an estate with a large student population has recently seen an increase in Burglary. This has resulted in both students and local residents feeling very unsafe. It has been mentioned by the police that many students still do not lock their doors and/or leave their windows open. In a small group, try to come up with a campaign/activities that you could run around this issue.

Any questions?