Why Students Should Get Involved in the Local Community?
It is very easy as an Exeter student to forget about the outside world. Campus-based, we can end up spending literally all day on campus pretending to do work in the library and drinking in the Ram, having little to no interactions with any outside beings. Even the news can seem a little unreal as Exeter turns into our own little oasis, protected by a barrier from the outside. Earthquake in Thailand? The stuff of movies. Fluctuations in the exchange rate? Just words in a textbook. A local fundraiser for the retirement home? Barely registers on our radar.
However it’s not that hard to get engaged. I know I spent the first two years of university life entirely wrapped up in my own thoughts, barely dabbling with Amnesty letters and throwing the odd few coins in the charity buckets I passed. It was far too easy to ignore the outside community and live my own little life. However, for my last year I decided to give back to my community and get involved in a project I really believe in, and I finally feel like I’m doing something rewarding.
I’m not going to preach to you and expect hours of dedication to fundraising and campaigning. Most high profile charities require huge amounts of time and money, and quite frankly, time is limited as a uni student. However, why not consider work in the local community? There are so many good local causes, it would be easy to give something back to the city that puts up with us running round town drunk after a Timepiece Wednesday. It is so important for the university to create links with local communities; we have the skills and vibrant ideas to really boost the profile of some charities and make a difference to the lives of some of our local individuals.
I am project manager for an event to be held at the University of Exeter on 19 October, called the Exeter Experience Day. Held in conjunction with Mencap and The Exeter Gateway Centre, the day is designed to provide learning disabled individuals in the south-west with a fun day out where they get the opportunity to try activities they wouldn’t normally get to try, and interact with others of a similar background. We have an amazing array of activities planned from tennis to creating a giant mosaic. There will be bunnies, nail painting, penalty shoot-out, a magician and much much more. Our guests are already looking forward to the day, and it is groups like The Exeter Gateway Centre that help support learning disabled adults and provide a safe place for them to get together and have fun.
There is scope for all varieties of student to contribute, not only to this but to charity in general. We come to university to get skills, and those skills can be applied to great effect in a volunteering sphere. Business students might help a charity reduce its costs, and sporty students can provide coaching. Drama students can provide entertainment workshops, and media students can facilitate creative productions. The point is that volunteers consistently surprise themselves with what they can offer, and also with how much the experience means to them.
It’s not just charities like The Exeter Gateway Centre that could benefit from your help – many local charities could do with the innovative ideas of students and our motivation to make a difference. If you would like to help out in the local community, speak to the Volunteering department at university. If you would like to help support learning disabled individuals from the local community, get involved and volunteer for the day! Or come along and buy raffle tickets to support us!
Amy Garner
