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We had a conversation with Linda, the Customer Partnerships and Sponsorship Manager at One Housing Care and Support. She has been working with UCL for nearly 8 years to bring in student volunteers from our Student-Led Projects, including BollyBop and Origami Volunteering Project ran by the Indian Dance Society and Origami Society. Linda shares their experience collaborating with UCL students and the impact of the projects on their community!

Can you briefly describe the activities that your participants were involved in with our student-led projects? How did the collaboration work?

We bring in volunteers from the BollyBop project for Bollywood dance sessions, and the Origami Volunteering Project for some crafting activities! There are a lot of projects we run with UCL, and we never say no!

To kickstart the projects, we first did an interview with the project leader, where I introduced them to Alice, who works with our senior living customers. We had a long conversation, we chatted it out, we picked the dates and we picked the topics, and the students came and they had a wonderful time. The artwork was fantastic. If the students are not doing anything in their own profession, they could be artists in origami. They were brilliant. They were so professional, and we've put them up in our literature and the services. It's marvellous, absolutely marvellous. And the most important thing is that the participants love doing it. They love the contact, the interaction with the young people and themselves, and the feeling that for that session, the students are theirs totally. There's no one else there. The students are there for them, and you can't put a value on that.

And the most important thing is that the participants love doing it. They love the contact, the interaction with the young people and themselves, and the feeling that for that session, the students are theirs totally. There's no one else there. The students are there for them, and you can't put a value on that.

It's marvellous because the students are working with our older people's services, and you can’t put a price on their intergenerational interaction. Anytime I say UCL wants to come with us with the project, my colleagues grab it. There's no argument. There's no one telling me I don't have a date in the diary. And there has not been one bad feedback. Not one. So how could you not want an organisation like this? The partnership is absolutely fantastic. I cannot fault it, and I will have withdrawal symptoms if they ever leave me!

Why did One Housing decide to host our Student-Led Projects?

What I love about working with UCL is that the students are not judgmental and not rigid. Sometimes you have people that come to you, they have their boxes to tick and they expect you to go along with their boxes, so nothing moves. Meanwhile, UCL students are adaptable and approachable, they come into the service and they are never judgmental. They take everybody as they are and it is such a joy to see. There is always a smile on their face and nothing is too much for them. So how can you not want to work with people like this? The students are really passionate about what they do, and they are such good ambassadors for UCL. They have never disappointed. Most importantly, the empathy is there, which is brilliant.

The students are really passionate about what they do, and they are such good ambassadors for UCL. They have never disappointed. Most importantly, the empathy is there, which is brilliant.

What impact did our Student-Led Projects have on the participants and/or your organisation?

For the participants, can you imagine having a group of people from different cultures and this lady comes in and does Bollywood dancing? It's lively, it's colourful, it's fun, it helps with their physical and mental well-being. We even had one of our staff members who's from India joined in, so that was absolutely fantastic.

With the Origami Project, our participants used their fine skills in doing all the intricate work, which helped their concentration, eye-hand coordination, and well-being. And when you saw the end product, we sort of put it up on the walls and stuff like that. Can you imagine what it did to their psychological well-being? So these are the things that we partied with.

For the organisation, it is kudos for us, we're working with UCL. We've got UCL students coming and doing workshops with us, we are being recognized. So that's the three things that we take away from this project with UCL.

What is the support like when working with the UCL Volunteering Service team?

It is 100%. I can't fault it.

Everyone in the team is fantastic and always going above and beyond. If they can make it happen, they make it happen. And they are always honest with me. They always try to do your best to give it. So how can I complain? I have no complaints.

What advice would you give to another organisation considering whether to host one of our Student-Led Projects?

I would say, don't consider, just grab it! At the end of the day, you and your beneficiaries, your members, everybody will only benefit from it. There really is nothing to think about. All you need to do is have a couple of meetings, plan it, and the students take over in the nicest possible way. It's a win-win situation. Anyone who is procrastinating is missing out. It's a no-brainer. Just go for it.

Is your school or organisation is interested in partnering with one of our Student-Led Projects? Find out more information here!