Caritas Westminster
Caritas Westminster is the social action agency in the Catholic Diocese of Westminster. We seek to bring about a society where everyone lives a life of dignity and worth by working with parishes to make a difference in local communities through setting up social action projects (e.g. food banks, night shelters, knife-disposal bins) and through partnerships with national and international…
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Idea for research
Idea for research
Caritas Westminster is dedicated to serving vulnerable communities across the city through faith-based, community-driven support services that foster compassion, solidarity, and dignity. Engaging individuals in our mission through faith-centered activities—such as volunteering, mentorship, and outreach—plays a crucial role in strengthening our impact. Many people are drawn to this work by a blend of personal faith and a desire to make a difference, and our Volunteer Service provides a signposting platform for those people looking to find a suitable role that reflects their passion and fits in with their personal and work commitments.
This research aims to understand how digital tools and platforms can be incorporated to improve the volunteer recruitment, management and retainment processes, and explore aids and barriers to adoption. In particular:
• The potential of reaching a wider and more varied audience through a user friendly platform.
• The benefits of digital approaches vs traditional recruitment
• Automation & AI
• Leveraging gamification for the provision of training
• Case study examples of other organisations who do this successfully
Impact of idea
The insights from this research will play a critical role in enhancing Caritas Westminster strategies to engage people from faith communities (and beyond) more deeply in our mission. By providing potential and current volunteer with an user friendly online platform, and understanding the potential positive and negative outcomes, we can inspire more individuals to get involved, demonstrating the transformative and rewarding effects of this work—not only for participants themselves but also for the broader community.

The evidence gathered will guide our outreach and engagement strategies, helping us build a motivated, resilient community of volunteers that is ready to address London and the Hertfordshire area’s most pressing challenges. This research will ultimately strengthen Caritas’s capacity to foster an inclusive, impactful, and supportive environment within faith communities and beyond.

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Application process
Application criteria
Open to students from all backgrounds.
Is this project fully accessible to students with the disabilities?
Yes
Disabilities information
Project can be adjusted as per student accessibility requirements.

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