As part of their applied Sociology module a group of students have established links with key personnel at Alt Valley Community Trust.
It was a unique experience for these undergraduates to examine our community based charity in the North East of Liverpool and to explore how we support individual and community well-being. They completed their study tour by visiting education, training and employment, sport/leisure, libraries and community engagement provision.
The partnership has secured positive outcomes in terms of facilitating knowledge transfer and seeking new approaches to common challenges. The staff and student participants have all recognised that the initiative has been mutually beneficial.
They even managed to speak to Ian Byrne (MP for West Derby) when he called into the Communiversity.
Each student was paired with a member of staff as a means of gaining insight and immersion into community development activities. In this way they were able to apply some theory into practice. Whilst they gained valuable ‘hands –on experience, AVCT benefitted from having independent observers assess our strengths and areas in need of development. Currently the undergraduates are devising proposals to improve aspects of our work such as measuring impact by assessing the difference we make to the lived experiences of local people and strategies to help young people overcome barriers to employment. New perspectives and the generation of ideas are eagerly anticipated.
Alma Mason (Chair of AVCT board of Trustees)