Communities
We are one of the world’s leading universities and our impact stretches far beyond the boundaries of our campus, working in partnership with people and organisations in our local communities and across Coventry and Warwickshire. We believe our closest neighbours should share in the benefits of our place in the region, to make our neighbourhood a better place to live, work and visit.
Regional Strategy & Partnerships Team
Our Regional Strategy & Partnerships Team is community-led in its approach, listening to community aspirations and concerns, which builds trust, and through our active engagement with different local groups we have developed longstanding relationships. Through using a range of participatory tools and approaches communities have a say in the changes they want to see in their area and feel empowered to shape the future of their neighbourhoods.
We are always exploring new ways to welcome the wider community to our campus and venues, and to support them in taking-up life-changing opportunities within their neighbourhoods or at the University. Through working with colleagues, we create new opportunities that widen community participation and involvement with higher education, by reducing barriers, improving access and involving communities with our education and research programmes.
Get in touch with our Community Engagement team to engage with our local communities.
Our Community Engagement team
Working with local residents, organisations and our local authorities to build long-term relationships with, and be a valuable part of, our surrounding communities.
Contact us
Call: 024 7615 0708
Email:community@warwick.ac.uk
Want to tell us about a complaint?
Find out who to talk to about problems with a student neighbour or something else in your community.
A decade of partnership in Canley
Canley is one of our closest neighbourhood communities and home to many of our students and staff. We’ve enjoyed a decade of partnership in Canley, working with local people to help them define their future, build community capacity and amplify their strengths. We are embedded in the local area and developing together.
“I could see all the groups working in silos across Coventry. I was keen to leverage all their efforts and get everyone working together to make a bigger difference.” Read Nor's story
Volunteers in the community
Warwick Volunteers uses the skills, energy and enthusiasm of our volunteer students to run a wide variety of projects which benefit the local community. Student volunteers look after local green spaces, reduce loneliness among older residents, run craft activities, support local school children and community events. In 2019/20 around a 1,000 students were involved in community-focused projects in Coventry, Leamington, Kenilworth and Warwick.
"It is a highlight of my week and it is making such a difference to my life and world and I know it is to the whole of phab too. The Warwick Volunteers who come to Phab zoom are like a huge burst of life and energy that lifts us all up. I am so grateful to them and feel they are so much part of our Phab family, thank you” Nat Parr, Kenilworth Phab.
If you are a not for profit community organisation based in Coventry or Warwickshire Warwick Volunteers can help advertise a range of opportunities to students, from weekly volunteering to event support and short term group projects.
Warwick Law in the Community (LinC)
Our Warwick Law students volunteer on a range of community-based projects with the Central England Law Centre (CLEC) in Coventry and other local partners.
In 2021/22, 81 students volunteered. This included 36 volunteers through the Strategic Public Law Clinic, 15 students volunteering through our arrangement with the Immigration and Asylum Team at the CELC, 12 students completing a range of community-based projects through our Public Legal Education Module, 5 Summer interns and 13 students on the School Exclusion Project with Warwickshire County Council.
Graduate placements with local charities
We offer our local SMEs and charities in the Coventry and Warwickshire area the opportunity to host a graduate trainee, who would work as a Project Officer putting their project management skills into practice. A skilled graduate trainee will work at your organisation for 3 days per week, for an 8-month period, before returning to Warwick to complete the rest of the scheme. The graduate trainees will continue to be employed by (and 100% paid by) the University of Warwick.
External placement bids will be open when our next cohort have been recruited ready for placement 2 in 2025. Exact dates will be shared nearer the date.
Student placements in local charities and SMEs
We have placed students in local small and medium-sized enterprises and Not for Profit organisations. If you are looking for a summer placement student,Employer Connectcan support you.
"The partnership built with Warwick University has been established for over 4 years and throughout this time we have successfully provided 5 paid internships, engaging with students that have contributed a wide range of skills and competencies in an organisation that is a significant local business with a charitable purpose" Helena Wallis, Chief Executive of Heart of England Mencap
Public/community engagement internships
Warwick Institute of Engagement (WIE)pays for student internships in the West Midlands so that students and recent alumni can gain experience of public and community engagement outside the university context. Last year, internships ran at museums and galleries with Culture Coventry, the arts charity Coventry Artspace, the community organising charity Grapevine, and Warwick Arts Centre. Read about the2023 intern experiences. These internships typically take place in July and August.
Our Covid-19 support
Community and local need were at the core of our response to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Coventry Responsible Business Leaders Network
We are members of the Business in the Community Coventry Responsible Business Leaders Network - a group of Coventry organisations committed to supporting the local community.
