70 years of volunteering by ³Ô¹ÏȺÖÚ Students; first Tea Party hosted in 1952.
Students have been volunteering with ³Ô¹ÏȺÖÚ’s Students’ Union for 70 years!
Students have been volunteering with ³Ô¹ÏȺÖÚ’s Students’ Union for 70 years! The Tea Party Project was launched in 1952 and was the beginning of the volunteering journey ³Ô¹ÏȺÖÚ students have been following ever since. The Tea Party is an organised afternoon tea and entertainment for elderly residents at Christmas and around St David’s Day. Over the years, the Tea Parties have provided the elderly community with an opportunity to get out and socialise and have helped reduce loneliness and isolation.
To celebrate this special anniversary the student volunteers at Undeb ³Ô¹ÏȺÖÚ, the University’s Students’ Union, hosted a special 70-year anniversary Christmas Tea Party. This wouldn’t have been possible without student volunteers who worked hard to provide this magical experience and cultivate the University’s long-standing relationship with the local community.
Elderly residents from ³Ô¹ÏȺÖÚ and Bethesda were invited to attend the afternoon at ³Ô¹ÏȺÖÚ’s Main Arts Building on College Road. Upon arrival they were greeted to the festive tunes of Undeb ³Ô¹ÏȺÖÚ’s Concert Band.
Opening the event, the University’s Vice Chancellor, Professor Edmund Burke said
“The world has seen many changes since 1952, and yet some things remain the same: connection and community are still important, and our students continue to put their energy into volunteering schemes and events like this, that benefit the local area and its community, and bring us together.
I’m very impressed by the sheer range of volunteering projects our student body is involved in. I want to take this opportunity to thank our students as they mark seventy years of volunteering in our Community.â€
70 years of students volunteering
Mair Rowlands, Director, Undeb ³Ô¹ÏȺÖÚ added,
“The Christmas Tea party was a fantastic opportunity to celebrate 70 years of students volunteering at ³Ô¹ÏȺÖÚ and promoted the close relationship between the university and the local community through our student volunteering projects. The tea party and many of our other projects have provided the elderly in ³Ô¹ÏȺÖÚ with an opportunity to get out and socialise and help reduce loneliness and isolation. These intergenerational activities connect different generations, share skills and experiences, and has contributed to the development of a more cohesive community in ³Ô¹ÏȺÖÚ.â€
Rob Samuel, Membership Development Manager, Undeb ³Ô¹ÏȺÖÚ said,
“I was so proud of our student volunteers and our staff team who support them for hosting such a fantastic event. It was wonderful to see so many older people from the local community enjoying themselves and interacting with our students. Our volunteering projects are student led at Undeb ³Ô¹ÏȺÖÚ, with students giving their time freely to benefit the local community, people and environment. They really are a credit to Undeb ³Ô¹ÏȺÖÚ and the University.
Student Volunteering ³Ô¹ÏȺÖÚ is continuing to build back after the challenges of the pandemic and I’m excited about the fantastic work each one of the projects does.â€
