Finding Belonging and Purpose: Connect Talent CIO at the University of Manchester Volunteering Fair

Our exhibiting team—represented by Sybil, Ihinrere, and Dr Ola, our CEO—spent a wonderful three hours in active conversation with students keen to discover how they could share their time, energy, and talents. We spoke with students who had recently arrived in Manchester to study and make a life here, representing many different cultures and corners of the world.

Throughout our discussions, we explored how volunteering is fundamentally a reciprocal experience. While students bring fresh perspectives, vitality, and digital and creative skills that directly enrich our grassroots projects, volunteering in turn offers them a welcoming environment to form lasting friendships, nurture practical confidence, and establish roots in their new city.

It was particularly encouraging to see this enthusiasm translate into immediate interest, as several students submitted volunteering applications directly with us on the day to join our upcoming community programmes. We also had the pleasure of capturing photographs alongside some of the students who stopped by to find out more about our work.

Beyond meeting students, the fair provided a fruitful space for sector-wide exchange. We spent time connecting with organisations working across diverse social, educational, and charitable causes, comparing experiences and exchanging ideas about inclusive volunteering, volunteer wellbeing, and sustainable community engagement.

During the afternoon, Dr Ola took part in positive exploratory conversations regarding possibilities for future collaboration. These included discussions with the University of Manchester's Mental Health Team Lead and an NHS Volunteer Manager from North Manchester. While these conversations remain exploratory, exchanging perspectives on community wellbeing, digital inclusion, and volunteer support reinforced how much common ground exists across higher education, public healthcare, and grassroots charities.

We were also delighted to meet Mr Ade Arogundade, one of our trustees, who attended the fair and shared in the positive energy of the afternoon.

Delivering an event of this scale requires tremendous coordination, and we want to express our sincere appreciation to the University of Manchester's volunteering team for organising such an inclusive, dynamic event.

We would like to give particular recognition to the University of Manchester student ambassadors on duty throughout the fair. Their warm hospitality, attentiveness, and practical assistance ensured that exhibitors were supported from setup to pack-down, creating an easy, inviting experience for visitors throughout the hall. We are equally grateful to our fellow exhibiting organisations for their camaraderie and idea-sharing, and to every single student who took the time to speak with us.