Students and staff collect charity donations and volunteer for local university’s ‘Give Back’ campaign

Students and staff at the University of Chester collected hundreds of items of food and toiletries for their local foodbanks as part of its ‘Give Back’ initiative.

More than 170 items of food and over 80 toiletries were donated and delivered to West Cheshire Foodbank and Warrington Foodbank during the annual campaign, which ran in November and December.

A total of 77.1kg of goods were given to the foodbanks, after being collected at donation stations at the Exton Park, Kingsway, Wheeler, Queen’s Park and Remond House University sites in Chester and Warrington.

The collection was co-ordinated by the University’s Sustainability team, with support from the Volunteering team and members of the University’s Food, Waste and Resources Action Group, while Library teams and Chester Students’ Union hosted the donation stations.

The ‘Give Back’ period also saw students volunteer their time to give the University community the chance to exchange or buy affordable, pre-loved clothing, enabling good quality items to be reused. Developed in May 2024 as part of a Work Based Learning (WBL) project, a student-led Swap Shop has since seen staff and students donate more than 230 items of clothing to reduce carbon emissions and redirect textiles away from waste streams and landfills, with the most recent pop-up shop being hosted as part of the University’s annual Frost Fair. Several students also took part in a volunteer opportunity to log and organise the items donated for the local foodbanks - spreading the festive joy and promoting the importance of giving back.

Amy Butt, Sustainability Engagement Coordinator at the University, said:

“Thank you to everyone who contributed to the ‘Give Back’ campaign.

“Students and staff were very generous with their donations of long-life foods and drinks, toiletries and personal hygiene items, as well as with their time in volunteering and supporting the collection.

“It’s been wonderful to be part of such a collaborative effort to do what we can to spread festive cheer and do our bit in the season of giving. This campaign has truly been a testament to what sustainable, positive differences can be made when we come together as a community.” 

West Cheshire and Warrington Foodbanks are independent charities, as part of the wider Trussell Trust Foundation, providing emergency food to people in crisis, and striving to help improve the lives of people who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless.

Pictured - Amy Butt, from the University of Chester’s Sustainability team, which co-ordinated the collection.