Roehampton students champion local sustainability in groundbreaking volunteer project

Students from the University of Roehampton’s Faculty of Business and Law played a central role in a five-month initiative to boost community sustainability in south London, working alongside local volunteers in Merton and Mitcham.

The project, Empowering Change: Understanding and Optimising Volunteer Engagement for Sustainable Impact in Merton, was led by Dr Ayse Demir in partnership with Sustainable Merton and funded by BIG South London. Running from October 2024 to February 2025, the initiative focused on strengthening intergenerational collaboration and engaging students in real-world environmental action.

Participating Roehampton students: Uforo Cletus Sundasen, Sonila Pojani, Swapnil Shukla, Jesutowo Fola-Alao, Eva Idugboe, Aderonke Salau, and Savi Singh contributed to urban gardening, zero-waste food distribution, and community outreach activities.

Student volunteer, Eva Idugboe said, “I wanted to contribute to sustainability and get hands-on experience; it’s inspiring how small efforts can make a big difference.”The project concluded with a Stakeholder Dissemination Workshop, bringing together policymakers, university leaders, and community partners to share insights and discuss how university-NGO collaborations like this can serve as national models for sustainability engagement.Dr Ayse Demir said: “Thank you to our dedicated students and partners. Together, we’re shaping a future where universities lead on climate action and civic responsibility.”

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