Special Online Meeting for University’s Community Forum

The University’s Community Forum has been running for 17 years as a place where people can hear updates, share thoughts and exchange ideas. Meetings usually take place at the University once every 3 months.

Ross Renton, Pro Vice Chancellor and Chair of the Forum, said: “We are really proud of our excellent relationships with our community and in these extraordinary times we wanted to make sure we continued to keep those lines of communication open. That’s why we decided to host a special online version of the Community Forum.

“It was fantastic to see so many of our members join us from their homes, including school leaders, local councillors, landlords, and residents.

“We shared with them the many ways the University has been supporting its students and staff through this difficult period, as well as the ways we have been contributing to the local and national efforts to the Covid-19 pandemic, including sending all of our clinical equipment to the NHS, supporting our nurses, paramedics and other health professionals to join the frontline, and encouraging students and staff to get involved in volunteering in the community.”

Sarah Boyce, Headteacher at Oldbury Park Primary School, said: “The meeting of the University Community Forum continued to fill me with confidence about all the University is doing for the students, staff and local community.  I was impressed with all the strategies and initiatives that are in place to support the University Community as a whole, many of these being run by the students themselves.  I wish all the students well as they finish their year at Worcester, under such unprecedented circumstances.”

Simon Geraghty, Leader of Worcestershire County Council, said: “It’s great to see the University of Worcester working as part of our One Worcestershire response to the challenges posed by the Coronavirus pandemic – whether that be in direct assistance to the NHS helping to bolster the provision of equipment, students stepping up to work on the frontline or in our community response to ensure people get the help and support they need during these extraordinary times.”

Worcester City Councillor, Lynn Denham, added: “I was pleased to 'attend' the University’s virtual Community Forum and hear about how they have been meeting the coronavirus challenge.  The University and their students have been making a huge contribution.”