Excellence Award for 'Getting Lost Together'

Community Relations Project Recognised

Community relations staff at the University of Derby have received an Award For Excellence for their work in local communities.

The award, part of an annual ceremony to reward the achievements of staff, is in recognition of work aimed at promoting Community, Diversity and the Environment in and around Derby.

New project

In one project, Peter Walker, Community Relations Officer at the University, approached over 12 ethnic communities in Derby to explore how the University could work with them. Following consultations with these groups, a decision was made to initiate a project with a community facing multiple deprivations in the city, and the Congolese community was approached.

Getting lost

The project was named 'Tobungi', meaning 'we're lost' in Lingala, reflecting the collaborative and experiential nature of the work. According to Peter, the name caught on after a trip to Buxton with members of the Congolese community.

"We had a day out to Buxton and the group thought we were lost when we went off on a side turn to Dovedale. It created lots of laughter and excitement; we were on an adventure.

"Tobungi means 'we're lost' - with the emphasis on uncertainty, togetherness and the excitement of finding a way forward."

In the early stages of the project, a series of sewing workshops aimed at tackling female isolation within the Congolese community was established. This was followed by the setting up of a drop-in centre, supported by the University, in Normanton to give advice and assistance to members of the community.

The New Hope Project, as it was named, was opened at Rosehill Lodge. It had an immediate and positive impact, and was featured on Central News.

Wider scope

The Tobungi project, however, is not confined to the Congolese community. The University has been involved in many diverse areas during the project, including work with WildDerby - the city council's environmental wing- and the local Derby West End Bowls Club.

Environment and education

The University teamed up with Groundwork Derby & Derbyshire to deliver an Education Pack to encourage and support learning on Sturgess Fields.

Work was also carried out with WildDerby and the BBC to deliver major events across the city, such as the Springwatch Wild Day Out and BioBlitz in June 2010.

Other initiatives included organising bat walks, dawn choruses and clean-up events, all aimed at preserving local environments and the wildlife they support.

Carry on bowling

Another initiative carried out as part of the project is the ongoing support of the Derby West End Bowls Club to help it survive and prosper.

The club has recently found it difficult to attract new members, but the University provided free membership for staff and students and helped to promote free 'taster sessions'.

The relationship between University and club has flourished, and students from the Fashion department recently designed a new club top for its members.

Success

The Tobungi project has had a great impact on communities all over Derby, and there are more plans in the pipeline. The Excellence Award is incredibly encouraging in that it provides confidence for the future.

Peter Walker said: "I am hugely proud that this work has been identified for an Excellence Award. My vision is to work to embed it as a core activity of the University, when these activities link back into the talent pool of the University - its staff, its lecturers and its students - and become the natural way of doing business.

"By expressing the learning needs of the University through such engagement, and by working together with the rich diversity of communities we serve, we can both help to improve their lives and also further our understanding and knowledge as a community-engaged University".

Winning team

The project has been supported by a number of staff from different departments. Supporting Peter was Press & PR Officers Simon Redfern and Sean Kirby, while Graham Hammersley provided essential administrative and financial assistance. Betty Phoba and Luke Foddy from Community Projects also supported the work. All of these staff members are recognised by the Excellence Award.