University of Derby signs new Strategic Partnership Agreement with Derbyshire Voluntary Action
A renewed strategic partnership has been announced between the University of Derby and Derbyshire Voluntary Action.
The partnership is set to further strengthen the link between the University and charity and community groups across Derbyshire.
The University and DVA created Community Chesterfield in 2019. The lottery-funded partnership project, led by the University’s College of Health, Psychology, and Social Care, aims to connect knowledge and expertise at the University with that of the voluntary and community sector in the region.
The Community Chesterfield partnership has won several national awards in the last four years, including Student Nursing Times and Voluntary Sector Awards.
It has delivered thousands of hours of training, placements, networking opportunities, and more for students and staff at the University, as well as supporting businesses, charities, and community groups.
As part of Community Chesterfield’s core goal to strengthen the voluntary and charity sector, they have come together with the University to contribute to the academic curriculum of student nurses.
The partnership is adding rich new elements to their studies, introducing them to the wealth of knowledge and resources that charities and communities can give, and giving them the opportunity to connect with groups and individuals who have lived experience of the systems that they will be working with.
This new expanded strategic partnership will unlock further resources and opportunities for students and staff across the University to connect with charities and community groups across Derby and Derbyshire.
It will allow new areas of the University to benefit from Community Chesterfield’s network, introducing course leads and students to a knowledge base outside their predicted experience.
The strategic partnership affirms the commitment to see both organisations working together to make positive change and widen the understanding of the difference charities and communities really make to people’s lives.
Jacqui Willis, Chief Executive of Derbyshire Voluntary Action, said: “Amplifying the voices of communities has never been so important. The opportunities Derbyshire Voluntary Action’s partnership with the University of Derby has created for students to enhance their studies has been incredible and impactful.”
Dr Denise Baker, Pro Vice-Chancellor and Dean of the College of Health, Psychology, and Social Care at the University of Derby, added: “We are extremely proud to have the continuation and extension of this partnership with Derbyshire Voluntary Action.
“The impact created by working in partnership with local charities and community groups is remarkable, generating opportunities for our students and staff and sharing the expertise we have at the University to help make a difference.”
The new strategic partnership aligns to DVA’s core goals of supporting the voluntary sector, and with Derby’s Civic University Agreement, which was launched in 2022.
If you would like to find out more about how you can be involved, and what you or your organisation can benefit from, DVA invites you to connect with them through https://www.communitychesterfield.org.uk/getinvolved.
Derbyshire Voluntary Action and the University of Derby support the marketing and economic growth of the town through Chesterfield Champions, a network of over 200 organisations across Chesterfield and North Derbyshire.
