Manchester Day of Action

Manchester Day of Action is our annual community volunteering project for alumni around the world. We are now accepting projects for 2023.

Submit your project idea here

We need alumni like you

This year, we ask you to propose a community action project that addresses one of the United Nations sustainable development goals. 

We invite projects that seek to protect our planet and help all people live in an equal world. 

You can

 •    Organise a project on your own 

•    Work with a local organisation or charity that needs volunteering help. 

Project examples

Examples of previous volunteering projects include:

• outdoor conservation work, such as tree planting and litter picking
• organising a collection of goods for people who need them, such as for a food bank
• providing social contact (in person or by telephone) to people who are isolated

You can find volunteering opportunities, including those which can be accessed and carried out remotely, on our website.

Choose your volunteering project 

When you decide on a project to organise, send us the idea using our form. Once we have approved it, we will: 

•    help you while you organise it 

•    ask other alumni near you to do the volunteer action. 

Your project can take place on one or more days. 

Tell us about your project 

When you have decided on a project, please tell us about it as soon as possible. 

Complete a project proposal form for us to review: [https://www.qualtrics.manchester.ac.uk/jfe/form/SV_eqy0oO4JOuOE3pc] 

The last date you can tell us about a project is Friday, 30 September 2023. 

What happens next 

Once you have told us about your project, we will: 

• reply to you within five working days to confirm receipt.  
• give you a decision as to whether your volunteering project is suitable. If it is not suitable, we will explore with you whether we can make changes 
• help you while you organise it 
• advertise it to alumni near you  

• ask these alumni to register through our website 
• ask these alumni to work with you to help you complete the project. 

If other alumni near you have told us about a similar project, we may ask you to join their project. 

The last day you can complete your community action project this year is 30 November 2023. 

Benefits to you

Alumni who have volunteered for Manchester Day of Action tell us that:

•    it improves their own wellbeing

•    they enjoy working with other Manchester alumni

•    they feel proud to make a positive contribution

To thank you we will:

• Celebrate and tell the story of your contribution 
• Share images/videos of your project on social media (we will need your help to capture images and videos) 
•  Recognise you by writing a recommendation on LinkedIn. Please email markus.karlsson-jones@manchester.ac.uk to request this. 
• We’re sorry, but we are unable refund expenses for your project this year. 

Contact us

Please email markus.karlsson-jones@manchester.ac.uk if you have any questions.

Safety

We encourage you to follow your local guidance to protect yourself and others from coronavirus and other communicable diseases. 

The Worldwide Manchester Run 2021

Manchester Day of Action 2020

Singapore

March – 7 alumni helped construct a shelter for workers from Malaysia who were caught in Singapore when lockdown began

June – 27 alumni made contactless deliveries of meals to vulnerable people, easing their financial burden and reducing their exposure to the external environment

Jakarta

10 alumni organised the collection of materials for a community library that had been damaged during floods.

The lead volunteer, following strict protocols, handed over a hygiene kit (hand soap, hand sanitiser and ready-to-use disinfectant), 50 cloth face masks for children, 282 books (mostly for children), COVID-19 awareness posters and flyers, and two book shelves.

The event was supported by fundraising from selling 72 Manchester Day of Action t-shirts to other alumni in Indonesia and donations from several sponsors.

Melbourne

Two alumni in Melbourne spent 20 hours putting together an Annual Report for a charity in India, New Beginnings Charitable Trust.

Shanghai

On the 22 June, 10 alumni in Shanghai and staff from the China Centre visited Home Sweet Home. This local charity works with people with disabilities and people who have experienced homelessness – providing training in areas such as English, computer skills and sewing.

Later on in the year, 100 people, including 41 alumni, plus staff and students took part in a team-building exercise, encouraging our students, alumni and people with disabilities from the charity ‘Dialogue in the Dark’ to embrace a more active lifestyle.

Worldwide – Community Mapping Day

Alumni joined students and staff to help map over 1,480km2 in remote areas of Uganda. This is equivalent to an area larger than the size of Greater Manchester, and just smaller than the size of London. 

These maps will enable aid teams to track down those who have been left in need of healthcare and prosthetic limbs following a devastating conflict that ravaged the region for 20 years. For every 50 huts found on a map, there is a victim able to receive life-changing care. 

Alumni from all around the world were brought together to work towards this, from Manchester to Mexico, and Canada to New Zealand. One alumna got in touch to arrange her daughter’s 14th birthday party, with her friends mapping in unison from their own homes.  

Manchester Day of Action 2019