UniCrew Volunteers

We LOVE On Purpose, but we’re biased. What did other people say?? We found our audience feedback from OP last year when we hosted , and .workshop and we think they had a good time.

We can’t wait to share the same insightful, inspiring and stereotyping-breaking chats with you this year when , and come to town! 💛 Snag yourself a seat via the link in our bio 🪩

We love this! Thanks Halo Project - Beyond Orokonui for always being such a connector between our students and Papatūānuku and giving them opportunity to be part of something so special.

Thanks to hundreds of volunteers, two committed local landowners and Greenfleet almost 12,000 native seedlings have been planted at this beautiful patch of paradise! Massive gratitude to all who have contributed!

An epic future forest in the making!

👏🥳🌿

🔥 ON PURPOSE returns again to shake up the chat around change, social impact and leadership. This year you get to meet these legends:

🎨 // illustrator whose work many of you will recognise
🍲 Jackie from // feeder of souls and bellies and connector of many
💫 // community builder, Otago grad, deep thinker and straight talker

KEY DEETS
📅 Tuesday 24 September 2024
⏰ 5.30-7.30pm
📍
🍕 light kai
🎟️ FREE ENTRY (limited seats so RSVPs pls)
👀 Die hards swipe all the way to the end…

Head to the links in our bio for your ticket to a most enjoyable evening, if we can say so ourselves!

Much gratitude to .nz for helping us make this event possible year after year 🙏

An annual fave dropping later this week 👀

Join the wonderful team at Give to Grow Ōtepoti at their tool refurbishment working bee this Saturday! We love the kaupapa of this organisation and how easy they make it for students to get involved.

Keen to volunteer for Give to Grow?

This Saturday (August 10th), we have our monthly Tool Refurbishment Bee occurring at Skillsec (14 Bridgman St, Dunedin - swipe to see a map of the location). The aim of this session is to refurbish/repair donated tools to prepare them for distribution and use, with any spare time being used to work in our community garden. All necessary training will be provided, so don't stress if you have no experiencing with gardening or tool refurbishment!

We will be running the session from 11am to 2pm, but volunteers are welcome to attend any time in this period - even if you can only come for a little, we would still love to see you! For more information, please check out our website at givetogrow.nz/updates or flick us an email at [email protected].

Welcome back to campus! Ready to get into some social impact action?

We’ve got a bunch of volunteer roles and programs waiting for YOU! There’s something for everyone to get experience, connection, and community 🤗

This week, we’ll show you how to use our Priceless Store and highlight some super cool roles you can get involved in. Plus, stay tuned in for when tickets drop for our speaker event On Purpose and the ever-exciting GC Café! 🙌💛

Ready to make a difference and have some fun? Let’s do this! ✌🏽

LEADS part 2 💛

Meet Aidan, Yui, Destiny, and Ciara! They’ve got critical minds, killer smiles, and sassy vibes.

Smile back at these smiley faces when you see ‘em 😁😁😁

Legends on campus aka. our social impact student leads for 2024! 😍😍😍

Meet the unstoppable coolness of our student leads 🐱‍🏍 These visionaries light up Otago campus, nay, the world, with their passion, creativity, and dedication to making a difference. As champions of innovative and impactful projects they’re everywhere (sooo Julia) leading our programmes and events and spreading the good word about community and volunteering 📢🙏🙌

Lead profiles AND sign-ups for UniCrew programmes are dropping this week so stay tuned. Get ready, get set, and run don’t walk with us on a journey of impact and change 💪❤️

Celebrating Aspire 💚

The Aspire programme launched in 2014 to help year 7 and 8 students explore the University of Otago and stay excited about learning. The secret sauce was pairing university students with tamariki for awesome and creative on-campus activities that induced giggles, sparked inspiration, and stamped on a lasting impact. Over the years, we guided hundreds of students across campus, exploring everything from chemistry University of Otago Chemistry Outreach, to nutrition, O-Taiko - Dunedin's Taiko Drumming Ensemble , robotics School of Computing, University of Otago , and sports education.

Aspire has been a UniCrew staple for ten years. At this monumental milestone, we've made a tough choice and decided to press pause on Aspire, for now. While we've loved every minute of Aspire, we feel it's time to reflect, reassess, and investigate other ways we can make an impact in Ōtepoti. We're forever cooking up new things and look forward to taking the time and space to develop some brand-new recipes for ya 🍰

We're so grateful for every single person who has been a part of this journey 🙏. Thanks to Carisbrook School, Bathgate Park School - Official, and Dunedin North Intermediate DNI schools for sending so many incredible kids our way, to Otago Community Trust for the dough to make the bread, to all the host departments for facilitating the activities and sharing how awesome their mahi is, to the Aspire student exec who organised and shaped each run of the programme into something special, to all the uni student buddies for dedicating their time and energy to give back to the next generation, and of course to the local school children for turning up with smiles and getting stuck into all the epic things on offer 👏

Talk about so many photos so little time—enjoy this carousel of a teeny sample of the Aspire magic in action!

Ka kite Aspire, it's been a blast! 💥

Join us at GC Cafe on Tuesday, May 14th, as we delve into the often-overlooked inequities of visa policies. 🌍✈️

Speaker, Rekha Joly (Master of International Development), will shed light on the challenges many face navigating these systems.

Let’s come together to explore, learn, and advocate for a more equitable global landscape. Don’t miss out on this important conversation and action for a fairer world!

Hosted in the Social Impact Studio, Global Citizens Café is a speaker series on topics with global relevance. Think Tiny Desk Concerts but world community chat instead of music - our speaker sets the scene and then we open up the chat to discuss and share ideas. We’ll make the space comfy 🛋️ with sofas, bean bags, and snacks, you bring your curious mind.

Spaces are limited 👀 - secure yours via link in bio

We're well into our second group of Minds Together Huinga Huatau participants. Absolutely love working with Alzheimers Otago to create this epic intergenerational experience that brings so much laughter, joy and connection each week. Antoinette (Manager, AO) recently shared the kaupapa of Minds Together at the national Alzheimers New Zealand conference with a great reception from the audience.

The group are off to visit the wonderful team at the Hocken Collections tomorrow!

Otago’s Mind Together showcases power of intergenerational relationships - Alzheimers New Zealand A new, intergenerational programme ‘Minds Together’ has both people living with dementia mate wareware and university students so excited that they’re doing it all again.

Spoiler alert: GC Café 2 coming soon! 🌏 😎

We’re collabing with Te Oraka for this special GC Café to kick off sustainability week 2024 ♻️

We’ll hear from Tawfique, a superstar architect with a special interest in making cities playful 🤹‍♀️ Designing spaces is much more than making something pretty and functional - we’ll hear about how focussing on interaction and play in crafting urban environments can improve quality of life for citizens and promote sustainable people-centered futures.

Hosted this time at Te Oraka, Global Citizens Café is a cosy speaker series on topics with global relevance. Think Tiny Desk Concerts but world community chat instead of music - our speaker sets the scene and then it’s opened up to the intentionally small group to discuss and share ideas. We’ll make the space comfy 🛋️ with sofas, bean bags, and snacks, you bring your curious mind.

Spaces are limited 👀 - secure yours via link in bio

📌GOOD MAHI |Join us for a day of community connection and impact 🙌

Good Mahi invites students and staff to volunteer at various projects throughout Ōtepoti. Whether it's sorting goodies with Shop on Carroll, filling backpacks with Foster Hope - Otago/Southland, planting natives with Save The Otago Peninsula - STOP- Inc Soc, or baking up some apple crumble with SuperGrans Dunedin Charitable Trust, there's something for everyone to get involved in 😁

Sign up now to be a part of this epic day of service and collaboration 💚

📍 KEY EVENT DETAILS
📅 Date: Friday 3 May 2024
⏰ Time: 9am - 1pm (Volunteers arrive on campus at 9am, BBQ running from 1.30-2.30pm on campus)
🙌 Info and projects: https://www.unicrewotago.org/good-mahi

Brought to you by UniCrew and OUSA Clubs & Socs, and generously supported by Canon New Zealand!

This is your sign to café it up ☕

First Global Citizens Café of the year is coming up on 23 April – humanitarians this one is for you!

We’re starting off the GC Café year strong by diving into the world of refugee resettlement with Mona from Red Cross. Context: in 2021 there were 21.3 million refugees globally, but fewer than 1% of refugees are resettled each year. Ōtepoti Dunedin is one of the places this happens 🌏🤍

Hosted in our cute and cosy studio, Global Citizens Café is a speaker series on topics with global relevance. Think Tiny Desk Concerts but world community chat instead of music - our speaker sets the scene and then it’s opened up to the intentionally small group to discuss and share ideas.

Spaces are limited - secure yours via link in bio 😊😊😊

⚡️NEW DROPS NEW DROPS NEW DROPS NEW DROPS⚡️sign-ups in bio.

🌱GDAF x HALO PROJECT
A beaut half day out at Long Beach stomping down the grass and weeds to let the native seedling thrive. Light lunch and transport provided. Hosted by Social Impact Leads: Imo and Henry

📍Saturday 23 Marcy | 9am - 2pm | 50 spots

🍴GDAF X PĀTAKA ORA
Join the roster to prepare and serve meals at this vibrant and inclusive community kitchen. All levels of cooking skills welcome. Dinner and transport provided. Hosted by Social Impact Leads: Charlotte and Caleb

📍Monday 18 March, then fortnightly | 4.15pm - 7.30pm | Araiteuru Marae | 12-14 spots

🐣 LITTLE MIRACLES TRUST
Support the mahi of LMT as they look after whānau of premature babies in newborn intensive care units (NICU). Putting together knitting packs, letter-writing etc No knitting skills needed! Hosted by Ellen.

📍Next session 9 April, 12-1pm, then variable | Campus-based | As needed basis

🌏 GLOBAL CITIZENS CAFÉ
A chill student-led learning session about a topic that has global relevance. First topic: Ongoing refugee resettlement in dunedin and the refugee support volunteer role with Red Cross. Registrations open after mid-sem break. Hosted by Social Impact Lead: Yui

📍Tues 23 March | 5.30-7pm | Social Impact Studio | 25 spots

🔥Are you on our list for the UNICREW WELCOME next Monday 11 March!? We can’t wait to see you! You can expect to:

🫶🏼 Meet good people keen on social impact
⚡️ Exclusive early access to NEW events and initiatives!
🍙 Kai
✨ Goodies
🥛 Leave with a fuller cup

Event is FULL butttt flick us an email at [email protected] for waitlist.

We had so much fun at tent city this o-week meeting a whole bunch of super cool students👋👋👋 (and being serenaded by some sometimes amazing sometimes questionable but always entertaining karaoke). Happy orientation one and all!!!

We’ve got more goodies, more goodness, and more fun to come this year, starting with the UniCrew Welcome on March 11! SO, have you signed up to UniCrew yet?

If you haven't submitted a project yet, now is the time!!!

Do you have a practical project that needs some helping hands? 👋 Orientation week (19-23 Feb) is coming up and we're helping to get students into some awesome volunteering to kick off their year! If your organisation has some tasks that need tackling then fill in this short form: https://forms.gle/uW6jHkmTt5AJD13d6 and we'll send some energetic students your way! Applications close Tuesday 30th of Jan so the sooner the better. Any questions please email [email protected] - 2024 is shaping up to be a goodie! 💙

Do you have a practical project that needs some helping hands? 👋 Orientation week (19-23 Feb) is coming up and we're helping to get students into some awesome volunteering to kick off their year! If your organisation has some tasks that need tackling then fill in this short form: https://forms.gle/uW6jHkmTt5AJD13d6 and we'll send some energetic students your way! Applications close Tuesday 30th of Jan so the sooner the better. Any questions please email [email protected] - 2024 is shaping up to be a goodie! 💙

Did you know that as a University of Otago student, you have access to numerous resources for enjoying the great outdoors? 🌿

UniCrew Volunteers connects Otago students with different communities through volunteering and social impact. Offer a helping hand in habitat restoration and conservation projects through initiatives like Good Deed and Feed. 🌍

Unipol Recreation, University of Otago is the home for all things recreation. Access all your equipment to participate in social sports, outdoor student rentals, and activities such as camping, surfing, skiing, and snowboarding. 🏄‍♂️⛷️

OUSA Clubs & Socs offer a vast selection of student-led clubs and societies. Venture out and engage in activities like photography, biking, tramping, rowing, and much more! 🚴‍♂️🚣‍♀️

To our international students who are going to study at Otago in 2024, check these out and prepare for an exciting student life here in New Zealand! 🇳🇿✨

Volunteering in New Zealand 2024 - Volunteers We are seeking feedback on the state of volunteering in New Zealand. It could be that you volunteer regularly for an organisation; help with one-off support; or give some time helping friends, family or your community. Complete our volunteer survey now:

FUTUREPROOF - story of a different kind of programme.

2023 brought some time and space for us to cook up exciting new programmes, like Futureproof.
The story starts when research identified a major problem for community organisations is their ageing volunteer base. So with we formed teams of tertiary students to work with community orgs and come up with ideas of how to attract and retain young people as volunteers.
Even though the path forward was not always clear, the student collaborators crushed it. They analysed the org's current systems, listented to what was working and what wasn't, and with indpendence and confidence created reports with a bunch of awesome suggestions and insights.
Futureproof looks and hits different. We're stoked with how the pilot and are looking forward to doing it again and helping community organisations futureproof (get it?) their awesome mahi.

Huge aroha to for their guidance, support, and championing of this new programme. Shout out to and for being willing to have us poke around and hear out our thoughts. And of course big ups to the students for being *chef's kiss*

Org feedback:
"This experience was super encouraging. Very much appreciated that the group appreciated my time and ideas and asked great questions... The report was helpful in filling in a few gaps or updating us on some things that had moved to the back of our minds."

"Though I applied to volunteer at Whatever It Takes Trust, I was fortunate enough to score a paid role. For seven hours, five days a week I got to hang out and talk - both specialties of mine. It honestly did not feel like work. I felt very lucky to have it as a summer job for the next two years.
And ‘calming’ may not be a word typically associated with me by those in my daily life, but volunteering at Anxiety NZ has shown me that anyone is capable of providing comfort and support to those who need it.

My experience with each organisation has taught me so much in such a short period of time. At first, I doubted my capabilities of being a calming and supportive presence, given I had never been described as the former. However, encouragement from my family and members of both organisations pushed me to at least give it a go - and I’m so glad I did. From ANZT I learnt useful strategies for dealing
with my own anxious feelings, and the power of validation or a listening ear in even the most stressful of situations. WITT has taught me how to engage meaningfully, as well as how to balance boundaries within peer support.

I would encourage anyone reading this to give volunteering a go. Don’t worry about being the perfect person for the role, all you need is the desire to help those around you and you will do great."

- Louisa, Anxiety NZ volunteer and Whatever It Takes employee 🤪

Full story from Louisa at unicrewotago.org (link in bio!)

📣FINAL SPEAKER: KII SMALL

We are so very pumped to welcome Kii Small to next week for On Purpose. Kii is a current Obama Leader in the Asia-Pacific and the co-founder of the SaySo Project, a digital journaling platform for young people in Aotearoa who lack access to mental health and wellbeing services due to their location or other factors beyond their control.

The project provides users with a safe space to start, curate, and create their own journal safely, securely,and without barriers.

Previously, Kii worked in the philanthropic sector for five years, funding youth & mental health initiatives across the country on behalf of public and private entities. He believes that every story is more than just a data point. Kii views each story as being its own universe that deserves to be treated as such. With this understanding, Kii is passionate about building and maintaining platforms that allow people to share their stories for the better of their wellbeing, without geographical or financial barriers.

Kii is also one half of podcast with and the co-founder of a storytelling podcast network based in Wellington.

🪑Snag your free seat to hear from Kii via our link in bio. Space is filling up!!

ON PURPOSE // TUE 19 SEP // 6-8PM // AUAHI ORA // FREE // KAI + LEARNING

📷

📣SPEAKER DROP: PAM LOWE ✨

🩲 Leadership, community and social impact through UN**ES!! Joining is the vibrant powerhouse that is Pam Lowe, who is part of .workshop an ethical underwear brand with a 3-pronged social impact fork: 1) creating jobs for women from refugee and migrant backgrounds, 2) sustainability, and 3) sizing inclusivity. Pam has been Nisa’s Production Manager since 2018 and a core part of this undie-loving community all this time. She has a history in fashion design, and being a computer patternmaker, sample machinist and production manager in factories and for designers around Aotearoa.

Fast forward to 2023, insert a rollercoaster ride of Nisa technically closing in July this year, but then rising from the ashes in the 11th hour, Pam has teamed up with four other members of Team Nisa to take over the company from the previous founder. In this new chapter of Nisa, Pam now wears the CEO and General Manager pants (or un**es 🩲 hehe).

🧡 Reserve your seat via link in bio 🧡

ON PURPOSE // TUE 19 SEP // 6-8PM // AUAHI ORA // FREE // KAI + LEARNING

🙏 to .nz for helping us to get these legends to

📣SPEAKER DROP: AMITA KALA✨

We are SO EXCITED to introduce you to Amita (pronouced 'Amitha') who will be joining us at On Purpose - A Social Impact Speaker Event. We've only zoomed once and instantly wanted to be mates forever. You will too when you meet her at On Purpose!

The joyful Amita Kala is the visionary founder of Aunty's House, a community collective uplifting and celebrating the South Asian diaspora in Aotearoa.

Amita identifies as a 3rd generation Gujarati Indian born in South Africa, proud plus-size model, and fat feminist. With expertise in marketing and social media strategy, advocating for decolonising spaces and healing the inner child, Amita's passion lies in fostering authentic representation.

Through Aunty's House, she creates a space for empowerment, cultural sharing, and community healing, uniting the South Asian diaspora for a more connected future. The collective showcases talents and stories through engaging events, transformative workshops and highlighting community members all driven by Amita's leadership and commitment to unity.

Trust us, you won't want to miss hearing from Amita about her personal leadership practice, creating community and kicking the status quo to the kerb.

💥 Don't miss out on a seat! Reserve yours now: https://forms.gle/AQM9w4xtSMf8iDjY8

ON PURPOSE // TUES 19 SEP // 6-8PM // AUAHI ORA // FREE // KAI + LEARNING

🌻
📷 Abhi Chinniah
💃🏻 Beatriz Carbonilla (red fit)

GC CAFÉ 3 | FRI 18 AUG | 5.30-6.30/7
After a couple of interesting
health topics we're switching
it up to focus on Ranganui and
Papatūānuku through guest speaker 's awesome work in environmental research. We'll hear about ozonesonde balloon launches, air sampling, greenhouse gasses, and atmospheric changes. Meet and
chat with likeminded peeps who are passionate about planet earth and being able to live on it!

Spaces are limited so make sure to reserve yours via the link in our bio 🤓

📷 Lana Young

We’re hanging out for this Friday with MATARIKI GC CAFE #2, our intentionally cosy speaker series on topics with global relevance. Swipe for speaker info and topic!

is a final year medical student at the University of Otago and an impassioned advocate for improving rural health in New Zealand. Edwin has actively engaged in rural health initiatives, gaining firsthand experience in remote clinics in Southland and Waitaki and witnessing the unique hurdles faced by these communities.

Edwin has dedicated his academic pursuits and extracurricular activities to address the disparities in healthcare access and outcomes. His upcoming talk will shed light on the pressing issues that rural areas in New Zealand encounter and explore how we involve people in the right roles, how tech innovations help bridge the gap and the approach to policies and long-term strategies.

Recognizing the importance of global citizenship, Edwin firmly believes in the power of collaboration and knowledge exchange to address healthcare inequalities.Through his presentation, Edwin aims to inspire fellow global citizens to take action and work towards building a more equitable healthcare system for all.

Limited spaces.

REGISTER VIA LINK IN BIO

Good Deed and Feed | Saturday August 5 🐛

We have another GDAF coming with more planting, more kai, and more beautiful scenery. A good one for newbies, for groups of friends, for international students wanting to see more of Dunedin - let’s be real this one is for everyone.
Seats are limited so make sure you get you and your mates a spot by signing up now (link in bio)!

(and don’t worry, we will have you back in time for the rugby!)

Much aroha to .beyondorokonui for hosting us and to for helping us get you all out there 💚