A team of 5 student volunteers from across the faculties of Arts and Humanities and the Social Sciences worked with staff at the Kyra Women’s Project to understand the charity’s needs. The team developed the concept for a video that tells the story of what to expect during a first visit to Kyra. 

“Women accessing our site have found the video highly valuable to help them prepare for attending Kyra for the first time, helping them understand where we are based and what our premises look like both internally and externally. It has helped our organisation to work according to our values, such as inclusivity - ensuring that the needs of our members are met through the production of accessible material, such as this video. The students have produced a video that staff would not have had the time to create themselves, due to the time and resources it would take up from the services that we provide to our members and we are incredibly grateful to them all for their efforts and professional approach to the project.”

The finished video is now live on Kyra’s website, giving women new to the charity a guided tour through the heart of Kyra, introducing the dedicated team, and explaining how to become a part of the Kyra community.

Keen to influence policy on how people in recovery from addiction are supported, the charity faced a challenge: limited time and resources to gather the evidence they needed. Chocolate & Co were therefore looking for support to capture and amplify the stories of some of those they work with to show how their experience of employment and the work of Chocolate & Co has helped them to stabilise their lives.

A team of 5 Psychology students stepped in to help, capturing powerful stories from beneficiaries about the obstacles they’ve faced in the benefits system and how changes could make it easier to keep working while on the road to recovery. The students produced a comprehensive impact report combining the case studies and quotes from beneficiaries’ lived experience with policy analysis.  Chocolate & Co hope to use the report to further strengthen their case for change in how recovery is supported at a systemic level.

Throughout the 24/25 academic year, York Oral History Society were supported by a team of 5 dedicated students, who have helped them to begin the process of cataloguing the WW1 histories. The team meticulously read through a sample of transcripts to document key details of the stories told to help make them accessible to future researchers and the wider public. The work the students did has led to the Society establishing a relationship with the Borthwick Institute for Archives, and  have set a blueprint for the Society to continue this work in the future.

“The Borthwick already has an archive of material from Alf Peacock. They have reviewed the quality of the recordings and the transcripts and have expressed a willingness to add these oral histories to their archive.”

The students’ work has enabled York Oral History Society to extend the reach of the WW1 histories and further develop their relationship with both the University and the Borthwick Institute for Archives.

This project aligned well with the charity's aim for the women’s group, now known as the Heela Project, to focus on women’s practical needs - language, education and skills. In December 2024, a group of 6 students - from degree programmes such as Computer Science, Politics, and Education, delivered a digital skills workshop as part of the early stages of the Heela project. The team led a practical workshop for a group of around 10 Afghan women, aiming to build the women’s confidence in using smartphones and the internet, helping to address the digital gap that can contribute to isolation and digital exclusion. 

“Working with the students has been valuable on both sides. Together we planned and delivered the workshop in a way that was collaborative and also the students gave great insight on their part towards a group of Afghan women.”

In a short space of time (since the end of 2024), this project has gained the trust of a group of women who are often marginalised and separated from society. York City of Sanctuary now has 20 women enrolled on the project with more joining as they move into the city, and are hoping the project continues to grow.