Cardiff Student Community Action Plan

A new Student Community Action Plan which aims to improve the quality of life for students, residents and the wider community was launched by City of Cardiff Council, Cardiff University, Cardiff Metropolitan University and the University of South Wales on Monday 23 March 2015 at County Hall, Cardiff Bay.

The launch event hosted by Cardiff Council's Community Liaison Officer, Emma Robson, gave a wide range of organisations the opportunity to influence the new Student Community Action Plan through workshops addressing the key areas of the 2015 - 2018 action plan.

Cabinet Member for Safety, Engagement and Democracy, Councillor Dan De'Ath, said: "The city's students are an integral part of the community in Cardiff and help make Cardiff the vibrant city that it is. Despite that positive contribution the concentration of students in specific areas of the city can result in housing and lifestyle pressures that negatively impact on communities.  This new plan demonstrates the commitment of all partners to build on the good work that has already been done to deliver positive improvements to the community that enhance the student and resident experience and benefit Cardiff as a whole."

Since the first Student Community Action Plan was introduced in 2007 significant progress has been made in areas including:

• Promoting environmental sustainability by standardising waste collection days across student areas to avoid confusion; running the award winning Get It Out For Cardiff campaign that helps students clear out their rubbish at the end of the year; setting up the Environmental Champions voluntary action group; providing free cycle training to university students.
• Securing better accommodation in student areas by training and supporting over 840 landlords raising standards of knowledge and professionalism in the private rented sector; introducing the Cathays Additional Licensing Scheme ensuring improved standards for an extra 1750 properties; developing the dedicated Cardiff Digs website providing a range of housing and living advice for students.
• Encouraging neighbourliness and community respect by running an annual 'You're In.  Now What?' campaign to inform students of their responsibilities in the private rented sector; holding regular Partnership and Communities Together (PACT) meetings across the main student areas to highlight issues; encouraging resident and student volunteers to join and support crime and waste awareness walkabouts and education drives.
• Improving community health and safety by running a joint 'Lock It.  Hide it.  Keep it.' campaign with the police to increase safety and reduce/prevent burglaries; running a Student Safety Bus which identifies students who may be vulnerable due to intoxication and taking them to a place of safety; working with Cardiff & Vale University Health Board to ensure students are able to register with a general practice. 
• Developing communications to create better informed communities by publishing the Unity newsletter, a partnership newsletter published three times a year; promotion of the Tidy Text service to remind people of waste collection dates. 

The launch event brought together staff from all 3 Universities across the city along with local third sector organisations, private sector businesses, student volunteers and the police, to discuss proposals for future collaboration and new actions that can be taken to utilise students in a positive way to improve our local community.

An online version of the Action Plan can be found here.

Organisations interested in getting involved with the partnership should contact Emma Robson (Student Liaison Officer) at Emma.Robson@cardiff.gov.uk