Community, Volunteering & Belonging
We create opportunities for people to connect, participate and build stronger relationships within their communities.
Through volunteering, peer support, cultural activities and community-led initiatives, we help reduce isolation, strengthen confidence and create opportunities for people from different backgrounds to connect and participate in local life.
How you can get involved
Our community work creates different routes for people to participate depending on their interests, experience and circumstances.
Opportunities may include:
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Volunteering roles across AIG's programmes and activities
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Peer support and befriending opportunities
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Community activities and cross-cultural events
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Opportunities to contribute to cultural and heritage initiatives
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Confidence-building through structured participation
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Progression from volunteering into skills, training and employment
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Connections to further community and personal development opportunities
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Opportunities to contribute experience, ideas and knowledge to AIG's wider work
We also work with local organisations to strengthen community connections, share opportunities and create appropriate onward pathways.
Building connection & belonging
Isolation can affect people for many different reasons, particularly when settling into a new area, rebuilding after instability or trying to establish new social and professional networks.
Our community activities provide opportunities for people to:
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Build local relationships and support networks
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Meet people from different backgrounds
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Take part in positive and structured activities
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Develop confidence through volunteering and participation
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Share skills, experiences and cultural knowledge
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Build experience that can support future education or employment
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Become more involved in their local community
Cross-cultural activities also create opportunities for communities to learn from one another and strengthen understanding across different backgrounds.
Who we support
Our community and volunteering opportunities are open to people who want to become more connected and involved in their community.
We particularly support:
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People experiencing social isolation
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Refugees and migrants building local networks
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Young people seeking experience and opportunities to participate
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People looking for volunteering experience
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Individuals transitioning towards employment or skills development
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People rebuilding confidence following periods of instability
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Community members who want to share their skills, experiences or culture
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People looking for structured ways to contribute to their community
Afro Heritage Project
Our Afro Heritage Project, supported by The National Lottery Heritage Fund, is one of the ways we bring communities together through culture and shared heritage.
The project is documenting African heritage through oral histories, photography, video, community events and cultural activities, creating opportunities for people to share the stories, memories and traditions they want to preserve.
Through the project, we are working with communities to:
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Record personal and community oral histories
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Preserve photographs, memories and cultural experiences
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Celebrate traditions through community heritage events
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Document different African cultures represented across Leicester
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Create opportunities for intergenerational and cross-cultural learning
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Build a growing digital record of community heritage for the future
Whether someone has a story to tell, a photograph to share, a tradition they want recorded or simply wants to take part in a heritage event, there are different ways to contribute.
What we aim to achieve
Our community work is about creating stronger connections and meaningful routes into participation.
Through this work, we aim to:
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Reduce social isolation and marginalisation
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Increase social connection and belonging
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Strengthen understanding between people from different cultures and backgrounds
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Increase participation in volunteering and community life
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Help people progress from volunteering into skills, training or employment
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Create opportunities for people to contribute their knowledge, culture and experiences
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Strengthen community networks and relationships
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Support more confident and active participation in local life
Work with us
We work with community organisations, voluntary groups, cultural organisations and other partners to create opportunities that bring people together and strengthen participation.
If your organisation would like to collaborate on community activities, provide volunteering opportunities, support cultural initiatives or develop stronger community pathways, we'd like to hear from you.