Hands-on, mind-on

‘Volunteering helps to promote a fairer, more cohesive society in which individuals feel they have a stake.’ HEACF (2009) The paper aims to explore how through volunteering new communities are formed, local communities are enriched and the community of volunteers are empowered by putting into practice their learning. Volunteering is a powerful tool for engaging with groups or individuals whose opportunities to participate in activities outside of their everyday lives are limited. Crafting the Community is a HEACF student volunteer project run by the BA (Hons) Textile Craft course at the University of Huddersfield. The paper will use the findings of this 7 year project as a case study for volunteering practice within fashion and textiles. The project’s aim is to share the course’s own unique philosophy and insight into the importance of practical and creative engagement with materials and process with our wider community Key words (5): volunteering, community, practice, hands-on, engag