Take part in the Empower Community Challenge 2027

Work with local community organisations, develop your professional skills, and make a real difference.

Apply to take part

Apply for the Empower Community Challenge

The Empower Community Challenge is an opportunity for postgraduate students to work directly with local charities and community organisations on a real-world project.

You'll be part of a small team working with peers across the University, tackling an organisational challenge and delivering a solution that creates a positive impact in the local community.

This project is open to students from:

Successful applicants will be allocated to a team and matched with a community organisation challenge.

Apply to take part

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What you'll do

By taking part, you will gain practical experience outside of your course, build your confidence and professional skills, and make a positive impact on the local community.

Every project is different, giving you the chance to apply your knowledge and creativity to a genuine organisational need. This may include:

designing social media campaigns
conducting market research
supporting event planning
raising awareness

Whether you're interested in community engagement, marketing, research, or simply gaining experience working in a team, Empower offers a unique way to develop your skills while supporting organisations that make a difference.

Find out what projects students successfully completed in the 2026 Empower Community Challenge.

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What you'll gain

The Empower Community Challenge has been designed to help you build the skills employers are looking for. By taking part, you will develop the following skills and experience.

Teamwork and communication

Work collaboratively with students from different academic backgrounds. Engage professionally with community partners, stakeholders and team members.

Project management

Plan, organise and deliver a project within a fixed timeframe.

Problem-solving

Respond to real challenges faced by local organisations and develop practical solutions.

Employability

Gain valuable experience that can strengthen your CV, applications and future career prospects.

How does it work?

The Empower Community Challenge will run between January and March 2027, where you will work with your team to develop and deliver a solution to your challenge.

At the end of the programme, you'll have the opportunity to showcase your work at the Empower Celebration Event.

The table below shows a full timeline for this scheme.

Please note that dates may be subject to change.

Date	Activity
November 2026	Applications open
December 2026	Application deadline
January 2027	Teams confirmed
January 2027	Student launch event
February 2027	Challenge starts
March 2027	Challenge completion
March 2027	Empower Celebration Event