Shelter Support

About the Client

Shelter Support is a YorkSU volunteering group that has been dormant since 2021, however, more recently it has been adopted by a new student committee. Pre-2021 the group was active in spearheading food donation events, and highlighting the issue of homelessness in York. The new committee is keen to bring a new lease of life to Shelter Support by providing students with opportunities to help tackle homelessness in York.

Objectives

• Conduct qualitative and quantitative research into the student appetite for volunteering with Shelter Support, identifying trends focusing on motivations and barriers for student volunteers.

• Develop a detailed target student profile identifying the characteristics of students most likely to engage with Shelter Support and present findings with recommendations to overcome identified barriers.

• Research and review marketing and volunteer recruitment strategies employed by similar organisations through competitor analysis.

• Develop actionable marketing recommendations including optimal channels, compelling messaging content, and effective timing to attract student volunteers and maximise engagement.

Project Outcome

YCC delivered a volunteer recruitment and marketing strategy for Shelter Support through systematic research across two focused teams, which would help address the organisations critical need to rebuild its volunteer base after dormancy since 2021.

The volunteer profile team conducted extensive research via survey and focus groups, which revealed the most active student volunteer profile. Key findings showed that time commitment was the biggest barrier to volunteering, with solutions including providing transport to events and offering employment workshops. It also highlighted a significant appetite for volunteering with homelessness causes, with students preferring weekend availability and showing strong interest in food donation activities.

The marketing strategy team conducted competitor analysis comparing Shelter Support to similar organisations at other UK universities. Key insights revealed that students prefer Instagram as their primary social media platform, with all respondents preferring campus-based events. The team also identified four areas for improvement: increased content cohesion, building a consistent volunteer base through social events, sharing insights of events, and leveraging community networks. Based on these insights, the team developed mock-up Instagram posts with revised colour palettes and provided specific posting strategies.

These integrated recommendations positioned Shelter Support to systematically rebuild their volunteer community through targeted recruitment focusing on their ideal demographic while implementing proven social media strategies to drive both awareness and sustained engagement.