> [!warning] Service Closed
> Rafiki was closed in 2025 and has been superseded by [[SU Connectors]], which provides a more comprehensive social prescribing approach.
## What Was Rafiki?
Rafiki was Salford Students' Union's peer-to-peer telephone support service. Trained student volunteers would call first-year students individually to check in on their wellbeing and help them connect with university life.
## Key Features (Historical)
- Trained student volunteers making proactive calls
- Focus on first-year students
- Wellbeing check-ins and signposting
- Connected students to SU activities and support services
## Why It Changed
The service evolved into [[SU Connectors]], which provides:
- A broader social prescribing model
- One-to-one guidance and referral pathways
- Connection to clubs, societies, and peer-led groups
- Integration with the [[Tackling Loneliness Theory of Change]] (Intervene strand)
## Historical References
Rafiki was referenced positively in the [[Price Waterhouse Coopers (PwC) internal audit]] as an example of effective SU-University partnership working.
## See Also
- [[SU Connectors]] - Current service
- [[Social Prescribing]] - The approach
- [[Intervene (Tackling Loneliness)]] - Strategic framework
- [[Tackling Loneliness at Salford]] - Overall approach