Volunteering whilst at university | Student Volunteering Week

Reasons to volunteer whilst at university

Help put you on your future career path - Student volunteering whilst at university is an opportunity to develop and acquire new skills and gain work experience. Some volunteering programs offer academic rewards.

Give back – A common motivator for student volunteering is doing something to ‘give back’ to a community for something you feel passionate about or just want to help. 

Meet new people – People who volunteer generally share the same common ground in doing so. Meeting like-minded people from different age groups and backgrounds can help inspire confidence, teamwork, insight and form friendships. 

Timeout from studies – Student volunteering can give you a break from your studies and naturally become a ‘hobby’ rather than paid or unpaid work.

Generally, volunteering makes a positive impact on the projects people volunteer in. In fact, volunteering has become an integral part of community life.  According to BBC newsbeat, ‘There's been a "dramatic" rise in the number of 16-25s volunteering.’ [1]

According to the Office for National Statistics: “Students are both more likely to volunteer and also spend longer per day volunteering than those in paid work. In 2015, 58% of students volunteered over the year for an average of 16.3 minutes per day, compared with 42% of those in paid work who volunteered for an average of 9.6 minutes per day.” [2]

According to NCVO “A large majority of students who volunteer (95%) are motivated by a desire to improve things or help people’. [3]

Our advice for any students wanting to get involved in Volunteering is to:

1. Establish how you can contribute your skills and what skills would you like to gain or strengthen

2. Find opportunities with local universities, local communities or volunteering organisations 

3. Apply and make the difference, it always starts with you!  

Useful resources on Finding Volunteering Opportunities: 

http://www.imperial.ac.uk/careers/opportunities/volunteering/finding-volunteering-opportunities/ 

https://www.nusconnect.org.uk/articles/get-ready-for-student-volunteering-week-2018

References

[1] BBC newsbeat, Dramatic rise in 16 to 25-year-olds volunteering across the UK

[2] Office of National Statistics, Changes in the value and division of unpaid volunteering in the UK

[3] NCVO, The Benefits of Student Volunteering