This week is Student Volunteering Week (SVW) 2022, and is the 21st anniversary where we celebrate all things student volunteering. SVW gives you a great platform to showcase your innovative projects and events - so make sure you take the chance to share your experiences as a volunteer with us!
One of your Volunteering Reps, Katie Townsend, shared how she felt as a student volunteer:
Volunteering Rep 2022
‘Acting as a student volunteer has been an incredibly fulfilling opportunity, which I have been privileged enough to experience throughout my undergraduate as well as with my postgraduate masters.
I started within Nightline; a student-led listening service which ran overnight when other university mental health services are shut. Within this role, I was able to participate in running the organisation through taking part in the committee, meaning I had greater autonomy over what occurred within the society. Volunteering with Nightline not only allowed me to actively engage with the student community, but also meant I could shape the service alongside my peers. This was an invaluable experience, requiring research into mental health, publicising strategies, as well as collaborating with the university services. While this may seem like a specific experience, what I gained from Nightline is often available through all volunteering opportunities; they allow both collaboration and contribution to a local community.
Volunteering has also allowed me to further my own personal interests, particularly within volunteering for the National Trust, as I am avidly interested in history. The flexibility and variety of opportunities presented to students allows us to cherry pick opportunities which suit our personal skillsets, hobbies, and interests. Having such variety has enabled me to further explore career opportunities and garner real life experience of a field I would be interested in pursuing after university. Whether it is to gain transferable skills, contribute to the local community or explore personal interests, there are opportunities for all under the umbrella of student volunteering.’
Volunteering also plays a big role by improving student wellbeing, developing students’ employability and making a positive change to the wider and local community. Read it first-hand from some of our volunteers this year below. And if they've got you feeling inspired to volunteer, check out the many opportunities we have available right now. Or if you're already a volunteer, and want to share your story, we'd love to hear from you (contact us at [email protected]).
"One best thing about volunteering is the opportunity to explore the area you are passionate about. You get to meet people in the industry and see what it’s like. I’m thinking about working in a museum in the future, and after my volunteering, I want to do so even more."- Volunteer at Royal Museums Greenwich 3-day Ice World Festival
"I didn't want to let COVID stop me from exploring opportunities and feeling less like a part of UCL. Volunteering for IRMO was my way of getting involved in supporting the education domain – it was a great way to combine my background from Peru and my interest in education."- Volunteer at IRMO
Keep an eye on our Instagram page as we highlight the different services of the Volunteering Service and share student stories this week. You can also read more about Student Volunteering Week here.