Student leadership is about stepping up, trying something new and making a difference where you are. We spoke with the Origami Volunteering Project project leads about how their leadership roles have allowed them to strengthen community connections and create a meaningful impact.
The Leadership Race is open now, and everyone is welcome to put themselves forward.
Project Leaders
What first motivated you to get involved with the Origami Volunteering Project?
Lan: I used to carry a huge book of origami tutorials and a stack of papers everywhere as a kid, and making origami pieces with my friends was one of my favourite things to do. So I was thrilled to find an origami club at the volunteering fair during my second year. The team was incredibly sweet and welcoming, especially the project leader Irene — she’s now graduated — was super helpful in introducing me to volunteering at UCL.
Blessa: I remember I was super stressed in Year 1 because I had started university in a completely new city. I didn’t know anyone or anything. I remember seeing that the people around me - my flatmates and coursemates - already seemed really settled in. Sports clubs, clubbing, volunteering - you name it. They were set, and I was not. So I went out of my way to find something just for me. I’d also been super interested in volunteering since forever - but there weren’t a lot of options in my hometown.
After scouring the SU website for a bit, I found the OVP! It was absolutely perfect - especially since I love origami, and arts and crafts. I thought the whole idea of teaching origami to the elderly and to children sounded so fun and super meaningful. I wanted to be a part of it! So I knocked down THREE birds with one stone - finally finding my place somewhere, getting to make an impact, AND finding a creative outlet. Awesome.
I knocked down THREE birds with one stone - finally finding my place somewhere, getting to make an impact, AND finding a creative outlet.
When you first became a student, did you feel that your role within OVP could make a real difference?
Lucy: When I joined OVP in my first year at UCL, I was still finding my feet at university and saw origami mainly as a way to destress and meet new people whilst volunteering. I never would have thought then that I would still be with OVP four years later as a project leader! Initially, I volunteered at Roden Court care home, and it was a real pleasure to fold origami with the residents, bring some much-needed conversation and a smile to their faces. Then volunteering at UCLH and Moorfields Eye Hospital made me appreciate how origami can provide a source of comfort and familiarity to some patients in what could be a scary hospital environment.
In a different light, volunteering in a weekly school club showed me how origami could really spark creativity, and I found myself caught up in the excitement of the children as we made origami together. When I first took on the role of project leader, I realised the effort that goes into making our partnerships with hospitals and care homes work. For me, working with my fellow project leaders has made me more passionate about making origami accessible to everyone, at university and in the wider public. Throughout my time with OVP, origami has evolved, for me, from being a craft that I mostly enjoyed alone in my spare time, to a bridge connecting us volunteers to communities, young and old alike.
What current challenges facing students made you want to step into leadership, or made your role feel especially important this year?
Vera: Upon starting university, people gain a new level of freedom, which comes with the difficult responsibility of balancing work and life. We suddenly need to make these big decisions about what we want to prioritise, and it can become difficult to keep up with the rush of everything around us. The reality is that we can get so caught up in trying to keep up that we forget to prioritise our mental health.
Volunteering helps prevent me from getting caught up in the ever-changing and rapid currents of life. Each week, the two-hour session forces me to slow down and focus on the present. It allows me to give back to the community the many privileges that have been given to me while growing up. Becoming a project leader has further enabled this, as I am able to feel more connected to the system and promote this opportunity to others. It is a breath of fresh air from the worries and frustrations of the week—a grounding reminder of gratitude—and allows me to focus and spend time with other volunteers and members of the community who may also need a mood boost.
Volunteering helps prevent me from getting caught up in the ever-changing and rapid currents of life. Each week, the two-hour session forces me to slow down and focus on the present
What does being a student leader look like day to day?
Aadi: I think explaining duties on a day-to-day basis makes it harder to understand them, so I’ll try my best to explain how it is on a week-to-week basis. We have divided the roles amongst ourselves, mainly into the following:
- External communication: managing communications with our partner organisation to plan events,
- Internal communication: coordinating with the SU for a host of different reasons like planning events,
- Administrative tasks: to ensure the risk assessment is complete and in order, coordinate with everyone to submit documents that are required by the SU, partner organisations, etc.
- Marketing: this was more important during the start of the year to recruit new volunteers; mainly involved posting on Instagram, developing our SU web page, and also planning booths for volunteer fairs
- Teaching sessions: We had a series of weekly sessions in term 1 where we helped volunteers learn different origami models and teach them how they can do so when they are volunteering.
- I usually managed the teaching sessions and organisational responsibilities of planning events with the SU to motivate more volunteers and thus had a more in person role to teach origami to interested students.
To sum up, there are a variety of different tasks that are imperative to the functioning of the project :)
Have you gained any skills that you think will be useful beyond uni?
Lan: Being a project leader has given me many chances to speak in front of people and coordinate with external partner organisations. It’s definitely made me more open and confident, and trained me to speak more clearly and concisely. The recruitment process in the first term is always pretty hectic, but since there were six of us splitting up the tasks, things ran much smoother. Besides becoming better at multi-tasking and problem-solving individually, I’ve learned that teamwork is also essential.
Blessa: 1000%. Since I volunteer primarily with children, it requires a lot of patience and problem-solving. I need to be prepared to deal with rowdy kids, quiet kids, bored kids, and more. It’s helped me to change how I communicate so that kids and their guardians can understand me, and to keep origami sessions light and interesting so that anyone who joins can make the most of it. I think this kind of adaptability and communicative skills are so important in everyday life.
Also, being a volunteer has definitely helped me improve my confidence and work ethic. I make a deliberate decision to go out and teach children origami before hospital check ups - it’s definitely taught me something new about being intentional, staying motivated, and giving back to the community.
It’s definitely taught me something new about being intentional, staying motivated, and giving back to the community.
Why do you think student leadership roles like this are so important within the university community?
Savina: Student leadership encourages students to contribute to the student community. This helps build bridges between students, fostering a sense of community that I find beautiful. By being an OVP project leader, I met many like-minded students whom I otherwise wouldn't know, both through crafternoons and volunteering events. This helped me feel more connected to UCL's student community.
How does student leadership ensure projects like this can continue to grow and make a real difference?
Aadi:
- OVP leaders have a host of different responsibilities and without timely action, the project’s functioning can be hampered.
- Currently, we have 6 leaders in total and we are all from degree background too, so don’t hesitate if you think your degree isn’t similar to the project (I do econ!). It’s also been quite nice to have people from different courses so that when someone’s timetable gets too busy, another leader can step in.
- Without student leaders, we won’t be able to connect with our partner organisations and plan events, set up volunteering hours or do any other event on campus. If you’re interested in student leadership, SLVP leader can be a comfortable position to begin your journey
If someone is nervous about volunteering or leading, what advice would you give?
Blessa: I’ve always lived by the motto, “you don’t know if you don’t try”. Even if you’re scared, do it scared! At the end of the day, the pros will always outweigh the cons - volunteering means you’ll gain skills, find something fun and interesting to do, and most importantly, make a lasting, positive impact for others. You might not think it, but just spending five minutes teaching a kid how to make a paper airplane goes a long way - for both that kid, and for you!
Savina: To quote Nike's famous slogan, "just do it!" My first time volunteering with OVP was at UCLH. I was nervous not only about teaching origami but also about simply interacting with the patients, as I had never volunteered at a hospital before. Despite my doubts, most of the patients I met were very friendly, and even if they weren't up to learning origami, they appreciated us checking in on them. My experience taught me that even if you're scared, do it anyway: it might not be as difficult as you worried, and even if you find it challenging, you will definitely learn a lot and grow through the experience.