Get involved!
Are you interested in adding an extra spin on your UCL experience? Read on to find out more about how you can get involved in volunteering.
First step! Browse our volunteering directory to find out what opportunities are recruiting students now. Every opportunity you find through us will provide training, support, travel expenses and an excellent opportunity to develop your skills.
You can also apply, safe in the knowledge that one of our team has pre-approved the opportunity and that all our charity partners have signed up to our recruiter service standards.
Another great way to stay up to date about all things volunteering is to sign up to our newsletter, or follow us on Facebook and Instagram.
Come to our Volunteering Fairs
Our volunteering fairs are designed to help you discover London’s many vibrant communities and get involved in exciting opportunities. Each year we invite our community partners and student-led projects to set up a stall and speak to you about their roles, straight after the Welcome Fair at the start of term. It's a great opportunity to meet passionate volunteer recruiters and find out more about what's on offer.
The Welcome Volunteering Fair takes place on Thursday 5 October.
Attend an event
We've got loads of events going on over the Welcome period - one-off volunteering, information sessions, networking breakfasts and more.
Have a look at our calendar, sign up and get involved.
If you want to develop your leadership skills, we’ll give you the training, support and funding to set up your own community project with our Student-Led Volunteering Programme. If you don’t want to lead, you can get involved with one of our existing Student-Led Volunteering Projects and volunteer side-by-side with other UCL students.
If you want to join a group of UCL students and volunteer together, find out more about it here.
In UCL Halls? Find some volunteering close to home
If you’re in UCL Halls, volunteering is a great way to feel part of the neighbourhood and get to meet people. To help you discover the community on your doorstep, we've curated a list of current volunteering opportunities for every UCL Hall of residence - all within twenty minutes walk.
The Community Research Initiative (CRIS) is a way for you to do something exciting with your master’s dissertation. We connect you with London’s voluntary sector to share knowledge and ideas. This collaboration will help shape your research project. Your work will be directly informed by a current community need in our capital.
Read more about how to get involved with CRIS here.
Why should I volunteer this year?
Whether you want to improve your skillset, learn more about your field of study, give back to the community or get to know London better – there is something for you! All the opportunities can be found on the volunteering directory. You can filter opportunities by skills, time commitment, location, categories and departments.
Start your London journey through participating in key events. Cheer in the London Marathon while fundraising for key issues by joining the cheer squads of Mencap or the Terrence Higgins Trust.
We have lots of virtual volunteering opportunities on offer, so no matter where you are, there’s always something for you. For example, as a befriender, you can assist an isolated person to feel less lonely. You can also fight for social justice with the Roma Support Group, or Refuge.
If you can't find exactly what you're looking for and don't want to make a regular commitment, see our available time-light opportunities on our volunteering directory - just filter for 'one-off' or 'short-term'.
What’s happening in Term One?
Events are coming up regularly during Term One, so don’t worry if you don’t start looking for volunteering right away during Welcome week, we got you supported all throughout the term!
Join us for the Volunteering Fairs on the 5th of October! You will have the chance to meet with community partners, explore volunteering opportunities, and chat with like-minded students!
During Reading Week, participate in the Social Hackathons, problem-solving and solution-creating events that give you first-hand insight into what it's like to work in the charity sector. Volunteers are placed with a local not-for-profit organisation for one day, coming up with solutions to issues they currently face. The host organisation is then given funding by us to implement your solutions.
What UCL students say about volunteering
"Even now, I still think that volunteering is one of the best things I've done at UCL." Emilia is a second year English student - she mentors with the Indoamerican Refugee and Migrant Organisation (IRMO).
"I wanted an opportunity to grow in those non-technical areas, and volunteering is undoubtedly one of the best ways to do so." Teresa, a first-year Theoretical Physics student, produced a video series on various Astronomy topics at Off the Curriculum.
"Volunteering has helped bridge the gap between my module studies and my career ambitions." MSc Global Governance & Ethics student Jerome volunteered with our Social Hackathons and the UCL Charity Consultancy Challenge.
"And of course the most important thing is the wellbeing aspect: you feel that you are doing something great for others and yourself." Salima from the IoE volunteered as an English Teacher for the Student-Led Project Impact Initiative
Any questions?
Check out our comprehensive Frequently Asked Questions page to help you find answers about volunteering during your time at UCL. Alternatively please feel free to drop us an email and we'll be happy to help you get started on your volunteering journey!