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A handy guide for our partners

We've mapped out our year - our key messages, key events and key dates - to help you when promoting your volunteer roles.

Taking into account key messages and dates when writing your adverts will help with promotion, as content will be more relevant to our communications.

If you would like to re-write roles throughout the year to try and engage different audiences, we strongly encourage you to do so! Advertising your opportunities from different angles will not only help with appealing to different audiences, but will encourage your adverts to stay in circulation.

Here's some of the things UCL students have told us they're motivated by: 

This information is taken from our Annual Student Survey 2017/18. PG refers to postgraduates, UG refers to undergraduates.

Please note that we predominantly engage with undergraduate students, whose timetabling reflects the below. However, we do also work with postgraduate students, who work to a different timetable and will be here over the summer break.

 

How our terms work

Term One: September - December

We’re looking for LOTS of volunteering opportunities around this time, to showcase what students can get involved in – particularly One-Offs, as they are easy to attend.

We run all our Volunteering Fairs at this time, which are our key volunteer recruitment events.

Towards the end of November and through December, the hype of Welcome has gone and there is an increasing number of deadlines! Messaging focusses on ‘giving back’ and the holiday spirit.

Term Two: January - March

We run our New Year Fair in January, encouraging students to kickstart the New Year with volunteering. Messaging is focussed on it not being too late to get involved.

During February, we celebrate National Student Volunteering Week.

Towards the end of March, students often leave campus for the Easter break.

Term Three: April - June

Students become busy with deadlines and revision, as exam season takes place throughout April and May. Messaging is usually focussed on wellbeing and stress relief.

We also start looking forward to our Volunteering Awards, so celebration stories of volunteers are much welcomed!

Summer: July - August

Term ends in early June, which means lots of students leave London. Messages are usually framed around ‘summer volunteering’ – things that are easy to get involved with, or making the most of having the time to commit to a placement.

Don't forget! Lots of our postgraduate students are still here over the summer and we continue to offer a service. We still really want to hear about your opportunities!