Origami Volunteering Project (OVP) is a student-led volunteering organisation that aims to provide stress-relief and a creative outlet through the art of origami. As a volunteer, you will go to your chosen organisation (see below) and interact with the people there by having a chat with them while teaching them how to fold origami! 

Previously, OVP has collaborated with a wide range of organisations, spanning from care homes to hospitals, thus extending this opportunity to individuals of varying backgrounds and ages, from children to the elderly. We are delighted to say that we have received a lot of positive feedback in the past few years, and many of our partners have expressed their intention to continue their collaboration with us in the upcoming year. 

This year, we will be collaborating with (still in the works subject to change):

  1. University College London Hospital (UCLH) and National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery (NHNN) - CONFIRMED FOR AY25/26; 2 hours on Saturday/Sunday from 10AM-12PM.
  2. Roseberry mansions
  3. Esther Randall Court

  4. Moorsfields Children’s Eye Hospital (do note, to volunteer here you must complete the mandatory course: ‘Volunteering with Children’. Please do also review the ‘Child Safeguarding Policy Summary For Volunteers’.)

    https://studentsunionucl.org/course/volunteering-with-children-course

    https://studentsunionucl.org/sites/default/files/u85921/documents/volunteering_service_child_safeguarding_policy_-_summary_for_volunteers.pdf

    CONFIRMED FOR AY 25/26; sessions will take place every Wednesday 2-4PM, with the first session taking place on January 14th 2026.

We have a range of opportunities where some volunteers can be more flexible in when they volunteer (2 and 3), as well as opportunities where we would expect regular attendance from our volunteers (1 - requires a minimum of 20 volunteering hours). You do not need to be an expert in origami to join us. As long as you are eager to learn in our teaching workshops :)

Do note that most organisations require a Data and Barring Service (DBS) Check, which can be done free-of-charge through UCL's Student Union.  If you intend on volunteering with UCLH, the DBS check is accompanied by an induction session with UCLH and occupational health checks. We encourage you to start this process early in the year so you can volunteer by January 2026.

If you are interested, please do drop us an email ([email protected]) with your details (full name and phone number) and we will guide you with the next steps. Feel free to check out our Instagram page @uclorigami for more information and updates as well.m We all look forward to welcoming you to OVP! 

[email protected]
Opportunities
Origami Volunteer 2025-26
Interested in giving back to the community through promoting mental wellbeing?

See what other students say about this project

"Having one kid say "this really changed my life" was amazing!"
Lampojan Raveenthiranathan is a final year Engineering student and leads two of our Student-Led Volunteering projects; Engineers without Borders (an outreach project that inspires pupils to consider engineering as a potential career path) and Origami Volunteering Project (which teaches children in hospital wards how to make origami).
I saw how such a simple thing -doing origami- had such a positive impact
Ahad did a BSc in paediatrics and child health and is now in his 5th year of medical school. He talked to us about what it's like being Project Leader for the Origami Volunteering Project, which is part of the Origami Society. Tell us a little bit about the project.