Origami Volunteering Project (OVP) is a student-led volunteering organisation that aims to provide stress-relief (for both you and the people you will meet) 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) - Saturday or Sunday from 10AM - 12PM FULL FOR AY26/27
  2. Esther Randall Court - Wednesdays, 11AM - 1PM (Sessions will begin in mid-October 2026)

  3. Moorfields 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’.) - Wednesdays, 2PM - 4PM (Sessions will begin in mid-October 2026) FULL FOR AY26/27

    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

We have a range of opportunities where some volunteers can be more flexible in when they volunteer, as well as opportunities where we would expect regular attendance from our volunteers (i.e., UCH requires a minimum of 20 volunteering hours). You do not need to be an expert in origami to join us -- all you need is an eagerness to learn, teach and can interact with new people regularly.

Important things to note:

  • All partner 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 UCH, they will conduct the checks on their end, so a DBS check done by SU will not be valid. They will conduct a DBS check and occupational health check, and you will have to complete an induction session with UCH. This process can take up to 6 months if you are not consistent with communications, so we are looking for volunteers who are willing to follow through and commit. 
  • A list of 10 interested volunteers will be submitted to UCH by mid-October on a first-come, first-serve basis.

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
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.