Blog: Get involved with volunteering at Durham!
Thursday 08-02-2024 - 11:01
Student Volunteering Week: 12-18 February
Student Volunteering Week is a national week that takes place in universities and schools across the UK. Students all around the country are encouraged to step up to take part in the week, by organising opportunities or events or joining an opportunity to volunteer and help their local communities.
Student Volunteering Week:
- Improves student wellbeing
- Develops students’ employability
- Contributes positively to the wider and local community life
Follow this link to see all the opportunities you can get involved in at Durham!
Read about some of our volunteer’s experiences below to find out how volunteering could be great for you.
A Student perspective of Volunteering – Lilly Whipp
I didn’t know what to expect when I was preparing for university, and if you had told me two years ago that volunteering would make up such a large amount of my time, I wouldn’t have believed you. Volunteering has allowed me to fully immerse myself in the University experience and the local community. I’ve volunteered at a crèche which allowed me to escape the ‘Durham Bubble’ and see some very cute toddlers, travelled to Whitby to help out on a farm (walking donkeys, I hasten to add!) and made Christmassy Elf cards for a local children’s hos
pital. I’ve also met some really great people through these opportunities, and one of my closest friends was made while volunteering. There’s never have a shortage of opportunities for things to do, and it's super exciting to try new things and meet new people, all the while knowing you're making a difference. Whether it be walking dogs for vulnerable adults or travelling to Seaham for a beach clean, I always know that whatever I do next, it will make me feel great, allow me to meet like-minded people and give me another experience to look back on in years to come!
Molly Parker and Emma Allison – JB College Reps
We have volunteered since the start of our first year and found that getting stuck into volunteering has been a great way to meet other like-minded students and members of our new community. The Intergenerational project is our main project where we meet up with older members of the community to chat and eat cake. This project and the people we have met have become integral to our wider university experience and have really made us feel a part of their Durham family. The highlight of our experience with the project is definitely the Christmas intergenerational session we hosted in college for the past two years. We have music, refreshments and a festive quiz that went down a treat this year thanks to our Play-Doh moulding round. We host this session at college to thank the people at Waddington Street for hosting us all year. Last term, we successfully hosted Butler’s very first volunteering day with over 50 volunteers getting involved in lots of activities, including a beach clean, donation sorting at Stray Aid and Christmas crafts. We hope it’s the start of many!
The Volunteering platform – giving back to you!
The work of volunteers is essential to the local community, and the support and feedback reflects this. University can be full-on, and being a student is no easy feat! Therefore, it’s important that the University acknowledge the time that we give to helping others!
Through the volunteering platform, you can log your hours and see your rank rise with the more you do. At different intervals, you get awarded different badges, which you can share on external sites such as LinkedIn. It’s also great to put on your CV! You can achieve bronze, silver, gold, platinum and finally hall of famers! You can also get feedback from opportunity providers, which always feels really rewarding to know the time that you’ve given makes a difference.
Not only this, but the Volunteering committee also organise an annual volunteering awards ceremony. There are so many different categories, and each award has shortlisted volunteers. It’s a great evening to meet like-minded people, discover new projects and, best of all, enjoy dressing up and a buffet!
Whatever your reason for volunteering, no matter how much you do, the time spent dedicating to others is really appreciated.
Click here to get inducted and register on the volunteering platform, where you can see all our opportunities!
DU Volunteering Website: https://duvolunteering.webspace.durham.ac.uk/
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