Sidebar navigation
Make a difference in the community
Volunteer for a local organisation and develop your employability skills
Are you looking for a way to make a difference in the community and learn new skills at university?
Volunteering is a great way to give make an impact in the community, boost your skills and meet new people.
Volunteering for a charity that you care about will enhance your time at uni — and improves you career prospects once you graduate. Some students even receive a professional reference from the charities they volunteer with, which helps them stand out in the graduate job market.
Benefits of volunteering as a student
As a student volunteer, you can:
- Build transferable skills to enhance your CV
- Network, meet new friends and boost your confidence
- Improve your wellbeing
- Give back to the community
- Apply your skills to the workplace
- Gain practical experience to include in future job applications
I have been a team captain for a sports club, a course rep and I have volunteered with local charities such as Citizens Advice СÀ¶ÊÓƵ.
Roxanne Smith, MSc Health Psychology
Roxanne's storyWhere to volunteer
There are loads of opportunities to volunteer a uni - whether you're working with a local or regional organisation, completing projects that support causes you care about, or volunteering at the University or Students' Union.
Volunteer locally with:
- Charities that support young people to reduce offending, help survivors of domestic abuse or help people in conflict to resolve issues
- Local museums, art galleries, charity shops and food banks
- Charities that provide extra help to hospital patients, visitors and staff
- Local schools helping pupils with reading, coding and other classroom activities
Support from the Volunteering Team
Our Volunteering Team supports around 100 local and national charities and not-for-profit organisations, including local theatres, schools, small community groups, social enterprises, the prison service, and the NHS.
The team also offer 1-to-1 support with finding and applying for opportunities. You can discuss volunteering opportunities that match your interests, whether you want to volunteer somewhere new, match your university coursework to a local cause, or prepare for your future career.
I wanted to make the most of opportunities outside of my course, and got involved with the Volunteer Reading Scheme.
I spent an afternoon each week helping in a local primary school to support kids struggling with reading.
I really enjoyed this scheme and found it very rewarding, so I kept up my position at the same school for two years.
Hannah Coombs, PhD Literary Studies
Read Hannah's storyFurther careers support at university
Careers and Employability Support
Get excellent careers support during your degree and for 5 years after graduation. We help you find part-time and graduate jobs, volunteering and work experience.
Placement year degrees
Increase your employment opportunities and strengthen your skills by taking a sandwich year degree with a placement.
Work experience opportunities
As a СÀ¶ÊÓƵ student, you'll get lots of work experience opportunities to try out job roles, apply your skills to different sectors and increase your employability.