Supporting Voluntary and Community Action
For the 6th day of Volunteers' Week, Francesca - Civic and Community Engagement Lead at UWE Bristol - has written us a guest blog, describing the mutual benefits of student volunteering. Students represent a significant and valuable community in Bristol, so we are grateful for the opportunity to platform their voluntary action.
Why is volunteering a win-win situation for students?
As the Civic and Community Engagement Lead at UWE Bristol, one of my main responsibilities is to find interesting volunteering opportunities in the Third Sector and match the interests and needs of our students with the right project or organisation. Students may decide to volunteer for all sorts of different reasons, not least to give back to the community and do something good for others. It’s inspiring to see how many young people are willing to give their time for a cause they feel strongly about and how the experience – the work they do, the people they meet, the skills they develop through hands-on activities and a great insight into a particular sector - can be “rewarding, heart-warming and transformative”, in the words of Ilaria - final year Psychology student who volunteered for six weeks in the Book Explorers project, in a primary school in Bristol.
For the students, it is also a chance to try something new, and to feel great about the results they achieve, as Ilaria told us “I expected to get out of my comfort zone and fully engage with children. I think this expectation was largely met. I also wanted to help children develop a passion for books and stories and I guess I succeeded in that as well”. Adrian, who is completing a MSc in International Management, suggests that volunteering is a way to gain self-awareness and understand one’s true potential: “I was expecting the task to be very easy. However, it was quite challenging at first and I eventually was able to handle the situation”.
Once they have had their first experience, a significant number of our student volunteers decide to volunteer again, to look for another activity, another challenge, another way to get engaged. This is a clear indication that the experience has been fulfilling and that our student volunteers understand the benefits.
For us, as a university and public service, promoting civic and community engagement to our students is an essential part of our mission to create a new generation of active citizens. It is also part of our strategic plan to provide students with excellent work-based experience and in so doing improve their chances of building a solid career path.
We call on charities and social enterprises across Bristol and beyond to get in touch with our Civic and Community Engagement at UWE Bristol to explore together how we can find opportunities for our students to engage, be of support and at the same time enhance their employability.
At the same time, we call on our students to get involved in a community project, micro-volunteering, or long-term experience. The range of volunteering opportunities is vast, and we can help you find the right one. Volunteering can be a rewarding and fulfilling experience, and also support your career development, helping you gain new and valuable skills whilst trying something new and discovering what you are really passionate about.
"My class has really enjoyed working with volunteers from the university. They were really excited to meet the volunteers and were very focussed on the task. The volunteers were kind, thoughtful and supportive when working with my children and encouraged them to consider how they could achieve their goals. Their time and input was greatly appreciated in making this project successful." Laura Panting / Severn Beach Primary School
This #VolunteersWeek, THANK YOU to all the students volunteering in Bristol and beyond!
To get in touch, please email volunteering@uwe.ac.uk or visit https://www.uwe.ac.uk/life/activities/volunteering
Read more about students’ experience in our blog