Volunteering

There are numerous organisations and projects that student volunteers can get involved with. Popular areas include working with children and young people, ex-offenders, the homeless, people with disabilities and the elderly. Helping out with environment based projects is also popular among students. Whatever you want to be involved in, and whatever skills you want to develop, there will be a suitable voluntary role out there.

Why volunteer?

§         Volunteering is an excellent way to have fun and give something back to the local community whilst getting to meet new people who share your interests!

§         Volunteers also gain an impressive array of skills and experience. Transferable skills such as communication, teamwork, leadership and problem-solving contribute to an impressive CV and enhance employability.

§         People who’ve volunteered in the past and developed these skills often end up progressing ahead of the rest of the field when it comes to job applications post-graduation.

How to find a voluntary position

§         One of the easiest ways to look for suitable voluntary work is on the internet. Do-it and Time Bank are two sites which enable you to search for volunteering opportunities anywhere in the country. The opportunities listed cover a wide range of positions.

§         You may also want to contact The Council for Voluntary Services (CVS). The CVS is based in York and helps to find people suitable volunteering placements. It also offers advice to volunteers and organisations recruiting volunteers, on all aspects of volunteering. Whether you want to get experience in a school, use your sporting skills or work with a major charity the CVS will be able to help.

The University of York and York St John University advertise volunteering opportunities online through their job shops. In order to access this information you need to belong to that particular institution and register with the site.