By Beds SU
Tuesday, 5 September 2023
Volunteering can have a huge impact on both you the volunteer and those whose lives you’re benefiting. There are many reasons why you should volunteer and resources available to get yourself involved.
Why?
Volunteering can provide benefits for yourself that include:
- Skills boost – Volunteering can lead to enhancing core skills, such as working with others, whilst also learning specific skills for that particular volunteering opportunity
- Meeting new people – Volunteering also gives you invaluable networking opportunities. You’ll get to work with likeminded people who also decided to volunteer and get to make new friends through your shared experience. At best, you may make further connections which may positively influence your future life or career aspirations.
- Looks great on your CV – Employers love to see that you’ve volunteered as it shows experience, commitment to a particular interest and responsibility for a certain task.
Volunteering also benefits others as most opportunities will have you working to benefit the wider community. This will ultimately bring joy to them and to you, which is very rewarding.
Current Volunteering Opportunities
There are orgnaisations and communities looking for your help right now. If you’d like to get a personal boost and contribute to society, here’s how:
• Course Reps – SU Course Reps are voluntary roles that students can take up to represent their course and fellow students. Find out more right here!
• Handshake – Handshake is a career management and networking platform that has various opportunities from jobs to volunteering. The University works with this platform so all you have to do is log in with your University ID and filter for volunteering and see what’s available to you.
• Do It – Has a list of volunteering opportunities and events for you to get involved in.
• CVS – CVS is a Bedfordshire focused community voluntary service that has all sorts of information on volunteering local to our county.
More ways to find volunteering opportunities
• NCVO – NCVO provides information about volunteering and a map for volunteer centres across the country
• Volunteering matters – Volunteering matters is a website that provides plenty of information on how to volunteer safely, advice and opportunities available
• Charity jobs – Charity jobs focuses on providing information on both paid and volunteer roles within charities
• Vinspired - Vinspired is a charity that provides a UK-wide youth volunteering programmed for people aged 14-30 with thousands of opportunities with non-profit organisations and charities