Loads of you have been doing amazing things from going above and beyond in your part-time jobs to mobilising your existing volunteering groups, and even getting involved with new volunteering opportunities. Below are just a few of our student heroes.

Anonymous

Several students have been volunteering at one of Nottingham’s many HOPE Foodbanks. HOPE is a community organisation that helps those in need out of crisis, and one of the primary ways it does this is by supporting local foodbanks. One of these students – who wishes to remain anonymous – has also been volunteering with Shareware Clothing Scheme, Age UK, and the Rainbows Parents Carers Forum. In addition to this they’ve been acting as a Dementia Friends Champion for Dementia Friends, and have recently joined the Nottinghamshire Coronavirus Community Hub.

Amily (Guoyuan) Xu

Since March Amily has been volunteering with the Beenthere online peer support group. Beenthere brings together people from all over the world to provide peer counsel focusing on mental health. The majority of users of this platform are Chinese students around the world, and the service is more pertinent now than ever before, as we face the challenge of adapting to self-isolation and social distancing.

Arona Jones

Arona has been involved with 3D Crowd, a collective of over 8,000 volunteers comprised of 3D printing hobbyists, drivers and administrators. 3D Crowd are a grassroots community who have been manufacturing face shields and donating them to the NHS and other frontline workers. In one week alone they delivered over 39,000 face shields to over 90 NHS trusts.

Martin Thorley

Martin is a PhD candidate and resident tutor for Broadgate Park. In the early stages of lockdown he organised students on site to offer support to the local community, encouraging them to assist at the local HOPE foodbank as well as volunteering there himself. He and the other resident tutors at Broadgate Park have also implemented the warden's plan to support all students remaining in the hall. This involved moving activities online, helping with individual queries, and linking residents with professionals when specialist assistance is required.

Anonymous

One of our Sutton Bonington-based students – who wishes to remain anonymous – has been baking a range of cakes for keyworkers to take to their place of work and share with colleagues. This initiative has played an important role in helping to cheer up frontline workers and sustain them through their long shifts with sugary snacks.

Angel Brooks

Angel works at a school near Loughbrorough as a learning support assistant for children with special educational needs. The school has stayed open for children with parents who work in the NHS, but in addition to this they have been providing food deliveries every day for children from vulnerable families.

Anonymous

One of our students – who wishes to remain anonymous – has been helping with pharmacy dispensing. The recent demand on pharmacies has put a lot of pressure on the industry, with increased delays. This student has been working 10-hour days (including bank holidays) to assist with dispensing, helping pharmacies to catch up on orders.

Cloister House Postgraduate Hall Committee

The Cloister House Postgraduate Hall Commitee has been helping to relieve the financial pressure on its residents by purchasing cleaning products for each flat. They have been raising awareness of hygiene and the importance of disinfection and keeping communal spaces clean.

Souprunners

The Souprunners volunteers have suspended their usual activities. In lieu of being able to provide support directly, they have been fundraising online and have raised £500 for other small organisations who continue to feed the homeless, including Framework, BlindEye, Guru Nanaks Mission, Tracy’s Street Kitchen, The Friary and the Eat team.

Foodprint

Foodprint is Nottingham’s first social supermarket and food distribution network, taking excess food from supermarkets and selling it at an affordable price. It has been a vital resource during the coronavirus pandemic as many local families are surviving on reduced incomes. Volunteers have been keeping the shop running and redistributing excess food to community groups in need.

If you’d like to be featured in our Student Stars series – or know someone you think deserves to be – then you can make a nomination via the COVID-19 response form.

If you’re interested in finding out what volunteering opportunities are available to you, visit the Students’ Union’s Volunteering webpage.