Local community to benefit from national student volunteering initiative

volunteering-list 
07 Feb 2013 14:11:00.870

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With this year’s National Student Volunteering Week taking place from 11–16 February, students at The University of Nottingham are preparing to help a wide range of local projects and charitable causes.

While the Students’ Union fundraising charity Karnival raised over £1.6million for local and national charities last year, more than 3,500 people donated their time to help their community with the Student Volunteer Centre (SVC) in 2012.

Now the SVC is expecting even more students to sign up to help with a host of projects organised to mark the national volunteering initiative. Covering everything from conservation to helping the homeless, the centre will be helping 15 good causes during the week.

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Alice Hallows, SVC Volunteer Co-ordinator, explained: “With the Student Volunteer Centre, students can get involved with national and local charities who offer a range of volunteering opportunities designed to fit around their studies.

“While those involved can develop new skills and improve their CV, charities are also seeing the benefit of student input, having seen the fantastic contribution that they can make in their local area.

“Student Volunteering Week will give our students another opportunity to make a positive impact with local organisations working with children, animals, the environment and the elderly. It will also give us the chance to get even more people to give up their time in order to help others.”

English Language and Literature student Sophie Little, is one of those who will be involved during the week, having been an active member of the SVC for the last two years.

She explained: “During my first year I went to a few one off events including painting a war memorial in Dunkirk and murals at local schools. Now I am in my second year I have continued to get involved in one off events including the Parkinson’s Society's spooky sprint and Oxjam.

“Volunteering is great fun and it really feels like you are making a difference however much time you can spare. It is great to be proactive in the community and find out more about what is going on in the local area. I have had great experiences and met some very inspiring people.”

See a full list of projects our students have helped with, or find out how the Student Volunteer Centre can help by visiting the Students' Union website or by emailing volunteering@nottingham.ac.uk  

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Notes to editors: The University of Nottinghamhas 42,000 students at award-winning campuses in the United KingdomChina and Malaysia. It was ‘one of the first to embrace a truly international approach to higher education’, according to the Sunday Times University Guide 2013. It is also one of the most popular universities among graduate employers, one of the world’s greenest universities, and winner of the Times Higher Education Award for ‘Outstanding Contribution to Sustainable Development’. It is ranked in the UK's Top 10 and the World's Top 75 universities by the Shanghai Jiao Tong and the QS World Rankings.

More than 90 per cent of research at The University of Nottingham is of international quality, according to the most recent Research Assessment Exercise. The University aims to be recognised around the world for its signature contributions, especially in global food security, energy & sustainability, and health. The University won a Queen’s Anniversary Prize for Higher and Further Education in 2011, for its research into global food security.

Impact: The Nottingham Campaign, its biggest ever fund-raising campaign, will deliver the University’s vision to change lives, tackle global issues and shape the future. More news…

Story credits

More information is available from Alice Hallows, Volunteer Co-ordinator, Student Volunteer Centre at alice.hallows@nottingham.ac.uk
Harry Waddle

Harry Waddle - Students Communications Officer

Email: harry.waddle@nottingham.ac.uk Phone: +44 (0)115 823 2353 Location: University Park

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