It’s the start of Student Volunteering Week today!

Student Volunteering Week is a national event, with Higher and Further Education Institutions across the country using the week to celebrate existing student volunteers and to encourage more students to start volunteering.

This is the 19th year that Student Volunteering Week is taking place, but student volunteering has a long and rich history dating back to university missions in the 19th century and support for the unemployed in the interwar period.  If you’re interested in finding out more about the history of student volunteering, check out this video

Student Volunteering – a short history from adifferentdrumproductions on Vimeo.

Bristol SU, Bristol Hub and the Engagement Opportunities Team are working together to bring you an exciting week full of events as well as stories from our existing volunteers which highlight all the fantastic community engagement already taking place by students across the University.

At Bristol this year, we’re focusing Student Volunteering Week on the 5 Ways to Wellbeing – a concept created by Mind. Each day will be focused on one of the Ways to Wellbeing:

Monday: Give

Community organisations and charities rely upon support from individuals giving their time to support their cause. Can you give time and make an impact in your community today?

Tuesday: Keep learning

Volunteering is a great way to develop your skills and discover new ones as well as a chance to meet and learn from individuals and communities you may not have otherwise interacted with. Check out our webpages to find a way to keep learning this Tuesday.

Wednesday: Be active

Physical activity is a great way to promote personal wellbeing. Why not stay active whilst doing some good? Bristol SU are running one-off volunteering opportuniti

es to help clean up Bristol parks this Wednesday. Find out how you can get involved here.

Thursday: Connect

By volunteering for a cause you care about you are likely to meet likeminded people to expand your personal networks. You can also connect with communities and individuals through the volunteering act itself.

Friday: Take notice

Our daily lives are so busy that we can easily lose track of ourselves and our values. We know that there are already a huge number of Bristol students who volunteer and make a massive impact in the community. Take the time to congratulate yourselves for all your hard work this Friday.

Keep an eye on social media from Bristol Hub, Bristol SU, and the Careers Service to see everything that’s happening during the week.

Find out more about the events happening during the week by visiting the Student Volunteering Week webpages.