Volunteering doesn’t have to be a long term commitment, you can still have a positive impact with ad-hoc opportunities.
Hi, I’m Olivia, and I volunteered with Bristol Women’s Voice on International Women’s Day for their event at City Hall.
This experience allowed me to engage with like-minded women in my local community and contribute to a cause close to my heart; tackling gender-based inequality and violence.
Why I volunteered
I volunteered with Bristol Women’s Voice because I wanted to do something to celebrate International Women’s Day 2025.
I also wanted to meaningfully contribute to the amazing work that local women are doing to unite women in Bristol by celebrating their achievements and offering support and information for those who need it
Bristol Women’s Voice was set up in 2013 to ‘listen and make heard the views and voices of women from across Bristol’s diverse communities, empowering them to influence decision-makers’.
My specific role
It was the responsibility of the volunteers to make sure that the event ran smoothly. Upon my arrival at City Hall I became a room steward, helping Bristol girls network set up their first mates event, which is like speed dating but for making new friends!
Next the room was needed for a body confidence dance class and so we had to prepare the room for that. At the same time it was our job to answer questions from members of the public and to make sure that everyone was safe and having a good time.
I also played to my unique strengths and offered to be a media volunteer. For this role I attended one of the panel events being hosted on the day.
I listened to a group of incredible female journalists and creatives, local to the area, talk about the challenges of being a woman in the media industry. They also offered advice for those aspiring to a creative career.
Afterwards, I wrote a blog summarising the panel for the Bristol Women’s Voice webpage.
How I became a volunteer
I signed up to become a volunteer on the SU’s Volunteering Hub which I heard about during Student Volunteering Week. The process was really simple and I only had to attend one online training session before the day. In total, I only had to give up about 7 hours of my time, which was easy to manage alongside my final year studies.
What I got out of volunteering
Now that I have volunteered, I feel like I have closer connections with my local community and feel encouraged to volunteer with Bristol Women’s Voice again.
I used MySkills to reflect on the experience and consider how the day might help me with my future career aspirations.
If you are considering signing up for a volunteering role, check out the SU Volunteering Hub for some incredible opportunities.
Another way to give back, that only takes a few hours, is the City Challenge Programme which allows you to support a local charity or social enterprise.
Overall, my experience as a volunteer for Bristol Women’s Voice was an extremely positive one, even though it was only over the course of a day. I hope this encourages you to think about the positive change you can make by giving up even a few hours of your time.