Student Volunteering Week 2025 (10th - 16th February) is a great opportunity for you to discover the different types of volunteer work you can get involved with whilst you are studying at university!
Here at the SU, we have weekly one-off volunteering trips and activities you can get involved with through our Student-Led Volunteering group, and we are partnered with a diversity of organisations in and around Plymouth who would love to hear from students just like you who want to volunteer!
What's on for Volunteering Week 2025?
Wednesday 12th February:
- SLV Volunteer with Moor Trees (12:00-16:00| meet on campus)
Get your wellies on and get outdoors for the day and volunteer in the historical woodlands!
Find out more and sign up here.
- SLV Volunteer with Tulgey Woods (12:15-15:15 | meet on campus)
Tasks will involve general maintenance of the woods as well as helping to identify new species of plant and wildlife in the area!
Find out more and sign up here!
- Volunteer with the National Trust! (13:30-17:30) SOLD OUT.
More information here.
- Volunteer with the Special Olympics (17:30-19:30 | meet on campus)
Volunteers will assit with the running of various sports a multi-sports club for people with an intellectual (learning) disability aged 16+.
Find out more and sign up now.
Sunday 16th February:
- SLV Volunteer with Moor Trees (9:00-16:00pm | meet on campus)
What better way than to spend the week in the woods getting stuck in with a group of people helping ot make our local woodlands amazing!
Find out more and sign up here.
Where can I find SU volunteering opportunties?
The SU Buddy Scheme: If you sign up to become an 'SU Buddy' you will support a student(s) at the University who may be struggling to form friendships and needs some support or just a friendly face they can chat to and meet for coffee on campus. Find out more about what it's like to be an SU Buddy, including new changes to the Buddy Scheme on our website here.
Student-Led Volunteering (SLV): SLV offers volunteering projects and events which are organised and led by fellow University of Plymouth students with your student lifestyle in mind. They offer a diverse range of one-off volunteering opportunities open to all students throughout the academic year. There are three main volunteering groups: Animal Conservation, Green Team and Special Olympics. Find out more about SLV here.
Raise and Give (RAG): RAG is the main student fundraising group on campus. They have a committee of passionate student volunteers who help to organise fundraising events and opportunities for University of Plymouth students. Their membership is free and gives you access to all of their social events as well as information about volunteering and fundraising opportunities throughout the year.
Visit the University of Plymouth Careers volunteering webpage!
Check out the University of Plymouth Careers volunteering webpage to find more on:
- The benefits of volunteering
- Volunteering to gain work experience
- How you can volunteer
- Virtual volunteering opportunties
- Examples of different charities you could volunteer your time to
Where can I find volunteering opportunities outside of the SU/University?
We collaborate with a diversity of charities and organisations in Devon and Cornwall.
On our webpage you can browse an array of volunteering opportunities that can complement your degree, align with your social interests or enable you to experience something completely new to you!
I could fill a CV with stuff that I have done just with my time through the SU. - Zoe
What are the benefits of taking part in volunteer work?
Volunteering allows you to give back, have self-development and make a real difference. It allows you to be part of something bigger than yourself and make a difference to someone’s life.
Volunteering enormously benefits mental and physical wellbeing. From the friends you make, the fun you have, that great feeling you get when you realise that you're making a positive difference to someone else's life. We hear time and time again from students how their volunteer work has massively enhanced their student experience and made their time in Plymouth so much more enjoyable!
Your volunteering experience is also a great addition to your CV and/or to refer to during an interview. It may help you answer those tricky interview questions, for example, being asked to demonstrate where you have worked as a team, or gained experience in a particular environment. Volunteering is also a great networking opportunity; you never know who you might meet and what opportunities may come from it!
If you have any questions or just want to find out more, please get in touch with our volunteering team.
volunteer@su.plymouth.ac.uk