Find out why volunteering is for you!

People volunteer for lots of reasons, and often it is a very personal decision. There are lots of benefits to be gained, including:

Gain specific skills to add to your CV

All employers look for transferable skills such as team working, problem solving, leadership and communication skills. Volunteering can be an excellent way to gain these skills and provide impressive evidence for your CV and applications. The skills that you develop through voluntary work are regarded as highly by employers as skills gained through any other type of activity. Indeed, working on a voluntary basis can also be a clear way of demonstrating your commitment, determination and drive.

Give something back

You may want to contribute your time and effort for the well being of the local community. Volunteering can be a great way to help improve the lives of others and enable you to have a beneficial impact on your local community. It can also help individuals feel more connected to their local environment and those around them.

Try out a career path

You may decide you would like to experiment with a career before fully committing yourself.

Gain experience for a specific career

You may need to get specific experience related to your chosen career. For many careers such as social work, teaching, journalism and jobs in conservation and the environment volunteer experience is essential.

Training and accreditation

Most volunteering will involve some level of training. You might also receive accredited training or the chance to work towards an award or qualification such as the Volunteering Award.

Make a difference

Perhaps you are inspired by a particular issue and want to make a difference in that area.

Meet new people

Volunteering can expand your social circle and put you in contact with people you might otherwise not meet. You may also find that the project you work on helps you to meet people with similar outlooks to your own.

New challenges

You might want to try something new and give yourself a challenge. Volunteering is a safe environment for fun! It’s a brilliant way to have fun and enjoy your spare time!

Improve your health and well being

Did you know that 47% of volunteers say it has improved their physical health and fitness,  25% of people who volunteer more than five times a year say volunteering has helped them lose weight and 15% of all volunteers say volunteering had led them to eat less chocolate!*

 * Survey of 600 volunteers by ICM, commissioned by CSV Make a Difference Day and Barclays

Sounds good, how can I get involved?

Contact Student Volunteers - follow the link to get involved with Contact Student Volunteers.

Still unsure? Have a look at our volunteers inspiring stories to see some examples of the type of volunteer work you might undertake.