Make a Difference Weeks
Make a Difference Weeks are an opportunity for students and staff to make a positive difference through supporting causes that impact the local community. Throughout the year, we will be running five themed weeks which will include a variety of activities including practical volunteering, fundraising, campaigning and awareness raising. These are one-off activities that don’t require ongoing commitment, giving you the opportunity to gain experience and support your personal development, well-being and sense of community.
Coming next...
Make a Difference to Wellbeing
Monday 10th- Friday 14th February
Get involved in a range of one-off volunteering opportunities to support wellbeing, including reading with children in local primary schools and activities with elderly people in local care homes and day centres. This week is also national Student Volunteering Week so there will be lots of information and activities about student volunteering. Details to be confirmed soon! If you want to receive updates on new opportunities email volunteer@le.ac.uk to be added to our mailing list.
Make a Difference to your Environment
Monday 16th - Friday 20 March
In partnership with the Social Impact Team, this week will include a range of one-off volunteering opportunities to help improve the environment. Details to be confirmed!
Thank you for making a difference
Since the launch of Make a Difference Weeks in October 2019, students and staff have made an incredible impact through supporting causes in the local community.
The themed Make a Difference Weeks have included a variety of activities such as practical volunteering, fundraising, campaigning and awareness raising. Three out of the five themed weeks took place in the autumn term.
Make a difference in Schools took place in October where over 150 enthusiastic student and staff volunteers spent a few hours in local primary schools getting creative as they made clay diyas, door hangings, paper fireworks, rangoli patterns and more to support Diwali themed activities in 3 schools. Volunteers also spent a morning supporting young children with their reading to help make reading a fun experience. Over 1000 children benefited from University of Leicester volunteers.
Make a difference to your local community took place in November and provided an opportunity for staff and students to do an act of kindness during World Kindness Day. 125 plant pots were decorated with shiny gems and ribbon which were then filled with a plant which was provided by the Student Participation & Engagement Team and Grounds Team. Volunteers wrote messages of kindness which were attached to the plant before they were given away.
Following this, a ‘Crafts, Games and Conversation’ volunteering activity took place in two care homes, where 13 friendly volunteers attended and befriended elderly residents.
Make a difference to Homelessness took place during Christmas on Campus 2019. The Shoebox Team Challenge was a huge success and saw generous donations from staff teams and individual staff and students who had taken their time to graciously fill shoe boxes with essential items for homeless youths in Leicester. 72 shoe boxes were filled, wrapped and handed to The Y, youth homelessness charity.
Make a Difference Weeks are one-off activities that don’t require ongoing commitment, giving you the opportunity to gain experience and support your personal development, well-being and sense of community.
Keep an eye on this page about upcoming Make a Difference Weeks in the spring term.
Get Recognition! Don't forget to log any volunteering that you do through the Students Union Volunteering Portal
If you would like to get involved in regular or longer term volunteering in the local community, please log in to the Student’s Union Volunteering Portal.
