Thousands of UCL students volunteer to assist Londoners

More than 4,000 Londoners benefited from UCL student-led volunteer projects last year. Many also received assistance via externally run volunteer programmes supported by the university.

Over 2,200 UCL students participated in the various programmes, devoting more than 62,000 hours of their time. These numbers continue to grow, year on year.  

Placements are organised by The Volunteering Service, funded by UCL and based within the Students’ Union. One of the largest university volunteering departments in the country, it has a vetted, curated list of some 400 community organisations looking for volunteers. These range from mental health charities to neighbourhood centres, from environmental charities to small museums.

Exceptional opportunities for volunteering within London

“We’re defined by London, and the enormous range of opportunities that exist here,” explained Volunteering Manager John Braime, who founded the Volunteering Service in 2002. “We’re able to offer our students and staff volunteering opportunities that don’t necessarily exist in other parts of the UK.”

Such opportunities exist London-wide, with a particular focus on areas represented by UCL, including Bloomsbury, King’s Cross, Holborn and Stratford.

“We’re very much focused on volunteering as an opportunity to get out of the uni ‘bubble’,” said John. “It allows students to interact with people who aren’t students themselves. This broadens the range of people they come into contact with, and is beneficial in terms of both personal and professional development.”

Volunteers work with the young, elderly, homeless people, people with disabilities and refugees, among others. “We have a very diverse community here at UCL,” said John, “and London is a very diverse city. It’s an important exercise in community building, linking the skills within the university directly to local communities.”

Brokerage, one-off and student-led opportunities

The Volunteering Service team works in three broad areas: brokerage, one-off opportunities for volunteering and student-led projects.

In terms of brokerage, most students use the Volunteering Service’s directory to search for roles. When requested, staff are also happy to assess applicants’ skill sets, then look to place them with suitable organisations. “Our job is to make sure that those roles are good quality, well-managed, and easy for students to find,” said John. 

One-off opportunities are for those who wish to volunteer, but do not have the time to do so on a regular basis. This might mean working at a festival, an environmental conservation day or a fundraising event.

Meanwhile, a large number of community-facing projects are student-led. Members of the team assist with setting up and running them. 

Specialist and more general assistance given to communities

“We have a number of projects in local schools, including sports coaching,” said John. “We have law students volunteering within the justice system, medical students volunteering with healthcare and carers’ organisations, students baking with older people. There’s a clothing bank to assist homeless people, a project to befriend newly-arrived refugees.”

On the heritage side, UCL students work at several of the capital’s smaller museums, which depend on volunteers in order to operate effectively. The Jewish, Canal and Foundling Museums are among those to benefit from UCL input.

If you are interested in participating in any volunteering activities, details can be found on the VSU webpages.

Testimonials from volunteer organisations

“As a small volunteer led charity, we're completely reliant on our volunteers not only to create the right atmosphere for the rest of their shift, but also in the fantastic support they give to the suicidal people who visit our charity. UCL volunteers have fit right in and been some of our most personable and reliable volunteers. UCL student volunteers are among our best volunteers at active listening, as well as the meeting-and-greeting at reception, and they've been happy to muck in wherever help has been needed… including making a mean cup of tea!” - Cordelia Lumley, The Listening Place

“UCL volunteers have participated in Salusbury World’s mentoring project and with our holiday clubs. The children who participate in both projects are new to the UK and are struggling to a greater or lesser extent to adjust to their new lives. The support of a friendly, thoughtful and compassionate UCL student volunteer has made an enormous difference to the confidence, self-esteem and wellbeing of so many of them.” - Lucy Elgood, Salusbury World Refugee Centre

Find out more about The Volunteering Service on their website.

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Read more about UCL staff and student volunteering or browse all case studies.