As we mark one year since the launch of King’s Volunteering, we look back at how students and staff have volunteered and celebrate their achievements.
A year on from the launch of our King’s Volunteering online platform, it is now easier for students and staff at King’s to discover volunteering opportunities with charities, social enterprises, and community groups.
Growing King’s Volunteering
Since the launch of King’s Volunteering online, over 1,100 students and staff have signed up to the platform and more than 1,500 students and staff have attended an event or webinar. We’ve had over 300 applications for volunteering roles, and nearly 2,500 volunteering hours have been recorded. Our most active volunteers are based in the Faculty of Social Science and Public Policy, the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, and Arts & Humanities.
We currently partner with over 100 different organisations, and there are over 120 different volunteering opportunities for over 26 different causes, now live on the platform.
It's so exciting to see the service come together, to build an inclusive volunteering community which addresses community partner needs while advancing social wellbeing, mobility and individual development. There's now more ways than ever to get involved, whether that's taking part in a meaningful volunteering activity, taking Service Time as a staff member, or by donating items on campus. We're looking to embed volunteering across the university to enable lifelong student success and a thriving staff community. There's so much more to come.
Zak Evans, Head of King’s Volunteering, King's College London
Volunteers can now also earn points for each hour verified on the platform and receive certificates for taking part and recording their hours and experiences. Find out more about King’s Volunteering Rewards.
In May 2023, King’s Volunteering launched Donations Stations, which enables students and staff to donate items to partner organisations on campus. The first donation drive is in progress, and in just three weeks, we have collected more than 5 large boxes of donated items for Little Village. There’s still time to donate items and you can find more information at www.kcl.ac.uk/volunteering/donations
Celebrating our volunteers at King’s
All students and staff are invited to join King’s Volunteering for brunch on 7 June 2023 at 11:00, to celebrate the brilliant work that our volunteers do for the local community.
Our volunteers take on a range of causes and meet people from across King’s along the way. In March, for the Global Day of Service campaign, a group of 30 students and staff from across King’s came together to plant 200 trees at the King’s Sport Honor Oak Park Sports Ground in South-East London.
The old adage ‘You reap what you sow’, is especially true for tree planting. Action taken today, is rewarded for years to come.
Dr Nicola Hogan, Sustainability Manager (Operations), King's College London
Service Time
Everyone employed by King’s can spend up to three days per year doing voluntary work for another organisation or volunteering scheme, regardless of the role they have at King’s. This Service Time is part of our commitment to support and enable colleagues to undertake community activity beyond the university. It is up to you to decide what activity you think would best serve a local, national or international community.
Professor Mieke van Hemelrijck leads the Translational Oncology and Urology Research (TOUR) Team in the School of Cancer & Pharmaceutical Sciences and uses her service time to volunteer as a governor for a school in South East London.
As a team we do a lot of outreach activities as part of our work and volunteering provides an opportunity for learning and stimulates ideas.
Professor Mieke van Hemelrijck, Professor in Cancer Epidemiology, King's College London
Discover volunteering opportunities
King’s Volunteering is your one-stop shop for discovering opportunities and building connections with organisations that are driving positive change in our local, national and international communities.
From one-off events to regular volunteering opportunities, there is something for everyone. Whether it is the environment, education or mental health, King’s Volunteering can connect students and staff with an organisation and a cause that is important to them.
Sign up to King’s Volunteering to connect with charities and organisations, discover opportunities and make a difference.
Partner with King's Volunteering
If you are an organisation with a clear social mission and are looking for volunteers to enhance the impact of your work, join King’s Volunteering and share your opportunities on our new platform.
Visit our Community Organisations page for more information.
Keep up to date
Keep up to date with King’s Volunteering and Donation Stations by following @ServiceAtKings on Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram. Let us know how you’re making a difference using the hashtag #KingsVolunteering.
