06 June 2024
Volunteering an international success at King's in 2023-24
The founding principle of King’s College London was providing service to wider society. We recognise this every year on our Global Day of Service, which acts as a focal point for year-round volunteering initiatives from our communities of alumni, supporters and friends…
It was our 2024 Global Day of Service on Wednesday 27 March and alumni based in and around London volunteered at the Medicinal Gardens of the Bethnal Green Nature Reserve. This community-led research institute runs Phytology, an urban physic garden that provides free food, medicine and learning opportunities to local communities. And thanks to the efforts of our alumni and friends, who braved the rain and cold weather, it got a bit of a tidy-up.
Volunteers further afield also risked wet conditions. Our alumni leader in Ireland took part in a river canal clean-up in Dublin.
There was more activity around the rest of the globe…
Shanghai & Beijing
Members of the Shanghai King’s College London (KCL) Alumni committee took part in a park clean-up in Zhong Shan Park.
Fang Hou (Economics and Finance, 2022) commented: ‘The best part of the day was being able to talk to other King’s alum in other in a relaxed environment.’
Yurui Jiang (Banking and Finance, 2022) added: ‘This type of public welfare cause also provides inner satisfaction and a sense of achievement.’
Some 1,200km aways in Beijing, fellow graduates from King’s took part in an event that saw them giving away a free bottle of water and fresh fruit to parents and their children.
India
Stephen Anurag (Public Policy and Management, 2020) co-led the Global Day of Service initiative organised by KCL Alumni Hyderabad. This promoted awareness of community natural farming in one of India’s most drought-prone regions, Ananthapur in the State of Andhra Pradesh.
Themed #Giving_Back_to_Local_Communities, King’s alumni volunteered 150+ hours and undertook several activities. These included mulching at the rootzone of fruit trees with natural materials like pebbles and freshly cut grass to arrest water evaporation at a farm owned by Mr Manda Anjaneyulu and Ms Krishnamma. A cash award also was presented to this couple for their untiring efforts to grow crops and trees using only natural farming methods. Our alumni’s efforts were also covered in the New India Express.
Singapore
Members of KCL Alumni Singapore Society volunteered their time to support Itsrainingraincoats donation shop for migrant workers living in the country.
‘One of the migrant workers who came to visit the donation shop found a lovely suit which fitted him perfectly,’ says participating King’s alum Zhenling Luo (Biomedical Sciences, 2005). ‘The suit was a perfect find as he was planning a short visit back to his home town in Bangladesh and he needed something smart to wear when he visits his family, who he hadn’t met for a long time. He was absolutely beaming from ear to ear when he left the shop and that warms our heart.’
Malaysia & South Korea
Volunteers from our Malaysian Alumni Committee marked King’s Global Day of Service by volunteering at a turtle sanctuary in Malacca, Malaysia. Part of the day was spent transferring turtle eggs recovered from the public beach to a protected hatchery.
Says King’s alum and participant Andrew Khoo (Law, 1988): ‘It was a richly rewarding time, placing approximately 250 turtle eggs into the protected hatchery. We also released a two-year old hawksbill turtle and two hatchlings. It was so moving to see them make their way into the sea.’
Alumni in South Korea, meanwhile, took part in a street cigarette clean-up.
USA
Members of our Boston Alumni Committee volunteered with national non-governmental organisation, Cradles to Crayons. Their ongoing scheme aims to alleviate children’s clothing insecurity by providing millions of packages of essentials. Volunteers from King’s played their part in this by sorting clothing donations for the day.
The alumni community in Dallas, led by Lucy Lorenzo (English Language and Communication, 2005), volunteered in Genesis Women's Shelter Thrift Store. They assisted staff in the donation drive-through centre, organised inventory and greeted customers.
‘It’s wonderful to see the spirit of service that underpins everything we do at King’s celebrated by our amazing alumni volunteers across the world,’ says Abbey Cameron, our Alumni Volunteer Manager.
‘The 827 supporters and friends from 66 countries who volunteered 8925 hours is truly inspirational. We thank every single one of them.’