By signing up to King’s Volunteering you can keep a verified log of your volunteering activity and share this with others. To verify your hours, you’ll need to submit them online with King’s Volunteering and they will be sent for approval by the organisation you volunteer with.
All students and staff can record all volunteering activities, whether that’s with a King’s Volunteering partner, or elsewhere.
But, why? In this article, we outline five reasons why you should record your volunteering hours.
1. Free cake (and other rewards!)
All students and staff that record their volunteering hours via King's Volunteering will be able to access King's Volunteering Rewards. Those who sign up to King's Volunteering will receive 1500 points to be redeemed via King's Move. Volunteers can receive 100 points for each hour that is verified via King's Volunteering.
Everyone who records their volunteering hours in March as part of the King's Global Day of Service will be entered into a raffle to win an online cookery class with our partner, Migrateful!
When volunteers complete and submit 36 hours of volunteering, they will be rewarded with a small gift from King's Volunteering – a limited-edition large size tote bag.
2. Get hired
Keeping a record of all of your volunteering activities can help you to demonstrate your skills and experience for job applications and prospective employers. You can build a verified log of all the volunteering activities you have completed throughout your time at King’s, all in one place. This record helps you demonstrate the skills you’ve developed through volunteering and you’ll be able to share this record with prospective employers, in job applications, on your CV and your LinkedIn profile. Volunteers will be able to access certificates and digital awards to display on their CVs and profiles in recognition of their contribution to society.
For students, hours logged on the King’s Volunteering platform will show on your Higher Education Achievement Report (HEAR) once you graduate.
On a personal level, its nice to be able to look back at what you’ve achieved, and reflect on the activities you enjoyed the most.
3. Inspire others to take action
By recording your reflections and sharing your experiences as a volunteer, you can inspire others to get involved and take action themselves.
Take a look at this reel on Instagram, created by our very own Volunteering Partnerships Manager, Naureen Abubacker! She takes us through what it’s like to volunteer with our community partner, FoodCycle.
Students and staff who volunteer are also invited to contribute to our articles by writing about their volunteering experiences. If you would like to write an article, please contact the King’s Volunteering team at volunteer@kcl.ac.uk.
4. Help us to measure our collective social impact
King’s Volunteering launched its digital platform in June 2022 and since then, we have had over 1,600 students and staff sign up. Collectively, they have recorded over 7,600 hours so far.
All volunteering hours recorded for March will be included in King's Global Day of Service impact assessment, demonstrating the positive impact that our community – staff, students and alumni of King’s – has in the world.
In March 2022, the King’s ethos of serving society was stronger than ever with 575 members of the King’s community contributing over 2,900 volunteering hours across 32 countries. King’s students, staff and alumni used their knowledge, skills and experiences to give back and make a difference, from preserving natural spaces in London and coaching basketball, or making survival blankets from crisp packets.
5. Become a part of our volunteering community
When you sign up, you become a part of our community of volunteers. You’ll be invited to our events, King’s Volunteering Fairs, Connecting with Charities webinars and other information sessions. You can join the conversation on our Service Yammer Group, share your experience, and connect with other volunteers.
You can also follow the Service at King’s social media channels to keep up to date with all thing’s King’s Volunteering:
Twitter: @serviceatkings
Instagram: @serviceatkings
LinkedIn: Service at King’s
If you have any questions or ideas for King’s Volunteering, please email the team at volunteer@kcl.ac.uk