This week we celebrate our student volunteers at King’s for Volunteers’ Week 2022.
Volunteers’ Week takes place 1-7 June every year and is an annual celebration of the contribution of millions of people across the UK through volunteering.
First year Medical student Chid Nwankwo took part in several activities throughout the month of March as part of this year’s King’s Global Day of Service.
King’s Global Day of Service
Each year in March, students, staff and alumni take part in a range of volunteering activities across the world for King’s Global Day of Service.
King’s Global Day of Service is on 25 March (in recognition of the day King’s was founded) but any volunteering activities that take place in March can contribute to our volunteering hours and demonstrate the positive impact that the King’s community has locally, nationally and internationally.
For Global Day of Service 2022, 575 volunteers from across King’s spent 2,903 hours volunteering. King’s students contributed over 1,000 volunteering hours to the community in March alone!
Four ways to volunteer
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Planting trees at Pollard’s Hill with the local council.
At Pollard's Hill, Chid helped to plant some trees, and used a wheelbarrow to move the soil around the site.
Chid said: “The Mayor of Merton arrived to plant a cherry tree, and after that I helped plant some more smaller trees, which was fun!”
The Queen’s Green Canopy
In February, Merton Council announced that they will plant a tree for every child born in the borough in support of the Queen’s Green Canopy tree planting initiative.
The Queen’s Green Canopy is a unique scheme that invites people and organisations from across the United Kingdom to 'Plant a Tree for the Jubilee' to mark Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee (70 years of service) in 2022.
With up to 3,000 children born in in Merton every year, the council’s aim is to honour this special anniversary by planting 3,000 trees across the borough.
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Marshal the GLOW sponsored night walk for Alzheimer’s Society in Battersea Park.
During the Alzheimer's society GLOW sponsored night walk, Chid was grouped with two other volunteers to stand near one of the bridges and guide the walkers on where to go next while cheering them on.
You can read about the GLOW sponsored night walks online.
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Sorting food at the Euston Food Bank.
At the Euston Foodbank, volunteers helped to sort cartons of juice and milk into boxes, and prepared other food items in preparation for collection from those in need.
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Embroidering a pride patch for Mermaids UK.
On Thursday 31 March, King’s alumna, staff member and artist Rosanna McNamara hosted two embroidery workshops for King’s students and staff to create keepsake patches that will be gifted to beneficiaries supported by Mermaids. Mermaids is one of the UK’s leading LGBTQ+ charities supporting transgender, non-binary and gender-diverse children, young people, and their families. Above you can see Chid’s patch that says ‘Trans Rights’.
I found out about all of these activities on the King's website throughout March. I took part as I enjoy volunteering and wanted to try something new. They were all really interesting and I felt like I learnt from each experience – it was fun to be a part of the Global Day of Service, alongside so many others.– Chid Nwankwo
Chid also volunteers to support a Dementia Cafe in a local hospital, which involves taking part in different activities with those who visit the café.
By volunteering as part of the King’s Global Day of Service, Chid had the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of others, give back to society and her local communities, and develop her skills, knowledge and experience.
If you would like to volunteer but unsure where to start, visit King’s Volunteering online and browse the opportunities available.
Explore volunteering opportunities and join King’s Volunteering
There are numerous ways that you can give back and meet the needs of King’s diverse communities through volunteering, while also developing your skills, making connections and improving your wellbeing. Evidence shows that volunteering even enhances your life satisfaction.
Visit the King’s Volunteering website to find out more about volunteering whilst studying at King’s.
If you have a volunteering story to share, or a question about volunteering, contact the King’s Volunteering team at volunteer@kcl.ac.uk.
Let us know how you are making a difference by tagging @ServiceAtKings on Twitter and Instagram, and by using the hashtags #ServiceAtKings #KingsVolunteering #WeAreKings
Find out more about how our students, staff and alumni support our local, national and international communities by reading ‘Our stories’.