Volunteering is an active, deliberate pursuit, and can take many different forms. Each volunteer chooses an activity they want to do, motivated by the difference they want to make, to make the world a better place.
- which aims to make the world a better place, by making a positive difference to our local and global communities, or the planet.
- which is your own free choice as an individual.
- without being paid.
A volunteer might not consider themselves to be a volunteer.
"It's about being focused with the youngsters, and it's really fulfilling; I don't actually even think about it as being volunteering. It's been part of my life for so long. It's not something extra I go and do. It's what I do."– Peter Bishai, Campus Technical Manager, coaches a basketball team and supports the running of the club.
Volunteering can involve anything from doing shopping for a neighbour, being a trustee or coaching a sports team, preserving natural green spaces, to acting with others to help tackle issues from climate change and racism to food and fuel poverty.
This diversity has often made ‘volunteering’ a tricky thing to define. At King’s, we see a broad range of service in action, and at King’s Volunteering, we focus on activities that support our local, national and international communities. Volunteers can find their own activities or use the King’s Volunteering platform to find a role that suits them.
Any and all volunteering that supports a charity or community group can be logged on the King's Volunteering platform which provides a verified record of volunteering activities and may qualify for inclusion on a student's Higher Education Achievement Report (HEAR) when they graduate.
“Volunteering is just part of my outlook of how to live with people – by extending helping hands, because you never know which side of the hand you’re going to be.” – Rev’d Sarah Farrow, Vice Dean and Chaplain to the St Thomas’ & Waterloo Campuses
Volunteering might be structured and organised through a, community group or charity. It may be more self-directed or spontaneous, like litter picking, or the plethora of mutual aid witnessed during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic. It may be a regular activity, a one-off, or anything in-between.
At King’s Volunteering, we support a range of volunteering activities, that usually fit into one of four types:
- Service Led Volunteering – University, Service Led activities to benefit the student and staff experience.
- Micro-Volunteering - small acts of kindness that take up little time. For example, making cards for care homes, knitting hats for the homeless, and making survival blankets out of crisp packets.
- One-off Volunteering - volunteering opportunities that are conducted on or off campus. Examples include litter picking, supporting at food banks, volunteering at an event and gardening.
- External Volunteering - volunteer with a charity or not-for-profit organisation, gain experience and use academic studies or professional skills. There are lots of ways to get involved, some roles include administration, welfare advice, befriending and environmental projects.
Everyone employed by King’s can choose to spend up to three days or 21 hours per year doing voluntary work for another organisation or volunteering scheme, regardless of the role you have at King’s. The time you can take to volunteer is pro-rated if you work here part-time. If you have used your Service Time this year, please let us know by completing this online form.
Visit the Service Time intranet page.