Taking place from Monday the 10th - Sunday the 16th of February, we are celebrating Student Volunteer Week with a range of student-led events and initiatives to support local communities and charities.
To celebrate National Student Volunteer Week, QMSU Volunteering have worked with our Volunteering Champions as they put together an exciting schedule of events and initiatives that celebrate student volunteering! All events are open for all Queen Mary students to attend, whether you have volunteered with us before or if you would like to try it for the first time.
Don’t miss these events if you’d like to:
- Find out more about volunteering
- Volunteer - Contribute positively to our community
- Improve your overall wellbeing
- Boost your skills and employability
- Meet like-minded students
Donation Drives throughout the Week:
“Love in A Box” Valentine’s Day Care Package Donation Drive for Haven House Children’s Hospice
Our Volunteering Champions have partnered with Haven House Children’s Hospice on an initiative to provide the families that the hospice supports with care packages for Valentine’s Day.
The Students’ Union Reception on the Mile End campus will be accept donations of items for the care packages from Monday the 3rd - Thursday the 13th of February ahead of the event at 15:00. Haven House would appreciate:
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Items of appreciation for the caregivers of seriously ill children e.g. a handwritten gratitude note, heart shaped chocolates, tea bags, or hot chocolate
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Kids pack for the children and siblings, e.g. Valentine's Day card handwritten by student volunteers, heart shaped chocolates, origami heart/paper crane (which you can make at our origami workshop!), sweets, Valentine's Day-themed stickers, and a small toy/colouring books/pens
Please note that Reception’s opening times are Mon-Fri 09:00-20:30.
To find out more and book your space: https://www.qmsu.org/event/20730/
Winter Clothes Donation Drive for Whitechapel Mission
Do you have any winter clothes that you don’t wear? Why not donate these to Whitechapel Mission, a local shelter supporting those experiencing homelessness with warm clothes, food, and specialist programmes to learn valuable life and employability skills.
You can donate clothes at the Students' Union Hub Reception on the Mile End campus, and at the Griff Inn or the Recovery Room at the Garrod Building on the Whitechapel campus. Clothes can be donated from Monday the 10th - Friday the 14th of February. Any item of clothing that's clean and in good condition is really appreciated! To find out more about the kind of donations Whitechapel Mission are looking for: https://www.qmsu.org/event/20731/
Donation Drive for Bow Food Bank in collaboration with the Zero Waste Shop
The Zero Waste Shop will be accepting donations of tinned food, toiletries, and sanitary items at their donation point as part of this year's Student Volunteer Week! You can find the shop next to the Students' Union Hub building on the Mile End campus.
Please note that your items do not need to be bought from the Zero Waste Shop! If you have any of those items at home, please do bring them to the donation point. All items will be delivered to Bow Food Bank: https://www.qmsu.org/event/20735/
Events:
Tuesday the 11th of February
Palette of Positivity, 12:00-14:00, The Yurt, St Benet’s Chaplaincy
Come along and create a colourful painting for a great cause! Join us in the Yurt from 12-2pm to create a painting which will be donated to a local care home and hospital. Express your creativity while making a meaningful piece of art that will brighten up a room and make someone’s day.
Apply to attend here: https://www.qmsu.org/volunteering/opportunities/3295/ There are only 20 spaces avaialble at this event so apply today!
Wednesday the 12th of February
Volunteering Fair 2025, 13:00-16:00, the Blomeley Rooms
We will be having our Volunteering Fair from 13:00-16:00 in the Blomeley Rooms and the communal space on the ground floor of the Students’ Union Hub! Come along to meet some of our partner organisations and Volunteering Groups and learn about their amazing work in the community and how you can get involved.
Volunteering is a great way to meet new people, gain brilliant experience for your CV, and make a difference in your local community – we hope to see you there! For all the info on the Fair: https://www.qmsu.org/event/20578/
Origami Workshop, 14:00-15:00, the Hub space (ground floor of the Students’ Union Hub)
Learn how to create origami hearts and cranes, which will be donated to our “Love in A Box” care package donation drive for Haven House Children’s Hospice. This workshop will take place on the ground floor of the Students' Union Hub, in the Hub Space: https://www.qmsu.org/event/20732/
Writing Letters for Letters Against Isolation, 15:00-17:00, Matt Spencer Boardroom (first floor of the Students’ Union Hub)
Write and decorate a letter for a lonely and isolated older person to brighten their day and show that they are not alone! We will have materials available to decorate your letter, but please feel free to bring any materials you'd like to use to decorate your letter. These letters will be donated to Letters Against Isolation, who will distribute them at local care homes. To find out more about this event and Letters Against Isolation: https://www.qmsu.org/event/20734/
Thursday 13th February
Donation stall for Bow Food Bank, 11:00-13:00 and 13:00-15:00, the Zero Waste Shop
We are looking for volunteers to run a stall at the Zero Waste Shop encouraging students to donate tinned food, toiletries, and sanitary products at their donation point. Items do not need to be bought at the Zero Waste Shop, they can be brought to the donation point from home. We are looking for two volunteers for the morning shift from 11-1, and two volunteers for the afternoon shift from 1-3.
To apply for the morning shift: https://www.qmsu.org/volunteering/opportunities/3293/
To apply for the afternoon shift: https://www.qmsu.org/volunteering/opportunities/3294/
“Love In A Box” Valentine’s Day Care Pack Event, 15:00-17:00, the Blomeley Rooms
Create a care package that will be donated to Haven House Children's Hospice to spread the love on Valentine's Day!
At the event you'll make up a care package and write and decorate a Valentine's Day card to go into your care package.
Haven House are looking for 15 care packages for a group of mothers they support, and 20 care packages for the seriously ill children that they look after. We are looking for lots of donations to make this event possible, so please do share this event with your friends, family, and coursemates - anyone you think would be interested in donating items/coming along to the event/both!
Book your space at this event here: https://www.qmsu.org/volunteering/opportunities/3296/
Saturday the 15th of February
Volunteer at the first ever student-led Tower Hamlets Trans+ Pride, 11:45-15:00, Mile End Park
In this role you’ll help set up the event: setting up flags, preparing a few tables, and helping to retrieve food and drinks. You’ll also steward attendees to make sure the event runs smoothly: wayfinding, directing speakers to the stage, and letting people know key information about the event.
The event will be a safe space for the trans community, so we ask stewards to be open-minded and non-judgemental. We also ask that stewards don’t make assumptions about the identities of any attendees, and that its okay to ask about pronouns. It is a great opportunity to learn more about the local community and make a real difference to a community which needs allyship more than ever!
To apply to volunteer: https://www.qmsu.org/volunteering/opportunities/3292/
Thank you for reading and hope to see you at some of these events! If you had any further questions at all on Student Volunteer Week, please email QMSU Volunteering at su-volunteering@qmul.ac.uk. :)
And follow us on Instagram! @qmsuvolunteering