To celebrate National Student Volunteer Week, QMSU Volunteering has worked with our student Volunteering Champions on an exciting week of events and activities. These are open to all students for free or for a small fee.
To celebrate National Student Volunteer Week, QMSU Volunteering have worked with our Volunteering Champions as they put together an exciting schedule of events and activities! 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. Further details of our Student Volunteer Week events can be found on the QMSU website's 'What's On' page - but all the details are linked below in the event descriptions anyway!
Join us in commemorating the 23rd celebration of student volunteering by taking part in events and activities 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
Monday 12th February
Spotlight's 'Building Your Confidence' Skills Award Session 14:00-15:00
Spotlight, one of our 190 partner organisations, will be running a Skills Award session on 'Building Your Confidence'. This will be an in-person session, running from 14:00-15:00 in Blomeley Room 1 on the Ground floor of the Students' Union Hub. Spotlight will help you to develop your ability to identify your unique selling points, perform personal affirmations, and build confidence through team activities. Spotlght offer art, music, sport, and empowerment programmes, as well as work pathways, for young people aged 11-19. They are based at a state of the art youth space in Tower Hamlets. Their programmes welcome beginners & advanced levels, and they are completely free. The Skills Award is the Students' Union's Employability programme. You can attend a whole range of workshops on different soft skills that are free, and will be really useful when starting your career after university. Students with roles of responsibility within the Students' Union are eligible to achieve a Bronze, Silver, or Gold Skills Award through the programme, depending on the number of sessions they attend. To book your place for this session you'll need to be registered onto the Skills Award programme. You'll find the 'Register here' button on our Skills Award page: Skills Award (qmsu.org) For more info on Spotlight's session: Course Details (qmsu.org) Make sure to book your spot by 13:30 on Monday the 12th of February!
Create Paintings for Haven House with BL Volunteering and Art Society 16:30-19:15
Join BL Volunteering and Art Society’s Painting Workshop to create a painting that may be selected to decorate the halls of one of our charity partners, Haven House Children’s Hospice! Canvases and paints will be provided, and the workshop will be from 16:30-19:15 in the Blomeley Rooms in the Students’ Union Hub. You will also have the opportunity to learn more about volunteering opportunities with Haven House at the event. You can find more information here: https://www.qmsu.org/event/19484/
Tuesday 13th February
Volunteering Fair 2024 13:00-16:00
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, hear about their work and their volunteering opportunities, and grab some freebies! Please note that you’ll need a Volunteer Profile to apply for these opportunities - you can do this by going to our 'Get involved' page, clicking '1. How do I take part?', then 'Create a profile'. A volunteer role within these organisations 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: Volunteering Fair 2024 (qmsu.org)
Street Clean Up with Sustain@BL and Environmental Society 14:00-16:00
Our Street Clean Up in collaboration with Sustain@BL and Environmental Society will be happening between 14:00-16:00 on Tuesday. The meeting point is the Students' Union Hub Reception, where you'll be provided with all the equipment you'll need: a high vis vest, gloves, litter pickers and bins. They will be leaving Reception as a group, and walking around the local area picking up litter as they go. Over the two hour session you will be helping to clean up campus, Mile End Park, and then finally will return back to Reception. This event is a great chance to get to know Sustain@BL and Environmental Society if you are interested in sustainability and events like these! You can find more info on the event here: Street Clean Up with Sustain@BL and Environmental Society! (qmsu.org)
Wednesday 14th February
LGBT+ Lunchtime: Local Volunteering Opportunities 12:00-14:00
Our LGBT+ Lunchtime event will be taking place from 12:00-14:00 in the Matt Spencer Boardroom on the first floor of the Students’ Union Hub. You won’t need a ticket for this event, and can drop by whenever you want! You will be able to meet local LGBT+ organisations that offer volunteering opportunities to Queen Mary students through QMSU Volunteering. QM LGBT Society will also be attending, and free food and drink will be provided! Find the event page here: LGBT+ Lunchtime: Local Volunteering Opportunities: (qmsu.org)
Craft Kits for Kids with BL Volunteering and Project Play 17:00-19:00
Project Play, one of our Volunteering Groups, are running a Craft Kits for Kids workshop! Want to spend Valentine's day doing something meaningful? Join them as they make craft kits for children at the Royal London Hospital. This workshop will be from 17:00-19:00 in Room 1.21 in the Garrod Building on the Whitechapel Campus. You will be putting together a kit for the children to make a dreamcatcher and a coaster, and to decorate a mason jar. All craft kits will be donated to the Paediatrics Ward in Royal London Hospital, and will provide a source of entertainment and a positive distraction for the children during their stay. All materials and light refreshment will be provided. More information on the 'Clubs and Socs Events' page: https://www.qmsu.org/event/19468/
Thursday 15th February
Off the Curriculum's 'What key elements are employers looking for?' Skills Award Session 10:30-12:30
Our second Skills Award session of the week will be delivered by our partner organisation Off the Curriculum, and will be on 'What key elements are employers looking for?'. The session will be in person, from 10:30-12:30 in the Matt Spencer Boardroom on the first floor of the Students' Union Hub. Off the Curriculum is an educational charity aiming to inspire young people aged 16-18 in the London boroughs of Lambeth and Southwark to reach new heights. Their session will focus on the key ingredients employers are looking for during the recruitment process, and will be led by a tech professional from the charity who works in graduate recruitment for an international organisation. The session includes focus on soft skills such as communication and leadership, as well as CVs, cover letters and your Linkedin profile. Make sure to sign up by 10:00 on Thursday the 15th of Feb! Please note you'll need to register onto the Skills Award programme to book your place. You'll find the 'Register here' button on our Skills Award page: Skills Award (qmsu.org) To book your place: Course Details (qmsu.org)
Food donation stalls for Bow Food Bank 11:00-15:00
Keep an eye out for our food donation stalls outside the Zero Waste Shop, the Village Shop, and the Union Shop from 11:00-15:00 on Thursday the 15th of February. If you have any food (tinned, long shelf life), toiletries, or sanitary products that you would like to donate, please do come along to one of those venues to drop those off! We will have volunteers on the stalls encouraging students to bring along some donations and collecting these. If you would like to volunteer, you can apply via our 'Browse Opportunities' page if you search 'Student Volunteer Week Food Drive Stall Volunteer'. The Zero Waste Shop will also be collecting donations until 9am on Monday the 19th of February, so if you miss the donation stalls don't worry! We are also looking for volunteers to transfer donations to Bow Food Bank on Monday the 19th. If you would be interested in this opportunity, again go to our 'Browse Opportunities' page and search 'Student Volunteer Week Food Drive Donation Transporter'.
Pot a Plant and Botanical Workshop 12:30-15:00
Our Pot a Plant and Botanical Workshop will be taking place in the Yurt in St Benet’s Chaplaincy from 12:30-15:00. You’ll use paints to customise your own pot, and choose a seed to pot and soil that will eventually grow into a plant! This is a great chance to destress, and get creative – and you can bring your plant pot home with you afterwards! More information here: Pot a Plant Event and Botanical Workshop (qmsu.org)
Teddy Bear Hospital's Teddy Face Making event- Old Library 13:00-15:30
Come along to make a teddy face with Volunteering Group Teddy Bear Hospital, and enjoy a sweet treat at the RAG charity bake sale that will be happening alongside the event. Where? Old Library, Garrod buidling, Whitechapel campus. When? Thursday 15th February 13:00-15:30. Do I need a ticket? No, please just come along!
Friday 16th February
Volunteer Social 17:00-19:00
We will be having our first Volunteer Social in the Blomeley Rooms from 17:00-19:00! The event is free to attend and is open to everyone, whether you have loads of experience volunteering through QMSU Volunteering, or are completely new to volunteering and would like to try it out this semester. We’ll start the evening with an ice-breaker game, followed by food and drinks, and a whole lotta fun to have! Lucy and Eleanor from the QMSU Volunteering Team will be at the event to answer any volunteering-related questions that you have. More info: Student Volunteer Week Social (qmsu.org)
Friday 23rd February
RESCHEDULED: Student Volunteer Week Book Donation Drive and Book Swap
Got books that you'd like to swap? You can donate books throughout Student Volunteer Week for our Book Swap event! You will be able to drop them off at Residences Reception on the ground floor of France House, on the MIle End campus. Reception will be collecting donations from Monday the 12th of February - 9am on Friday the 23rd of February. Make sure you leave your name and details with them so that you can attend our book swap at the end of the week! On Friday the 23rd, students who have dropped off a book/books can collect a book from our collection. We are currently in the process of confirming the new location and time of the book swap event, and will update this page when it's confirmed. Books leftover after the event will be donated to charity. For more information: Student Volunteer Week Book Swap! (qmsu.org)
Thank you for reading! If you had any further questions at all on Student Volunteer Week, please email QMSU Volunteering at su-volunteering@qmul.ac.uk. :)