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Service at King’s

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King’s Volunteering

 

Volunteering is a great way to make a positive difference in the world. From supporting a charity's fundraising efforts to speaking with an isolated person once a week on the phone, there are numerous ways that you can give back and meet the needs of King's diverse communities.

Volunteering also has numerous personal benefits, including:

  • Enhancing your university experience both as a student and member of staff
  • Improving wellbeing and reducing isolation
  • Learning new skills and developing existing skills 

To discover how you can volunteer, see the opportunities further down this page.

 

There are also many extra-curricular activities at King’s where you can meet new people, develop skills, gain experience and make a difference.

As well as volunteering in your own time, everyone employed by King’s can choose to spend up to three days per year (pro-rated) doing voluntary work for another organisation or volunteering scheme using Service Time (internal).

Remember that the main priority when volunteering during the COVID-19 pandemic should be to keep yourself and others safe. Before volunteering you should carefully read the government guidelines for wherever you are, and the information provided by the charity or community organisation you are volunteering with. You can read the UK government’s guidelines on how to help safely here.

Volunteer through KCLSU

  • Students can browse volunteering opportunities through the KCLSU Volunteering Record. Here you can find a range of remote and in-person volunteering opportunities in the local community.
  • You can also stay up to date with new volunteering opportunities, news and events by signing up to the KCLSU newsletter and selecting your interests as ‘volunteering opportunities’.
  • Students at King's can log hours for any time spent volunteering to work towards a KCLSU Volunteering Award. Watch KCLSU's video on logging your volunteering hours to find out more.
  • If you know somebody who has made a contribution to society through volunteering, nominate them for KCLSU's Volunteer of the Month. You can nominate yourself, a friend or a student you know of that is doing something great in the community.

Explore and share 

    • Find out more about how our students, staff and alumni support our local, national and international communities by reading ‘Our stories’.
    • If you have a story to share, or a query about volunteering, contact service@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 and #WeAreKings.

Charities, community organisations and social enterprises

  • If you would like to advertise your volunteering opportunities to King’s students and staff, please get in touch with service@kcl.ac.uk 
  • To see other ways King's can support you or your communities, such as free online sports classes, free legal advice and access to research, check out our #KingsLocal pages.
   

 

Volunteering Opportunities

Highlighted roles

RNIB - Telephone Group Facilitator
The Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) need volunteers to facilitate one of their weekly telephone groups that offer blind and partially sighted people the opportunity to socialise with others. You will contribute to the group to ensure that all participants feel comfortable and the group conversations run smoothly. This is a flexible role for approximately 2 hours a week.
Deadline: Rolling application

Access Project Tutor
Help a bright student from a disadvantaged background beat the odds and get to a top university by signing up as a volunteer tutor with The Access Project. This is a flexible role that requires you to tutor a 14-18-year-old student for one hour a week during the school year. A DBS is required, which is organised by The Access Project. 
Deadline: Rolling application

Ignite Hubs - Code Hub volunteers
The Code Hub teach coding to children and young people aged 7 to 18 years old. They are currently delivering all their sessions remotely and are looking for friendly and reliable people to join their team of committed volunteers to help deliver their sessions. They teach the following languages: Scratch, HTML/CSS and Python and plan to include Arduino, Robotics, Game Design and Development, Apps and Digital Design in the future.
Deadline: Rolling application

Community Health Ambassadors 
Community Southwark is supporting Southwark Council to launch a Community Health Ambassadors Network to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 and empower and support Southwark residents to stay up-to-date with the latest and most accurate advice. Ambassadors help the community make sense of the latest advice and information.
Deadline: Rolling application

Age UK - Telephone befrienders
Age UK run a telephone befriending service for people aged 60 or over. Not having someone to talk to regularly can be lonely, particularly if you're used to sharing your home and time with others. A friendly, 30-minute chat on the phone every week can make all the difference to someone experiencing loneliness.
Deadline: Rolling application

Octavia Foundation- Telephone befrienders
The Octavia Foundation has moved its befriending service to telephone befriending. Telephone befriending involves calling an older, isolated person once or twice weekly for up to an hour - supporting them to feel more connected and less lonely without ever leaving your home. All processes are now being completed remotely, including training via video call (1 hour).
Deadline: Rolling application

Wellbeing Chat Service volunteer
One Westminster is running a Wellbeing Chat Service to support people in need in Westminster during the pandemic. The service offers older and isolated or shielding people a regular call from a volunteer for a weekly social chat and to check they are getting the necessary ongoing support. Volunteers need to commit 30 minutes a week for a minimum of 3 months. Full training, ongoing volunteer support and DBS check provided. 
Deadline: Rolling application

Find an opportunity

Reach Volunteering
Reach Volunteering is the leading skills-based volunteering charity in the UK. They are the single biggest source of trustees for the voluntary sector in the UK. Connecting people, skills and good causes is their mission and passion. They help charities and other non-profits find the skills they need to thrive. In response to the pandemic Reach has created a platform for charities to post remote volunteering opportunities. People can volunteer from home and have a big impact.

Link UP London – Skilled volunteering
Link UP London mobilises professional skills for good. They offer project-based Skilled Volunteering opportunities that allow you to contribute directly to the development of local Charities, Social Enterprises and community groups. All of Link UP’s projects are designed to fit around working schedules.

UN Online Volunteers 
Online Volunteers are a valuable resource to support United Nations entities and other partners with the COVID-19 response. Click on 'COVID-19 response' on the main page to search available roles. 

The Fore
The Fore coordinates a network of individuals who are interested in providing pro bono support to small charities and social enterprises, as well as becoming trustees. Opportunities are circulated to members weekly. In the past network members have helped with business planning, financial modelling, marketing, legal advice and more. Remote opportunities are included.

SumOfUs – COVID-19 Support Network
SumOfUs has built a centralised global response system where individuals can log and respond to COVID-19-related asks and offers. There are a wide range of asks, including those that are virtual and can be done from home. Offers of help can also be posted and can be virtual.

Communities Together
Communities Together has set up a platform to help all UK communities respond to COVID-19. There are a wide range of asks, including those that are virtual and can be done from home.

Community Southwark
Community Southwark coordinates the voluntary and community sector in Southwark. They are working with organisations to gather all of the volunteering opportunities that they have available and are continuing to update their site as they receive more information. There are a wide range of different roles on their site including those that are virtual and can be done from home.

Lambeth Council
Lambeth has a strong community spirit and a large voluntary and community sector. Lambeth Council have published and continue to update a page with details of how you can help within the borough, including volunteering opportunities that are virtual and can be done from home.

Westminster City Council – Westminster Connects
Westminster City Council has set up Westminster Connects to connect volunteers with those who need help during the coronavirus outbreak. Anyone who would like to help can sign up as a volunteer and specify their availability, skills and how they would like to help.

Volunteer Cornwall
Volunteer Cornwall is coordinating volunteers and requests for help in the Cornwall region, where King’s Service Centre is based. There are a range of volunteering roles that can be done virtually and at home. Two examples include becoming a ‘Telephone Befriender’ or a ‘Wellbeing Mentor’.

 

Become a trustee

Board Bank
A great way to gain experience and leadership skills while volunteering is to join a charity board as a trustee. Boards typically meet 3-6 times per year to lead charities and make sure they do what they have been set up to do. King’s can support you to find the right trustee position for you through Board Bank.