Best charities for volunteering opportunities as a student

Tara Bharadiaon 10 September 2018
Best charities for volunteering opportunities as a student

Fancy saving the world? Whether you're after a weekly commitment or a one-off, here are the best nationwide charities to get involved with as a student.

NCS

NCS stands for National Citizen Service. It runs summer and autumn programmes for young people aged 15-17. The programmes are a mix of day and residential trips. They offer voluntary as well as paid roles which make great summer or term-time jobs.

The age group at hand can be a difficult one to engage but they have extensive training and a great number of opportunities after volunteering with them. NCS is a programme run by many different operators so you can check the one for your local region here.

Girlguiding/Scouts

The Scouting Association has been around for many years now. They are a perfect opportunity for anyone looking to volunteer every week during term time. You can work with children from ages 5 to 18 and their volunteers have chances to take extra training, complete the Queen’s Award and go abroad on projects. Take a look at Scout volunteering vacancies here and Girlguiding volunteering vacancies here.

FoodCycle

FoodCycle is a new charity set up to recycle and use up food from local supermarkets and cook meals for the surrounding communities. It’s a great way to reduce food waste and unite people. You can become a volunteer online by making an account and completing a short food safety quiz.

You can then volunteer by going to approved places to get food, cooking and coming up with new recipes and helping to host nights at local spaces. It’s very rewarding work and there is no weekly commitment. Find out more information about it by clicking here.

Oxfam

Oxfam is one of the biggest charities worldwide and they have endless volunteering opportunities. From in-store volunteering to free festival tickets when you work with them.

There are endless ways to get involved in the UK and even abroad. If you don't fancy committing to anything then why not donate leftover food, clothes or furniture? For more information on how to volunteer, click here.

Nightline

The Nightline Association supports local Nightline programmes. Nightline provides phone and text services from 8 pm to 8 am for anybody who needs someone to talk to.

You're very likely to find them at your SU. They provide extensive training for volunteers and great further opportunities after university, especially if you like working with people. Find more information here.

Which charity would you like to volunteer with? Join the Student Hut Community for more advice on what opportunities there are for students.

Tara Bharadiaon 10 September 2018