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2. Welcome
to Contact
Student
Volunteers!
We’d like to take this opportunity to
congratulate you on deciding to join one
of the largest and friendliest associations
in the Students’ Union.
This Handbook is your one-stop guide
to everything you need to know about
Contact Student Volunteers. In it you will
find information about who we are, what
we do and how you can get involved.
You will also find everything you need to
see you through the year as a Contact
volunteer.
On page 13, there is a snapshot of
volunteering opportunities available, but
you’ll find detailed information on our
website. To help find your ideal volunteer
opportunity, or if you can’t find what you
are looking for, talk to a member of the
Volunteering Team who will be able to
help.
We hope that volunteering will be an
amazing experience for you and for the
people you help!
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3. Why
become a What can
volunteer? you offer?
• To meet new people • Time, energy and
and have fun enthusiasm
• To learn and develop • Your specialist skills
new skills (e.g. maths, language,
• To gain experience law, computer, sports,
and enhance your arts, gardening or just
employability being able to listen).
• To road test a career
• To get involved in
your local community
• To help others and
make a difference
• Volunteering not only
benefits others it can
benefit you too
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4. How can you make
a difference?
The most important things you can offer to any
volunteering project are your time and energy. It’s
amazing what an impact just a few hours each week
can have on the local community and other people’s
lives. Working with children and young people could
improve their educational opportunities and
achievements. Helping at a day centre could enable
more activities to be run than ever before. Listening
to a child read for 15 minutes a week will greatly
improve their reading ability.
Whichever projects you become involved with, and
whatever activities you participate in, your time and
energy will be greatly appreciated!
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6. Our Goals...
To increase the number
of students engaging in
volunteering activities
Increase Contact’s presence
and accessibility within the
University
Provide quality volunteering
opportunities covering a range
of interests and careers
Help students increase their
employability and support
them in gaining new skills and
experiences through volunteer
work
Make students aware how
volunteering can play a part in
personal development
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9. Support
As a member of Contact you will be part of a large
organisation and you will have the support of the
executives and the co-ordinator as well as other
volunteers. Most individual projects offer support to
their volunteers, ranging from regular one-to-one
supervision meetings, to informal feedback sessions.
Contact is committed to ensuring that all our
volunteers receive support from us, and has the
opportunity to meet other student volunteers, make
friends, and enhance their social life. Once you have
registered with us you will get news of projects,
training and socials via a regular e-bulletin. You will
also be able to log on to our website to sign up for
information sessions, projects and training.
Rights and
Responsibilities
As a member of Contact you have certain rights such
as the right to a clear description of your role and
knowing who is responsible for supporting you in
your volunteering. There are responsibilities alongside
this, such as agreeing to a level of commitment and
acting in a responsible manner as a representative of
Contact. The full list of rights and responsibilities can
be found on our website along with our other policies
including Health & Safety; Child Protection & Equal
Opportunities.
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10. Expenses
What you can expect It’s an important principle of Contact that
volunteering should only cost you your time;
so please remember to claim back any agreed
expenses you have incurred. (please refer
to the expenses policy that can be found on
our website) Some projects will refund travel
expenses. However, if they don’t, please see
the Treasurer or the Volunteer Co-ordinator in
Contact who will be able to help.
Criminal Records Bureau
(CRB) checks
Volunteers working with vulnerable adults
or children will be asked to complete a CRB
check which we can help you with. It can take
a few weeks for the check to be processed but
you may be able to get started on the initial
training of your chosen project while you’re
waiting. We’ll let you know which projects
require a CRB check when you let us know
which project you’re interested in and we’ll
from us...
explain how to complete one. If you have any
concerns about CRB checks, please get in
touch with us.
Training Opportunities
Many of our projects have their own specific
training programmes that cover the areas
needed to volunteer effectively on the project.
In addition, Contact organises several training
courses during the year, on anything from First
Aid to Sign Language. These programmes will
be advertised to you via the Contact e-bulletin,
on our website, and in the Contact office.
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13. Volunteering Opportunities
The opportunities to volunteer are almost endless, for example
you could…..
• Get experience in a local school
• Support children with literacy and numeracy
• Organise a community event
• Gain a sports coaching qualification.
• Get office experience
• Plan a marketing campaign
• Befriend an elderly or disabled person
• Protect and regenerate the environment
• Give advice to those in need
• Fundraise for a local hospice
These opportunities are just a snapshot. There are a wide
range of opportunities available, ranging from just an
hour to a year’s commitment. Visit our website to find out
what opportunities are currently available. To help you
choose, think about what interests you, how much time
you have available and what you want to gain from your
experience. Perhaps you’re looking for a project to help
you gain experience for a future career or maybe you have
an interest or passion for a particular cause? Don’t worry if
you don’t know what you want to do, have a look at what’s
available, pick a few that interest you and then email us for
further information.
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14. Community Challenge
Projects
Curious about volunteering but cautious about
commitment? Try a one-off community challenge!
Contact runs a regular programme of one-off community
challenge projects taking place over just one day, or sometimes
just a few hours, so you don’t need to make a regular
commitment.
If you don’t have time to commit to an on-going project, this is
a fantastic way to get involved in volunteering.
Last year, volunteers helped paint a local playground, planted
vegetables at a community allotment, made eco-friendly bags,
organised a game of bingo at a special needs school and
played card games with elderly people. Visit our website to see
photo’s of last year’s event and to find out what’s coming up
this term.
The biggest one-off event of the year is ‘Make A Difference Day’
(MADD). This is a nationwide day of volunteering that happens
at the end of October. Watch out for news in the Contact
Bulletin and the online events calendar.
Can’t find what you’re
looking for?
Our project database
We have access to information on a wide variety of voluntary
activities, and should be able to point you in the right direction.
Over the course of the year, new projects will start up, and old
ones may close, so keep your eyes peeled for updates in the
‘Contact Weekly Bulletin’ and on the volunteering web pages at
le.ac.uk/volunteering
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