Volunteering

The Students' Union runs the UCAN project, which is a volunteering programme providing students with the opportunity to help in local community projects.

UCAN aims to develop links between University students and the wider community, and volunteers from any academic discipline are supported.

Projects include visiting the elderly, working with the homeless or helping in a playgroup. Students can choose to volunteer for just one day or once a week for the whole year, and all students are welcome to get involved. Many students find this a very rewarding way to spend their spare time, and it doesn't do any harm to your CV having valuable work experience under your belt.

So go on! Give it a go.

What do the experts say?

"When recruiting we look favourably on candidates who have had volunteering experience in the charity sector. Nowadays employers are looking for the candidate who is prepared to go that little bit further and experience of volunteering can provide that evidence."

Alan Jeffs, Head of HR, British Heart Foundation