Recruiting volunteers
Our volunteering service is here to help you find reliable, skilled student volunteers – all bursting with enthusiasm to support you by putting their skills into practice.
Need a hand finding the right helping hands?
Talk to UWE Bristol. We place 1,500 plus students with organisations each year, so if you have a valuable opportunity, we’ll find the person to make the most of it. Student talents range from web design to financial acumen, so if you have a skill shortage, talk to us – it’s the first step to finding a perfect volunteer fit.
How does it work?
- We help not-for-profit organisations and charities recruit student and staff volunteers.
- Volunteers can provide longer-term regular support, or act as a short-term ‘task force’ team to achieve a specific goal.
Volunteering projects
We run volunteering projects in partnership with organisations and are always interested to hear from local charities or not-for-profit organisations who have a need or an idea for a project where UWE Bristol volunteers could help.
Have a look at our current volunteering opportunities and get in touch if you have ideas you want to discuss.
If you have a specific interest in volunteers with skills in IT, computer science, digital media, music technology or other creative technologies take a look at the Computer Science and Creative Technologies (CSCT) volunteering information.
Volunteering events
Students can find out about volunteering through a range of online and in person events throughout the year. Some of these events are open for you to attend on behalf of your non-profit organisation too. If you are registered in CareerHub you will receive invitations to speak directly to students.
Advertise your opportunities to UWE Bristol students
We advertise volunteering opportunities on a database called CareerHub, which allows students to search opportunities and receive tailored vacancy alerts.
To advertise your opportunities you will need to register your organisation on CareerHub.
As soon as your registration has been approved, you will be able to log in and:
- add or remove your voluntary vacancies or events quickly and efficiently
- reach your target audience
- add additional staff contacts if you would like more people in your organisation to be able to add vacancies
- keep your information up to date.
Student volunteering recruitment tips
- Be clear in your role profile and tell them where and when they will be needed and if you are flexible. Give examples so they can see if it will work for them.
- Students prefer to commit to two to three months as they do not know their workload very far in advance, so keep roles shorter if possible. Having one off opportunities also help to get them onboard.
- Tell students what training is available and if there is room for progressing to different roles.
- Are the roles sociable? Do volunteers have meet ups? Do you want them to encourage their friends to volunteer too? Add this to your profile.
- Check in with students every few months on their academic workload, so you can encourage them to take a short break rather than feeling like they should leave if they can't support you as much as normal.
- Ask student volunteers for quotes and photos so that you can share their positive experiences with other students through social media.
Positive experiences
"We have also benefited in the past from student volunteers assisting our IT Tutor on basic computer courses and they have always been polite and respectful to the older people we work with. I hope to continue this relationship with UWE into the future.
It’s a rewarding experience for everyone, especially the service users… All the young students were very kind and wonderful, very pleasant and helpful. It was just lovely and I would say yes to another one.”"
- Janie NBAC team member
"I was involved in initiating a pop up workshop fundraising event with the participants of art + power. I felt I got a lot out of this experience, and found that everyone was very enthusiastic and supportive in making this happen.
The experience helped to enable me to get a job as a pre-16 student ambassador with UWE, and upon completing my degree this summer, I will take on a job as an activity leader in an international summer school running art workshops. art + power really helped me to gain valuable knowledge, confidence and experience."
- Phoebe Student volunteer
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Volunteering
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Careers and enterprise employer events
Find out about careers and enterprise employer related events including employers fairs, industry Q&A panels, workshops and competitions.
Contact us
Talk to our expert advisers to access a wide range of recruitment services and expertise.