Reasons to volunteer
You'll make a real difference when you volunteer. It’s not just about what you can do for others — volunteers get a lot out of the experience too.
The feel-great factor
Volunteering is about giving your time to a good cause. You don't get paid, but you do get the chance to use your talents, develop new skills and scope out your career pathway. And on top of that volunteering supports all 5 of the NHS’ ways to wellbeing. So you can make a real difference to your own life as well as the communities around you.
Give your CV a boost
Employers value volunteering experience. A survey conducted by TimeBank and Reed.co.uk of 700 of the UK’s leading businesses showed that:
- 73% of employers would employ a candidate with volunteer experience over one without
- 94% believe that volunteering adds to skills
- 58% say that voluntary work experience can often be more valuable than experience gained in paid employment.
"By carrying out voluntary work, I am able to gain an insight into various types of childcare and child services. It also looks great on your CV, so I would recommend volunteering to everyone, no matter what their interests!"
Jennifer, BA(Hons) Early Childhood volunteered with Playbus
Get into work
It’s a great way to get work experience and have proof of skills for you CV, portfolios and interviews.
If you’re not sure which direction your degree will take you, volunteering can help you to try out a few options and get a taster of different professions.
Volunteer managers will often give you a reference but they can also open doors for you to meet people that will become your professional network.
The UWE Bristol Volunteer Award
The UWE Bristol Volunteer Award celebrates your incredible and invaluable contributions to the community. Receiving an award adds value to your CV and enhances your employment prospects. It instils a sense of purpose and accomplishment within you and it becomes an experience that you can proudly highlight during any future job interview.
This is a special award for UWE Bristol volunteers and two winners will receive £500 each.
We will invite the successful applicants to receive their award during a small ceremony that will be held at Frenchay Campus at 13:00 on Wednesday 4 June.
The UWE Volunteer Award is funded by Ellucian, a software company that provides technology services to higher education institutions.
Key dates
- Deadline to apply: 18 May 2025
- Students will be notified by 30 May 2025
- We will have an award celebration: 4 June 2025
Volunteering is free
All of your out-of-pocket expenses, including travel, should be refunded by the organisation that you volunteer with, so make sure you ask them how to reclaim your expenses.
If an organisation is unable to meet your expenses, then we can help. Please contact the Civic and Community Engagement Team at volunteering@uwe.ac.uk to find out more.
Catherine's experience
Catherine, BSc (Hons) Nursing (Learning Disabilities), talks to us about taking part in Project Zulu and how it helped her gain confidence and transferable skills.
More reasons to volunteer
Whilst you’ll want to make a real difference when you volunteer, it’s not just about what you can do for others. Volunteers get a lot out of the experience too. At UWE Bristol Volunteering we believe that good volunteering is rewarding for everyone involved.
- Improve your confidence - you’ll learn and do things that you might not normally get the chance to. It'll make you feel good and is a real confidence booster.
- Improve your health - while you’re busy giving back to your community, you could also be getting healthier! Research has found that volunteering can do everything from helping you to sleep better to boosting your immune system.
- Meet new people - volunteering with people who are as passionate about a cause as you are is a great way to connect. It's likely you'll meet people from different cultures and backgrounds, uniting for a shared cause.
- Volunteering counts toward your studies - volunteering can be a great option for a short-term placement, work experience module or work-based learning. Read our placements information to find out if this is part of your course.