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What is volunteering?
Some people think volunteering is a "peace-man", altruistic, hippy thing. Well it isn't! Volunteering is about giving your time to partake in activities that benefit others. This means that a lot of people are involved in things and they don't even realise they are volunteering! For example, you might be the secretary of a club or society and giving up your time for the direct benefit of your members.
Think about it: do you give up some of your time to help others? Then you are volunteering! People think if you are enjoying yourself you can't be volunteering. WRONG! Volunteering can be great fun!
Too busy to volunteer?
Student life is not what it used to be! We are fully aware of the committments and pressures in your life. With degree courses having more contact time and the ever increasing need for employment, it's little wonder people say they don't have time to volunteer! However, before you dismiss volunteering completely, it's worth thinking about the following things:
There are loads of volunteering opportunities that allow you to do as much or as little as you choose. Times can be agreed with the organisation in question and many are grateful for even one hour a week.
There are one off projects throughout the year that can help to give you a taste of what an activity is like, or just so that you can dip in and out of volunteering as you choose.
The time you give is always worth more in the long run: the knock-on effect to the community is far greater than the hours you give. For example, if you spend an hour with a child helping them to read, it will make a profound difference in their life.
Think of what volunteering can do for you: the brilliant experiences you can have and those all important "key transferrable skills" you need are waiting for you in so many volunteering opportunities. A few hours invested in volunteering now could stand you in better stead for the future.
Volunteer Employability
Everyone knows that to make yourself attractive to employers when you leave uni, you have to have more tines to your fork than a fondue dipper. A good degree from Newcastle is a great foundation for getting a job that you actually want to do, but alone it is not enough! There are hundreds of extra curricular activities on offer that can make you more attractive to the people that want to pay you a few years down the line. It's not all stress and boring, either! Volunteering is a great way to show you have developed new skills and explored a wider variety of options at uni than the "average" student. Leadership, inter-personal and team-building skills are just a few of the wide range of learning experiences Volunteering can give you. So, pop in and see us to find out more about the projects we offer.............
Volunteer support
SCAN is here to support you, the volunteer. It is no good us having all these opportunities and then just leaving you to it! We are here to ensure a smooth transition onto your volunteering project, and to provide you with back-up and support for any issues that may arise.
We will make sure you receive the appropriate induction and training, either from ourselves or an external provider. This will make sure you know exactly what's what and help you get up to full speed on a project.
We are also here to talk, formally or informally, about any issues that concern you with regards to volunteering. Please get in touch, whatever the issue is. We will do our best to help.
Volunteer training
If you are a registered SCAN Volunteer, you can access a wide range of training courses that we run. There is also the opportunity to take part in external training courses. If you are interested in accessing training opportunities, please contact us or come into the office to discuss your needs.
More Information
See the options below for more information on all things volunteering:
