Living in the community

Enrich your University experience by making a positive difference to others and develop an abundance of new skills through volunteering. Play an invaluable role through participating in rewarding one-off and short-term volunteering in the local community. There are also unique online opportunities, where you can make an impact nationally and globally.

Make a Difference days are opportunities for students and staff to volunteer, help others and support causes that impact the local community. These one-off and short term activities don’t require ongoing commitment, giving you the opportunity to gain experience and support your personal development, wellbeing and sense of community. 

Volunteering Fair

Wednesday 13 November 2024

Make a difference to others by giving volunteering a go. Start your volunteering journey by attending the Volunteering Fair on Wednesday 13 November, 11.00am - 2.00pm, in the Percy Gee Building (Students' Union) multiuse space behind Starbucks.

This is a great opportunity to meet voluntary organisations and charities who are keen to connect with University of Leicester students and staff. There will be a diverse selection of long and short term volunteering opportunities for you to choose from, so please do stop by.

November 13 is also World Kindness Day, which is a global observance dedicated to promoting and celebrating acts of kindness. This day serves as a reminder of the positive impact that kindness can have on individuals, communities and the world at large.

There will be a plant pot decoration giveaway on a first come first serve basis. This will involve choosing a plant and a pot to decorate, which you can take for free and give it to someone to brighten their day.

Please email volunteer@le.ac.uk if you have any question and the Volunteering Team (based in the Careers and Employability Service) will get back to you.

LOROS Volunteer

Volunteering with LOROS Hospice offers you the chance to make a meaningful impact in your local community while developing valuable skills.

As a Shop Volunteer, you’ll help operate the till, serve customers, sort donations, and keep the shops organised. This role is perfect for gaining retail experience, developing customer service skills, and supporting hospice care.

If you prefer a more social environment, consider joining the LOROS Café (Peppercorns) in Abbey Park or based at the Hospice café on Groby Road. You’ll provide a warm and friendly service, prepare food and drinks, handle cash transactions, and ensure the café remains clean and welcoming. 

Alternatively, you can make a difference behind the scenes as a Warehouse Donation Volunteer. In this role, you’ll sort and manage donations, handle Gift Aid, and advise customers with queries. It’s a great way to develop organisational skills and gain practical experience in retail.

If you would like to discuss opportunities, please get in touch with the Team at LOROS via email volunteering@loros.co.uk or phone (0116) 231 3771 

VAL-oween Volunteering Event

Thursday 31 October 2024, 10.00am-2.00pm

Join Voluntary Action for a Spooktacular Halloween Event!

Voluntary Action LeicesterShire are hosting their first Halloween themed event and you’re invited! 

Go along to visit their ‘haunted halls’ and speak to various voluntary organisations about their activities around the city and county.

Don’t miss out on this fang-tastic opportunity to trick-or-treat for information and get involved in your community!  You can go along at anytime between 10.00am-2.00pm.

This event will be taking place off campus in Leicester City Centre at Voluntary Action Leicester, 9 Newarke St Leicester LE1 5SN. 

Find out more and book to attend

Diwali Day volunteer

Friday 1 November 2024, 12.45pm - 3.00pm

As a Diwali Day volunteer, your role will involve assisting in the delivery of fun and interactive Diwali themed crafts, such as block painting, creating Rangoli designs, making Diwali cards, decorating clay diyas and more, in a local primary school setting.

This is a fantastic opportunity to gain experience in the diverse community of Leicester and share your skills with the children you support. No previous experience is needed, however you need to be reliable, friendly and willing to support children with their tasks.

To volunteer, you will need to be available on Friday 1 November 2024 from 12.45pm - 3.00pm. This volunteering activity will be taking place at Upland Junior L.E.A.D Academy, Melbourne Road, Leicester, LE2 0DR.

Book your place through MyCareers by 30 October 2024.

Lantern making workshop event volunteer

Tuesday 12 November 2024

Join Inspirate, a local social enterprise who have organised a lantern making workshop for members of the community to participate in. Enthusiastic volunteers are needed to help with the smooth running of the event, which will include, welcoming attendees, supporting artists, setting up and clearing up and assisting children with the activities.

This is a great way to gain experiences for your CV and interact with new people in the Leicester community. The workshop will take place from 9.00am - 5.00pm at Cross Corners Art Centre, Thurcaston Road, LE4 5PF. If you are unavailable for the whole duration, you can still sign up for half a day.

To register your availability please email volunteer@inspirate.org by 10 October 2024.

Weekly litter picking with Buzzing Roots

Help to revitalize Clarendon Park Gardens by joining a weekly litter pick, organised by a community interest company called Buzzing Roots. Join other friendly locals to make a positive change in small steps. Equipment will be provided and you don’t need to attend every week.

To get involved, meet next to Knighton Library, 165 Clarendon Park Road on Tuesdays from 3.00pm - 4.00pm. There is no need to book, so you can just turn up.

If you’d like to contact Buzzing Roots, you can reach them by email at buzzingroots@gmail.com or phone on 07425867969.

The Climate Ambassadors Scheme

Climate Ambassadors is an initiative funded by the Department for Education to help all education settings make and implement a Climate Action Plan. By supporting nurseries, schools and colleges to build their climate action plans, Climate Ambassadors can help to ensure that young people have access to the learning and skills they will need for their future in the green economy while also helping education settings meet the challenges of a changing climate.

Becoming a Climate Ambassador is a great way to:

  • Put your sustainability interest and experience into practical use in your community
  • Contribute to your community’s ability to tackle climate risks
  • Develop your own climate skills and knowledge
  • Inspire the next generation of climate leaders

Find out more and sign up now

The Trussell Trust Leicester South Foodbank

Volunteer Warehouse Packer

The Trussell Trust is an anti-poverty charity and community of food banks providing practical support to people who can’t afford the essentials. The Trussell Trust’s vision is to end the need for food banks.

Acting as the link between food donations coming in and reaching those in crisis, as a Warehouse Packer, you’ll support the smooth running of your local food bank. You’ll be part of a team sorting and packing food in the warehouse.  

Find out more and apply

Time for Trussell Volunteer

  • Can you create great social media content?
  • Do you want to make a positive impact? 

Time for Trussell volunteers help raise awareness of the work that the Trussell Trust do, using social media.

By sharing our social media messages, you can help the Trussell Trust campaign for change and build a consensus among the public to ensure that everyone can afford the essentials.

If you have good online communication skills and working knowledge of at least one social media platform, you could help us raise awareness and call for change.

Find out more and apply

IntoUniversity volunteer mentors and academic support tutors

IntoUniversity is a nationwide educational charity that supports under represented young people with their educational journeys. From their learning centres, they run after-school academic support sessions and mentoring.

How can you help?

Volunteer mentors and academic support tutors are needed to help make a real difference as positive role models in the lives of the young people who need that additional help. The roles would be great for anyone who has an enthusiasm for education, strong interpersonal skills and the ability to use their initiative. 

Students Union Volunteering Hub

The University of Leicester Students Union also work with a range of voluntary organisations and charities who opportunities that you can sign up to now. You can also record your volunteering hours through the Students Union online portal called the Volunteering Hub.

Visit the Volunteering Hub to view the latest volunteering roles.

Virtual and micro-volunteering

Micro-volunteering enables you to offer your time in small chunks. You can manage how often you take part in micro-volunteering activities and can fit them flexibly around other commitments. Roles are mainly virtual and can be done using a lap top or phone. Examples of micro-volunteering and online roles include:

Warning Zone

Educational tour volunteers needed for Warning Zone.

As a life skills centre for children aged 10-11 years who visit them on a school trip, Warning Zone relies on the generosity of volunteers to guide small groups of children around their interactive life skills centre. They educate the children on how to keep themselves safe both online and offline, helping them to recognise hazards, assess risk, avoid consequences and navigate the many different aspects of growing up that they might face such as peer pressure and coercion. Their interactive safety centre has life-like zones covering areas such as fire safety in the home, building sites, water safety, arson, road safety, railways, alcohol, knife crime, grooming, cyber-bullying, posting photos online and so much more.

To sign up, please email volunteer@warningzone.org.uk or call +44 (0)116 262 9739. 

CoachBright online volunteer

CoachBright are a social mobility charity that exists to help young people from disadvantaged backgrounds become more independent and resilient so they can lead the lives they want. Volunteers work with pupils in schools to build confidence through academic coaching. 

Find out more and apply

St John Ambulance

Volunteering with St John Ambulance is a fantastic way to enhance your CV, meet new people, and learn lifesaving skills. Most volunteering opportunities are community based and full training is given after you have been accepted to do your chosen role.

View the range of roles available and apply

Barclays Digital Champions

The Barclays Digital Champion programme provides a way to build and develop digital skills within organisations and communities, helping people get the most out of technology to thrive in the digital world. 

You don’t need to be a digital expert to become a Digital Champion but you do need a passion for helping others. We’ll give you all the training, resources and support you need.

To become a Digital Champion you’ll join three 90 minute virtual sessions hosted by Barclays Digital Eagles where you’ll meet like-minded people who want to become Digital Champions too. 

Register to find out more

Age UK day care passenger assistant volunteer

To volunteer with Age UK, all you need is some spare time and a passion for helping others.

Patient and friendly volunteers are needed to provide support within an Age UK community day centre situated on Humberstone Gate in Leicester City Centre.  The role will involve assisting the day care team in delivering optimum quality of care and support to their service users. This may include assisting the minibus driver when picking up and dropping off clients from 8.30am to 10.30am and/or 2.30pm to 4.30pm. 

No previous experience is needed as full training will be given. You would need to have the physical ability to help move and support older people and have good team working and communication skills. 

If you are interested in applying, please email volunteer@le.ac.uk for more information.

Age UK befriender befriending volunteer

Could you spare 20-30 minutes a week as a telephone befriender to make a couple of weekly phone calls to Age UK service users who may be experiencing isolation and loneliness to offer support and companionship?

You also have the option to do regular face-to-face befriending for 1 hour a week which could be at a day centre location or in the older person’s home.

If you are interested in applying, please email volunteer@le.ac.uk for more information.

Environmental volunteering with Leicester City Council

Leicester environmental volunteers fulfil a vital role in keeping our parks and open spaces, waterways and streets clean and well maintained so that we can all enjoy them.

Make a difference in a park near you and enjoy the benefits of the wide-open spaces, fresh air and physical exercise.

Roles include gardening and horticulture, conservation, environmental improvements, litter picking and more.

Learn more and apply 

Short term opportunities

Hospital meet and greet volunteer

Meet and greet volunteers support patients and visitors in finding their way around hospital sites and are highly visible to patients and visitors within public areas of the hospital (Leicester General Hospital or Leicester Royal Infirmary). You need to be smart in appearance, friendly and approachable, with good communication skills to make a good first impression. The role involves:

  • Giving directions or accompanying patients and visitors to their destination
  • Transporting patients to and from outpatient appointments by wheelchair
  • Giving general information about the hospital
  • Collecting prescription requests (from clinics) for the hospital pharmacy
  • Deliver e-greetings to wards
  • Liaise with the Buggy Service
  • Distribute posters, leaflets, booklets around the hospital

Learn more about the roles available

Age UK volunteers and fundraisers

Age UK Leicestershire and Rutland is celebrating 70 years of support in 2022. They have a busy year of exciting events and activities planned, which you can support through fundraising and volunteering.

Action Tutoring

Volunteering as a tutor with Action Tutoring is an easy and rewarding way to make a difference to the lives of disadvantaged young people living in your community. It’s your chance to give back, share your skills and boost your CV.

By volunteering for just one hour a week, you will directly support disadvantaged pupils to build their confidence and help ensure they leave school with the grades needed to build a bright future, as well as developing your own skills.

Find out more and apply

Park Run event volunteers, Victoria Park, Leicester

Park Runs are free, weekly, community events all around the world.

Volunteers make parkrun happen. They do all of the high-profile tasks at the event like marshalling, timing, result recording, setting up the running course and more, as well as all the behind-the-scenes roles too.

Whatever you want to do, there is a role for you. To volunteer during a Saturday morning Park Run, you would need to register by the Thursday before, so your name can be added to the volunteer rota in advance. Email leicestervictoria@parkrun.com to help.

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