King’s and City St George’s student volunteering
This story is jointly from the teams at King’s College London Volunteering and City St George’s, University of London, with a spotlight on the February 2025 Student Volunteering Week celebrations.
The role of universities in contributing to volunteering efforts
February saw universities across London celebrate Student Volunteering Week, a nationwide awareness week dedicated to encouraging students to get involved in volunteering, many for the first time.
Universities like King’s College London and City St George’s, University of London, have dedicated teams seeking to foster a culture of volunteering, encouraging students to explore the range of ways in which they can contribute to a cause that matters to them.
During the week, these teams organised events to connect students with community partners, providing opportunities to explore meaningful ways to give back. The blogs below highlight how King’s and City St George’s are actively building a vibrant volunteering community and the desire amongst students to use their time to contribute meaningfully to their community.
If you’re looking for ways to connect with students, sign up as a community partner with King’s College London and City St George’s, University of London.
Building connections, to create change
At King’s we want our students to make a significant contribution to society, beyond education and research. Volunteering plays a vital role in shaping a unique and enriching student experience, which is why the King’s Volunteering team exist, dedicated to fostering and celebrating a culture of service across the university.
King’s Volunteering hosted their annual Volunteering Fairs during Student Volunteering Week in February. International Development student and Volunteer Ambassador, Amy Smith, spoke to students and charities to hear about their experience of the fairs.
Held on 12th and 13th February, the fairs saw an overwhelming response, with over 200 attendees in just a few hours and nearly 500 participants across both events. These incredible numbers reflect King’s strong commitment to driving positive change through volunteering, connecting students with opportunities to contribute meaningfully to society.
Quotes from student volunteers:
Jasmin, a passionate volunteer and Law student, was impressed by the variety of different opportunities that charities across London were able to offer: “From teaching English with English for Action to tackling homelessness with Providence Row, the diversity meant that that there was an opportunity for everyone.”
Luisa, who is studying her final year in BA International Relations, currently volunteers with ClimateED, a charity that teaches school children about climate change. For her, working with children in schools has allowed her to share her passion for the environment has been fun and empowering: “The students are enthusiastic, and it’s inspiring to see them come up with ideas to protect the planet. I have taught over 100 students so far and am so glad that King’s Volunteering brought me to Climate Ed!”
Last year, In-Deep, a grassroots charity working with isolated older people, children with special educational needs and their families in Westminster, Kensington and Chelsea, Lambeth and surrounding areas, connected with a student through the fair, who continues to volunteer till this day.
Nadira, who works at In-Deep as a Support Worker, spoke of the importance of being able to have face-to-face conversations with students: “With so much choice, it can feel overwhelming for students to know where to start and being able to take the time to listen and understand how students want to volunteer their time has been of value.
For me and many of my peers, volunteering really highlights the power of collective action. It’s about coming together, about a cause that matters to you, meeting like-minded people, and gaining valuable skills along the way.”
If you’re looking to connect with passionate students, get in touch with the volunteering team – we’d love to connect!
Building lasting partnerships to foster change in our community
Many students at City St George’s are volunteering in a plethora of ways across London. This year, during Student Volunteering Week, the Volunteering Team put on 12 events both on and off campus to get students involved who hadn’t considered volunteering before, or who can’t commit to a regular role.
A big highlight included the Eid Card Making event for children, their families, and NHS staff at Great Ormond Street Hospital. In just two hours, 50 students created 78 beautiful cards with creative motifs and jokes to put a smile on the children’s faces. Events like these are important to our students, many of whom are Muslim, and who are very keen to give back to others during the time of Ramadan.
Another popular event was borne out of a new, local partnership with community centre The Peel Institute, nestled into the heart of Clerkenwell as a pillar of the local community. Thirteen City St George’s student volunteers got their hands dirty clearing up the children’s playground and removing invasive species of plants around the centre’s perimeter. The event highlighted the impact volunteering can have on wellbeing, with three students who were previously strangers discovering they were all on the same course and making friends through giving back.
To round off the week, a smaller group of students headed to Little Village baby bank in Camden, a London-wide charity supporting families in need with donations of pre-loved clothes and other children’s items. It was inspiring to see how much was achieved by just six students in a few hours, from making craft parcels out of miscellaneous pens and pencils to sorting through donated baby clothes to check quality.
Overall, with over 200 students taking part in activities across the week, it was amazing to see so many people get involved in one way or another, making new friends and hearing about new causes to get involved with long-term.
Find out more about opportunities as a volunteer or if you are looking to connect with students
Contact the teams at:
King’s Volunteering and discover more about King’s Volunteering Fairs upcoming events.
City St George’s Volunteering and register for volunteering opportunities or sign up as a community partner with the team at City St George’s.