This Student Volunteering Week (7 – 13 February), Community First Yorkshire is reminding young people of the benefits of volunteering and encouraging them to pick up the volunteering gauntlet.
Volunteering can help improve student wellbeing, develop their skills for employability and give them a chance to make a valuable contribution to their local community.
Jane Colthup, Chief Executive of Community First Yorkshire, a charity that promotes volunteering across North Yorkshire, said:
We know that doing good, feels good; why not take that a step further by starting your volunteering journey while you’re a student?
Young people are passionate advocates for making a difference and one way they can do that is by volunteering. At the same time, they learn valuable skills that can make them more employable plus do something to boost their wellbeing.
Findings from the Institute for Volunteering Research (IVR) showed that 51% of graduates under 30 who are in paid work state that volunteering helped them to secure employment.
If you’re looking for volunteering roles, Community First Yorkshire has a ‘Volunteering in North Yorkshire’ directory which lists volunteering opportunities across the county. Individuals simply need to register and then browse by role, cause or location to find something that suits them.
Jane said:
Giving the gift of your time can be done to fit around your college or university work – we’ve seen a huge increase in flexible volunteering roles since the start of the pandemic. You can volunteer from home or get out and about, whatever suits you.
From being a shopping angel to a volunteer youth worker, what better way is there to gain skills, boost your mental health and do something good for your community?
Visit Volunteering in North Yorkshire to find a volunteering role to suit you. www.volunteeringinnorthyorkshire.org.uk
