Working and studying full time can be very demanding on
time, especially when there are deadlines/exams to prepare for. One-Off Volunteering
is a great way to get involved in volunteering as you can do as much or as
little as you like! I’ve done several one-off volunteering opportunities this
year.
Back in November last year I went along with the sports
students (known as the Kingston Cougars) to redecorate
the sports hall at Waldegrave School For Girls, a local secondary school.
15 of us worked together to whitewash the wall and stencil silhouettes to
transform the space – and it looked great!
In February I then took part in a food project for the homeless using waste food from supermarkets to cook at a local church in Kingston. Using food that was going to be thrown away we did a ‘Ready, Steady, Cook’ style day where volunteers and the homeless were split into teams to see what exciting dishes we could come up with! The day was part of Student Volunteering Week and was great fun - we all got to eat the food together afterwards as part of a big lunch in the church hall!
Most recently I went along to KUSU’s
Bird & Bat Box Building and BBQ event where I helped make bird and bat boxes
for the nature trail at Kingston Hill campus. The event also celebrated KUSU
volunteers’ achievements over the past year. The BBQ food was cooked to
perfection and we were really fortunate to have good weather – it was a great
way to meet other volunteers too!
Volunteering with KUSU is a good way to try something new,
meet new people, make new friends and also learn new skills while helping out
and having fun. It also means you are able to do something worthwhile and
productive with your spare time! I’m looking forward to doing more volunteering
this academic year 2012-2013. It’s going to be a busy year and I can’t wait!
In March I was re-elected to do a second year as Vice President Activities where my role is to oversee sports, societies and
volunteering in Kingston University Students’ Union as well as representing the
student body. In terms of volunteering this year I’m hoping to run a project through
the Be A Champion sports volunteering scheme where 5 volunteers from the
mountaineering (climbing) club will lead sessions at a local climbing wall for
a community group. As well as this I’m also hoping to go along as a kayak
volunteer to the Sub Aqua Thames River Clean project during Freshers Week to
help ensure they are visible to passing boats. I’ll be keeping an eye on the
One-Off Volunteering opportunities that happen throughout the year too and am
also hoping to become a regular volunteer with the Scouts through Community Volunteering at KUSU! There’s just so many opportunities that it’s hard to get
the chance to do it all, but I’m trying to make the most of it while I’m still
at Kingston University and when I go back into my final year next September!
E-mail: activities@kingston.ac.uk
Phone: 020 8417 2883
Ext: 62883
Twitter:
@activitiesKUSU, @laurenmacca19