LSE Volunteers Celebrating Volunteering and Fundraising at LSE in 2019
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LSE Volunteers Celebrating volunteering and fundraising at LSE in 2019 A year in review The LSE Volunteer Centre is at the forefront of LSE’s engagement with the charity sector and is the hub of volunteering on campus. Each year we help thousands of students donate tens of thousands of hours to good causes locally, nationally and internationally. Our mission is to inspire and empower LSE students to volunteer for causes they’re passionate about. We’re proud of the difference that volunteering makes to the communities we live, study and work in and how it can transform students’ time at LSE. 70 per cent of students who volunteer say it improved their LSE experience and they also feed back that it enhances their knowledge of their degree subject, improves their well-being and Introduction they feel more part of LSE. LSE students are among the most dedicated volunteers in the UK In the last year we have seen a huge amount of interest from students LSE Volunteer Pledge in volunteering with over 750 attending our two volunteer fairs and Volunteering is an important with almost 40 per cent of students giving thousands of hours almost 400 taking part in our one-off volunteering programme. part of being part of a The London School of Economics of their time and raising thousands of pounds. With their skills, and Political Science pledges to Student Volunteering Week was another fantastic success with film community. Whether on the LSE dedication and hard work, they have a significant impact on the encourage volunteering amongst screenings, micro-volunteering and our campaign to highlight the campus, in a local neighbourhood its students. The LSE Volunteer lives of many people, including their own. Student volunteers different ways in which volunteering can improve the LSE experience. We were blown away by the response of LSE students. or on an international scale, we can Centre and Student Union will at LSE foster a sense of community on campus and make an all bring about change by investing continue to work in partnership to important contribution to the work of charities all over the world. Interest from charities recruiting LSE students as volunteers has further develop volunteering as continued to grow and we’ve promoted over 1000 opportunities from our time in causes we care about. an integral part of student life. We’re delighted to share with you their inspiring stories and hope over 350 charities this year. All of them have offered exciting opportunities The impact of volunteering on that allow LSE students to make a difference. As always we have had Volunteering offers benefits you enjoy reading about the impact of student volunteers from fantastic feedback from the organisations we work with about their students can be truly life-changing by to our students and the LSE. The students and charities featured represent a handful of relationship with the Volunteer Centre and the quality of work completed improving their well-being, confidence local community in line with by LSE students, something the School is very proud of. the School’s values and the fantastic individuals, groups and charities we work with. Join and skills, all whilst improving the commitments. By volunteering us to help celebrate volunteering and fundraising at LSE. We are also particularly proud to partner with colleagues across LSE lives of others. Volunteering fosters a students can engage with such as the LSE Residence’s Team, the LSE Faith Centre, Sustainability, LSESU and various LSE researchers. cooperative and collaborative spirit the wider world, support the on and off campus, and is valuable, environment and gain new skills We are excited to build on this year’s successes and to inspire even to compete in a rapidly changing more students to become part of the LSE volunteering community. necessary and rewarding for all that job market. are #partofLSE. David Coles Alex Selway David Coles LSE Director, Dame Minouche Shafik LSE Volunteer Centre Manager RAG President 2018-19 LSE Volunteer Centre Manager 2 3 Maddy Potter-Wood Jasmine Pearce BA in Social Anthropology 2020 LLB in Laws 2020 Events Manager at LSESU Star Society Legal volunteer at the Helen Bamber Foundation Being Events Manager of the Refugee Week Committee 2019 has When I first started studying at the LSE, I remember feeling been an experience like no other. Since November, myself and hugely overwhelmed. Day two of Welcome Week and I was nine others, along with the Student Action for Refugees (STAR) core committee, worked to organise a week’s worth of events that asked which firms I would be applying to for a spring week. educated the LSE student body about the experiences faced by “What the hell is a spring week?”, I remember wondering. refugees in the UK. For a year, I found myself swept up in the tide, struggling to establish my own identity and career path. Organising the events took a huge amount of research and hard work from our team. It’s also taught me practical skills which I This year, I made the conscious effort to establish an know will be valued by any employer: leadership and organisation, identity outside of LSE. So, now, for two afternoons a week, delegation, compromise, teamwork and negotiation. I volunteer at the Helen Bamber Foundation. Within the We’ve been so lucky to have had the support of so many LSE foundation, I’ve chosen to work in the Legal department; academics who have shown their support for STAR and we’ve helping victims of trafficking, torture, and extreme violence had opportunities to meet with many professionals who are access asylum in the UK. working tirelessly to change attitudes towards refugees and Sometimes the work can feel tiring, especially when I’m amazing experiences – the highlight being our annual asylum seekers. spending week after week sorting through endless piles of charity dinner where I was able to meet celebrities such It’s also made me aware of how many incredible students we client data on Excel. But most days, I get a feeling of relief. as Emma Thompson, Colin Firth, and Anish Kapoor. have at LSE who are so committed to creating change. It’s easy Like something I’m doing actually matters for once in my to see LSE as a very much a corporate world; the overwhelming life. Law can be a very theoretical course, and in classes focus on finance, consultancy and accounting can at times be we spend hours debating why this or that law should be This project has disheartening. Being involved in Refugee Week has completely changed. So being actually able to write letters to the Home changed my perception of LSE’s student body; I’ve felt so inspired Office (if even just to submit forms) feels very satisfying. completely transformed by the members of societies like STAR and Amnesty and being my experience of LSE, meeting so able to create conversation with people who may not necessarily It helps that my team is so supportive, too. During my Sometimes the work can many inspiring and passionate be interested in migration issues has felt extremely rewarding. January exams, I was able to take time off to study; and feel tiring, but most days, people, and creating events This project has completely transformed my experience of LSE, in the office, there’s always so much food! Because of the I get a feeling of relief. Something which generate conversation. meeting so many inspiring and passionate people, and creating nature of our work, there is a real sense of community with I’m doing actually matters. events which generate conversation and hopefully will stimulate Christmas parties and weekly “wins” (celebrating individual Maddy Potter-Wood some change. successes each week). On top of that, I’ve had some Jasmine Pearce 4 5 Arya Gerard Master of Laws 2019 Host at FoodCycle Student Volunteering Ambassador I believe that no one should go hungry. It was that belief that spurred me to dabble in food waste based volunteering in Birmingham last year. Having thoroughly enjoyed my experience there, I wanted to volunteer with FoodCycle as a friend had told me about the amazing work that they did. I was lucky enough to discover that LSE has its very own FoodCycle society and pounced upon the opportunity to do so. I was volunteering with the hosting team and was responsible for welcoming guests, serving them their meals and cleaning up after. There was even the opportunity to dine and interact with the guests, something which I thought made this volunteering opportunity unique. FoodCycle’s project with LSE works with The Food Chain to provide a three course meal every Sunday for people living with HIV. The freedom of having a safe space and meeting some of their friends over a warm meal and a My experience volunteering with FoodCycle would not nice cup of tea was something some of the guests really have been as enjoyable as it was if not for the wonderful looked forward to every week which we got to be a part of. people I was working with on the hosting team. The dish Volunteering gives you washer had suddenly frozen on us and we were all trying to FoodCycle works only with surplus food collected from so much in return: get it working. Having that little struggle brought us closer supermarkets. The dishes made by the cooking team together as we each fervently tried to fix the chunk of metal. new friends, experiences, skills, were not only a feast for the eyes, but also for the palate. I guess you could say that malfunctioning dishwasher The grape tart was a huge hit with the guests, who were that warm glow you get when brought me three new friends and strengthened my can-do My experience of volunteering heading back for seconds.