We have been in awe of the LSE community this term. It goes without saying that Michaelmas Term 2020 has been an odd one. The pandemic has added stress and sadness for many of us this year, but it has also spurred on new experiences and inspired a community like never before.

Here at the LSE Volunteer Centre, we have never doubted the compassion of our students but this term we have witnessed an explosion of kindness. Throughout the summer countless members of the LSE community gave their time to help COVID-19 efforts and they continued this into term time. So here’s some of our highlights of a Michaelmas Term we’ll never forget…

LSE Volunteering Awards

There’s no better way to kickstart the term than finally celebrating the LSE Volunteering Awards, delayed from spring. The truly inspirational evening felt extra special as LSE Director, Baroness Minouche Shafik expressed the importance of volunteering in current times; “We have to take care of ourselves, physically mentally and spiritually in times like these and volunteering is a great way to do this.”

Making the move to Virtual Volunteering

Volunteering online has become increasingly popular as technology develops and is more accessible. It has also increased dramatically during the global pandemic, as people find themselves restricted to households or their location changing as guidelines develop. Faye, one of your volunteering ambassadors, has been doing some research on how you can get involved and has written this fantastic blog about why and how students can get involved! We also heard from the LSE SU Inequality in Education Society who wrote a fantastic blog on their top tips for mentoring online.

LSESU Societies

We’ve had record number of societies getting in touch for advice on how to get their members involved in more volunteering. We’ve run one-off volunteering opportunities in collaboration with LSESU Amnesty and LSESU Animals Society, including a virtual trip on Safari! If you’re society is interested in setting up a programme or coming along to one of our events, get in touch with us at volunteer@lse.ac.uk.

Giving Tuesday

Past GivingTuesdays have often held a big presence on campus, but this year the LSE Community did not fail to come together and Give Back to many fantastic charities this year.

We hope everyone has a restful winter break and all those that celebrate Christmas have a lovely festive season. If you’re staying in London over the Christmas break check out our blog of volunteering opportunities, or continue to find more volunteering opportunities online!