During Week 8 of Lent Term (6-10 March), we will be celebrating LSE Student Volunteering Week 2023. It’s a whole week dedicated to celebrating the amazing volunteering students do in their local and wider communities! The LSE Student Volunteering Ambassadors have organised multiple opportunities for celebration and involvement around the greater theme of Inclusion, with each day reflecting a different sub-theme.

So, what’s happening during the week?

All week, we’ll be showcasing causes students can get involved in and highlighting volunteering at LSE. For updates about the week, keep an eye on our Instagram (@lsevolunteering) and our hashtag, #LSESVW23, but here are some of the things in store:

Monday: Mental Health

• 11am Yoga Session: Join us for a yoga session to help student volunteers decompress and reflect on how they can take care of themselves outside of volunteering work.
• 11:30am Volunteer Centre Stand: come meet representatives from the Volunteer Centre on the ground floor of the CBG to learn more about how to get involved in volunteering!
• 1:30pm Wellness and Arts Session: This arts session aims to help support students who volunteer by giving them an opportunity to get creative and take care of themselves outside of volunteering work. The exact location of this session is TBC.
• 7pm Collaboration with Peer Supporters: This will be a study session led by peer supporters in LSE; Peer Supporters are trained student volunteers who support their peers by offering a non-judgmental, confidential listening space to any LSE student!

Tuesday: Environment

• 11:30am Charity Tuesday with Literacy Pirates: Every Tuesday we celebrate Charity Tuesday by inviting a charity partner onto campus to talk to students about the volunteering opportunities they have to offer. This week, we’re hosting Literacy Pirates, a charity that works to help children improve their reading and writing skills.
• 4pm London as a National Park City Discussion: The event will offer a unique opportunity to learn about the Foundation’s mission to create a greener, healthier and wilder London. Students will have the chance to ask questions, share ideas and hear firsthand about the Foundation’s efforts to promote green urbanisation, sustainable living and biodiversity across the city.

Wednesday: International Development

• 12pm Knitting for Syria: Come along to learn how to knit and create squares to contribute to a blanket to make a huge difference to the lives of internally displaced people, or to children in Syrian hospitals. Knit for Syria transport the knitted and crocheted items to Syria where they are distributed according to seasonal need.
• 1:30pm CAFOD stand: CAFOD is an international development charity who reach out to people living in poverty with practical help. We also campaign for global justice, so that everyone can live a full and dignified life. Come by to find out about all the volunteering opportunities they have to suit your time and skills!

Thursday: Education

• 12pm Writing Letters to Refugee & Immigrant School Students: This event is in collaboration with Salusbury World, a charity that supports refugee and migrant children in London, including through mentoring sessions to help them overcome obstacles in their UK education.
• 2:30pm Alumni Centre / LSE Volunteering Litter Pick: Join LSE’s Sustainability Team and their Green Fortnight celebrations in an LSE Volunteering Litter Pick!
• 3pm Pollinator Friendly Planting Session with the Gardening Club: Join LSE’s Gardening Club as they host a pollinator friendly planting session! The Gardening Club meets at the dedicated growing space on the roof terrace of the Shaw Library in the Old Building of LSE, and a committed group of staff and student gardeners keep the recycled planters (a circular economy approach!) in shape.

Friday: Poverty

• 3pm Volunteering with Childhood Trust: The aim of this session is to give LSE students the chance to learn about various research, volunteering and internship opportunities with The ChildhoodTrust (exclusively for LSE students). There will also be a chance to meet LSE alumni and current students who have volunteered or worked with the charity and will be able to answer any questions you may have.
• 6:30pm Food distribution service with Food for Life: Food for Life is the world’s largest vegetarian food distribution program serving millions of meals daily, with projects in over 60 countries. With roots in the Vaishnava culture of charity and the distribution of pure food to all, the project is a modern-day revival of the ancient culture of hospitality and a belief in the equality of all beings; join Food for Life to help serve meals.

Don’t forget, you can always get involved on social media by connecting with us on Instagram and Twitter @lsevolunteering and using the hashtag #LSESVW23. And you can always drop us an email to let us know what you’re doing to celebrate Student Volunteering Week via volunteer@lse.ac.uk!