In this blog, we more about Rio’s volunteering role with LSE’s Summer Volunteering Scheme for Disabled Students. Rio volunteered with the Dialogue Society and the Talking Bubble Project. If you are interested in their volunteer opportunities or the Scheme, keep reading!
For the Summer Volunteering Scheme for Disabled Students 2022, I volunteered with the Dialogue Society as a Project Intern working on the Talking Bubble Project. The Talking Bubble Project is a phone befriending service provided to people who suffer from chronic loneliness.
Nearly a year on, I still volunteer with this project, working with a new team to help with volunteer training. During the Summer Volunteering Scheme, I was mostly involved in administrative duties, like calling clients and volunteers to make sure the project was running smoothly and everyone involved was happy. I also helped produce weekly newsletters, campaign posters, and blog posts to help recruit volunteers and raise awareness of the project. My initial internship was 6 hours per week, which I was able to spread over a few days depending on my schedule, which was perfect alongside my studies.
Since the Summer Volunteering Scheme I have helped out at volunteering events at LSE to recruit more volunteers to help run the project. One of my favourite parts of the scheme was the ability to actually experience the benefits that the project and my work provides to people struggling with chronic loneliness. Hearing how the Talking Bubble has helped them was very rewarding. I received a lot of accommodations for my disability and enjoyed working with a supportive and helpful team. Overall it was a very positive experience that has provided me with professional skills and confidence, all within a comfortable environment where I felt supported.
You can read the opportunities available on CareerHub and also complete the application form. If you are struggling to access these and would like to be considered for the scheme then please email volunteer@lse.ac.uk and we will be in touch with further information.
