Our role as the LSE Volunteer Centre is to connect students to causes they are passionate about and to make a difference in our communities. As the new academic year approaches students are looking for new ways that they can get involved and kick start their volunteering. We’ve put together a list of ways that you can promote your opportunities ready for summer and autumn!
1. Upload your opportunities to our vacancy board
The easiest and quickest way to start recruiting is by uploading your volunteering roles on LSE CareerHub, our free online vacancy board. Once you’ve created an organisation account you can post your opportunities so our students and alumni (up to five years) can find them. We’re looking for anything from one-offs to long-term volunteering opportunities and any roles from event stewards to trustees, but we’re especially looking for skilled roles because LSE students have lots to offer.
2. Apply for the 2024 Autumn Term Volunteering Fair
We are delighted to announce that we will be holding our in-person fair on campus again this October! This is the perfect chance for charities to talk about their roles and how our students can apply to them. The date is Monday 7 October from 5-7:30pm. Interested? Fill out our application form, it closes on 13 September 2024.
3. Join us on campus for Charity Tuesdays
Every Tuesday we host a charity on campus, to meet our fantastic students who want to know more about your volunteering opportunities. Fill out our short form to apply for a space, before the deadline on 10 September.
4. Use us as a sounding board
Looking to recruit or retain volunteers but unsure on the best way forward? Get in touch with us (volunteer@lse.ac.uk), or book an online meeting with the LSE Volunteer Centre Manager, to go over any aspect of the recruitment process. We’ve worked with thousands of charities over the years helping them put in place the best recruitment and management strategies to ensure both they and the volunteer have an excellent experience.
5. Join our 2024/25 in-person Charity Briefing
Join us at 9am on 11 September to hear about your how your organisation can recruit student volunteers during the 2024/25 academic year and network with colleagues in the sector. We’ll provide breakfast and offer insight in to our students, our programmes and ensure there is plenty of time for questions. Please email volunteer@lse.ac.uk if you’d like to join us.
6. One-off volunteering opportunities
Does your organisation run one-off volunteering opportunities? We would love to recruit a team of students to get stuck in to whatever task that needs completing. This can be on your site or we can host the event on campus. See how the process works and get in touch (volunteer@lse.ac.uk) if you would like to discuss an idea.
7. Join the 2025 Community Engagement Programme
The Community Engagement Programme is a consultancy scheme in which teams of LSE students volunteer to help charities to address challenges they face. So far, teams on the programme have helped charities to devise new fundraising policies, evaluate programmes, develop environmental strategies, identify how to attract younger audiences and volunteers, improve their social media, and diversify their volunteer networks. Email volunteer@lse.ac.uk to set up a meeting with our Programmes Manager to discuss the scheme. Applications will close in early autumn.
8. Join the 2024/25 Research Volunteering Scheme
The Research Volunteering Scheme, which successfully piloted during the 2023-24 academic year, is a scheme in which LSE postgraduate students answer academic questions for charities using their degree knowledge. If your charity is looking to outsource a research project, this scheme could be for you! Previous projects have been about the relation between poverty and educational outcomes for schoolchildren in London, UK media framing of criminal justice policy, the origins and solutions to unconscious bias, the impact of climate disruption on smallholder farming in the global South, and the value of active listening services in the mental health sector. Email volunteer@lse.ac.uk to set up a meeting with our Programmes Manager to discuss the scheme. Applications will close in early autumn.
Want to know more?
We would love to hear from you if you’d like to get involved with the LSE Volunteer Centre. Please see our website and blog for more information and follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for updates. Please feel free to contact us be sending an email to volunteer@lse.ac.uk.