Volunteer as a student
Volunteering can be one of the most rewarding and enriching life experiences you will ever have. It's also a great way to improve your chances of getting a job.
Are you a UCLan student interested in volunteering?
Discover your next volunteering opportunity
Benefits of volunteering with CVCL
- Get valuable work experience
- Make a positive contribution to the local community and beyond
- Gain nationally accredited leadership and management qualifications
- Volunteering activity is added to your transcript when you graduate
- Meet new people and extend your network of contacts
- Develop the skills that employers want
- Improve your mental health and wellbeing
- Win awards presented at our annual Volunteering Celebration Event
Become a volunteer
If you're a student at UCLan you can register with us to become a volunteer. There are lots of volunteering opportunities and you can apply for any vacancies that interest you. We'll also get in touch regularly to let you know about the other volunteering and learning opportunities on offer.
With over 500 volunteering opportunities on offer, you’re bound to find something that inspires you. You could help lead projects in areas such as:
- Business
- Computing
- Events
- Finance
- Law
- Management
- Media
- Sports
You'll gain skills and experience in areas directly related to your interests or career aspirations.
If you want to volunteer with children or vulnerable adults, you'll need to get a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check. A DBS check is a way for organisations to check your criminal record, to help decide whether you are a suitable person to volunteer for them. Most organisations will carry out their own DBS checks, but some cannot afford to do this, so CVCL can undertake the check on their behalf.
Complete our online form to request a CVCL DBS check. This allows the us to start the DBS process. You'll then need to follow these steps:
- Complete a full online DBS application form. You will receive information on how to do this in an email from the Online Disclosure Service. Please check your junk mail if you do not to receive this email.
- Once submitted, please email the CVCL Team to arrange a day and time to have your identity documents verified.
Please note that any identity documents you provide must be original documents. We cannot accept photocopies, photographs or scanned documents.
A DBS check can take up to 6 weeks to process, so please be patient.
Once you have received your DBS certificate, check for any highlighted issues. If there are none, you can then inform the host organisation that you can start volunteering with them. Your host organisation may ask to see your DBS certificate. Please don’t forget to log your volunteering hours.
If you receive your DBS certificate and there are convictions or cautions listed, please do not be discouraged. This does not automatically exclude you from volunteering. Please email the CVCL Team to discuss your options further.
Frequently asked questions
The simple answer is yes. The purpose of the induction is to ensure that you're able to carry out your volunteering roles as effectively as possible. The induction process takes less than five minutes. It's an opportunity to ask any questions you may have and to find out what opportunities might be available to you.
You can choose to volunteer for a few hours on a taster day or one-off opportunity. Or you could complete a regular placement every week. Browse our opportunities to find something that fits in with your existing commitments.
You can decide how much time you would like to commit to your volunteering when choosing a placement. If you are registering for an ILM award then you must complete at least 30 hours of volunteering. If there are any extra commitments during your volunteering such as an elective module, your tutor will run through this with you when you enrol.
Yes. There are lots of training opportunities for students who volunteer. These range from first aid training to ILM accreditation to sports coaching and mentoring. When you first meet your Volunteering Co-ordinator, they'll run through training opportunities with you. They will also be available to answer any questions you might have.
All our volunteers are DBS checked when they are matched with their placement. The process normally takes less than six weeks to complete. For a fee, you can now make your DBS forms portable and use them for more than one placement. Ask your Volunteer Co-ordinator for more details.
Yes. We’ve designed our volunteering opportunities so that you can get the most out of your placement. There is no limit on the amount of opportunities you sign up for. We just ask you to log your hours as you complete them. This is so that we can keep track of how much your volunteering efforts are boosting the local economy and helping you to gain experience.
We encourage you to get involved and take advantage of opportunities throughout the summer. Whether you want to volunteer in Lancashire or where you live out of term time we can still accredit your volunteering hours.
You are responsible for making your own transport arrangements. We do try our best to place students in opportunities that are convenient to them. Transport is sometimes provided to get to organised events and taster days. Volunteers are entitled to claim some expenses. Please speak to your Volunteer Co-ordinator for more information.
Quality standard
- The Centre for Volunteering and Community Leadership (CVCL) have achieved the Investors for Volunteers quality standard until 2025. To meet the quality standard we were assessed in six quality areas. The mark indicates our appreciation for volunteers and our dedication to volunteering within the organisation.Investing in Volunteers