Being kind can give us a sense of belonging, help us make new friends and connect with our community. There are plenty of opportunities to contribute kindness at Sussex – here are some ideas to get you started!

Become a Student Ambassador

Student Ambassadors are current students who provide a warm and friendly face for prospective students. There are a range of Student Ambassador jobs and you can choose a role based on the opportunities that interest you.

You could work across campus open days, Welcome Week, off-campus school and college visits or online events. You’ll gain new skills and be paid for your time. You can also log Spirit of Sussex Award points under the category ‘Ambassadorship and mentoring’.

Find out more about becoming a Student Ambassdor.

Be kind to your environment

There are many things you can do in your everyday to be kind to the environment, from the way you travel, to reducing your waste, or becoming more energy efficient. Here are some of the ways you can get involved in environmental sustainability at Sussex:

• Cut down on using single use coffee cups and get involved in the returnable cup scheme on campus
• Sign up to become a recycling champion! Email sustainable@sussex.ac.uk to express your interest
• Join an environmental society such as Roots (Communal Gardening) Society or the Sussex Forest Food Garden Society
• Get involved in local biodiversity projects such as Love Your Scrub.

You can log Spirit of Sussex points for any of the above activities under the ‘Environment and Sustainability’ category.

Become a Student Rep

Student Reps act as the link between the student body and course conveners to make sure that you and your fellow students are receiving an education that works for you.

Reps have made sure that your assessment deadlines are not overwhelming, helped decolonise your curriculum, and improved accessibility and study spaces in buildings across campus.

Any student can become a rep and join the work of building a better Sussex. Sign up here to join our 2024/25 Student Reps.

You can also log 10 Spirit of Sussex Award points in the ‘Student representation and democracy’ category, under the question ‘Are you or have you been a student or course rep?’

Become a buddy for another student

The Buddy Scheme is a peer-to-peer support scheme coordinated by the Students’ Union that aims to help new students settle in to life at Sussex.

The scheme works by matching current Sussex students (Buddy Scheme Volunteers) with students who are either new to Sussex or would like to meet more people (Buddy Scheme Members or Sign-Ups). The matching is based on participants’ preferences, such as interests, course, and language.

By taking part in the scheme you can also log Spirit of Sussex Award points under the ‘Volunteering and Fundraising’ category.

Find out more and apply to become a Buddy Scheme Volunteer.

Join Sussex Uni Food’s charity collection to support the homeless

Sussex Uni Food, our catering partners, with the help of St Peter’s Brighton, have organised a charity collection to gather new, warm clothes and festive foods for the homeless people of Brighton and Hove.

Help this important cause by dropping off festive foods and warm, unused clothes at one of the donation points around campus.

Look out for donation buckets at the Sussex House reception, Library Café, Veg Bowl @ Dhaba, Eat Central, Doctor’s Orders, Jubilee reception, and Innovation Centre reception, between 1-27 November.

Find out more information about the charity collection.

Volunteer on campus or in the wider community

Giving a small amount of your time is a great way to make a positive contribution, gain valuable work experience, build your confidence and develop your skills and experience.

There are different ways you might like to volunteer, such as with local charities, mentoring students, volunteering abroad, online projects, or with the Students’ Union.  For taking part in voluntary activities you can also log Spirit of Sussex Award points under the ‘Volunteering and Fundraising’ category.

Check out the Student Hub for current volunteering opportunities and ideas.