News

This week is Volunteers' Week, which celebrates the amazing contributions volunteers make to communities across the UK.

As part of the University’s commitment to supporting staff and students to have a positive social, environmental, and economic impact in our local communities and the wider world, all employees on a contract of 12 months or more can take two days every year to volunteer and support good causes in the community.

Our charities of choice support UN Sustainable Development Goals

Staff are encouraged to volunteer at one of our charities of choice, offering a range of opportunities requiring different skills and time commitments. These charities support the UN Sustainable Development Goals and staff volunteering will contribute to building up a critical mass of local impact and strengthen the University’s ties with the local third sector. From helping protect our seas, to fighting food waste or supporting local schools, there are lots of opportunities to explore.

Supporting other organisations and causes to make a difference

Many teams from across the University have already made use of their volunteer allowance and have supported some of the charities of choice, while many other colleagues regularly contribute to a variety of causes that are not included in the current selection.

More than 20 colleagues from the School of Global Studies regularly volunteer their time to support more than 30 charities and good causes in local and global communities. Among these we find school governors, volunteers in social justice and animal welfare charities, and members of community groups improving access to green space.

Anke Schwittay, Professor of Anthropology and Global Development, who is Director of the Brighton and Hove Community Land Trust and also volunteers with Student Coop Homes on the membership working group, says: “As part of the University’s Global and Civic Engagement work, volunteering connects staff and students with local and international communities, building relationships for mutual learning and social change.”

Professor Geert De Neve, Head of the School of Global Studies, who volunteers for the Southover Bonfire Society and is also a Trustee and Secretary of the Camel Trust, an independent charity that supports postdoctoral research in the field of social anthropology, says: “Volunteering is about building community, and for me that can be in my local town of Lewes as well as among a global network of anthropologists!” 

If you already volunteer or have a cause that is close to your heart, get in touch with the University’s Sustainability Team and find out whether it might be eligible for the Volunteering Scheme.

Find out more information including how to book volunteering leave. 

If you would like to share how you or your team have made an impact using your volunteering days, get in touch with the Internal Comms team at: internalcomms@sussex.ac.uk.