Hello October! The season of pumpkins, autumnal colours, crisp mornings and coziness. We are now well and truly in the throws of Semester 1, and we hope your studies are going well. Let volunteering be part of your journey! Read on to find out what we have been up to, opportunities on offer and how we can support you every step of the way.
In this Newsletter:
- Do Good, Feel Good
- Organisation Spotlight
- Volunteering Fairs
- Volunteering Opportunities
- Volunteering Support
Do Good, Feel Good
We have some “Do Good, Feel Good” events coming up and would love for you to join us. These events are volunteering alongside the volunteering team so you will be fully supported throughout. A great chance to give something back to the community, build up your volunteering hours and get to know the team more.
Take a look at the last Do Good, Feel Good event: The Clothing Sale. Student volunteers helped to raise £220 which we then donated to Teesside Mind and Teesside hospice to give back to the community.
Organisation Spotlight
Our organisation in the spotlight this month is Teesside & District Society for the Blind. A charity, supporting visually impaired people in Teesside. Read here to find out more. There are currently three volunteering opportunities with this organisation and the training opportunities are amazing.
Volunteering Fairs
Our first volunteering fair went well. It was great to see lots of students engaging with the organisations. If you missed it, don’t worry! We have three more scheduled for Semester 1. These are all between 10:30am – 1:30pm in the Exhibition Space, Ground Floor Student Life Building. Come along and meet the organisations to find out more about the volunteering opportunities on offer. No booking required – just drop by when it suits you. There is something for everyone.
- Thursday 16th October
- Tuesday 21st October
- Thursday 6th November
Volunteering Opportunities
Here are some of the latest opportunities however we have lots more on offer which can all be viewed on the volun-tees platform.
Bright Bites
Our mission is to improve the oral health of children nationwide in the UK, through oral health education.
BrightBites: Children's oral health educator volunteers
Cats Protection
We are here to help people see the world through cats’ eyes Since 1927 we have helped cats across the UK and helped people to better understand their needs. As a community of volunteers, employees, supporters and partners, we’ve improved the lives of millions of cats and transformed the way millions of people see and care for cats.
Fundraising Volunteer Cats Protection
Collection Box Fundraising Volunteer
Creative Support
Creative Support is a not-for-profit organisation promoting the independence, inclusion and wellbeing of people with care and support needs. We do this by working with the people we support, their families and partner agencies to deliver innovative, high-quality services to meet individual needs and aspirations.
Evolve Sports Academy
Our mission is to provide opportunities and to make sport accessible to young people no matter their circumstances.
Headway
Headway Darlington & District is your local charity supporting people affected by brain injury. Our mission is to promote understanding of all aspects of brain injury for both individuals and the wider community via support, advice and educational services.
Linx Youth Project
Providing high quality services and opportunities that enable children and young people living in Hemlington and surrounding areas to achieve their full potential, develop a sense of belonging and improve their life chances.
MCR Pathways
Our aim is to help young people unlock their potential, no matter their circumstances. Working together with our inspiring mentor community and partners, we can help young people to realise their skills and progress onto a positive destination.
Middlesbrough Council
Our values are at the heart of everything we do at Middlesbrough Council. We're passionate about our people, our work, and our residents.
Community Volunteer - Environment
Period Dignity Campaign
Teesside University champion period dignity by providing free menstrual products on site. We are proud to support period dignity at Teesside University, which is why we are now able to offer free sanitary products to students who menstruate.
Period Dignity Campaign - tackling period poverty along with menstrual education
Restoration Church
Connecting families, the marginalised, the poor and the broken to the restorative power of the gospel.
Kids Club Volunteer (Restoration Church)
Samaritans
We are a branch of the national Samaritans charity based in Northallerton, North Yorkshire, providing emotional support for our telephone callers. We have been based in Northallerton for over 60 years. We receive a diverse range of calls from individuals in need of emotional support on our 116 123 helplines, most often centred around issues associated with work, money or relationships and often complicated by suffering with their mental health or isolation and loneliness.
Step Ahead Project Teesside
Our mission is to support families within Redcar and Cleveland with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) by creating a safe and inclusive space for everyone to socialise and interact. Our mission is also to educate and help support those navigating the SEND world.
Volunteering at a Halloween family event
Volunteering at our Christmas event
Teesside Hospice
Our vision is that we are there for everybody who needs us. We want to change the way our society and healthcare systems care for people with a terminal illness and ensure that local people get the very best care at the end of their life.
Volunteer Retail Assistant - Stock Sorter
Wood and Waves
To create a future generation who have a strong connection to nature and respect and care for the natural environment, who are resilient, curious, and confident learners.
Volunteer Forest and Beach School Assistant
Zoe’s Place Baby Hospice
Our mission is to provide child centred care to babies and infants from birth to five years living with life-threatening/life-limiting conditions and on-going support to meet the needs of the family.
Volunteer Community & Events Support
Volunteering Support
If you have any questions regarding volunteering, creating a profile or using the platform, please email volunteering@tees.ac.uk and we can arrange a convenient time to meet. During the first semester we will be hosting roadshows and find your futures sessions. If you see our stall, do stop by for a chat, we love getting to know you.
There are many reasons why people volunteer – to help and inspire others, to gain skills and experience or just to have fun and meet people. Whatever your reason, make the most of your time at university, develop your skills and experience, grow your networks and enhance your CV.
141 students signed up to the volun-tees platform in September. We are looking forward to supporting you every step of the way.
This week, we received the best email from one of our volunteering students. Having just recently gained employment, this is a little snippet of his email:
“I've spoken about volunteering in every interview and personal statement and will continue to do so for a long time. From looking at the website the best part of two years ago before arriving at uni to the awards ceremony at the end, I had so much fun doing the different things and being encouraged to reflect on it and keep a record has undoubtedly helped me in composing personal statements and interview answers, not only for the experiences on the programme but for structuring my reflections on previous experiences too”.
This student embraced every aspect of university life, and we could not be prouder!
Best Wishes
The Volunteering Team
Kate, Jayne and Lindsey
Related Opportunities
To provide support for a blind or partially sighted person.
This flexible, micro-volunteering role is a great way to stand up for the countryside if you don’t have much time to spare! You’ll take quick and easy online actions to support our campaigns from home at a time that suits you.
The Reserve Volunteers meet every Monday at 10:00 to carry out practical conservation work at our reserves across the Tees Valley.
