Lighter morning, lighter nights, flowers starting to appear, Spring has most definitely Sprung! Welcome to the next edition of the Student Volunteering Newsletter. We certainly have lots of news to share.
In this Newsletter:
- Meet the Volunteering Team
- Volun-Cheers Awards 2025
- Do Good, Feel Good
- Volunteering Opportunities
- Student Success Conference 2025
- Volunteering Support
Meet the Volunteering Team
Firstly, can we take this opportunity to introduce the newly formed Volunteering Team here at Teesside University. We have Jayne Golden as Volunteering Opportunities Manager along with Kate Dudley and Lindsey Mays as Volunteering Leads. The team have certainly hit the ground running and have been able to onboard lots of new organisations and register some fantastic opportunities. All three have a passion for volunteering both personally and professionally and looking forward to meeting as many of you as possible to support you on your volunteering journey.
Volun-Cheers Awards 2025
We are in the process of planning our annual Volunteering Celebration Event, bringing together volunteers who have contributed to university and community projects. It is extremely important you check your account to ensure you have recorded all your volunteering hours and these have been approved by your verifier. If you are struggling to have your hours approved, please email volunteering@tees.ac.uk for assistance. We will be in touch soon with further details so please make sure you are adding your volunteering hours as we would like as many of our volunteers as possible to gain the recognition from the university and achieve an award. We have set a deadline of the 11th April.
You can also get additional recognition through our Volun-tees Plus Awards – an opportunity to meet with a Careers Consultant to help recognise the employability skills gained through volunteering. This requires an additional 10 hours to achieve the Bronze Plus, Silver Plus, Gold Plus and Platinum Plus award. If you are interested in finding out more about the Plus Awards, please email volunteering@tees.ac.uk for further details with the subject header “PLUS AWARD”
Do Good, Feel Good
11th March – Do Good Feel Good, £1 Clothing Sale
Our £1 Clothing Sale will take place in line with the Sustainable Futures Strategy and the cost-of-living crisis. The aim of the sale is to prevent clothing, shoes, accessories etc going to landfill and help to support students and staff who need clothing. A great sustainability and well-being project to get involved with on campus. All monetary donations received will be gifted to two local charities (MAIN and My Sisters Place) The Clothing Sale will take place on the 11th March between 10-2pm in the Exhibition Space, Ground Floor, Student Life Building. If you are interested in volunteering at this event, click here Do Good, Feel Good - £1 Clothes Sale - Volunteering opportunity.
13th March – Do Good, Feel Good, Easter Egg-stravaganza
Spring is in the air and that means lots of Easter fun to be had. We are hosting an Easter Egg-stravaganza which will take place in the Exhibition Space, Ground Floor, Student Life Building on 13th March between 11:00 – 2:00pm. You do not have to attend for the full duration of the workshop - just drop in when it suits you. Come along and get creative, making Easter Hen Garlands and some woollen Easter chicks. Everything we make will be donated to Young at Heart which provides opportunities for people living with dementia and their care partners to holistically support their quality of life. Please click here to find out more Do Good, Feel Good - Easter Eggstravaganza - Volunteering opportunity.
Volunteering Opportunities
Evolve Sports Academy
Evolve Sports Academy is an alternative education sports coaching programme. Using sport as a tool, we deliver qualifications in Sport and Functional Skills to secondary school students who have been excluded / at risk of exclusion from school. Alongside delivering academic qualifications, we have a specific focus on developing young people with fundamental life skills. Our aim is to create an environment where each individual student can achieve their full potential.
The Conservation Volunteers
The Conservation Volunteers (TCV) is a national environmental volunteering charity working to Connect People and Green Spaces to Deliver Lasting Outcomes for Both. We bring people together to create, improve and care for green spaces. From local parks and community gardens to Local Nature Reserves and Sites of Special Scientific Interest; from school grounds and hospital grounds to waterways, wetlands and woodlands; we connect people to the green spaces that form a vital part of any healthy, happy community. Tree planting days are great to bring people together, check out the links below.
6th March - Student Tree Planting Volunteering Day
Practical Conservation Volunteer
Middlesbrough Council
Middlesbrough Council puts their values at the heart of everything they do. Passionate about people, work, and residents the teams strive to help communities live the best lives they can.
RNID
There for the 18 million people in the UK who are deaf, have hearing loss or tinnitus.
Change society to make it more inclusive for everyone, help people hear better now and fund world-class research. Working with communities and partners across health, employment, research, government and more to change life for the better.
A Way Out
A Way Out is an outreach and prevention charity which aims to engage, empower and equip vulnerable and excluded women, families and young people to live lives free from harm, abuse and exploitation and to reduce life limiting choices and behaviour.
North York Moors National Park
The North York Moors National Park would like to bring together the communities of Teesside. The programme will: Support people to connect with nature and enjoy the National Parks. Deliver outdoor activity days and training events that develop skills, confidence and awareness of the benefits of National Parks - there is something for everyone! Deliver training sessions and provide resources to create a network of Community Champions, who can lead their own visits introducing their families and others to the beauty of the National Parks. Provide a new trainee opportunity working here at North York Moors National Park. Provide a variety of volunteering opportunities.
North York Moors National Park Youth Voice
KFC Youth Foundation
KFC Youth Foundation is a national charity dedicated to empowering young people aged 8 to 25, particularly those facing societal challenges. Our Middlesbrough hub will be the first of its kind for KFCYF, and our goal is to provide a safe, supportive space where young people can access a variety of services and programs.
Coram Beanstalk
Create readers! Because when a child becomes a reader, they get the very best chance in life. Help children in your local community find a love of reading by supporting in a local school one afternoon a week during school term time.
Coram Beanstalk Reading Helper Volunteer
Open Country
Open Country has 35 years of experience in successfully organising and leading countryside activities and has enabled hundreds of people with a disability to access and enjoy the countryside. Their efforts not only enhance the well-being of their 500 members but also contribute significantly to environmental conservation, with initiatives like tree planting and habitat improvement, as well as working on all-important access projects. Supported by around 170 volunteers, our charity fosters inclusivity, community engagement, and a deeper connection to nature for individuals who might otherwise face barriers to outdoor experiences.
Teesside Hospice
From the beginning in 1982 all the way through to 2022, Teesside Hospice have continued to change lives across Teesside by supporting people and families who've been affected by terminal illness, whether it's end of life care, supporting people to live well alongside their illness, or through anticipatory and grief counselling. Everybody gets treated as an individual, whether it's physical, mental or emotional support they need. They support people to stay as independent as possible, for as long as possible.
Volunteer Administration Assistant
Student Success Conference 2025 starting 03.03.2025
We have our Student Success Conference taking place the first week in March. Student Success is offering a fantastic opportunity for Teesside students to take part in this year’s student conference. The theme of the conference is ‘My Teesside journey to success.’
We want to celebrate the amazing, individual success stories of Teesside students.
Events include:
Monday 3rd March
11.00 – 13.00 - Meet Student Success
https://tees.libcal.com/event/4352276
Tuesday 4th March
10.00 – 12.00 - Student Voice Roadshow
https://tees.libcal.com/event/4351190
12.00 – 13.20 - Are you the first in your family to go to university? - Focus Group (1.15)
https://tees.libcal.com/event/4351668
Wednesday 5th March
12.30 - 16.00 – Spotlight Presentations (1.15)
This event will be the highlight of the week. We have selected 10 projects to be presented all around individual journeys of success at Teesside.
https://tees.libcal.com/event/4351636
Thursday 6th March
12.30 – 14.00 - PASS @ Teesside - Teesside PASS Leader Debrief #TUSSConf (1.15)
https://tees.libcal.com/event/4351634
16.00 – 17.30 -Are you the first in your family to go to university? - ONLINE Focus Group
https://tees.libcal.com/event/4351671
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.
We are also available during the times below for the Volunteering Roadshows. We will be based in the Student Life Building near the front desk.
- 4th March from 11-1:30pm
- 20th March from 1:30-3pm
- 1st April from 11-1:30pm
This will be a great opportunity to discuss; uploading hours, the awards, new opportunities and how we can best support you.
Did you know, we are also on Facebook, why not give our page a follow!
Best Wishes
The Volunteering Team