Volunteering FAQs

First you must sign-in onto the SUBU website then go HERE

There is a wide range of opportunities for volunteering in the local community, from retail volunteering, helping with charity admin and office work, doing social media and communications, to wildlife and heritage conservation work at historical places in Dorset, or helping the homeless, and so on. So click HERE to browse the opportunities and then click on any that interest you for full details

First you must register as a Volunteer, see above, then you browse the opportunities, and apply for any that interest you. Once you have done this, the charity will be advised that you would like to volunteer, and they will be in touch. If you don’t hear from them, simply drop an email to subuvolunteering@bournemouth.ac.uk and they will follow it up for you.

A student recently told us that “I always find volunteering gives you something back. Whether it’s a feeling of doing something good or an opportunity to make new friends, it's always worthwhile.” Beyond this you gain useful skills, it looks good on your CV, which may help you to find placements and/or post-graduate jobs. Some of our students go on to work for the charities that they have volunteered for.

Volunteering will only cost you your time. If you find a charity but find there are some financial costs such as travel and transport or equipment, just contact us at subuvolunteering@bournemouth.ac.uk . There shouldn’t be any hidden costs, but if you find that there are, just let us know as soon as you can, and keep any receipts.

If you find that you can’t go, just get in touch with the relevant organisation as soon as you can to let them know, as there may be a volunteer on a waiting list who can take your place.

You can do as little or as much volunteering as you wish. There are also drop-in opportunities where you can just turn up if you have the time.

First you must add the activity where you did your volunteering here Once you have done this, simply click the + next to the activity, and this will bring up two sections where you can log you hours and log the skills involved

Yes, we are always looking to add genuine organisations to our hub. Just ask them to register as a charity here or contact us at subuvolunteering@bournemouth.ac.uk

Once you have volunteered you need to make sure log your hours and skills. You can take part in the SUBU Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum awards for completing set hours of volunteering. Bronze = 10 hours. Silver = 20 hours. Gold = 30 hours. Platinum = 100 hours. Your volunteering records will be really useful for you to go back to when you are job hunting. They can also be considered for the annual SUBU Awards for students where student volunteers can be nominated for the 'Student Volunteer of the Year' Award. We would also welcome any feedback from you, again, contact us at subuvolunteering@bournemouth.ac.uk

Yes, the more the merrier! They just need to register as a volunteer and sign up for the same activity as you.

Make sure you are logged in to SUBU first, but if you are still having difficulties, please contact us at subuvolunteering@bournemouth.ac.uk as all feedback about the site is very welcome

Yes, overseas volunteering is co-ordinated by the Student Opportunities Team. You can find more information about this HERE

You will need to register as a charity HERE, and once approved you can add your opportunities as they arise. When you add your volunteering opportunity you will see that there are prompts for required information, please complete all of the sections by clicking on the tabs at the top of the page. Don’t forget to add a start and end date, your contact details, and please include as much detail as you can in the email which will be sent out to volunteers that apply. You will be notified by way of an automatic email when a volunteer applies, but you will need to go in to that volunteering opportunity and click the green tick by the volunteer’s name to accept them. If you have any difficulties, please contact us at subuvolunteering@bournemouth.ac.uk

Once you have added an activity, an email will go out to all Volunteers with interests relating to your charity to advise them of your new volunteering opportunity. You will be notified by way of an automatic email when a volunteer applies, but you will need to go in to that volunteering opportunity and click the green tick by the volunteer’s name to accept them, at which stage you will receive their contact details and will be able to get in touch with your volunteers. It would be helpful if you can give as much information as you can when you post the activity, and monitor the number of volunteers and remove the activity from the site once you have all of the volunteers that you need. If you have any difficulties, please contact us at subuvolunteering@bournemouth.ac.uk

If you are a registered charity, or not for profit organisation offering local community action based opportunities, you can register on the hub and list your volunteering opportunities.

Some volunteering is on campus, some is where the charity is based, and some is out and about. Details are given for each volunteering opportunity. Do contact us if you need help regarding transport at subuvolunteering@bournemouth.ac.uk

We are on the first floor of the SUBU Student Centre building, on Talbot Campus. Feel free to drop by and chat to staff in the SUBU Student Opportunities Team about volunteering, or if you have any queries, whether you are a volunteer or local charity/organisation.

Please contact us at subuvolunteering@bournemouth.ac.uk with any queries or questions that are not answered above, we are always happy to help!

Whilst SUBU primarily helps students find volunteering opportunities, SUBU and BU staff are also welcome to volunteer for anything that takes their fancy. Just register as a volunteer HERE to start the process. You will need to have signed in to SUBU first.

Volunteers give time, carrying out activities that aim to benefit community or society. Volunteers are unpaid and choose how they wish to give their time.  Volunteering is the volunteer's choice, volunteer roles are not the same as employee roles and volunteers are not a replacement for paid staff and are not covered by employment law.

Volunteering takes place in every sector from charities and not for profits to the public and private sector. The activities volunteers take part in are diverse, ranging from campaigning and fundraising to mentoring and befriending, running events and sports clubs to more formal roles like trusteeships.

Volunteers should, of course, be treated fairly and with respect. Partners on our hub are vetted to ensure that they are a genuine charity or non-profit organisation.  As a guide, any organisation asking you to volunteer should:

• avoid language that suggests employment (for example, refer to a contract)
• have separate processes for recruiting and supporting staff and volunteers
• talk about what they would like from volunteers rather than saying they 'must’ or ‘have to’ do anything
• not sanction volunteers for not meeting expectations
• avoid perks that could look like payment (for example, training not needed for the role)
• not ask volunteers to book or apply for holiday or time off
• pay out-of-pocket expenses instead of a fixed amount.

If you have any questions about volunteering for organisations that are not listed on our hub, please contact us – subuvolunteering@bournemouth.ac.uk