Volunteering

Volunteering with the Students' Union

For more information see the RUSU Volunteering page or email volunteer@reading.ac.uk

If you are interested in any kind of volunteer work then you've come to the right place! We can find you opportunities to work with children and young people, to organise community events, to get involved in sports and arts projects, and much more.

We are always keen to meet new volunteers - either for one-off events or for ongoing projects. Whatever your skills, talent, and interests, we will try to match you with a fun and worthwhile opportunity. Take part just once or become a Project Leader - the choice is yours!

Volunteering is a great addition to your CV, a good chance to meet new people, and your opportunity to get involved in the Reading community.

Drop into The HUB in the Students' Union for more information about any aspect of volunteering.

Reading Experience and Development (RED) Award

For more information visit the RED award website

The RED Award is a scheme that rewards students for undertaking a range of extra-curricular activities and helps to develop students’ employability skills. In order to achieve the Award, students have to complete 35 hours of a core activity (which can be volunteering, paid work or work experience), 10 hours of compulsory volunteering and 5 hours of training and development.

At Reading, we highly value our student volunteers; students can use one of any number of voluntary activities to count towards their RED Award. It could be volunteering in the local community, being a committee member of a sports club or society, mentoring, tutoring, being involved in the JCR in your hall or being a student representative in one of the many opportunities available through the Students' Union. Whatever your interests, you will be able to find an opportunity that you can use to develop your skills and achieve the RED Award.

Student Tutoring

For more information see the Student tutoring in schools page or email j.m.hodgson@reading.ac.uk

This major volunteering project is a Student Tutoring scheme. The prime purpose is to raise the aspirations of pupils in schools and to encourage them to continue in education beyond 16 years of age by placing volunteer students in the classroom, working alongside the teacher.

Students spend one half-day a week (normally Wednesday afternoons) for a minimum of 10 weeks in a local school; there is a choice of primary, secondary or special schools.

Benefits to pupils, schools and students are enormous - pupils receive more individual attention from someone they can relate to more easily, schools get extra help, and you will probably find your confidence and communication skills improve, not to mention the pleasure you will derive from helping youngsters.

Please note that all new applicants are required to attend a training session on Wednesday 12 October 2011, (Madejski Theatre, Agriculture Building, 14:45 -17:00) when allocation to schools takes place.