Alongside their studies, Victoria University’s student volunteers support services on campus and organisations throughout the wider Wellington region, helping build a supportive, engaged community, while developing their leadership skills and increasing their employability.
Jane Fletcher—Manager of Careers and Employment—says students have a lot to gain from volunteering, and the University actively encourages students to take up volunteering activities on campus and in the community.
“Volunteering is a great way to build connections, experience working with a diverse range of people and develop capability in problem solving, teamwork and communication skills.”
To celebrate the work of student volunteers and to showcase the range of opportunities to get involved, staff and students hosted events on campus across the week. This included the Victoria International Buddy Programme Quiz Night, the Student Wellbeing Awareness Team’s Healthy Eating Stall and the Sustainability Mug Washers in the Hub, and a Victoria Plus seminar to discuss the impact of volunteering, led by Professor Karen Smith from Victoria Business School.
Students from five of Victoria’s Halls of Residences—Boulcott Hall, Katherine Jermyn Hall, Te Puni Village, Victoria House and Weir House—also took the opportunity to give back to their community through clean-ups of local spaces, clothing and food drives, and volunteer work at a number of Wellington organisations, including Ronald McDonald House Wellington, St Vincent de Paul, the Vincentian Home for the Elderly and Wellington City Mission.
Some student volunteer work during the week was facilitated by Volunteer Wellington through its member organisations. Victoria University is the naming sponsor for the 2018 Volunteer Wellington Corporate Challenge which encourages organisations to get involved in volunteer activities throughout the community.
Volunteer Wellington spokesperson Lyne Pringle said a highlight of the partnership had been the involvement of students in helping to steer the employee volunteer programme. This included help from third year School of Design student William McFarlane to create a more dynamic and mobile online presence for the programme.
“Volunteering is alive and well among the University’s student body which is fantastic to see,” Lyne said.