Can I claim expenses from volunteering?
You will be able to claim travel expenses as long as you are able to produce a valid ticket or receipt from your journey. Please note that HUSSO and CV organisations, will only reimburse for train and bus tickets, not taxis (except where unavoidable - please speak to a member of staff before travelling).
Help! I’m supposed to be volunteering today but I have a huge assignment to finish for tomorrow. What should I do?
Charities and voluntary organisations depend on their volunteers and they need you to be reliable and punctual. If you will be late or cannot volunteer for any reason, call up to let them know what to expect. If you think this may happen regularly then please think about whether now is a good time for you to volunteer.
What if I don’t like any of the HUSSO or CV projects?
The projects aren’t exhaustive – just get in touch and let us know what kind of thing you’d like to do and we’ll see if we can hunt something down for you! Having said that, I’m afraid that volunteering placements relating to medicine, biochemistry and business are difficult to come by and we recommend that you speak to your department for information on work experience in these fields.
Can I volunteer for more than one HUSSO project?
Yes, if you can spare the time. You know your timetable better than we do but we would advise that you start off with the project that appeals most and see how that goes before adding any extra ones. If there are lots of applications for one area, we may say that you can only volunteer for one project in each area so more people are able to have a go.
Can I get a CRB check through the Volunteering Hub?
If you are volunteering on one of the HUSSO projects, you will be asked to undergo a CRB check as a matter of course. If you require a CRB check for a volunteering role advertised through www.hullstudent.com/vol then the organisation will process the CRB check, not us.
If you are undertaking a placement (paid, voluntary or as part of your course) and have been told that you must have a CRB check, the organisation should make the arrangements to carry out the CRB check itself. You should not be put in the position of having to find another body to carry out your CRB check.
What if I start volunteering and I don’t like it?
We understand that not all placements will work out and if you’re not sure you want to continue, you should speak to your supervisor or project leader first of all. If you really don’t feel that it’s right for you and you don’t want to go back, you must let your supervisor or project leader know. Let us know if you’re unhappy with your volunteering for whatever reason.
Can my society or sports club get support from the Volunteering Hub to run a volunteering project?
Yes! We are very happy to help clubs and societies put together their own volunteering projects. We would be happy to help with ensuring that activities are properly risk-assessed, CRBs are carried out and helping you with any training required, eg Child Protection Training.
While we cannot offer a lot of financial support, we can in some cases help out with transport costs (as long as the project is local and costs are discussed with us first). If you need financial support for your project, societies can apply to the Societies Grant Fund (contact Mike on m.miller@2008.hull.ac.uk for more details) and clubs can speak to VP Sport. Alternatively, you can fundraise for your project. Mike and VP Sport can help you with ideas.
Can I get accreditation for my volunteering?
Yes, you can! You can join the Hi-lights: The HUU Award programme which will give you access to extra training sessions and the opportunity to receive an award for your work. You can also pick up a volunteering record from the SAC on the first floor of the Union and you can use this to record your volunteering hours. Hand your completed booklet into us in April and you will receive a certificate verifying the number of hours you have done.
I’ve got some spare time – is there anything I can do over the next couple of weeks?
It's great that you want to dedicate your spare time to volunteering. However, HUSSO only takes on volunteers at the beginning of each semester and requires commitment for at least one semester. Very few organisations able to take volunteers at short notice so it's unlikely that you would be able to find something in that time period.
Also, organisations put a lot of time and resources into their volunteers and very few would be in a position to take on someone for a couple of weeks - a longer commitment is preferred. We will always highlight in the advert if an organisation has the capacity to take people on for short periods of time.
Do you advertise volunteering opportunities abroad?
Because there are so many varied organisations out there, we do not recommend or advertise any particular ones. We feel it wouldn’t be fair to point you in the direction of companies without knowing for sure whether they will offer you a great experience or if their activities represent good value for money. For this reason, the Volunteering Hub only advertises local volunteering opportunities.
We know that lots of people are keen to volunteer abroad and it offers a great opportunity for personal development and the chance to make a real difference to others. We've put together a list of things to consider when making plans to volunteer abroad on the Overseas Volunteering page.
Can my organisation advertise for volunteers through you?
Yes, we are always delighted make links with new organisations. You must be a local organisation and volunteers must be covered by public liability and/or employer's liability insurance. We also ask that you have up to date health and safety and equal opportunities policies.
Please email Naomi on n.alty@hull.ac.uk and we will send you a form to fill in with the details of your volunteering role(s).
Once your completed form has been returned, we will add you to our list of registered organisations and add you to the website and the noticeboards and circulate your opportunity on the hullstudent e-newsletter. We will also invite you to attend our twice yearly Jobs & Volunteering Fair in the Union where you can talk to students about your organisation and sign-up new recruits.
We can also organise for registered organisations to have a stall in the Union building to recruit volunteers.
Can I refer myself or someone I know to a HUSSO project?
Yes, you can. Our projects currently take referrals for children, older people and adults with learning disabilities.
Older people can self- refer to the Pub Lunches project or be referred by a relative, friend or social worker. A description of the Pub Lunches project can be found here.
Adults with learning disabilities can be referred by their parents/carers or social worker. They can also self-refer as long as their referral is supported by a statement from their parent/carer/social worker. We currently run two projects for adults with learning disabilities: Trekkers and Ready Trek. Descriptions of these projects can be found here. An adult may be referred to and take part in both projects.
Children can be referred to us by their teacher or social worker but referrals must be supported by their parent or guardian. Information on our three children's projects can be found here.
You can make a referral by contacting the office on 01482 466295 or by emailing n.alty@hull.ac.uk and asking for a referral form. Once the form has been returned to us, we will make a decision as to whether the project will meet the needs of the person. If so, we will invite the referred person to join us on the next project outing.
I need a volunteer to provide individual support to my child / friend / relative. Can you help?
I'm afraid that we can only advertise volunteer placements on the HUSSO projects or within local organisations. We cannot broker private volunteering arrangements. This is to ensure the safety and wellbeing of both our volunteers and the people they work with.
If you require support for an individual, we might be able to help find a volunteer for you if you can find an organisation willing to make it an official role.
We cannot ask students to volunteer in your home or meet the individual in a public place. However, for example, if your child requires extra support in a school subject, the school might be happy for tutoring to take place on school premises and for the volunteer to be supervised and covered by their pubic liability insurance. That way the student is protected as well as the child they are working with. It also means that the necessary procedures, such as CRB checks, will be adhered to, minimising the risk of harm.
