Last year, over 1400 UCL students participated in volunteering through the VSU. You can find out about some of them here. You can also read about some of the projects our students have set up on our pages.
Robyn D'Cruz
Robyn D’Cruz is a medical student and volunteered with two student-run projects in her first year: The Teddy Bear Clinic and the Kite Project.
"I thoroughly enjoy volunteering and am really glad I have been able to find projects to get involved in that consist of activities that interest me, fit around my timetable and I’m happy with the level of commitment they require."
Daniel Cater
Daniel is a BSc Computer Science student. He volunteers as a Senior CyberMentor at Beatbullying & an Ask Brook Volunteer at Brook.
"I would recommend anyone with some spare time to look into volunteering. It's fun and you will meet some great people and learn a lot. The experiences have given me lots of material for interviews as well!"
Agnieszka Frąszczak
Agnieszka studies Mathematics with Modern Languages (MSci). She has volunteered as a Project leader with UCL Maths Challenge.
"Through the volunteering I have been exposed to so many situations which were outside of my comfort zone, that it made me much stronger. I have become more aware of the needs of others. I have become much, much more patient."
Carl Svasti-Salee
Carl is a 4th Year Medical student. He is a Project Leader with the MEDucate project, at primary schools around central London.
"I’ve met a whole team of bright, enthusiastic students who are keen to offer their time for a good cause, and made good friends along the way.”
Soon Hui Yee
Soon Hui is a BSc Computer Science student, and has volunteered with the Mandarin Club at Gospel Oak School and with UCL Special Collections.
"Coming to university should be a life-altering experience and I feel like volunteering has contributed to doing that."
Elizabeth Stevens
Elizabeth is a LLM Law Student, and has volunteered as a Young Person’s Policy Writer with the Children’s Heart Federation.
"This role is unlike anything I have ever done before – I was really excited to take on a new and different challenge. I still feel the same; I’m always really excited to go into the office and tackle the next project."
Bob Liang
Bob is an Affiliate Law student in his 4th Year, and has volunteered on a variety of of one-off fundraising events and student-led projects.
"I know now that working with charities and communities is something I want to continue with in the future because of the visible changes we can see in others through the work we do.”
Claudia Franz
Claudia studies French and German. She takes part in the VIBE project, volunteering for a couple of hours per fortnight with Eleanor, a woman with a visual impairment.
"I tend to not take in my surroundings, but having to describe them to Eleanor has helped me to appreciate them.”
Angela Gong
Angela is a psychology student – she volunteers twice a week for the mental health team at Voluntary Action Camden (VAC).
"The best thing about volunteering is meeting new people and putting the knowledge learnt at university into real use."
Caroline Brown
Caroline studies German & History. She volunteers with the 1st Covent Garden Brownies and also set up her own project through the VSU – a German Cultural Day for school pupils.
"Although it can be hard work, it’s fun too! It’s a nice break from studying in the library, and the girls are really friendly."
Dominic Putt
Dominic is a BSc geography student. He currently volunteers for Arsenal Double Club for around 2 hours every week during the school year.
"I have always had a passion for football and sports in general so I love any opportunity to get involved with anything sports related."
I Ting Lim
I Ting is a BSc Psychology student and project leader of ‘Junk In The Trunk’, UCL’s student-led recycle-and-reuse scheme.
"it does put a smile on my face knowing that I have made someone else’s day a better one. That kind of satisfaction that you get from volunteering is not something you gain through lectures or books."
Shagorika Talukder
Rika is a third year medical student, intercalating in Psychology. She volunteers once or twice a month for the Scrubs and Scalpels project at the UCLU Surgical Society, running workshops about medicine in schools across London.
"The best thing is meeting so many new people and being able to pass on our knowledge of university and the medical course."
Maria Crastus
Maria Crastus is studying for an MSc in Conservation. She has volunteered with the British Trust for Conservation Volunteers (BTCV).
"I feel that volunteering has changed me for the better. For one thing, I get good exercise outdoors in the fresh air, and it will also help me to decide whether I would like the practical side of conservation as a career."