Although many people who volunteer do it very quietly at ULSU Volunteering we think it’s really important to let our volunteers know just how proud we are of you, and we like to have the opportunity to say thank you for everything you do.
As such there are a few things we do to recognise the time and help you have given to others whether you’ve volunteered for the Students’ Union e.g. for your sports team/society; as a Rep; or as an SU Helper; for Bullet Media, or you’ve volunteered out in the community.
Firstly we have a certification scheme which runs from May to April. At the end of the certification year we will present you with a certificate based on the number of hours you have volunteered. All that we ask is that you record all the volunteering you do as you do it (Volunteer Log) and get this verified by your volunteer supervisor/co-ordinator. Twice a year, just before Christmas and just before the end of April, we will contact you to remind you to submit your volunteer log. A certificate will then be produced at the end of April based on this log.
For internal volunteering you will need to have your volunteering confirmed by Students’ Union staff members as follows:
| Area | Staff Member |
|---|---|
| Sports & Societies | Ian Johnston |
| Student Reps | Beccy Rock |
| Media | Ross Ironfield |
| SU Helpers | Beccy Rock |
| SU Officers | Mark Crowhurst |
| RAG | Ian Johnston |
For Community Based volunteering your volunteer supervisor/co-ordinator at the organisation you volunteer with will verify your hours.
Certificates will be issued based on the following hours of volunteering:
| Certificate | Requirements |
|---|---|
| Bronze | 1 - 25 hours |
| Silver | 26 - 60 hours |
| Gold | 61 - 99 hours |
| Platinum | 100 + hours |
If you aren’t able to provide a verified log of your volunteering hours, but we can confirm that you have volunteered, you will receive a Bronze level certificate.
The second thing we do is have an annual Volunteer Celebration week when you will be presented with your certificate. You will be invited to join us during that week and come into the office, collect your certificate, have a bite to eat and receive a small gift as a token of our appreciation. These certificates make a very important addition to your C.V. and portfolio when the time comes to look for a job.
The other way we recognise volunteers is to ask for nominations in the volunteering category for the annual Students’ Union Awards. This prestigious event celebrates the achievements of students across a number of areas and volunteering is just one of them. This is your opportunity to nominate a fellow student or for them to nominate you.
Finally we are always looking to feature students in our bi-annual Volunteer Newsletter so if we hear that you’re doing something special we may contact you so that we can feature you in one of our editions.
