A massive thank you to all our student volunteers

This week is Student Volunteering Week 2022 (7th to 13th February) and our chance to say a HUGE thank you to all the student volunteers who have donated their time, energy and expertise to work with us over the years.

Our student volunteers get involved in all kinds of activities, working closely with our practitioners to support group events, preparing resources and paperwork, and helping children and young people affected by domestic abuse. All of us at Haven really do value the time and energy that student volunteers give, helping us to extend our services in all kinds of important ways.

But, importantly, the students themselves benefit too! Volunteering can help students to improve employability and wellbeing, plus they get to make a positive contribution to the local community.
 

What our student volunteers think about volunteering with Haven

The exact benefits a student gets from volunteering will be be different for each individual. So, we asked three of them to share their own experience of volunteering with Haven:
   

"I initially volunteered for Haven to gain experience for my course (Psychology) and because, although I didn’t know what I want to do after university, I always enjoyed helping people and working with children. I have learned so much about how to interact with so many different people, adults and children, what to do in certain situations and how a potential career could look like working around domestic abuse. The amazing thing about Haven is that there is always someone there to support you and help you out in any situation. You never get overwhelmed with work and can help out as much or little as you are comfortable with. There are opportunities to help out in so many different departments and in so many different situations that it could never get boring."
- Kamila
 

"I was doing a piece on domestic abuse in school and came across the wonderful work Haven was doing. I was inspired by it and decided to become a volunteer to be able to make a positive impact in the lives of children and young people affected by domestic abuse. Within my time at Haven, I have been able to learn new skills like good communication and working with a diverse group of people, build self-confidence, participate in numerous training, develop myself, build a professional profile and explore a possible career option that has opened up lots of opportunities for me including my current job role. With all these skills learned, training, and experience, volunteering with Haven has taught me a valuable lesson and that is no matter how small you think your contribution is, you are making a difference in the life of a child or young person, and I have found the experience very rewarding. I want to thank the staff and team at Haven for the remarkable things they are doing, and I am delighted to be a part of it."
- Emmanuel
 

"I wanted to volunteer at Haven as I’d developed a real interest in domestic abuse offences from my Law and Criminology degree. Volunteering at Haven has enabled to me to grasp a true insight into the realities of support given to children affected by domestic abuse. I’ve also found that volunteering whilst studying has been well-balanced with the help and understanding of everyone at Haven."
- Jennie
  

Learn more

Unfortunately, all our volunteer places are currently full so we have had to pause recruitment for now.

In the meantime, check the links below to find out other ways you can support Haven.
 

5 benefits of doing a charity challenge

Supporting Haven without breaking your budget

Make a donation