We think it's really important that students receive recognition for the volunteering they do – whether that's for the Student Union or in the community for a local charity – so we've set up a Volunteering Hours Log for you to log the amount of time you've spent helping others.

Click here to log your hours

*Remember to use Internet Explorer not Chrome or Safari*

What do I get for it?

We've put together a certification scheme for you to receive Awards for your volunteering hours. The Awards break down as follows:

Bronze: 0-50 hours

Silver: 51-150 hours

Gold: 151+ hours

The scheme runs annually from 1^st May- 30^th April, so any volunteering done during this 12 month period may count towards your Award.

You will receive your Award over the summer once all of your hours have been verified.

What counts as volunteering?

Volunteering roles are split broadly into anything internal i.e. for the Union and anything external. Here are examples of Union roles that will count towards your Volunteering Award:

Freshers/Super Angel

Part time Zone member

Sport Relief team

Sports Club committee member

Society committee member

Course Rep

Community Rep

*Internal roles will be verified by a relevant member of Union staff

Here are some examples of external volunteering opportunities that would count towards your Award:

Volunteering for a charity or not for profit organisation

Volunteering abroad for a charity or not for profit organisation

Mentoring/ unpaid tutoring

*External roles will be verified by your line manager at the organisation you volunteer at

There are some exclusions:

• any volunteering that is a compulsory part of your degree would not count towards a Volunteering Award because we feel that volunteering should never be 'compulsory'. However if you remain volunteering at an organisation past the minimum requirements for your degree, we would be able to count these extra hours towards an Award.

• Unpaid work experience/internships – unless with a charity or not for profit organisation

• Society and Sports Club committee members – weekly training, matches, or socials you attend do not count as volunteering – it must be time you spend on club/society administration, planning, running events
  
   

How to fill in the form:

• Visit https://www.ussu.co.uk/community/volunteering/Lists/Volunteering%20Hours%20Club%20Soc%20Indiv/AllItems.aspx and make sure you are logged in. Make sure to use Internet Explorer.
• Click 'new item'
• Your name and university email will be auto filled
• Enter your URN
• Fill in the title of your volunteering role e.g. Super Angel, Activity Zone member, Football Coach
• For all Union-based roles, select 'Union' for type of charity
• For all external roles, select 'external'
• Enter the date and number of hours you volunteered for
• For Union volunteering, the Approver will be auto filled and your volunteering log will be sent to the relevant member of staff for approval
• For external volunteering, you will need to put the name and contact details of the person who is your line manager at the organisation – this is usually the charity's Volunteer Manager or similar – and the Volunteering Coordinator, Maddie Thomas, will verify your hours.
• If you are volunteering  as part of your Duke of Edinburgh Award please tick the corresponding box
• You can enter volunteering hours at any point during the year but you will need to ensure that this is completed as soon as possible by 30^th April to allow time for them to be verified.