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Volunteering

We want sustainability to be a fundamental part of your student experience so we have developed a range of volunteering opportunities to encourage you to think green and be proactive in helping us achieve our sustainability goals.

If you have a cause you are passionate about then volunteering is a great way to gain some experience, make a difference and network with others. You can always organise your own volunteering experiences but it is worth registering as a volunteer with the Liverpool Guild of Students to see what opportunities are available locally and within the University.

Student volunteering within the Guild of Students is extremely popular with applications for activities including the growing your own food and maintaining the greenspaces on campus, clothes swap shop, curriculum auditors, Green Impact auditors, Student Switch Off ambassadors, Sustainability Champions, Guild Schools, Litter Pickers for Hedgehog Friendly Campus and of course the ever-popular beekeeping. Find out more below!

  • The Guild offers ‘Give it a go’ sessions for beekeeping and gardening if you are interested in trying it out.
  • Leave Liverpool Tidy is a reduce, reuse, and recycle project which aims to reduce the amount of reusable items going to waste at the end of the semester. The scheme primarily encourages students to donate unwanted items for redistribution to those in need, as well as charities and shares messaging around mindful consumption. Students can get involved in a variety of sustainability-focused activities, including Litter Picks, Swap-Shops, and Zero Waste cooking sessions. Close collaboration with the British Heart foundation also means that volunteers can train in CPR, while helping with donations to the charity by arranging drop-off boxes and leaflet distribution in halls of residence and private student housing. Food donations also take place in collaboration with Fare Share as donation points are set up in halls of residence and University of Liverpool Libraries.  Leave Liverpool Tidy litter picks occur several times each semester. Volunteers worked in groups to keep the environment clear of litter – not only on campus, but also further afield, in places such as local beaches and student dense communities. Removing litter is beneficial not only in the sense that is improves the appearance of the local area, but it also prevents microplastic leaching and harm to wildlife.  
  • The Swap Shops allows students to donate unwanted clothes, shoes and accessories in exchange for tokens, which can be used to purchase others’ items. Students were also encouraged to bring damaged items of clothing for repair by the Fix-It team. These events are crucial in minimising the need for students to turn to fast fashion when the need for new clothes arises, as they are able to trade and repair their old clothes for no cost. 
  • The Hedgehog friendly campus scheme is a national initiative across several universities to raise awareness for the plight of hedgehogs and formulate practical steps to improve their habitats across a variety of campuses. Visit the webpages for tips on how you can get involved with the work taking place on campus and check out the collection of great activities.
  • Sowing the Seeds of Sustainability is a Sustainability Fund awarded project primarily based around initiatives to grow food at the University. Around campus you may have seen some of their biodiversity planters. These ‘Bioscope NatureArks’ and wild pod planters, containing wet and dry habitats provide support for wildlife including bees and hedgehogs.  Staff and students can join the Sowing the Seeds of Sustainability project team and the Guild of Students as a volunteer for weekly gardening sessions around the Central Teach Hub, and their brand-new food growing space next to the Oliver Lodge Building. It is a great opportunity to get involved and experience planting, harvesting and general maintenance of the campus gardens and reduce the University’s carbon footprint.
  • Guild Schools allows University of Liverpool students to deliver workshops to Primary and Secondary school pupils, through Science in Schools, Sustainability in Schools & Societies in Schools. Running across Merseyside throughout the academic year, Guild Schools is an excellent opportunity for both students and pupils to develop skills, share knowledge, and  experience something new. What's more, it’s completely free for both the student volunteers and the schools to take part in Guild Schools sessions. themselves. Sign up as a Guild Schools Volunteer here, or sign up as a society here.
  • There's also the Education for Sustainable Development UN SDG Curriculum Mapping project where you can volunteer to identify links between existing modules and the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Project volunteers look to identify areas of best practice and opportunities for further development of the SDG's in their curriculum.
  • Student Switch Off is a sustainability campaign and competition running at the University of Liverpool, as part of the Halls Sustainability Programme. The campaign supports and encourages students to take actions to increase their positive environmental impact, from saving energy and recycling, to reducing plastic-use and lobbying for bigger changes. At the end of the year, the hall that shows the best engagement and effort in driving the campaign will become the overall Student Switch Off champions, winning Ben & Jerry’s ice cream!
  • the Guild work in collaboration with the Halls Team and SOS-UK to offer Halls students a range of fantastic events, volunteering and learning opportunities all revolved around sustainbility and are offering the opportunity to take a leading role in sustainability in your Halls of Residence. Whether you are already an activist taking action on the climate crisis or you are new to the issue and would like to learn something new, this opportunity is open to anybody living in University Halls of Residence. As a Flat Sustainability Champion (FSC) you will encourage flatmates to improve energy saving, recycling and other behaviour changes. It will also involve learning more about other issues covering the UN Sustainable Development Goals and taking part in competitions. The Flat Sustainability Champion role is running as part of the national Student Switch Off campaign.
  • You can become an online researcher with Zooniverse, the world’s largest and most popular platform for people-powered research. They’re looking for students to contribute to real academic research, on your own computer and in your own time. With a wide-ranging and ever-expanding suite of projects, covering many disciplines and topics across the sciences and humanities, there’s a place for anyone and everyone.
  • Volunteer mentor with local schools through ReachOut, the mentoring charity that works with disadvantaged young people aged 9-16 to help support them to grow in character and attainment. They are looking for students to volunteer as mentors in local schools, where you will work one-on-one with mentees each week in an after-school session.
  • Become a mental health social media and campaign volunteer through the Be Free Campaign, which aims to demolish the stigma behind mental health and promote the free expression of individual values. They work with schools, hospitals, and community centres delivering talks and workshops on mental health and wellbeing. They are looking for volunteers to help with events, social media, and campaigns. 
  • You can become a virtual conservation volunteer with Instant Wild, which enables you to take part in vital conservation work, bringing you live images and videos from amazing locations all around the world. By identifying the images of animals taken by motion triggered cameras, you will be contributing to conservation and making a positive impact on the future for wildlife. Download the app or log in & begin tagging the species in the images, it’s as simple as that!
  • Contribute to our blog, Sustainable Liverpool, with the latest news, research and events around sustainability on campus, as well as articles on anything from climate action, innovation and gender equality, to tips on wellbeing and sustainable living. The blog is written by staff and students and we are always looking for contributors. So if you’re interested in sustainability, considering journalism or communications as a future career, or would like to share your research please complete this form or email: sustainability@liverpool.ac.uk for more details.  
  • Student Societies - There are so many societies that you could join at the University, so take a look at the Societies’ Page to see all that is on offer.
  • Student Campaigns - If there is something you are passionate about changing at university consider running a campaign through the Liverpool Guild of Students.