Science has shown that we can get as much out of volunteering as those we are helping out. Whether you’re keen to support a particular cause, feel closer to your community, find new friends, reduce stress, learn new skills or advance your career; volunteering is a great place to start!
“Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.”
Dr. Seuss
The University's staff volunteering policy allows you to apply for one day of paid leave for volunteering activities. In addition, you can apply for another 16 hours of paid leave provided that you match each extra hour requested with an hour of your own leave.
The University is equally willing to consider applications from individual employees and from groups or teams of staff who wish to undertake a joint volunteering activity.
Where the volunteering activity is undertaken as a team building event, staff will not be expected to match a day’s volunteering with a day’s leave of their own.
As part of the staff experience programme, two staff volunteering campaigns will be run each academic year; one around the season of giving in December and one around Volunteers' Week in June.
For all upcoming staff volunteering campaigns and opportunities, please keep an eye out on staff communications channels or check out the resources below.
External opportunities can be found on the new Oxfordshire-wide volunteering website.
“As a team, we have been involved with a range of community volunteering days, from our annual day of gardening at the Sobell House, a local charity which provides palliative care and support, to a litter pick in the local community. Volunteering has a wide range of benefits; it has a direct impact on the charities we support who often fully rely on volunteers, staff get the feel good factor of doing something worthwhile which boosts morale and is great for team building, and you get the satisfaction of knowing you’re raising the profile of Brookes in the community.”
Pete Toomer, Head of the Accommodation Bureau
