A NATIONAL campaign celebrating the impact that student volunteers across the South West create in their communities will continue to run into the weekend.

Students at the University of the West of England (UWE) in Bristol are celebrating Student Volunteering Week, which started on Monday, February 23 and will run until Sunday, March 1 with a range of activities and awareness- raising events.

Throughout the week, which is coordinated by Student Hubs and the National Union of Students, students will also be out volunteering in local schools as reading buddies, number partners and classroom assistants.

This year over 200 students have volunteered in local schools through UWE’s Schools Volunteering Programme.

Helen Stevens, operations coordinator for the programme, said: “Volunteering is a fantastic way for students to gain valuable skills and experience whilst having fun and making a real difference in the local community.

“Student Volunteering Week is a great opportunity for us to celebrate the contributions of UWE Volunteers and say a big thank you to them all for their hard work, enthusiasm and commitment.”

The ‘Silver Surfers’ scheme will run on Wednesday at UWE, with student volunteers leading the project to help older people reduce the digital divide by tutoring them in basic IT skills.

Wednesday is also National Good Deed Day, and UWE will be encouraging students to pledge a good deed and on Saturday, UWE’s GreenSpace group will be supporting a conservation action day at Sims Hill Community Woodland. 

To find out more about Student Volunteering Week at UWE Bristol visit www1.uwe.ac.uk/students.