Student Volunteering Week 2025
Student Volunteering Week (SVW) 2025
Monday 10th February marked the beginning of the national student volunteering week where students across the country are encouraged to get involved in voluntary activities to benefit their local community.
DUVO promoted a calendar of events, in line with this years SVW themes. Sessions throughout SVW are open to everyone – whether you are an existing regular volunteer or not. Sessions included gardening, dog walking, donation sorting, tutoring information sessions and much more. Student involvement in these events, and regular volunteering opportunities, has a lasting impact on their personal and professional development whilst studying, as well as specifically benefiting our partners and charities in the local community.
Over the course of the week 105 volunteers contributed to 312 hours across 59 different sessions. Georgia Donohue, Volunteering Team Leader commented that “the success of student volunteering week this year has been shown through the engagement we have had from student volunteers, including those that provide the opportunities for other students. This really highlights the passion Durham students have for volunteering and how much they want to support their local community”.
Dorothea Barnes, Student Friends of the Botanic Gardens Project Manager and DUSVO Environment Chair ran a session during student volunteering week to promote her project and said “it was really great to see volunteers, both old and new, working together and exploring Durham’s green spaces. I really enjoyed listening to everyone sharing their enthusiasm about new projects and the environment in general! I particularly enjoyed giving the tour and was pleased to see everyone there, even with the less than ideal weather.”
SVW in College
“Celebrating SVW at Castle was an impactful, and wonderful experience. We kicked off the week with our weekly Warm Hearts Monday session, where we continued to make baby hats and blankets for prematurely born babies. On Tuesday, we hosted our annual Valentines paint and sip in aid of Eating Distress North East. We had so much fun promoting self-love and body positivity and raised £612 for EDNE! On Thursday, we took the time to reflect on our volunteers hard work. Behind the scenes, our amazing publicity team ran a social media campaign to promote the volunteering opportunities we have in college. Overall, it was a great week and I am so proud of Castle Community Action for everything they have achieved.” – Ele James, DUSVO Warm Hearts Project Manager and Castle Outreach Officer.
“On behalf of Durham City of Sanctuary, I want to extend our sincere appreciation and recognition to all student volunteers and DUSVO team during Student Volunteering Week. Your dedication to community engagement, social justice, and humanitarian work is truly invaluable. You help create a welcoming environment for refugees and sanctuary seekers, offering them support, practical assistance, and opportunities for integration. Your commitment to volunteering not only changes lives but also strengthens the wider community. As we celebrate Student Volunteering Week, we want to express our gratitude for your incredible work and recognise the vital role you play in fostering a more inclusive society.”
Anya Nemesh, Coordinator and Communications Administrator for Durham City of Sanctuary.