Community Volunteering Groups

Recruitment Process

Our volunteering groups are set up, organised and run entirely by students who give their time to develop activities in the local community with community partners. Activities include supporting refugees, play schemes for children from a variety of backgrounds and running a listening support service for students. These groups enable you to support all sorts of people in the community, volunteer alongside other like-minded students and allow you to support a cause in a way that suits you. For more information about all these groups, visit the Community Volunteering Groups page of the Guild's website.

If you want to volunteer with some of these groups, there is a selection process for these groups that you need to follow. These groups are:

  • Buddy a Granny
  • Intervol
  • Kids Adventure
  • Monday Night Club
  • Saturday Morning Play Scheme (SMPS)
  • Selly Oak Play Scheme (SOPS)
  • Sexpression
  • Student Action for Refugees (STAR) (play scheme project)
  • The Autistic Play Project (TAPP)

You can join Conservation Volunteers online.

Nightline and Links both have their own recruitment procedures. Click on the links for details of this procedure.

Joining a Community Volunteering Group

If you would like to volunteer with a Community Volunteering group, there is a recruitment procedure that you need to follow. This is to make sure that volunteers are providing a high quality experience for all the people the group helps. The procedure is detailed below. It tells you what you need to do at each stage and what the group and Student Development (the part of the Guild that supports all student groups) will do. It also tells you who to contact with any queries at any stage.

When? / What? / Who to contact with queries?
Week 1-3 of term 1 / Find out more about the groups
Attend an information session run and advertised by Student Development for prospective volunteers. The committee members of all the groups will be there to tell you about their projects.
Sessions will be run in the Guild Council Chambers.
You don’t have to attend a session to apply but it will help you make an informed decision.
If you want information at other times, look on the website or email Student Development or the groups. / Student Development and the group(s)
Ongoing during term 1 and 2 / Complete an online application form
Go to the Community Volunteering page and click on the group you want to apply for. You will be able to download a role description for each group from here – use this to make sure you are completing the application form well. You will also see the application form. Submit this online – it then automatically gets sent to the groups. / The group
Ongoing during term 1 and 2 / Group reviews applications and organises interviews with successful applicants.
If your application is successful, the group will contact you to arrange an interview. The group will tell you how to sign up for an interview – all groups are organising this themselves.
After you have attended the interview, the group will let you know the result of your interview.
If you are unsuccessful at any stage, the group will email you to let you know and you can ask for feedback if you wish. / The group
Ongoing during term 1 and 2 / Information is passed to Student Development
The group will pass the details of all successful applicants onto Student Development. Student Development will give you information about the training you need to complete and how to get a DBS (if relevant). / Student Development
Ongoing during term 1 and 2 / Complete relevant training
Everyone needs to complete ‘Safeguarding Adults’ and/or ‘Safeguarding Children’ training (depending on the group(s) you apply to). This is done online through the canvas portal. Student Development will send you a link to this. Once it is completed, Student Development will record this. / Student Development
Ongoing during term 1 and 2 / Apply for a Criminal Records Check from the Disclosure and Barring Service (if required)
If you need a DBS check for one of the groups you are applying to, the information about this will be sent out at the same time as your training information.
These can take between 2-8 weeks to come back for the DBS service so attend a DBS session as soon as possible.
If you already have a DBS check from your course or a previous role, you may be able to use this instead. / Student Development
As soon as possible / Student can start to Volunteer
Once the above process has been completed the volunteer can then start to volunteer. Student Development send information to groups of who is ready to volunteer. Once you have completed the process, groups will email you to invite you to their volunteering sessions. You sign up with the group. / The group

Contact Details:

Student Development

Tel: 0121 251 2411

Facebook: Student Development

Twitter:Guild_StuDev

Come and see us: Student Development department, on the ground floor of the Guild of Students (near Reception)

Term Time - Monday – Thursday: 11am – 5.30pm and Friday: 11am – 4.30pm
Vacation - Monday – Friday: 12pm – 3pm

Groups

Buddy a Granny:

Intervol:

Kids Adventure:

Monday Night Club :

Saturday Morning Play Scheme (SMPS):

Selly Oak Play Scheme (SOPS):

Sexpression:

Student Action for Refugees (STAR) (play scheme project):

The Autistic Play Project (TAPP):

What you can gain from registering as a Volunteer

Volunteering hours – we will help you keep a record of the hours that you have volunteered throughout your time at University so you can impress future employers.

Training – we will provide you with training, if needed, to help you undertake your volunteering role.

Free Criminal Records Check (DBS disclosure certificate) – we will help you obtain a DBS disclosure certificate free of charge, if you are volunteering for a group that requires it.

Awards – we organise recognition ceremonies for volunteers, such as the Guild Awards and the Birmingham Volunteer Awards.

Accreditation – through the activity pathway of the Personal Skills Award you can have your volunteering accredited. The PSA enables you to develop, recognise and articulate your skills effectively in preparation for the graduate job market. Find out more on

Skills Development – as a volunteer, you will undertake activities that will help you develop skills that can help with future employment, such as communication, team work, and professionalism. We will provide reflective sessions to help you articulate your achievement in CV’s and applications and support you keeping a record through Progress.

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