16 December 2009
International banking group Santander has today been announced as official sponsor of Student Volunteering Week, whichwill take place from 22 - 28 February 2010.
Student Volunteering Weekis a national profile-raising campaign, which highlights the contribution of the 42,000+ higher and further education student volunteers throughout England who freely give their time on a regular basis.
Student Volunteering Week is co-ordinated by the charity Volunteering England, which works to develop policy and practice for volunteering.
In 2010, the theme is ‘Inspiring futures; connecting communities’, highlighting the personal and professional benefits of student volunteering to the individual, as well as the value of volunteering for their education institution, and for the private, public and voluntary sectors.
Volunteering England is calling on individuals and on organisations in the private, public and voluntary sectors to support Student Volunteering Week 2010 in the following ways:
Be an ambassador: raise the profile of Student Volunteering Week 2010 within your organisation and networks
Support the campaign: show your support by adding a quote and your logo to the Student Volunteering Week website
Utilise resources: access the student volunteering toolkits, research, logos. podcasts, Gold Awards and the Matt Spencer Award
Events: run an event or link up with a college, student union or university event.
During the Week, universities, colleges and students’ unions will hold events to recruit and celebrate student volunteers, many in partnership with community organisations. Volunteering England’s Gold Awards will be presented to outstanding student volunteers across the country at award ceremonies and celebration events involving community organisations, private, public and voluntary sector representatives, highlighting the importance of student volunteering to all sectors.
Volunteering England’s prestigious Matt Spencer Award winner will be announced ahead of Student Volunteering Week at Volunteering England’s Student and Citizenship policy event taking place in London. The winner will be presented with their award by Joyce English, mother of Matt Spencer who – prior to his untimely death in 2001 – was a dedicated student volunteer.
Justin Davis Smith, CEO of Volunteering England, said:
“With volunteering currently high on the agenda, both politically and socially, now is the time celebrate the contribution of student volunteers. As active citizens of both their institutions and their communities, students are becoming more aware of how volunteering can benefit them in the future.
“Volunteering has become an important part of a student’s educational experience, and many are now using the personal and professional skills learnt during these times as a way to enhance their career opportunities.
“This year we are delighted to have Santander on board as the corporate sponsor of Student Volunteering Week. We are very excited to be working with Santander to help recognise the role of student volunteers in this country.”
Christianne Carrick of Santander Community Relations added:
“Volunteering is a crucial component to building healthy communities, and through our support of Student Volunteering Week we are providing opportunities for students not only to gain valuable experience in preparation for the world of work, but also to promote citizenship and a deeper appreciation of organisations that rely on voluntary support.”
“As an employer and graduate recruiter, Santander recognises the value of voluntary experience in enhancing the employability of students and graduates alike.”
For more information please visit www.volunteering.org.uk/studentvolunteeringweek or call 020 7520 8934.
Notes to Editor:
- For media enquiries please contact Kimberley Rowley on 0207 520 8932 or email kimberley.rowley@volunteeringengland.org
- Volunteering England is the national volunteering development agency, for more information about our work please visit www.volunteering.org.uk
- Student Volunteering Week will take place between 22-28 February 2010. The week was established in 2001 and is now an annual fixture in the calendar for the student volunteering sector. The week raises the national profile of Further and Higher Education volunteering. For more information please visit
www.volunteering.org.uk/studentvolunteeringweek