An Early Day Motion was laid down in Parliament this week by Rt Hon Alun Michael MP and five other MPs to support the Week, and to celebrate the contribution made by the many student volunteers across the country.
The theme for the week is ‘Inspiring futures; connecting communities’, highlighting the personal and professional benefits of student volunteering to the individual and their education, as well as the value of their volunteering to future employers and local communities.
Dr Justin Davis Smith, Chief Executive of Volunteering England, commented:
‘Student volunteers are making a significant difference in campus’ and communities across the country. Not only that, but in these difficult economic times student volunteering has a particularly valuable role to play in developing the skills to help students gain access to employment. I am delighted to see MPs giving their public backing to Student Volunteering Week, and call on all MPs to sign up and show their support.’
Student Volunteering Week raises the profile of volunteering in Further and Higher Education. It is organised by Volunteering England, the volunteer development agency, and is sponsored by the international banking group Santander.
During the Week, universities, colleges and student unions will hold events to recruit and celebrate student volunteering - 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, highlighting the importance of student volunteering to all sectors.
Notes to Editors
1.For media enquiries, please contact Kimberley Rowley on 0207 520 8932 or email Kimberley.rowley@volunteeringengland.org
2.Case studies and interviews are available on request
3.Student Volunteering Week was established in 2001 and is now an annual fixture in the calendar for the student volunteering sector. The week is organised by Volunteering England. For more information visit www.volunteering.org.uk/studentvolunteeringweek
4.The Early Day Motion is available from: http://edmi.parliament.uk/EDMi/EDMDetails.aspx?EDMID=40347&SESSION=903
