It is no secret that volunteering is not particularly highly regarded within our generation. Perhaps we are all still slightly scarred by that dusty community library we were forced to spend long Saturday mornings in for our Duke of Edinburgh award. Sorry madam, I don’t know where Delia’s ‘Recipes for Country Inns and Restaurants’ could be… It all comes back now doesn’t it? The smell of damp and rich tea biscuits. Even if we now see that what we were doing was fundamentally a good thing for our community, that it taught us useful skills that we went on to use in our first job, it’s hard to rub off the feeling that it is just a little bit embarrassing.  

There seems to be a subconscious connection between volunteering, teenagers and the elderly, so much so that it is not surprising that many adopt this opinion. ‘Why work for free when you could work for money?’ many ask and, in a cost of living crisis, who can blame them? However, if you are able to spare a bit of your time and are looking to either try a new skill or give back to the community, there is no reason why your previous notions of what volunteering is should be rooted in your fourteen-year-old experience.  

Student volunteering can have a phenomenally positive effect on both the local community and students alike. It is vital that students are able to have an influence on the local area, due to their often fresh ideas and perspectives that might not be able to be provided by other generations. At the same time, volunteering is able to provide the opportunity for students to try a new skill in a low-stakes manner, as well as the ability to take part in something without the pressure to progress in it or to monetise the experience. It is this that has made volunteering a particularly popular outlet for students looking to improve their mental health, with it providing a sense of accomplishment that isn’t tied to academic success.  

Fortunately, there are plenty of volunteer roles available in Norwich, with a vast range of sectors including charity work, social services, the arts, sports and museum services all looking for people. The best place to start is to sign up to ‘Voluntary Norfolk’, one of the leading Norfolk charities for volunteer recruitment. Either by registering or by simply browsing the website, you will be able to browse a range of different positions as well as being provided with information on how best to get involved. 

Many of these roles are focused on providing for disadvantaged areas of the community. Unfortunately, like most cities around the UK, food and hygiene poverty is rife in Norwich, with a recent report stating that over a third of Norwich children are living in poverty. One of the charities seeking to provide aid for this is Norwich Food Cycle. The Food Cycle uses surplus food from supermarkets and food shops to provide anyone and everyone with a free hot meal each Friday at 7pm. It is a charity that many UEA students have both used and volunteered with over the years and continues to provide opportunities in cooking, hosting and leadership to this day.  

One of Norwich’s key strengths is undoubtably its art scene. Beneath the guise of busy commercial life lies backstreets full of theatre, art, literature and music. One place that is almost completely run by volunteers is the Maddermarket Theatre in the Lanes. Having spent most of my eighteenth year volunteering there, I can testify to the range of responsibilities you can take on, including stage management, stewarding, bar staff, acting and set/lighting design. Another heritage site that is also notably recruiting volunteers is Dragon Hall; The National Centre for Writing. With Dragon Hall looking for people to run creative writing workshops, lead tours around the site and represent them at community fairs, it’s the perfect opportunity for students looking for experience within arts and arts administration.  

There are also plenty of volunteer opportunities to be found on campus, with the SU promoting a variety of roles, including Buddy(su) Ambassadors whose job is to help new students cope with the transition into university, deal with homesickness and get the most out of their move to UEA. Another way to volunteer at uni, which you may already be doing without noticing, is by becoming a member of a society or club committee. There truly is no better way to broaden your university experience, collate new skills and learn about leadership. Even if you take on a small position, it can be incredibly insightful to understand the process of something that is ultimately a small business. When looking at student welfare, joining a committee can also help to create a sense of belonging and purpose in a place that can often feel quite dauntingly large.  

Volunteering is certainly one of the most effective ways to interact with the community; particularly for students who might feel distant from ‘locals’ or even from the university itself. With poverty in Norwich being at one of its all-time highs, it can also be an active way to put into practice what you believe should be done for those in need, whether that’s providing food, social interaction or even access to free books. Who knows – maybe we should go volunteer in our local library once again…  

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