Why Volunteer?

Student life is more than just your degree. It's about what you do with the rest of your time - the activities you take part in, the causes you fight for, the people you meet, the experiences you have. We encourage all of our members to make the most of their time at Imperial from their very first few weeks - and the Autumn Elections 2017 are one of your first and biggest opportunities to jump right in to Imperial College Union and take a leading role in student life here in London.

Sometimes, students worry that they won't be able to fit extra-curricular activities around their studies. We recognise that Imperial's a tough place to study, and we know you've all worked incredibly hard to get here. We know that you're expecting - and expected - to maintain academic excellence and hard work through your time here.

Take it from us - volunteering will not get in the way of academic success, it will give you the skills, perspective and work-life balance that you need to be successful at Imperial. 

Volunteering with us can take many forms, but it is always a fun, rewarding, challenging and memorable experience. Read on to understand how a volunteering role can be the right choice academically, professionally, and personally.

Raise Your Voice

We believe in leadership - that in a university, students should have the democratic freedom to create the community that they want. That's why Imperial College Union's biggest political decisions and opinions are made by Union Council, a body consisting entirely of democratically-elected students. It's why our social activities, such as our Clubs, Societies & Projects, are all run by students, and that any group of students can create a new activity if they want. It's why our social enterprises - our bars, nightclubs, shops and events - are responsive to student needs and desires, and constantly seek new products and ideas to better serve our members.

We also believe that students should have a meaningful role in how College operates and makes decisions. That's why we have our Academic & Wellbeing Representation Networks, Liberation Officers and Student-Led Campaigns. On a wide range of topics, we have set the agenda and successfully lobbied College to make decisions that improve students' lives. College themselves recognise the importance of taking on volunteer roles - highlighting the student experience and Imperial College Union as a strategic priority and an indicator of College's quality.

From student club funding to mental health, learning resources to liberation, ethical investment campaigning to fundraising for charities, our elected student volunteers have made fundamental and sustainable changes to how Imperial operates - and we will continue to do so.

Volunteers Make Imperial

None of the above is possible without our volunteers, and we have over 2,500 every year. Nearly every single thing done by Imperial students through their time here - their welcome events in Hall, their favourite societies, the Constituent Union Balls and club nights they attend, the Representatives they go to with problems, the mascots they support, the sports they play, the study sessions they attend, the summer trips and tours, the Graduation Ball, and the alumni nights they come back to - all of them are organised by Imperial College Union's volunteers.

Every year, we welcome even more. If you want to make your mark on Imperial, this is how.

Get Skills, Build Confidence

When you volunteer, you make things better for your fellow students - creating the society events, campaigning victories, sports fixtures, social occasions and more that make up the fabric of Imperial life.

But that's not all - volunteering can also change your professional and personal horizons. We are committed to developing our volunteers - helping them to grow the skills, abilities and confidence to be successful in their personal lives and careers. Our Imperial Plus programme offers workshops such as Effective Communication, Leadership Development, Team Management, and more.

The Imperial Award, run jointly between the Union and College, recognises personal achievement and personal development, and encourages students to work with their personal tutor to reflect on and understand their own achievements. We also have a dedicated Skills Development Programme, limited to seventy volunteers a year, through which you could earn a certificate endorsed by the Institute of Leadership & Management.

Imperial students want meaningful, successful careers and personal lives - stand out from the crowd by volunteering with us.