Volunteering

London Metropolitan Students’ Union (LMSU) exists to empower students to make the most of their time at London Met and transform their lives for the better. Volunteers are a crucial part of making that happen, and we are committed to providing high quality, well-supported volunteering opportunities that are accessible to all sections of our diverse student body.

Why volunteer?

Volunteering allows you to give back and be part of something bigger than yourself. It's is a great way to get involved in something you’re already passionate about or to try something new. All of our volunteers make a difference, helping to create change and improving the experience of students at London Met and beyond whilst also gaining valuable experience and developing skills that will help to improve your career prospects and get ready for what comes next.

Your volunteering experience is a great addition to your CV and you can refer to it during an interview. It may help you answer those tricky interview questions, for example, being asked to demonstrate when you have worked as a team, organised events or used excellent communication skills.

You also get to meet lots of lovely people and join a community of committed fellow student volunteers. Volunteering enormously benefits mental and physical wellbeing. From the friends you make, the fun you have, that great feeling you get when you realise that you're making a positive difference to someone else's life. We hear time and time again from students how their volunteer work has massively enhanced their student experience and made their time in London Met so much more enjoyable.

In our most recent volunteer survey:

79% of respondents reported that being a volunteer had enabled them to contribute to improving the student experience at London Met
86% agreed that their experience as a volunteer was meaningful and rewarding
88% said that being a volunteer had provided them with the opportunity to meet new people
82% agreed that their volunteer role had helped them to feel part of a community
82% reported that their volunteer role had provided them with opportunities to gain new and develop existing skills

What our volunteers say:

“The student union is a community not just a building, it allows students to play an active part in university life, and not just be a passive consumer, it gives all students a voice”
“There are so many opportunities to learn new things and gain skills for the future, I love that it will be written on my degree transcript – it shows that volunteering is taken seriously and is a valuable experience alongside your academic achievements”
The Students' Union “created a second family environment for me, they were there welcoming me right from the day I arrived”
“I’ve learnt a lot, listening, networking skills, time management, the importance of safeguarding...organisational skills and conflict resolution, I will definitely be talking about my volunteering at future job interviews”
The Students' Union "is a very warm community, like a family, there is always someone who can help and guide you”

Go LMSU!

LMSU has now been awarded Investors in Volunteers (IiV), a national quality framework accreditation that recognises best practice in volunteer management and involvement.

We are very proud of this achievement that recognises all the work that we put into ensuring that all students have an opportunity to get involved in volunteering opportunities and that all of our volunteers have the best possible experience.

For more information about IiV, please see their website and for a slideshow that outlines how we meet those standards, see here

So what are you waiting for? Get involved and become a volunteer today!

Here at LMSU there are lots of opportunities for you to get involved in volunteering. All of our volunteer roles are safe and provide training, ongoing support and additional development opportunities. Volunteers are provided with regular social opportunities, receive a certificate at the conclusion of their roles and have their contribution formally recognised on their degree transcript. We also encourage volunteers to help shape their roles and provide opportunities to inform improvements.

Join us for our next social: Every year we hold a number of social events to thank all of our wonderful volunteers for their amazing contributions. The next volunteer social is our End of Year Volunteer Pizza Party on Monday 20th May, 4-6pm. If you are a volunteer, access the link below to get your ticket!

LMSU Volunteering Policy and Handbook

LMSU Volunteering Policy

Our Volunteering Policy aims to demonstrate LMSU’s commitment to our volunteers by setting out how volunteers should be treated, what you can expect from the Students’ Union and what we expect from you.

Have a read of our Volunteering Policy here.

LMSU Volunteer Handbook

Have a read through our Volunteer Handbook, which contains loads of information relevant to all of our volunteers including:

Information about the Union, it’s vision, mission, values and strategic aims
What to expect from your volunteering opportunity and what we expect from you
Information about recruitment, induction, training and support, reward and recognition
Key policies, processes and procedures that you need to be aware of
What to expect at the end of the volunteering opportunity
Key contacts

You can read the LMSU Volunteer Handbook here.

Some of our volunteering opportunities also have their own handbooks relevant to them, including handbooks specifically for Student Group Leaders, Student Reps, Student Council Members and Part-time Liberation Officers. You will be given access to these handbooks as part of your initial training, or ask your Volunteer Coordinator.

LMSU is committed to ensuring our volunteering opportunities are accessible to all students. Please speak in confidence to your Volunteer Coordinator if you have any access or support needs that would make it easier for you to undertake your role and they will, wherever possible, make adaptions in order to support accessible volunteering.