This week (February 6th) marks Student Volunteering Week, and here at Harborne Village, we love the positive impact volunteering can have!

And we know we have a very big student population in and around Harborne, with University of Birmingham being a short distance away, and plenty of schools, including Harborne Academy, nearby.

What are the benefits of volunteering as a student?

• Meet new people - you may meet people you would’ve never met otherwise!
• Learn new skills to benefit you in your personal and professional life.
• Have something that will help you stand out on your CV or university applications.
• Be involved in your local area and give back to the Harborne community.
• It’s flexible, so you can likely fit it around your studies, social life and other responsibilities. 
• Can be great for your mental health and self-confidence.
• And it’s fun!

There are multiple types of volunteering, including with animals, as part of community projects, sports volunteering, hospital volunteering and more.

One of the most popular volunteering roles is within charity shops, and Harborne High Street is home to many great charities that students can volunteer at!

This includes:

• Headway
• Birmingham St Mary’s Hospice
• Sue Ryder
• Oxfam (including their Books & Music store)
• Barnardo’s (including their Children’s store)
• PDSA
• Cancer Research
• British Heart Foundation

Do you volunteer at any of these shops and want to tell us more about your experience there? Or do you know of any other volunteering opportunities in Harborne that may be of interest to students? Let us know!