SheffieldVolunteering & Raising And Giving (RAG)
Award-winning student volunteering programme
SheffieldVolunteering (run by the Students' Union) is an award-winning outreach programme that provides our students and staff with a wide range of community volunteering opportunities.
The University encourages all of its students and staff to be active and valued members of their local communities. In 2008-2009, 1,310 students and staff from 55 different departments were active through SheffieldVolunteering.
Just one example was our commitment to the city's Pledge for Success campaign which aims to raise educational standards. Over 250 students volunteered to support and encourage pupils with learning and achievement in 34 schools across Sheffield.
In 2009 we were delighted that the efforts of our student volunteers were also recognised locally, with an award from the High Sheriff of South Yorkshire, one of just two awards he gave out during his year in office.
At the Higher Education Volunteering Awards, SheffieldVolunteering scooped the national title of Volunteering Team of the Year. This is the sixth year that we´ve been recognised at this prestigious event.
A further 220 students were involved in co-ordinating RAG fundraising events. We re-launched Raising and Giving (RAG) this year and supported students to fundraise over £117,000 for good causes. Supporting local causes is now a priority and our commitment is to ensure that 85% of funds are donated to local or regional causes.
RAG has recently made the following donations:
- £4,000 to Chancet Wood Children's Home to buy a play house for the disabled children that live or visit the home.
- £2,500 to Sheffield’s Sunday Centre to enable them to provide services for six months.
- £2,500 to Lane End Farm, to help fund their ‘Room For All Seasons’ building.
- £1,800 to Fareshare, paying for four volunteers to help deliver unwanted food from supermarkets to those in need.
In total, 183 organisations benefited from volunteers and services provided by SheffieldVolunteering or from a financial donation from Raising and Giving (RAG).