Hundreds of Hallam students volunteer to help communities
From tree-planting in Sheffield city centre to a beach clean at Cleethorpes, more than 1,300 Sheffield Hallam students have taken part in over 80 volunteering opportunities throughout the year, organised by Hallam Students’ Union.
Students have taken part in numerous charitable initiatives that benefit the local community as well as broader society.
One of the opportunities was a tree planting session, in collaboration with the University thanks to funding secured from A Tree for Everyone Grants Programme. The session allowed over 100 staff and students to improve open spaces around the University by planting new trees on the green area between the Owen Building and the new Howard Street developments.
A further opportunity enabled a group of students to travel to Cleethorpes for a beach clean. They spent the day removing litter from across the shoreline.
Mariama Kaba, who has completed over 200 hours of volunteering this academic year, said: "I decided to volunteer because I wanted to learn, contribute, share my experiences, and connect with others. I was also interested in learning more about the UK workplace and comparing it with my experiences in Guinea. Volunteering gave me the opportunity to develop new skills, improve my confidence, and understand how people work and communicate in a different environment. Overall, it has been a valuable experience that has helped me grow both personally and professionally."
In the last academic year, 1,395 Sheffield Hallam students volunteered for an average of four hours per month – totalling around 56,000 hours giving back to the community.