At Leeds Sport we believe your time is the best thing you can give to a cause you care about. You can always go out and get more money but time is something we have a finite amount of! We love seeing how altruistic our Gryphons are, with University of Leeds students giving almost 4000 hours back to sport in the 2019-20 academic year (let’s not talk about 2020-21!!). But beyond pure altruism why would you choose to volunteer….? Here are 5 great reasons to get involved in 2021.
1. Develop your own skills
Uni is all about investing in your future and smashing your degree is a great start but lots of courses (especially in a global pandemic) are highly theoretical and don’t offer students lots of opportunities to develop their practical skills. There are loads of options out there for some applied learning which makes you stand out from the crowd including our Media Assistant & S&C Intern programmes. What’s more, according to BUCS research, those that volunteer through sport stand to earn £5684 per year more than their counterparts!
2. Broaden your horizons
Beyond ‘graduate level skills’, life experience is also a great teacher. Volunteering can help get you out of your bubble and your comfort zone and into different communities. You’ll see the world in a different way and develop your own personal values along the way. Our Gryphons in the Community programme offers students a broad range of experiences from engaging teenage refugees in Harehills in football to facilitating sport & physical activity for patients on a mental health unit in Seacroft.
3. It makes you happier!
Research by the London School of Economics suggests that the more people volunteer, the happier they are! The odds of being ‘very happy’ rose by 7% for those who volunteered on a monthly basis, and by 62% for those who volunteered on a weekly basis. This hike in happiness is comparable to earning £60-75,000 a year versus £15,000 a year!
4. Support an issue or cause you care about
Whether your passion is for sport and helping more people become active, the environment or other social issues, volunteering is a proactive & meaningful way to make a difference. Small steps over time make big changes. The UN have highlighted 17 global development goals, all of which volunteers can contribute to in some way! Our Gryphons are already contributing so much to goal 3; good health and wellbeing.
5. Meet new people
In a year of online lectures, Zoom quizzes and baking banana bread, we are all craving social interaction. Volunteering is a great way to strengthen your existing connection with a team or group, or to meet some new people. All of our sports clubs and societies on campus are run by volunteers and any student can get involved in their club committee and serve their fellow students. Off campus there are loads of options for students in Leeds and beyond including our life changing Gryphons Abroad programme over in South Africa!
Applications to volunteer with Leeds Sport in the 2021 academic year will open soon! Sign up to our Volunteer Register here to be notified when applications open. You can also explore more volunteering opportunities on campus and across Leeds via the Volunteering Hub on MyCareer.
