Date published: 07 February 2019 by Anna Jackson

Volunteering as a student is a great way to get that all important experience whilst you’re studying. Find out our top five ways you can get involved and support families with a seriously ill child.

• Join our event support team

Want to volunteer but short on time? Join our events support team and assist at one of our events that take place throughout the year. From cheering on runners at the London Marathon, wrapping presents at Christmas or manning an awareness stall at a community event. We’re never short on exciting events to get involved in.

These opportunities are completely flexible, so you can sign up to as many, or as few, as you like, making it easy to fit in around your studies. It’s also a great way to gain experience in events, teamwork and communication, without the need for a regular commitment.

• Become a Family Support Volunteer

Our Family Support Volunteers assist our care teams to support families with a seriously ill child. If you’ve got a day off during the week, you could spend your time visiting a sick child and their family in hospital, running fun activities with their siblings, or assisting on days out and after school clubs.

Many of our Family Support Volunteers are students, some studying medicine or nursing, others just interested in working with families and children, and giving their time to help others. We do ask for a more regular commitment so you have the chance to build a great relationship with the families you will be working with and so we can provide you with training and support to help you to get the most out of your role.

Want to find out if it could work for you? Hear from Karis, a student in Manchester and Family Support Volunteer.

• Join our intern programme

Our three-month internships are a great way for you to develop your skills before starting your career. We work with you to make sure that you get the best out of your experience, with in-house training and opportunities to develop new skills that are well respected by employers. Our internships cover a range of areas of the charity, including Digital Marketing, Communications and PR, Fundraising Events, Corporate Partnerships and HR. You will also gain insight into the charity sector at a Times Top 100 Best Charities to work for.

Our internships are flexible, usually for 2-3 days per week and we will always do what we can to ensure you can continue your other commitments at the same time. Lunch and travel expenses will also be covered. Check out our current opportunities here.

• Volunteer as part of a university placement

Studying nursing, medicine, health and social care or something similar? We can facilitate placements for students, volunteering alongside our care teams. You would be shadowing our paid Family Support Workers, visiting families in their homes, the hospital and out in the community. It’s a fantastic way to gain some valuable experience to supplement your academic studies.

• Start a student fundraising group at your University

Do you have the enterprising skills to raise money to help us support our families? You and your group of friends, sports club or society can fundraise at your university or college on our behalf.

You’ll have the support of a member of our Regional Fundraising team who will help you with ideas, materials and promotion to maximise the money you raise. It’s a great way of building leadership and event management skills, all of which looks great on your CV or job applications. From hosting sponsored events, to balls, bake sales and bucket collections, your creativity and inspiration can help us to reach more families in their time of need.