university of lincoln students' union volunteer newsletter autumn/winter 2013

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Students’ Union Autumn/Winter 2013 Volunteering Newsletter

THE YEAR SO FAR... We’ve had a great start to the new academic year which all began in Welcome Week – we had a stand at each of the Fayres which saw thousands of students visiting; it felt as though we spoke to nearly every one of them about volunteering! The fantastic thing is that we’ve already had hundreds of new students register their interest to volunteer and to date over 200 of them have already been placed in their chosen volunteer role.

Over the summer we reviewed our existing community volunteering opportunities, and developed new ones - we have never had such a wide range of roles available. Students told us that they want to feel more a part of their local community, and give something back to it; and so our Community Action Days initiative was launched. We have developed a number of one-off volunteer activities which have a direct community benefit, including litter picks in each of the three wards of the city. You’ll be able to read more about these later in this newsletter. So far we have hosted four Community Action Days with more planned, and we will continue to look at other ways students can volunteer locally and work with residents and community partners to develop ideas.

Our rewards and recognition programme has also been revamped – we hope all volunteers will record their hours this year, no matter what volunteering they do, so that we can award them a certificate at the end of the year – this really helps students evidence their extra-curricular activities.

There’s a real energy about volunteering here this year and we really do have something for everyone!

Jane & Amy

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The year so far...

2 & 3

Community Action Days and One-

Offs

4 & 5

Make a Difference

Day

6, 7, 8 & 9

Student Case Studies

10 & 11

Staff Volunteering

12 & 13

Give Back Days

14 & 15

Volunteering Stars

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Contact Us

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Community Action Days

Litter Picking in Lincoln’s Carholme, Abbey and Park Wards

Feedback from our students told us that they wanted to get more involved in their local community. A really effective way to achieve this is through volunteering.

The Volunteering Department arranged litter picks in all three wards of the city; students are a big part of these communities, so getting them involved was really important in ensuring that they were not only a part of the community in their ward, but a positive part.

These Community Action Days provide a great opportunity to bring students and residents together and to dispel myths about what effects students have on their community and what they bring to it. The student-local relationship has not always been the best, but Community Action Days, like litter picks, have gone some way to improving this. Vice President Welfare & Community Brian Alcorn said:

‘The litter picks have been a great way to get students actively interested in and involved with their community. Students and local residents make up one single community, not a divided one; this opportunity for students to have a valuable impact on their community was a chance to encourage students to be part of their community and to show local residents that students do not always deserve the bad reputation which is often given to them.’

The Litter Pick on Monks Road, in the Abbey Ward of Lincoln was perhaps the best example of how locals and students can come together. The event was run in partnership with the local community group Action LN2, who aim to do regular litter picks in the community, keeping up their brilliant work throughout the year. Student and local volunteers came together to tackle the litter pick as a team, determined to do a great job.

It is this kind of enthusiasm which has made these events successful and will continue to do so throughout this academic year; the support and attention our Community Action Days and one-offs receive – a local Councillor even tweeted @ULSU_Volunteer a picture of the litter picking with a thank you – is part of why they are so rewarding for all involved.

A further programme of activities will be available in the new year.

University of Lincoln Students’ Union 2 Autumn/Winter 2013 Volunteering Newsletter

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Community Action Days

Frequency Digital Arts Festival

A celebration of digital culture, Frequency Festival runs every two years in Lincoln. It is brought to the city through established partnerships between a number of organisations including the University of Lincoln. The theme this year was ‘revolution’, which resulted in the city of Lincoln being lit up with interactive performances, exhibitions and installations. Frequency ’13 was a great showcase of creative talent, but it was also a fantastic opportunity for students to volunteer.

Our students were interested in volunteering for the event because it is related to their hobbies and passions, and in some cases supported their studies as well. We had students from all courses from the School of Art and Design, School of Performing Arts, and School of Media. Volunteer roles included exhibition hosts; outdoor events volunteers; street teams; technical support and events teams.

Students told us about their time volunteering at Frequency:

‘It was a thoroughly enjoyable experience and I met some wonderful people. It was both intriguing and I learnt a lot of things. This has helped me with ideas for my Media Production degree.’ Rhiannon

‘I volunteered at the festival, and I thought it was a great experience to get involved in. The team were incredibly friendly, helpful and full of enthusiasm. It is definitely worth pushing more people to volunteer for 2015 as it is great for all arts and business students and it certainly boosts anyone's hours up if they are completing the Lincoln Award. I would highly recommend any student volunteering in the future.’ Emily

‘I volunteered for both stanza days and the cathedral event. I would have loved to volunteer for more but with dissertation deadlines i would have struggled. I absolutely loved working with the team though and being a part of something so encompassing of different kinds of art in one area. It was like being part of a family. I really enjoyed it and would love to be a part of it again.’ Elizabeth

‘I feel like I learned quite a lot about the running of events and the things that can go wrong which has been really useful and a valuable experience. It was also good being involved in something a little bit different to what I normally do and enjoyed seeing the variety of art on display.’ Lauren

It was an amazing experience one that I would love to do again.’ Ailish

‘I have volunteered at frequency for three days only, but the experience was amazing. I had the opportunity to meet the artists and interact with the public. It's a shame the next frequency will take place only in 2015.’ Pedro

‘I would just like to say volunteering has been a great experience and I really enjoyed it!

Thank you.’ Callie


and One-Offs

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Make a Difference Day

CSV Make a Difference Day is one the main events in the volunteer calendar, and is something that the Lincoln Students’ Union Volunteer ing department supports every year.

The idea behind the day is that voluntary organisations across the country arrange an activity to make a difference to someone, or something, in their local community.

Each year we choose an organisation that the local community use or are involved with, and this year was no exception.

In keeping with our Community Action Days programme we wanted to do something that the residents and visitors of Lincoln would benefit from, and so, on Wednesday 30th October the Students’ Union and student volunteers cleaned out the well-loved Brayford Pool.

We knew that there was a whole variety of rubbish in the water, and so, equipped with grappling hooks and litter pickers, the team of volunteers cleaned up and cleared out from 10am to 4pm, working in shifts to give as many people as possible a chance to be a part of the fantastic project. We were also joined by the University of Lincoln Students’ Union Canoe & Kayak club, who played a big part in being able to reach some of the trolleys, barriers and rubbish further away from the banks.

We had around 30 volunteers taking part and nothing could have prepared us for just how much we dragged out the water. By the end of the day we had a skip overflowing with everything from bikes, to trolleys, traffic cones to signs, prams to crowd control barriers!

Following an introduction from Hodson’s Coaches, the Orange Skip Company kindly provided the skip to us for the day.


The Big Brayford Clean-up 30th October 2013

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Make a Difference Day


Throughout the day passers-by stopped to find out what we were doing and offer their support end encouragement. We also had interest from BBC Radio Lincolnshire and Siren FM who both featured us on their programmes. An article in the Lincolnite also produced a huge amount of positive feedback from it’s readers.

As for the students, they had a great time - it seemed the messier things got the more fun they had. Within the first few minutes of starting the first barrier was pulled out, and from then on every few minutes the next thing appeared, and the skip began to fill. It was a great display of teamwork between the land based volunteers, and the canoe and kayak volunteers, and the interaction with the local people just added to the day.

Jessica and Amy, students from our team of volunteers, told us why they wanted to take part in Make a Difference Day:

‘We wanted to get involved in the community more and we saw this as a great opportunity to do that. Lincoln is going to be our home for at least the next two years, so we thought we’d make an effort to be a part of it; we’re really proud of the part we played.

Volunteering also looks great on your CV, which is becoming more and more important to students. Any method of increasing employability is really important.

We had a really fun day out there with the team; the cold weather didn’t dampen anyone’s spirits and it was c lea r tha t eve ryone en joyed themselves.’

Our thanks goes to everyone who was involved or supported the day.

The Big Brayford Clean-up 30th October 2013

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Steven Lawrence – Cycling from John O’Groats to Land’s End for People First India

Steven and his family took part in the huge challenge of cycling from one end of Britain to the other, pedalling tirelessly for almost two weeks.

‘Cycling in theory sounds effortless: with the sun on your face, and a breeze behind you, the miles roll by. In reality, it’s rain, sweat, and stretches of road that reluctantly turn into miles.

After 13 days, 957 miles, and 3 sets of very tired legs, myself, my younger brother and our Dad arrived at Land’s End; we had done it, we had cycled ‘End to End’. However, as we begun our trip from John O’Groats nothing could have prepared us for what was ahead. Along with our Grandad supporting us every step of the way we wanted to attempt to raise money for People First International, a charity which provides much needed educational opportunities and support to local communities in Bihar, India; which I was fortunate enough to volunteer for last year to participate in the ‘Village Experience.’

As we passed through the often wet and windy Scottish Highlands, and further down the sunny Western-side of England, the journey became a dichotomy of sheer elation and a constant search to find the motivation to keep pedalling, mile after mile, with sheer highs (literally and emotionally!) of reaching the top of hills that felt like mountains, or pushing that little bit harder just so we could reach our place of rest for the night.

As we averaged 75 miles a day on a bike, our bodies slowly became (although unwillingly) adapted to this physical effort we had to commit every day; however, it was keeping our minds focused on our goal to raise money for People First, and the impact that money would make, was enough to keep our legs rotating. By constantly motivating one another, we were able to cycle through three countries, passing Loch Ness, the Severn Bridge, and many a town along our way. The three of us learnt so much about ourselves and our own capabilities on this journey. As exhausting as the event was, accomplishing a journey from the very top of the U.K. to its very bottom alongside my family in order to fundraise for charity - I wouldn’t change that for the world.’

Steven volunteered, alongside other students, with People First India in July 2012 - his cycle ride was to raise money for the charity - www.peoplefirstindia.net


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‘Sleep Out’ to Raise Money for Nomad Trust We see homeless people every day, and perhaps simply pass them by. Charities like Nomad Trust do not turn a blind eye; instead they do what they can to improve the lives of those without homes. Kay and a group of committed volunteer friends conducted a ‘Sleep Out’ to raise funds for and awareness of Nomad Trust. She told us about their day: ‘Well, we all survived, the weather wasn't too bad; it could've been a whole lot worse. In fact, weather aside, fundraising couldn’t have been much better; we raised £374.06, which is fantastic news. As for the experience, I personally loved it. It was a testing experience for us all but everyone had a positive experience and a good laugh. It was an eye opener to what it must be like to have to sleep on the streets regularly; it wasn’t easy and yet we were on University grounds with security keeping a close eye, and only for one full day; we can’t begin to imagine what it must be like to live like that every day.. We still felt a little vulnerable hearing people walk past and not really knowing where they were, if they were coming over, were they friendly and so on. But everyone we encountered were nice; a few had been on a night out and were a little rowdy, but even they were impressed with what we were doing. We would like to say a big thank you to everyone who donated and showed their support for our event. What we did has made me realised why the Nomad Trust is so important to the homeless, even if it is just for one night so that individuals can get some rest.’

Samaritans and Lincoln County Hospital

Katie, who has done some great volunteering, told us about her experiences:

’I've been running a therapeutic baking group at Lincoln County Hospital's mental health unit day ward for almost 8 months now, and became a listening volunteer for the Samaritans this June.

I love both the places where I volunteer, especially the wonderfully diverse and inspiring people I have met. I feel that I've learned a lot about mental health, which is the field I want to work in, but also about myself and what I can achieve, as well as gaining essential skills along the way.

Choosing to volunteer was one of the best decisions I ever made while at the University of Lincoln and I would absolutely encourage anyone to find an opportunity which excites them - there’s something for everyone!’


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People First India - Village Experience July 2013

‘People First offered a great opportunity to volunteer working with a deprived community within a rural area of India, which we saw as a once in a lifetime experience. Whilst in India, we took part in a wide variety of activities, all equally eye-opening and unforgettable. The journey began in the capital city of India, Delhi, which instantly reiterated how different the Indian culture is to our society, and this is when we initially realised the amazing and individual experience we were about to embark on. Our activities at People First included painting a local village school, Paini, with the help of the children. This deemed to be an enjoyable few days, seeing that the smallest things made such a difference to these children and their community. Following this, we taught in the first school People First opened in India, Dobhi. The school environment was severely different to those existing in Western society; severely lacking in resources, yet the teachers achieved so much with the children. This was no doubt made easier since the pupils were so eager and enthusiastic to learn making them a pleasure to teach. In the majority of these areas we were the only English people the villagers have seen, but we were made to feel welcome at all times, showing us our work was appreciated. The main project of People First and the one we found most moving was the rescue junction project which works to provide abandoned and trafficked children with a safe environment in which they can be fed and educated. The stories of the children and how they came to be at rescue junction were heart wrenching but despite this the children uplifted us with their smiling faces representing there braveness. On a whole, the village experience was life-changing and unforgettable. It is hard to imagine how we would have the strength to live in the poverty that the people of Bihar do and still give off such positive vibes as a community. The work of people first is truly inspiring in providing children with education and hope of a better future. We would like to thank People First and Jane Kilby for this life-changing experience and hope many others take this opportunity to have an equally amazing experience.’

Katie & Ellis

‘Our time volunteering in India was something none of us could prepare for. To say it was a culture shock is an understatement, but at the same time it’s something that quickly becomes the norm. Getting to volunteer in the extremely poor and remote area of Bihar gave us the chance to experience the real India, something which we would not otherwise have been able to do. We were able to experience the happiness and determination that comes with the opportunity of education by teaching in the local schools. For children that seemed to have so little, barely even paper, just the fact that they were sat in the classroom being taught by us was enough to make them smile. We also had the honour of spending time with the children at rescue junction. To spend time playing, laughing and dancing with them yet knowing the kind of experiences they must have gone through to find themselves at a place like rescue junction is heart breaking. However to know that they are in the safe hands of People

First is incredibly reassuring as they are on their way to a better and more positive life. The experience of volunteering in India is one that I will never forget and I will always remember the people I had the pleasure of meeting while I was there. Thank you People First!’

Rose


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SU Helpers at Welcome Week 2013

Welcome Week is one of the most exciting times of the year – and quite possibly the busiest. It can be intimidating for new students to come to an unfamiliar city and get involved in a busy week which might present a lot of pressure and a lot of unknowns.

A team of 60 SU Helpers were recruited and trained, all with one aim - to make sure that newly arriving students felt welcome, and settled in quickly. As soon as training was over the first group of volunteers were out and about helping with move-ins. From then on they could be found knocking on doors in Courts to check that students were settling in, escorting people to our activities and helping out around the Student’s Union and at the Fayres. The Helpers were a huge part of the success of Welcome Week 2013 - we can’t begin to thank them enough. Having SU Helpers around at a huge week in new students’ calendars is incredibly important in making the week the best it can be. The Helpers were able to provide relevant information, based on their own experiences, so that new students knew they were talking to people who had been through the same experiences. Listening to students and providing guidance, our brilliant SU Helpers played an integral part in welcoming new students to the University of Lincoln and the city. We are proud to say that our team of volunteers had a great time. Leonie, pictured below with Haddi (right), told us about her experience as an SU Helper and why she wanted to get involved: ‘I wanted to be a Students’ Union Helper so I could be part of new students’ first week and share my experiences with them. I remember how scary my first week was, but it was also really exciting; I wanted to be part of helping other students to have the same experience of their first week at University. I had a brilliant time as an SU Helper; it was fun and I met lots of new people. I got to take part in a variety of tasks, which kept the week interesting and I have gained so much, including becoming more confident. It was a brilliant week, I will definitely be doing it again next year!‘ The Students’ Union would like to say a big thank you to all of our wonderful Students’ Union Helpers, who played a really big part in Welcome Week 2013 and supported students wherever and however they could.


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Staff Volunteering

Dementia Friends

The term 'dementia' is used to describe the symptoms that occur when the brain is affected by specific diseases and conditions. Symptoms of dementia include loss of memory, confusion and problems with speech and understanding. Most people have heard of Alzheimer’s, a type of dementia, but the disease is very misunderstood. Having or caring for someone with Alzheimer’s can leave you feeling very isolated from society. Recently the University of Lincoln has signed up to the Dementia Action Alliance and has pledged support through conducting research in this area and also by raising awareness. The Students’ Union Volunteering Department visited the School of Psychology to meet two very enthusiastic volunteers to find out more. Rachael, a second year student and Dr Rachel Bromnick, a Senior Lecturer in Psychology, talked to us about their work. Rachael explained: ‘Having been a carer myself I wanted to help people going through that now and so I became a volunteer with the Alzheimer’s Society. I want people to know Alzheimer’s doesn’t have to stop you living and I want to be the person that helps them to do it.’ Doctor Bromnick commented: ‘I have trained as a volunteer Dementia Friend Champion. The Dementia Friends initiative is about giving more people an understanding of dementia and the small things that could make a difference to people living in their community. It makes such a huge difference to people with dementia if those around them know what dementia is and how it might affect them. By 2015, we want there to be a million people with the know-how to help people with dementia feel understood and included in their community. I will be running information sessions at the University to encourage students and staff to become Dementia Friends’. Rachael told us a little more about the other sorts of projects that she is involved with: ‘I volunteer at ‘Singing for the Brain’, a singing group for people with Alzheimer’s and their carer’s. Research suggests that music is one of the last things a person with Alzheimer’s will be able to remember. It provides an amazing support network for the carers and this is great to see. I am also a Telephone Befriender, which involves ringing up people in the early stages of Alzheimer’s or speaking to their carers. It really helps reduce isolation that some people can feel. If anyone else wants to get involved I would strongly recommend it. Volunteering for the

Alzheimer’s Society requires passion, patience and a lot of respect for what those with Alzheimer’s and their carers go through, amazing people that make everything you do at the Society worthwhile.’


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Staff Volunteering


Wear it Pink

A lot of pink and a lot of fun, Friday 25th October saw the Students’ Union team pull out the rose, the fuchsia and the raspberry to proudly wear it in support of Breast Care’s ‘Wear It Pink’ and Breast Cancer Awareness month as a whole.

We had donation boxes around the Students’ Union and the Tower Bars and LPAC’s Zing café kindly took collection boxes to help with our fundraising efforts; we’re really grateful for this help and for the donations from staff, students and public alike.

The mass of pink wasn’t overshadowed by the threat of rain and the wind outside; spirits were high and we all had a lot of fun.

The day begun with the team showcasing their pinkest efforts to each other, from cardigans to

cowboy hats, shirts to shawls. We had students and staff come in to the Students’ Union and give generously to the cause all morning, with a lot of positive feedback about the pink on show. At 1.30pm the main event kicked off – Man Vs. Boob. Arranged and overseen by CoppaFeel, a student-led project, and their ‘Uni Boob Team’, the (probably too) competitive game saw Dan, Ian and Joe – accompanied by honorary Sabbatical Officer Callum, one of our Operational Support Staff, compete to eat a giant “boob” shaped cake in the shortest time possible.

Nine minutes of biting, laughing, cheating and eating saw Callum take the crown as Boob King, fighting off the competition from the Sabbatical Officers. He was cheered on by staff, students and, of course, Swanny. The CoppaFeel team awarded Callum with a certificate and then stayed at the Reception to promote breast awareness, sell cakes and inform people of their work and its importance; after all, ‘knowing your boobs could save your life’

It was great to be able to show our commitment to the work of Breast Cancer Care and similar charities; teaming up with CoppaFeel, getting staff and students involved and having support from other departments made the day really exciting too. A massive thank you to everyone who cheered on Man vs. Boob, tweeted, donated or just simply wore pink; we really appreciate everyone’s part in the day.

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Give Back Days

College of Social Science - Garden Makeover Give Back Day

‘On the 12th July 2013 a group of intrepid staff from the College of Social Science scrambled onto a mini bus armed with spades, gloves and other horticultural equipment, fully committed to the challenge of a Give Back Day.

Our chosen project was at Kirk House in Dorrington which is part of Home From Home Care Ltd and provides a range of specialist needs-led services for adults (18-64) with learning disabilities and complex support needs including Autism, Epilepsy, Severe Learning Disabilities, Profound and Multiple Learning Disabilities and High Vulnerability. The task itself was to reclaim a large parcel of garden that had been overrun with brambles and other prickly and scratchy things, which needed to be tamed in order that the residents could learn how to grow fruit and vegetables.

Unlike the autumnal weather now, it turned out to be one of the hottest days of the year and although this added an extra challenge it did not dim the team’s enthusiasm or commitment to achieving as much as possible in the time we had.

After several hours battling with the undergrowth we stopped for a fantastic lunch that had been very generously provided by the wonderful staff at Kirk House and to take advantage of some much needed shade. We were also keen to learn more about the work done by Home From Care Ltd and the Vocational Course & Advocacy Team Leader explained about the work that they do and the challenges faced and how our contribution of one day’s work would have such a positive impact going forward.

Feeling revived, we resumed the battle with the greenery in the afternoon and were spurred on as we started to uncover the remains of a Victorian kitchen garden.

After a few more hours we all, much more slowly this time, climbed back onto the minibus to make our way home and en route compared our scratches, rashes, aches and

pains brought on by a day of hard labour. However, we did this with smiles on our faces as we all felt a sense of achievement that extended way beyond what we had done in the garden and despite the fatigue, we even discussed the potential for a return visit to carry on where we left off!’ Liz, College of Social Science

Liz Kingsbury , Vocational Course & Advocacy Team Leader at Home from Home commented:

‘It was a great day and the garden looks amazing. Our thanks again to everyone who helped it happen.’


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Give Back Days


University of Lincoln Rewards and Benefits Team Give Back Day

Members of the Rewards and Benefits Team used Give Back Days to carry out painting, gardening and guttering at the Ruskington Scout Hut.

Rewards and Benefits Manager Ian Hodson told us:

‘We all decided as a team that we wanted to use a Give Back Day to make a difference in the community, so we approached the local Scouts who had a hut that needed a little attention.

We spent the day painting the toilets, outside walls and railings; we even cleared ivy from the walls and put up new guttering.

The team had a great time and there was certainly lots of laughs (and lots of sweat) but it was so good to see how appreciated our efforts were at the end of the day. We have spoken to the Pack Leader about coming back for Phase 2 later in the year.’

The photos below show the before and after of the front of the Scout Hut and what a great change the day made, giving a bit more life back to the building.

______________________________________________________________________________

Give Back Days have been developed in a partnership between the University of Lincoln and the Students’ Union. A bank of 150 days is made available each year to staff who can volunteer in work time .

The scheme has been running for a year now and staff have used the days to volunteer as individuals, as well as a number of departments who, through ULSU Volunteering, have taken part in a volunteer project for their Away Days.

If you would like to know more about Give Back Days please contact the volunteer department in the Students’ Union.

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Volunteering Stars

The Islamic Society, accompanied as ever by Elmo, always do incredible work; they commit to frequent volunteering and fundraising throughout the year.

With a long list of fantastic achievements and a selection of great work even so early on in the academic year, there was little question that the Islamic Society would be our Volunteering Stars for the Autumn/Winter newsletter. We are really proud of the work they do, and so should they be too. They told us their story:

‘The aim of the Islamic Society has always been to encourage the University to fulfil the needs of Muslim – or indeed, non-Muslim - students at the University, by providing them with the benefits and facilities needed to improve themselves academically, spiritually, physically, financially and socially. This year, the topic of community cohesion has provided the drive for many the Society’s activities; this has encouraged wider participation has simultaneously helped dispel many misconceptions about Islam.

The Islamic Society, has collaborated with other volunteers from different Clubs, Groups and Societies, as well as external organisations over the previous year, which is hugely important to our ethos.

During Charity Week, the Islamic Society earned the Midlands Regional ‘Most Outstanding Award’ from the Charity Islamic Relief UK for its contribution towards the National Charity Week held in October for orphans and needy children. The Society also won Society of the Year at the University of Lincoln Students’ Union Sports and Societies Awards among other awards, which we are really proud of and grateful for. The Committee would like to thank the excellent staff at the Students’ Union whose guidance, support and participation made this achievement possible.

A Certificate of Excellence was also presented by Cancer Research UK for our complimentary efforts at fundraising during Islamic Awareness Week in February.

The Islamic Society Members have been extremely lucky to work with the Islamic Association of Lincoln; collecting funds for our recently granted Mosque Project. Committee Members attended the Association’s Mosque Project Fundraiser Meal where a pledge of £3,000 was made by the staff and students at the University of Lincoln.

The Society fulfilled this pledge by managing to raise over £3,203 within the month. This took the funds raised by the staff and students, over the year, for the Mosque Project to over £6,000.


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The University of Lincoln Islamic Society, ever keen to improve its charitable efforts, attended the Lincolnshire Charity Expo' 2013 in May. We used it as an opportunity to network with the many organisations we would like to work with in the future, such as The Lincolnshire Integrated Voluntary Emergency Service (LIVES) which operates alongside the East Midlands Ambulance Service and The Samaritans.

This year, the Islamic Society hopes to offer invitations to learn about Islam by introducing a number of diverse activities onto the weekly timetable to encourage contribution and participation from non-Muslims. The Islamic Society has introduced a weekly Saturday Movie Night and Sunday Games Evening, which will be used to tackle a number of interesting subjects and encourage subsequent discussion or offer a comfortable environment for staff and students to join in or spectate.

Returning to the topic of community cohesion, the Islamic Society, being a small organisation with limited resources, has repeatedly tried to focus its efforts upon working with its neighbours, which provides an opportunity to build bridges, dispel misconceptions and concentrate on common goals.

In June, just before students left for the summer, the Society, alongside the then Vice President Activities Officer, Dan Sam (now President) and other Students’ Union staff, ran the ’Big Clean Up’. Waste sacks were distributed in areas populated by students for the extra bin collection arranged by the Students’ Union. It was a great opportunity to meet both students and local residents, and we hope, diminish the sense of the students as nuisances.

Committee members attended the ‘Unity Against Racism’ counter march organised by the Lincoln & District Trade Unionist Coalition. The march was arranged to counter the racist activity of the far-right East Anglian Patriots group, which was targeting Lincoln on the same day to whip up opposition to the construction of a local place of worship. It was heavily attended by the student population available during the summer break with attendance. The Islamic Society was also pleased to see support from University lecturers, members of the Lincolnshire Interfaith Forum and the Chair of the Methodist Church, Bruce Thompson. The day passed peacefully with a number of speeches being made.

The Islamic Society’s fantastic fundraising work for Blue September, which raises awareness of and funds for cancer in men, saw £900 raised. The Society were complimented by staff and fellow student and, of course, accompanied by Elmo. Fundraising such as this really sets a precedent for student volunteering and the great work which every Club, Society and Group can do.

We look forward to seeing the continuing success and commitment of the University of Lincoln Islamic Society in the future and offer them our support and guidance should they ever need it.

Volunteering Stars Students’ Union Islamic Society


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Drop-in Times

Monday 1pm - 4pm Tuesday 10am - 1pm Wednesday 1pm - 4pm Thursday 1pm - 4pm Friday 10am - 1pm

Please check our website for amendments to these times.

Contact Us

University of Lincoln Students’ Union

Brayford Pool Lincoln

LN6 7TS

(01522) 886420 or 886922

[email protected]

www.lincolnsu.com/volunteer

ULSU Volunteering

ULSU_Volunteer

university of lincoln students' union volunteer newsletter autumn/winter 2013

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