Volunteering is a great way to learn new skills, improve wellbeing and contribute to the local community. As an international student there are even more benefits, including:
- A unique opportunity for immersing yourself in the English language
- A chance to connect with the community you are living in and to meet other people
- A path to gain experience in a workplace you’re interested in, without needing to get a working visa on top of your Student Visa
- Gaining valuable transferrable skills in areas which support your degree subject or are completely different from it
International students must refer to the current visa guidance before taking part in any volunteering activity. ‘Volunteering’ is classed as an unrestricted activity. This is different to ‘voluntary work’ as no contract is involved, and there are no payments in kind except for reasonable travel and food & drink expenses.
Further details can be found on our International Volunteering Information Sheet.
If you are in any doubt about whether your volunteering could be classed as restricted, please email studentimmigrationservice@bath.ac.uk
There are lots of ways to get involved in Volunteering at the University of Bath
Student Led Volunteering
The SU Bath has a number of student-led volunteering projects. Groups which are set up and run by students and offer volunteering opportunities in areas that students are passionate about such as refugees, blood cancer, RAG (Raise and Give) charities, or the varied V Team projects. Join one of these groups, or even talk to us about setting one up of your own.
Volunteering Groups (thesubath.com)
Community Volunteering
We work with a large number of local charities and organisations in Bath who advertise their fantastic volunteer opportunities on our SU website. New opportunities are added every week and each opportunity is different so whether you are looking for a one-off activity or a regular commitment there is something for everyone.
Volunteering Opportunities (thesubath.com)
Fundraising Volunteering
There are also ways to help local and national charities by fundraising, you can either organise your own charity event or join our student-led volunteer group, RAG (Raise and Give).
RAG [Raise and Give]
If you'd like to speak to someone in the Volunteering Team, email us at volunteers@bath.ac.uk