This week Birmingham Settlement attended Aston University’s Voluntary Work and Gap Year fair to discuss volunteering opportunities with students. Although the fair was short the response we received from students was fantastic. We spoke to the students about the range of roles available and found that they were incredibly enthusiastic about finding placements that were suitable for them. We asked about the subjects they were studying and tried to match our existing roles to their knowledge and skills. Angie, one of our current volunteers, came with us to tell students about her experiences and why she loved volunteering with Birmingham Settlement so much, which enabled us to give students a more realistic picture of what to expect. We will be contacting everybody who gave us their details in the near future.

While we were at the Fair, we met lots other organisations – there are so many fantastic volunteering acitivities taking place that have a real impact on the lives of people living in Birmingham. Rob Netherway, our Volunteer Co-ordinator said “it’s really impressive to see how many students want to add value to their local community. We’re also very excited by how keen they are  to  get involved with fundraising – we’re hoping to see lots of people sitting in cold bean baths in aid of our work!” Rob is going to be getting out and about at various events so look out for what he’s got to say about volunteering activities at Birmingham Settlement.