Volunteers’ Week this year falls from 3 to 9 June and is a great opportunity to consider how to use your volunteering allowance this year. All employees on a contract of 12 months or more can take two days every year to volunteer.
The University has charities of choice which offer a variety of different volunteering opportunities that are related to the Sustainable Development Goals, but staff can also arrange their own volunteering, with approval from the Sustainability team at sustainable@sussex.ac.uk.
The Careers and Entrepreneurship team had a great day of volunteering together last year, working with the Wild Flower Conservation Society (WFCS) next door in Stanmer Park. Kira Knight from the team tells us more…
Helping wildflowers to flourish
The Careers and Entrepreneurship team chose the WFCS because the day sounded like a good fit for our team, was accessible for everyone, and was just a short walk from campus. With all necessary equipment provided, our task for the day was removing small self-seeded sycamore saplings from the chalk banks. This stops the saplings turning into secondary woodland and allows the wildflowers to flourish.
Finding out about the local area
The morning began with a wonderful introduction from the WFCS ranger, who gave us an overview of the society’s conservation efforts and the importance of the wildflowers. This was followed by a presentation from a member of The Living Coast, sharing information about the local UNESCO Biosphere, which stretches between Newhaven and Shoreham.
Connecting as a team
After the introductions, we got stuck into removing the weeds from the chalk banks. We enjoyed the feeling of doing some good, and it was also a lovely chance to connect as a team outside of the office. We even engaged in a friendly competition to see who could remove the most weeds, with the prize being a wildflower to take home. We wrapped up the day by taking a tour of the local meadow, followed by a hot drink and some cake to relax.
Reflecting on the day, the team found it a rewarding experience and we all left on a high. Not only was it a lovely way to give back to the community, but it was also an insightful experience learning about the local environment that surrounds the University in Falmer and the importance of the UNESCO biosphere. We all highly recommend other teams take advantage of the volunteering scheme at the University.
Why not have a think about taking a volunteering day as a team, or booking into one on an individual basis? See our volunteering pages for more information.