Volunteering is a powerful and rewarding experience, for both the volunteer and the community. It's a fantastic way to have a positive social, environmental and economic impact in our local communities.
We recognise that volunteering can give staff the opportunity to make a difference whilst developing new personal and professional skills, which is why all employees (on a contract of 12 months or more) get at least two days per year (pro rata) to volunteer.
In addition, volunteering can:
- develop and improve skills like communication, leadership, teamwork, and problem-solving
- help you form relationships within your local community
- boost your happiness and confidence
- expose you to different life experiences, helping you grow in empathy and understanding
- improve mental and physical health for individuals.
To mark Volunteers' Week 2025, we spoke to some staff who've taken time out from their work schedules about their experiences.
To find out more about volunteering, head to https://staff.sussex.ac.uk/guides/staff-volunteering
Pam Rodrigues Linhares. Sustainability Performance Officer:
Last November I used one of my volunteering allowance days to help the Ouse and Adur River Trust install leaky dams in the Bedelands streams, as part of the Adur Adaptation Project.
Leaky dams are a natural flood management technique that help prevent river flooding by moderating the flow of water, giving the water more time to pool and soak into the ground, rather than running into the rivers. As well as reducing flood risk, leaky dams bring multiple environmental benefits such as improved biodiversity by creating in-channel habitats, better water quality, reduced pollution and enhanced floodplain connectivity.
Whilst I really enjoyed the day, I was very happy to hear about the reintroduction of beavers in the UK because it was very hard work to build the leaky dams!
Kit Eves, Course Co-ordinator in the School of Global Studies:
The East Brighton Food Co-op (EBFC) is a non-for-profit community interest company with a mission to harness the healing power of nutritious meals and extend it to communities across Brighton and Hove. It provides 300 freshly made, nutritious meals to local vulnerable residents every week, including the elderly and others in rehab.
It was a pleasure for a small group of us to help in the EBFC kitchen last September. We worked alongside the chef to prepare vegetables and cook, portion, label, and package meals for deliveries and helped with cleaning and doing the washing up; volunteers can also assist with administrative and various other tasks.
It was very rewarding to use my volunteering allowance to spend a day in the EBFC kitchen with a colleague. We helped with preparing, cooking and packaging meals including a dahl recipe, pasta, and potato mash with sausages and vegetables.
I enjoyed helping with those usually dull tasks you do at home also, like washing up, but this time for a good cause and with others – and I got to see the biggest box of marrows donated to the kitchen by a local!
Sean Armstrong, Staff Communications Manager:
The University’s staff communications team spent half a day in June volunteering with the Brighton Permaculture Trust, maintaining fruit trees in the charity’s Bevendean orchard. The team spent 2 1/2 hours pulling up weeds from the base of some of the 46 apple, plum and pear trees in the orchard, which is nestled between rows of houses near Brighton’s Lewes Road.
We’d been trying to do something like this for a while, but it was hard to find a slot. That’s why it’s great that you can split up your volunteering allowance into bitesize sessions. It was lovely to get outside and back to nature for a bit.
Sarah Evans, Change Communications Manager:
The Change Comms team headed to the woods towards Coldean in early 2024 armed with litter pickers and collected four bin bags of rubbish in one morning.
We had great fun on a team litter picking walk around campus – it was amazing how much we collected in just a few hours! It was nice to have a break from the office and do something practical to help our local environment - fresh air, good company and that feel good feeling – can’t wait to do it again soon!
Maddie Appleby, Senior Communications and Enquiries Co-ordinator:
Passionate about ecology and local biodiversity, I used a volunteering day to take part in a Shoresearch event with the Sussex Wildlife Trust. We spent the day on the beach by Brighton Marina, scouring rock pools for various species of intertidal plants and animals, and recording our findings to support the Trust’s conservation efforts.
The chalk beach at low tide is teeming with life and we discovered species like brittlestars, velvet crabs, and chitons. It was great to step away from the office and learn more about the often-overlooked wildlife along our local coastline.
Looking for an opportunity to volunteer on campus?
Join us at the Forest Food Garden on Thursday 26th June from 11.30am- 4pm for a hands-on maintenance session led by our expert garden tutor, Paul Wiggins.
Whether you’re a seasoned gardener or a complete beginner, there’s something for everyone, from gentle weeding and watering to more energetic bramble-bashing and mulching. It's a fantastic way to enjoy the outdoors, learn new skills, and support one of the University’s green gems.
Find out more here and don’t forget – this is a great chance to use your volunteering leave!