New Students introduced to volunteering

New Edinburgh University students took a bus tour of charitable projects in the city yesterday as part of the launch of eVOLve, a new volunteering scheme run by Edinburgh University Students’ Association.

The vintage Big Red Bus took students to the Risk Factory, an interactive safety centre teaching people how to avoid risks; Fresh Start, a homelessness charity; and the Junction, a young peoples’ health and wellbeing centre.

eVOLve, the new service, is designed to give new students a taste for volunteering, boosting their confidence and introducing them to a variety of volunteer opportunities across the city. Every Wednesday afternoon up to 50 students will be assisting local organisations with large scale volunteering projects, from working with the Water of Leith Conservation Trust to preserve a wildflower meadow to helping Edinburgh World Heritage improve signage for tourists visiting the city.

Hilary Wardle, manager of the volunteering service said:

“Since we set up EUSA Volunteering in 2010 we’ve matched over 600 students with opportunities around the city. We feel this shows the eagerness of students to get involved with their local community. By running schemes for freshers like eVOLve and our associated Introduction to Volunteering workshops we can reach students right at the start of their time at University, embedding the desire and habit of volunteering in a new generation of students”

Emma Meehan, EUSA Vice-President for Societies and Activities, said:

“EUSA Volunteering has been extremely popular, especially with international students who are keen to help out in their new local community. Volunteering is a great way for students to get involved in their local area, and a good way to find out more about a new city. This year we want to get even more students involved and eVOLve makes it easy for students to sign up and start volunteering straight away.”