Join our Hertfordshire Volunteer Fair!

Student Volunteering Week is a great way to get young people involved in opportunities that mean something to them, can further their experience and qualifications but mainly, is a great way to celebrate young people making waves in their communities. Throughout the week commencing 9th February 2026, there were daily themes - Micro-Monday, Transferable Skills Tuesday, Wellness Wednesday, Thankful Thursday, Friendly Friday and Sustainable Saturday and Sunday and it was great to get in and visit North Hertfordshire College students to learn about their volunteering experiences, and what they think about GoVolHerts to then share them on Thankful Thursday. A huge thanks to Poppy, Elle, Grace, Henry, Oscar, Lucia, Ryan, Ash, Shanira and Deanna who shared the impact volunteering has had on their growth and confidence but also a deeper insight into their incredible individual stories. Leadership in Action: Grace, Student Governor Grace, elected Student Governor at the Stevenage campus in July 2025, shared powerful insights into how volunteering has taught her skills in student leadership. After previously serving as a Student Ambassador, she stepped into the Governor role in September 2025, following a formal election and interview process. Since then, she has: Represented student voices at Board level Completed safeguarding and Board training Organised student initiatives and trips Increased use of underutilised VR headsets to support construction students and interview preparation Grace also spoke candidly about the responsibility of her role and how students approach her with real-life issues including challenges at home. She listens, assesses next steps, and when appropriate escalates concerns. Support is available and she highlighted the importance of Student Services - an accessible, stigma-free space where students can, with ease, seek information and assistance on a range of issues from educational to personal. Through volunteering and being in this leadership role, Grace has discovered her passion for supporting people and this has helped her develop her career plans, knowing she'd like to work in therapy in the future. Real Experience, Real Impact Over the course of the afternoon, all students shared a wide range of volunteering journies: Elle volunteered at a Saturday playscheme supporting children with disabilities whilst involved in the Duke of Edinburgh Bronze Award. She described how it broadened her perspective and taught her to approach every situation by asking, “What does this person need?”. She now volunteers as a Police Cadet leader alongside studying Criminal and Forensic Investigation. Henry was inspired by a sibling to volunteer at a hospice charity shop, gaining retail and customer service experience while meeting new people. Oscar combines his college ambassador role with Police Cadets, highlighting how the programme offers practical qualifications like a BTEC option for those pursuing non-academic routes. Ryan and Ash have spent 4.5 years in Army Cadets, building confidence and learning skills such as First Aid. Shanira , referred through her experience as a young carer, has volunteered in a charity shop, at Lister Hospital and with Leaders Unlocked as part of the Youth Crime Commission - even delivering a speech. She spoke passionately about volunteering as a way for young people to have a voice. Deanna shared her experience of volunteering at two toddler groups - Adventure Tots and Rise and Shine - having become involved through a group at church, but has since realised how much she loves working with children and now wants to combine her artwork to illustrate children's books in the future. What We Learned Whilst there were individual stories, there were three key themes that were repeated: Volunteering builds confidence and employability Students are gaining valuable skills - leadership, safeguarding awareness, customer service, teamwork and resilience, which they feel they wouldn't be able to get outside of volunteering. It must fit around education and other commitments Flexibility is crucial. Students are balancing studies, work placements and personal commitments and so during the day offerings are often not feasible, particularly if there is travel involved. Young people want a voice Volunteering gives students influence, connection and purpose - not just experience for a CV. They want to feel represented in the community but also within these roles so other people can look and say 'I can relate to that, I might be interested in doing that in future'. Looking Ahead Student Volunteering Week at North Herts College reminded us that young people are hugely ambitious individuals who also want to overcome challenges, learn skills and learn about themselves through volunteering. Our focus now is ensuring that opportunities are visible, accessible and aligned with students’ ambitions. If you’re a student looking to gain experience, build confidence or make a difference, explore opportunities through GoVolHerts and start your journey today. We'll be sharing more stories on some of these incredible volunteers in the future so do keep an eye out for those. Find out more on our youth volunteering opportunities here

Half term periods can feel a little overwhelming if you're not sure what to do being out of routine. However, with schools closed and many workplaces a little quieter, half term offers a flexible window to get involved in meaningful one-off or short term volunteering activities. Whether you have a few hours or a few days, there are plenty of ways to make a difference in your community. These can be formalised opportunities, like those listed on the GoVolHerts website, or informal volunteering that you organise yorself. Here are some inspiring ideas to consider: Support a Local Food Bank Food banks often experience increased demand during school holidays, when families who rely on free school meals need extra support. Volunteers are typically needed to: Sort and organise donations Pack food parcels Assist with distribution Help with stock checks Collect items from supermarkets Drop off parcels to those in need Even a single shift can make a real impact. It’s hands-on, practical, and deeply rewarding. Help at Community Clean-Up Events Half term is a great time to get outdoors. Many local councils and community groups organise litter picks or park clean-ups during school breaks. You can: Join an organised clean-up event Gather a group of friends or colleagues and start your own Focus on parks, riversides, city/town centres, streets Not only does this improve the local environment, but it’s also a fantastic activity to involve children in, teaching them about sustainability and community pride. And if you can't find one to get involved in, one not organise one yourself! Volunteer with Youth Programmes With children out of school, youth clubs and community centres often run holiday activities and need extra support. You could help with: Arts and crafts sessions Sports activities Reading support Mentoring programmes SEN provisions This is particularly impactful if you enjoy working with young people and want to help create a safe, engaging space for them during the break. Visit Care Homes Loneliness can increase during holiday periods, where family members may be away and not able to visit as often. Care homes and community elderly support groups often welcome volunteers to spend time with residents. Simple activities include: Playing board games or hosting bingo Reading aloud Hosting craft sessions Having a friendly chat Going for a walk Sometimes, your time and presence are the most valuable gifts you can offer. Support Local Charities with Admin or Digital Skills Not all volunteering is front-facing. Many charities need short-term help with: Social media support Website updates Photography Event planning Data entry or admin tasks Collecting donation pots Leaflet drops Accountancy Bid-writing If you have professional skills in marketing, finance, IT, or communications, half term is a perfect opportunity to offer pro bono support. Get Involved in Animal Welfare A great one for families to get involved! Animal shelters and rescue centres often need volunteers for: Dog walking Cleaning and maintenance Assisting with adoption days Fundraising support Feeding times For animal lovers, this can be an especially fulfilling way to spend time during the break, as well as offering valuable work experience for those wishing to pursue a career in animal sciences or care. Organise a Fundraising Challenge If structured volunteering isn’t possible, consider organising your own mini fundraising challenge over half term. Ideas include: A sponsored walk, run, swim or other activity A bake sale A community quiz night An online fundraising campaign This is a great way to involve friends, family, or even colleagues in supporting a cause close to your heart. Volunteering isn’t just about helping others, it benefits you too. It's a great way to create a routine as well as boost your mood and mental wellbeing, connect with people and strengthen your CV/experience if you are looking for work or a career change. And by getting involved in one off or short term volunteering like during half term, it allows you to try something new without committing long-term. If you’re not sure where to begin, why not check out our one-off and short term opportunities by changing the 'Type' on this page to fit your availability. This half term, consider swapping just a small portion of your downtime for something that gives back. You might be surprised at how much of a difference you can make even in just a few hours.

GoVolHerts, with our host charity North Herts & Stevenage CVS, has responded to the Government’s consultation on its proposals to include volunteering as a factor that may be used to reduce the proposed new qualifying period for people seeking settled status in the UK. The consultation suggests this could result in a possible reduction of three to five years. As the countywide volunteering service for Herts, GoVolHerts agrees that volunteering plays a vital role and makes an invaluable contribution to our lives and communities across the country. We see the scale, range of participation, and impact of volunteering every day in our county. We believe that everyone has something to contribute, and we support everyone to get involved in volunteering. We are not in support of the proposal for volunteering to be a formal factor in reducing the period for UK settled status application. Our response is based on the following principles and observations: Volunteering is a free and positive choice, of mutual benefit, and it should never be coerced or something people feel pressurised to do. Proposals to make volunteering a faster track route to settled status would distort the relationships between organisations and people that make volunteering so special. The volunteer’s choice to gift their time, attention, skills, experience, and more, has meaning and impact; volunteering loses value when participation is driven primarily by transactional considerations of personal benefit. The proposal risks placing voluntary organisations in a position where their recording or evidencing of participation could influence someone’s right to settle. VCSFE organisations are neither designed nor resourced to fulfil this role. Voluntary organisations are expressing concern about the extra administrative burden likely to be entailed by this proposal. Volunteering is not free and the proposals would have a significant impact on those managing volunteers. There are significant questions about the workability of this proposal for already overstretched VCFSE organisations. What would qualify as ‘volunteering’? Would organisations be under pressure to create qualifying opportunities? How would participation be evidenced? How would organisations address existing barriers — such as language needs and DBS requirements — without additional support? And how would volunteer managers manage the pressure to recruit, provide enhanced support to, and potentially retain individuals who may not be a suitable match for volunteering roles, given their vulnerable circumstances and the consequences for them of not volunteering? At a time of social division with asylum seekers, refugees and other migrants facing hostility, the proposals around volunteering could create unsatisfactory volunteering arrangements which risks backfiring and stoking further dissatisfaction and division. People shouldn’t be placed under pressure to volunteer, without regard for whether it’s accessible, suitable or safe for them to do so. Some individuals, especially those in vulnerable situations, may be particularly put at risk by this. Many people coming to the UK already do seek to take part in volunteering, but in practice there are currently barriers to volunteering (and people don't have an equal ability to take part). Barriers include location; lack of power to stay in one location; lack of transport; language skills; difficulties of conducting identity and safeguarding checks; personal circumstances, including physical issues and trauma. We would welcome efforts to reduce barriers to volunteering and support people such as asylum seekers to more easily be able to get involved. This requires investing in support and infrastructure for volunteering in the VCSFE sector, so people who want to volunteer can do so freely and safely, in ways that work for communities and VCSFE organisations.