Student Voices at North Herts College: Why Volunteering Matters More Than Ever

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