The SU Volunteering Award

As your Students’ Union, we can play a part in helping you become more recruitable to graduate employers through our SU Volunteering Award. If you hold any of the voluntary roles listed below, start logging your hours today and get officially recognised for your voluntary efforts as follows:

Your First 25 Hours
Log 25+ Hours
Download a certificate from your Volunteering Profile
Committed Student Volunteer
Log 50+ Hours
Download a “Committed Student Volunteer” certificate
Dedicated Student Volunteer
Log 100+ Hours
Download a "Dedicated Student Volunteer" certificate
Outstanding Student Volunteer
Log 200+ Hours
Download an "Outstanding Student Volunteer" certificate

Eligible Roles/Activities
Committee/ Members of a SU affiliated Society/Sports Club/Student Group
Volunteering or Fundraising for any charity/non-profit
SU Course Reps/School Reps/Part Time Officers
SU Social Sport Volunteers
SU Peer 2 Peer Trainers
How to get Recognised

Reflection Tools

Examples of Evidence to Showcase Your Efforts

Written Reflection Guidance For Committed Student Volunteer Award

FAQ's
What hours can I log?
Any voluntary (unpaid) hours where you have, as part of the eligible roles/activities mentioned above, spent time:
  • Organising activities/events/training sessions
  • Attending meetings
  • Creating opportunities for fellow students
  • Supporting fellow students
  • Volunteering/Fundraising for a charity/non-profit
Whilst you may count hours spent organising and hosting events/activities such as sports fixtures, fun activities, charity events etc., you cannot include the time you spent taking part in the event/activity yourself. For example, if you organised a sports fixture, and then played for your team as part of that event, then the time you spent playing for your team cannot be counted as hours. If you are unsure on what you can and cannot log, please speak to a member of SU Staff, or e-mail volunteer@su.plymouth.ac.uk
Is there a deadline for logging hours?
Yes, you must complete your logging of hours for each academic year by 31st July and download any certificates you have gained.
I am a member of an SU affiliated Sports Club/Society, and have undertaken some volunteering/fundraising for a charity/non-profit. Under which section do I log my hours?
Please log your hours under the “Community Volunteering and Charity Fundraising” section on the page where you log your hours. This will still count towards the total amount of voluntary hours you have logged.
Where can I track my progress?
You can keep up to date on where you are in achieving the set levels of recognition by keeping an eye on your Volunteering Profile.
Can I achieve “Outstanding Student Volunteer” without having achieved the lower levels of recognition?
No! You have to have completed all of the relevant tasks of the previous level/s to then achieve the next level up. You will however be able to continue logging your hours regardless of the level you have achieved.
Do I have to undertake the relevant reflection exercises at each level?
If you want to be officially recognised as either a Committed, Dedicated or Outstanding Student Volunteer and be able to download a certificate highlighting this achievement, then yes, you will need to complete each relevant reflection exercise. You can however simply log your hours, have them verified by us, and then print them off before July 31st, to then showcase to future employers what you have done in your voluntary role/s.
Where can I find the hours I have logged in previous academic years?
Your volunteer profile and progress is reset at the end of every academic year, so make sure you log any outstanding hours and download any certificates before 31st July! However, if you didn't manage to download your certificates in time, you can contact the team who will be able to download an overview of your volunteering hours for the year.