The benefits of volunteering: make an impact, build skills and get involved
Discover how volunteering can boost your confidence, expand your experience, and help you give back to causes you care about.
Volunteering is a great way to develop personally and professionally, connect with your community, meet new people, explore your interests, and strengthen your CV.
Even a small time commitment can benefit others, boost your confidence, and help you build key employability skills such as communication, teamwork, time management, and problem‑solving. In most cases, you don’t need prior experience or specialist training to volunteer – enthusiasm and a willingness to get involved are what matter most.
Where to find volunteering opportunities
You can find volunteering roles across a huge range of interests, from charity fundraising and social care to education, sustainability, events, arts, and community support. Here are some great places to start your search:
Volunteering through the Students’ Association
The Students’ Association offers several well‑established ways to get involved:
- St Andrews Charities Campaign – student‑led fundraising and events supporting both local and global charities.
- St Andrews Voluntary Service (SVS) – community-focused student projects supporting schools, elderly residents, and local groups.
- Clubs and student societies – many clubs and societies run outreach, advocacy, mentoring, and community support activities.
Local and national volunteering platforms
- Doit Life – a nationwide platform for community volunteering roles.
- NCVO – opportunities with charities and grassroots organisations across the UK.
- Volunteer Scotland – the go‑to site for volunteering opportunities across Scotland.
- Fife Voluntary Action (FVA) – local roles in St Andrews and the wider Fife area.
- LINK befriending projects – connects students with meaningful volunteering projects in the local community.
These platforms are updated regularly and offer positions suitable for all levels of experience, schedules, and interests.
Tutoring, education and mentoring
If you enjoy supporting others with their learning, there are opportunities to make a direct impact on young people, for example:
- Tutor the Nation – links university students with school pupils who would benefit from tutoring and academic support.
- Action Tutoring – a national education charity supporting pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds
Tutoring is a great way to develop communication skills, subject confidence, and mentoring experience – all hugely valuable to future employers.
Volunteering internationally
If you’re hoping to combine travel and cultural learning with community service, there are many ways to get involved, including:
- International Volunteer HQ – offers structured international volunteer programmes in countries worldwide.
- Global Vision International (GVI) – kickstart your conservation career.
- Volunteer Abroad – participate in meaningful projects and gain new skills.
- Frontier – projects throughout Africa, South America, Europe and Australasia.
- VSO – delivering long-term change in education, health and resilient livelihoods.
Things to consider
Before choosing a volunteering opportunity, think about what you want to gain, how much time you can commit, and where you are able to volunteer. Clear priorities will help you find a role that is both realistic and rewarding.
Check any costs before applying, particularly for structured or overseas programmes. Make sure you understand what the fees cover, whether they are reasonable, and how funds are used. Research the organisation, look for reviews or testimonials, ask questions, and confirm you can travel safely. Reputable organisations will be open, transparent, and ethical.
If the role involves working with children or vulnerable adults, a PVG check through Disclosure Scotland is usually required. This is normally arranged and paid for by the organisation, but they should tell you in advance if you need to cover the cost yourself.
How volunteering can help your career
Volunteering gives you real examples to talk about in applications and interviews. Employers want to know how you’ve demonstrated key skills, for example teamwork, commitment, problem‑solving, initiative – volunteering gives you personal stories to draw from.
Even if the opportunity isn’t directly linked to your future career, the skills you gain will be. From leadership experience in a student-run project to empathy developed while tutoring, everything you learn as a volunteer builds your confidence and employability.
You don’t need to commit to something huge. Start small. Explore what matters to you. Whether it’s environmental action, youth work, fundraising, community support, or something completely different, there’s a volunteering role that fits your interests and your schedule. Reach out to projects that inspire you, and don’t be afraid to try something new.
Share your volunteering story
If you’ve volunteered during your time at St Andrews, we’d love to hear from you. Your experiences could inspire other students to get involved and help strengthen our volunteering community.
Additional resources