Volunteering

Volunteering in a professional environment

Our Volunteering Programme provides international visitors with the opportunity to gain volunteering experience in a retail or professional environment. You can give something back to the community, while improving your vocabulary, meeting new people and making new friends.

In the post-Brexit UK, short-term visitors still have many opportunities available, and since 1 January 2021, all nationalities travelling to the UK holding a visit visa have been able to volunteer within a charity or voluntary sector organisation. 

Volunteering is permitted for all international students

The new “visit visa” (replacing the former short term study visa) gives all nationalities travelling to the UK the right to volunteer in a registered charity for up to 30 days (6 weeks) over the 6 month period the visit visa covers.

This is a great opportunity for international students to meet local people, practice their English conversation skills and develop new professional skills and knowledge.

Examples of volunteering opportunities include helping at a local charity shop, sports event or arts festival. Students with a  visit visa (replacing the short-term Study visa) can volunteer, but they cannot do ‘voluntary work’.

Special Sector Volunteering

Available from two to six weeks at a time, our special sector volunteering programme helps candidates build up their experience in specific industries, for example Digital Marketing, Arts and Culture, and Care and Administration. This level of specialisation can really help with getting a head start on boosting career prospects.