'Serving the Community, Students in Action' was once again the slogan for the fourth annual Royal Holloway, University of London Volunteering Week, 1-4 June 2009. A partnership initiative organised by the Students' Union, Sports Development and the College's Community Action with various local community organisations. During the week over 200 active students contributed over 1,500 hours to serving the local community.

The week co-incided with the 25th anniversary of National Volunteers' Week (1-7 June 2009) in the UK.

Over one hundred volunteers got involved with the community teams that responded to 11 separate project requests, completing over 700 hours between them. These projects included Trumps Green Infants and Manorcroft Primary where for four days teams were painting, gardening and helping out with sports days, a willing team of students completed the painting of Thorpe Lea Primary which has consistently seen several volunteer teams from Royal Holloway complete this extensive task. A team organised the library and sheds at Englefield Green Infants, whilst another were at ChristChurch in Virgina Water sorting out their storage area for ease of access to the teachers. Birchlands residential in Barley Mow Road welcomed a team over three consecutive days who brighted up the gardens by weeding, planting new plants and fitting flower border fencing. A few Students' Union clubs got involved; members of the Netball team assisted digging at Heathrow Special Needs Farm, whilst regular volunteers of the Men's Rugby club replaced broken paving slabs at Lynwood residential home in Sunninghill, and Basketball cleared an unsightly ditch of rubbish at Quincy Road in Egham. An ongoing project throughout the week was for teams of students armed with buckets and sponges to finish cleaning all the street name signs of Englefield Green, responding to a request by the Village Residents' Association. Finally a team of students who will be volunteering abroad in Vietnam this summer cut back overgrowth by the Runnymede Air Memorial in Coppers Hill Lane.

The week was supported with project funding by Surrey County Council Local Committee in Runnymede.

Further to this the Student Union organised for Insanity radio, Orbital magazine, Drama and Creative Arts to run activity workshops for local secondary schools. The student clubs hosted daily sports sessions such as basketball, rugby, cricket, football, american football, ultimate frisbee with lunchtime demonstrations for local primary school children during the week organised by RHUL Sport - the College's Sports Development Executive. All together the Clubs and Socieities contributed over 800 hours of time duirng Volunteering Week.

Community feedback from Volunteering Week 2009;

"The Mens Rugby team have done a magnificent job, with much humour and goodwill and we are very grateful for their effots, especially the path users and those in wheel chairs or on mobile scooters." Molly Andrews, Lynwood Nursing Home BEN - the automotive industry charity, Sunninghill

"The students have done an amazing job and now everyone can find the paint, glue or paper that they need to deliver their lessons. The volunteers were all extremely hard working and a pleasure to have in our school." Jane Gow, Christ Church Infants, Virginia Water

"Thank you, the volunteers were brilliant and they had a good time with our residents and staff." Lucy Ncube, Manager, Birchlands Residential Home, Englefield Green

"A GREAT BIG THANKYOU to the students who so kindly gave up their time, to come and finish off painting our school." Sarah Tarrant, Headteacher of Thorpe Lea Primary School, Egham

"We at Surrey County Council appreciate the contributions made in helping to keep the local amenities up to an acceptable standard, thank you again." Ian Patterson, Surrey County Council

"The time they gave and work they did was invaluable. Having such a friendly and hard working team meant that lots of jobs that we've been thinking about doing for ages just got done in no time at all. The allotment club would like to say thank you too! It was also lovely to have a few extra hands on sports day - the school was buzzing with activity." Zoe Hall, Teacher, Manorcroft Primary, Egham

"This year the RHUL Sports section of Volunteering Week saw over 200 pupils engaging with new sports, such as American Football and Ultimate Frisbee. More than 45 volunteers collectively gave over 500 hours back to grass roots sport. Both the students and visiting primary school pupils really gained a lot from the event." Mark Hyndman, RHUL Sports Development Executive

The week co-incided with the 25th anniversary of national Volunteers' Week (1-7 June) - the UK's annual celebration of the work volunteers do. During the Week events are held across the country to recognise, reward and recruit volunteers.

The RHUL Community Action Volunteering Awards Celebration took place on Tuesday 2nd June with special guest Andy Burns, it was an evening to recognise all the work our volunteers' have done over the past 12 months; celebrated with guests from the local community and college.

Click here for the Press Release concerning Volunteering Week 2009.

Click here for information on the RHUL Community Action Awards Celebration 2009.

Click here to view webpage from last years Volunteering Week 2008.

Next Volunteering Week will be 1-3 June 2010 project requests can be submitted using our online form.