Staff volunteering
As part of our commitment to staff development, the local community and public good, our staff members can volunteer during work time to support a cause they care about.
You can choose opportunities ranging from individual placements that draw on your professional experience, to departmental team challenges involving practical tasks.
Benefits
- Volunteering offers an opportunity to actively contribute to the communities in which you work and live.
- Volunteering is a great way to develop skills and engage with new people by taking on exciting and rewarding challenges
- Volunteering benefits the local community, the volunteer and the University.
What's involved
- Staff members on open, full-time contracts can receive two days’ paid leave every 12 months to take part in the Staff Volunteering Scheme
- Volunteering under this scheme takes place with York Cares partner charities and organisations
- To make an application for supported volunteering, contact York Cares to register your interest; both individual and team opportunities are available
- You must discuss your chosen volunteering opportunity with your line manager and agree when the volunteering leave will be taken.
Volunteering as a school governor
School governors and trustees can improve education for children by working strategically as board members to support and challenge the school’s operational leaders.
Governing bodies need people with a broad range of skills to support and challenge the school effectively, including in education, finance, data analysis, HR and problem solving.
Being a governor or trustee is a great development opportunity, no matter your role or grade.
You don’t need to be a parent or have previous board experience to get involved. It’s more important that you are enthusiastic, committed, and want to use your skills to make a difference.
"As a governor, I have observed teaching strategies and curriculum development principles that in some ways have helped me reflect on my own teaching. And becoming Chair of Governors helped hone my skills around strategic and critical thinking, problem solving, commercial acumen and stakeholder management."
Claire, Lecturer in Management at the School for Business and Society
Benefits of being a school governor
You'll see first-hand how your work and decisions impact the lives of children in your school.
- Make a difference in your local community
- Enhance your CV with your voluntary experience, your commitment to the community and your own personal development as a member of a board
- Develop a range of professional skills, such as strategic leadership, decision making, risk management, data analysis, financial management and performance management
- Support the University’s public good mission by sharing your time and skills to support young people in our local area.
What support is available for school governors?
- The University grants four days of community leave to support volunteering in school governance roles. Find out more about the community leave policy
- Governors for Schools is a national charity which advocates for school governors. They offer placement opportunities, personal development tools and a comprehensive training facility
- City of York Council offers training for governors on a variety of topics, including virtual and in-person events.