Volunteering Week program

Appreciation Station - Gatton

The Appreciation Station is an invitation-only event for all Volunteers, Mentors and Reps to say thank you for being awesome! You are the heart of UQ and we would be nowhere without you! As a token of our appreciation, we would like to invite you to join us at our appreciation station in the Central Walkway. Pick up a free coffee and doughnut, enjoy some big games and get to know your peers. You must register via your personalised invitation email.

Gatton Chill - Volunteer Edition

For those interested in volunteering opportunities, head down to the weekly Gatton Chill session to meet a volunteer, mentor or student representative to chat about opportunities at Gatton, externally and how you can get involved in the volunteering community!

Herston Hangouts - Coffee and Careers Edition

Do you have a burning question about your career planning? Just need a little advice on how to work out what to do post-uni?

Head over to Herston's weekly event, Herston Hangouts for a FREE coffee and a casual chat with one of our Careers and Employability Advisors to get an idea of what’s available at UQ to help advance your career. 

From Volunteer to Career

Learn how your volunteer experience can kick-start your career in this hands-on one hour workshop, where we analyse the skills you gain through volunteering and show you how to best utilise them in your cover letters, resumes and e-portfolios.

Fireside Sessions: The value of volunteering

In support of Volunteer week, we are running a specialised fireside on Volunteering in the community.

Volunteering is a great way to gain valuable work experience and from these experiences, you can develop many skills and capabilities.

Let's Chat About...Volunteering

Let’s Chat About… Volunteering will be a student-led panel that discusses what volunteering looks like during COVID-19, student experiences volunteering through UQ conversations with panellist to discuss transferrable skills and employability. 

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Employability Award Information Session

Find out how you can utilise your volunteering experience to help enhance your employability through the Employability Award. This information session is open to all undergraduate (including Honours), and postgraduate course students, and staff members.

Careers with Passion and Purpose

Join this virtual panel discussion with industry professionals within the 'for-purpose' sector 

We will be discussing some of the following topics:

• Why is it important to have a career with passion and purpose?
• ​Why working “for-purpose” should be your plan A not your plan B
• How can volunteering help students to build their employability skills?
• How is the world of work changing for “for-purpose” organisations?  
• New volunteering opportunities

Panellists:
Jonathan Kirkham, National Manager, Creative Collaborations, Starlight Foundation

Genevieve Dunn, Community Engagement Officer, Queensland Ballet

Isabella Semeraro, Program Coordinator (Acting), YMCA Social Impact, YMCA Brisbane

UQ Mates Lead Panel Event

A panel of UQ Mates leads from active circles discuss their circles, their successes and challenges and provide advice about what they have gained from being a Village Volunteer and Circle Leader.  This is an opportunity for current Volunteers to find out more about running an engaging circle, get ideas for what they can do with their circle and allow new volunteers to find out more about what they can expect.

Your Volunteering Journey - The Next Steps

Join Andy (Volunteering Coordinator), Sarah (Mentoring Coordinator) and Dorinda (Student Partners Coordinator) to wrap-up Volunteering Week and discuss your next steps in becoming a Volunteer at UQ. 

We will discuss the types of opportunities available to you, how to register and what to expect when you become a UQ Volunteer, Mentor or Student Representative, as well as time for you to ask us any questions that you have.

Watch Party

Join our Watch Party for a free viewing of Motorcycle Diaries! Chat online with our UQlife host or chat amongst yourselves over the movie!

UnitingCare Community

UnitingCare Intensive Family Support Services at Logan, are looking for caring and empathetic volunteers to support vulnerable children and families - providing practical and emotional assistance to enhance wellbeing and capacity. Find out more

Reclink Australia

Reclink Australia provides evidence-based sport and art programs to disadvantaged Australians to create socially inclusive, life-changing opportunities. In partnership with more than 450 community organisations, Reclink Australia's programs create pathways to improved health and wellbeing, education and employment outcomes for all participants.

The program would be suitable for those with interests and experience in sports development, event planning, community services, sports programming, community fitness, social inclusion, sports coaching, community development and humanities. Find out more

Queensland Meals on Wheels Ltd

We have many opportunities from volunteering within our kitchens assisting with meal preparation to meal delivery and interacting with our clients within our services. Find out more

Oaktree

Becoming a volunteer in the community engagement portfolio Participating in our Campaigners for Change program where students will learn about campaigning and skills they can use to get into the social change sector. 

TEDxUQ

Established in 2011, TEDxUQ is an annual independently organised TEDx event showcasing exceptional speakers from the UQ and wider Brisbane communities. Run entirely by a team of passionate volunteers, including both undergraduate and postgraduate students, TEDxUQ celebrates UQ innovation and diversity by providing a platform through which UQ academics, students, and alumni have the opportunity to share their ideas and inspire the next generation of leaders to create change. For attendees of TEDxUQ, the event day creates a community, fostering connections amongst attendees, as well as with the TEDxUQ team and speakers.

The TEDxUQ Team is made up of several sub-teams, including Curation, Marketing & Communications, Operations, Partnerships & Finance, Graphic Design, Website and App Development, Production, Volunteer Coordinator, and each year we also have a Secretary and an MC. TEDxUQ will be recruiting new team members in late 2020. Find out more

Down Syndrome Queensland

Down Syndrome Queensland offers Peer Support to young people with Down syndrome at social events and activities. Find out more

Young Achievers Program Student Mentoring

The UQ Young Achievers Program (YAP) aims to support the tertiary study and career aspirations of secondary school students from low-income families. The program provides a wonderful opportunity for community-minded university students to work closely with participants throughout Years 11 and 12, and as they transition from school to university.

UQ students selected as mentors for this program play an invaluable role in building the self-confidence of young achievers while motivating and inspiring them to set and achieve their personal and educational goals. Find out more

UQ Pro Bono Centre

Public interest practice is a key professional value of lawyers. Through the Pro Bono Centre, the School of Law would like all its law students to recognise the value of pro bono work, and to commit to undertaking pro bono work both while they are students and in their professional careers. The Centre is the only resource of its type in an Australian law school.

Pro bono activities undertaken by students do not attract academic credit. Pro bono, by definition, is work for no reward. The benefits to students lie in the work experience, the professional networks formed, and the knowledge they are working in the public interest for the benefit of the community.

As well as offering a wide range of unique opportunities through its roster, the Pro Bono Centre and partners offer team-based opportunities on an ongoing basis through the Barrister Assistance Team, Law Education & Outreach Program, Manning St Project and the Climate Justice Initiative. Find out more

NewVote

Volunteers join a team of enthusiastic students helping NewVote through app testing, development of our app and website, marketing and student engagement. Find out more

Queensland Cerebral Palsy and Rehabilitation Research Centre

Queensland Cerebral Palsy and Rehabilitation Research Centre (QCPRRC) at the University of Queensland Child Health Research Centre was established to improve health outcomes for children with cerebral palsy (CP) and acquired brain injury. QCPRRC has eight key research themes reflecting the significant areas of need for investigation in infants, children, adolescents and adults.

QCPRRC is conducting an NHMRC-funded randomized clinical trial. The HABIT-ILE study will investigate the efficacy of an intensive day camp model of intensive upper and lower extremity training to improve gross motor function and bimanual hand performance in children aged 6-16 with bilateral CP.

We have successfully completed 3 HABIT-ILE camps so far and we are seeking more volunteer UQ Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy students to assist with our final two camps in January and July 2021. We have opportunities for 3rd and 4th year Bachelor and 2nd-year GEMS students. Find out more

Australian Network on Disability

PACE Mentoring connects students with disability to industry mentors. Mentors support mentees to develop industry exposure, networking opportunities and employability skills.
Find out more

Australian Red Cross

Volunteering expands your skills and experience, increases your employability and is a way to stay active and engaged with the community. It's also a way for you to give back to the community and help people who need a hand. Current volunteer roles include Emergency Services Volunteer (providing psycho-social support to people affected by disaster) and Red Cross Shop volunteer. Find out more

FareShare

FareShare is Australia's largest charity kitchen and we turn rescued food into free nutritious meals for people doing it tough. FareShare's vision is a society where food is not wasted and no one goes hungry. Our Brisbane kitchen is powered by 550+ volunteers who prepare thousands of free, nutritious meals for Queenslanders in need every day. Kitchen volunteers help us chop vegetables, prepare meat and pack the meals we cook. A shift in the FareShare kitchen is a great way to meet new people within the community while also making a tangible difference to those in need. Find out more

Volunteering Queensland

Volunteering Queensland is the state peak body dedicated to advancing volunteering for Queensland’s well-being. They are proud to support the volunteering industry, which is a vital force that fuels the economy, connects and enriches the lives of Queenslanders, builds social and cultural value, and protects the environment.

For more than 35 years, Volunteering Queensland has been helping Queenslanders to find rewarding and meaningful volunteer roles. When students volunteer they make new friends, learn skills, enjoy physical and mental health benefits, have fun, and help their communities to thrive. Find out more

UQ Pro Bono Centre

Public interest practice is a key professional value of lawyers. Through the Pro Bono Centre, the School of Law would like all its law students to recognise the value of pro bono work, and to commit to undertaking pro bono work both while they are students and in their professional careers. The Centre is the only resource of its type in an Australian law school.

Pro bono activities undertaken by students do not attract academic credit. Pro bono, by definition, is work for no reward. The benefits to students lie in the work experience, the professional networks formed, and the knowledge they are working in the public interest for the benefit of the community.

As well as offering a wide range of unique opportunities through its roster, the Pro Bono Centre and partners offer team-based opportunities on an ongoing basis through the Barrister Assistance Team, Law Education & Outreach Program, Manning St Project and the Climate Justice Initiative. Find out more

Young Achievers Program Student Mentoring

The UQ Young Achievers Program (YAP) aims to support the tertiary study and career aspirations of secondary school students from low-income families. UQ students selected as mentors for this program play an invaluable role in building the self-confidence of young achievers while motivating and inspiring them to set and achieve their personal and educational goals. Find out more

Raise Foundation

Raise Foundation recruits volunteers and trains them to be youth mentors for students from our partner schools.  We hold our sessions within the school, during school time. The commitment is for 2 hours per week on the same day and time for all of Term 2 and Term 3 with some overflow into Term 4.We work together with our qualified staff and our mentors to increase our mentee's resilience, capability and connectedness. A mentor is matched with a young person and works with them over that time on what the mentee would like to work on or talk about. Recruitment and training occurs from now and over the summer period and partway through Term 1, with the programs beginning in Term 2 2021. Our school partners are situated across Brisbane, Logan and Gold Coast Hinterland with a large expansion currently being actioned for 2021.

So Brave

So Brave is a Young Women’s Breast Cancer Charity who supports investment in breast cancer research and raises awareness of breast cancer diagnosis in young women. Current volunteer opportunities are available with the Brave|You young women's committees. There will also be a Brave|You launch event on 5 September (online) and young women-specific events being held in October. Find out more

Young Achievers Program Student Mentoring

The UQ Young Achievers Program (YAP) aims to support the tertiary study and career aspirations of secondary school students from low-income families. UQ students selected as mentors for this program play an invaluable role in building the self-confidence of young achievers while motivating and inspiring them to set and achieve their personal and educational goals. Find out more

The Benevolent Society

The Benevolent Society has a wide range of exciting opportunities for volunteers and students within Child and Family Services. This includes opportunities supporting staff in the playgroups of our Early Years Centre. Programs can be supported virtually such as Volunteer Carer Connect and playgroups. We look forward to having you onboard! Find out more

The Pyjama Foundation

Weekly volunteering opportunity for a minimum of 12 months providing one on one mentoring to a child in foster care. Find out more

Moreton Bay Region Industry and Tourism

Enquire about event volunteer roles available. Find out more

PCYC Qld

PCYC Queensland is a leading charity providing youth and community programs, services and facilities. Our signature sports include boxing, gymnastics, dance and martial arts, and we offer programs; outside school hours care; gym and fitness, and more. Our staff and volunteers have been working alongside the Queensland Police Service to meet community needs across Queensland since 1948. Together, we are building safer, healthier communities through youth development. Find out more

Cancer Council Queensland

We believe that no one should go on a cancer journey alone, which is why we need people like you to volunteer with us in whatever way you can.  As a Cancer Council Queensland volunteer you will:

• Be doing something you’re passionate about
• Have a real impact in your community
• Learn new skills
• Meet new friends and like-minded people from a range of backgrounds
• Make a difference.

Current programs that have opportunities available to volunteer with Cancer Council Qld include Event management, Marketing & Media and Human Resources. Find out more

Employability Award

Drop-in and chat to the Employability Award Coordinator about how you can make your volunteering experience give you a head start on your future through taking part in the Employability Award.

Australian Conservation Foundation

ACF is Australia’s national environment organisation. We are a community of 700,000 people who speak out, show up and act for a world where our environment, nature, people, communities and wildlife thrive. We are proudly independent, non-partisan and funded by donations from our community. We have numerous pathways for Volunteer Engagement within our Brisbane team. You have the opportunity to work directly with community organisers on our current campaigns, in a multitude of areas and ways that best suit you; be part of one of our existing Activist Community group or start up a new community group. Where we can, we will support you to find ways to use your field of study as part of your volunteer experience. Additionally, we have one of Australia's most dynamic Volunteer Fellowship Programs.  You will not only be part of a movement for change; you will gain vital practical experience. Find out more