Andy is Assistant Headteacher at Chilworth House Upper School, a secondary school for special educational needs students. He spoke to us ahead of Student Volunteering Week about what this focus brings the students.

What sort of volunteering do the students take part in, how does it work?

We work with a combination of businesses, charities and good neighbour schemes across Oxfordshire to find meaningful tasks the students can help with. This might mean clearing leaves, mowing and strimming gardens or helping with clearing and keeping pathways safe. We take the students in small groups with our minibus loaded with tools and equipment, so the students are always staffed.

Why do you feel volunteering is so beneficial for the students?

Not only is this having a huge impact on the local community it’s helping our young people gain real life skills, improving their social and communication skills as well as increasing their self-esteem.

Where do you find partners to work with on this, are there any barriers to manage?

I have had success with LinkedIn posts, contacting groups directly and OCVA has helped share through their networks. Once groups talk to us and see how this benefits both sides it makes sense. Once businesses understand there is no supervision requirement for them and we turn up, work hard, make a huge difference and then leave without any fuss they open the doors for us to crack on.

What is your most recent success?

Oh, that is a tricky one! We have been working with Breast Cancer Now in Abingdon, helping to clear leaves and keep their car park and court area tidy. The students get a lot of satisfaction seeing this clear. It is a nice before and after and they can see the impact of their effort. We also helped an elderly man recently with his garden. He hadn’t had access for many years now and we have renovated it from top to toe, meaning that come the summer he can enjoy a nice cold drink there.  The students love big projects as much as the small ones. The students really enjoyed the work as they can see the difference it’s made to the man’s life.