Volunteering is: “Any activity that involves spending time, unpaid, doing something that aims to benefit the environment or someone (individuals or groups) other than, or in addition to, close relatives.”

The above definition comes from the Volunteering Compact Code of Practice which is an agreement made between government and the voluntary community sector in England. Central to this definition is the fact that volunteering must be a choice freely made by each individual. This can include formal activity undertaken through public, private and voluntary organisations as well as informal community participation.

Volunteering is not Work Placement
Student volunteering is different from work experience, which is often a compulsory element of a course. Student volunteering may form part of teaching and learning,  youth work, student services, student association / union activities and can be part of the formal accreditation offering in a college.