Volunteering at DMU

The volunteering process is a relatively simple one, where we will keep you informed the whole way through.

You can apply for any opportunity you want to through MyGateway, by just filling out the relevant form. Once you have been accepted onto an opportunity, there may be some online training for you to complete that will be relevant to the work you will be doing. You will also be invited to a pre-volunteering session and a post-volunteering session, where you will receive information about next steps and how you can take advantage of the fact that you have completed your role, and the new skills you have gained.

Every volunteering opportunity you take part in is extremely valuable to the organisation you support, and it could also greatly benefit yourself too. We want to make sure that you are recognised for the support you offer on every opportunity you take. 

For the volunteering opportunities you take part in via DMU Local, separate from your module work, you can log your volunteering hours.

If you have taken part in a real life learning module or joined volunteering to support your module, please log your hours by using this form instead.

You can log your hours after every time you volunteer, every week, every month, or at the end of the year. We recommend you do this regularly though, so you don’t lose track of all the great work you have been helping with.

Logging your hours is also important if you want to carry on being recognised for your work after you graduate. Any hours you log will appear on your HEAR when you graduate, something future employers can use to look at your previous experience.

If you have volunteered anywhere that is not a DMU Local project, you may be able to log these hours with the De Montfort Students Union. Take a look at more more information.

All that’s left for you to do now is have a look at what opportunities we have available right now! These opportunities are updated regularly, so if the perfect opportunity isn’t there for you just yet, check back again soon.

The best way to keep up to date with the latest opportunities is by signing up to our mailing list. This means you will receive regular updates about opportunities available and the work we are doing at DMU Local. Sign up here.

You could also find volunteering opportunities at other places around the university:

• DSU

Depending on your opportunity, you may need to undertake some additional training ahead of your start date.

Any other mandatory training for your opportunity will be mentioned on your application form, and links will be sent to you to complete before the pre-volunteering session.

All volunteers will be invited to attend a mandatory pre and post volunteering session. Here you will be given further information about volunteering, and will be able practice using the skills you have learnt.

You will be invited to book onto a pre-session when you complete your application form. This session will run through the training you completed online, just to make sure you have understood this properly. It will introduce your learning log, which will help you to get the most out of your volunteering, and is a great chance to meet other volunteers from around the university.

The post-volunteering session is one you will be invited to once you have finished your volunteering. Whether this was a 1 hour one off opportunity, or a regular 6-week placement, you will have learnt something new and will have plenty to discuss. The main focus of this session will be learning about how to use your experiences in the future. We will be showing you how to talk about your experiences in interviews and building on the skills you’ve learnt. We will also show you how to log your volunteering hours so that they appear on your HEAR after you graduate.

These are really valuable sessions and will set you up perfectly for your opportunity and your future.

Keep an eye out for the three modules we will be offering each Semester related to social challenges. We will share more information here in due course.

Throughout your time volunteering, you will gain valuable skills, meet some very inspiring people and be part of life changing experiences for you and the communities you are supporting.

We are excited the announce the launch of an incentive scheme that will give you the chance to win some fantastic prizes each term, thanks to the wonderful work you have done through your volunteering as a part of a DMU Local project.

More information will be shared during the pre-volunteering sessions.