This scheme exists to help you get your ideas off the ground and make a difference to the people living in Cardiff. We can provide you with the tools to create your very own volunteering project that will help solve an issue you are passionate about in Cardiff. It can be to do with anything that you’re interested in, we only ask that it’s not too similar to one of our existing projects. Once you’ve submitted a successful application you will meet with the Cardiff Volunteering team to discuss how we can make your idea into a reality. 

This is an amazing opportunity for you to be able to gain skills outside of those that you can gain within your degree. You will gain skills in budgeting, project management, recruitment, marketing and design and many other disciplines.  This will allow you to stand out from the crowd when moving on from university to look for jobs and postgraduate studies. This is also a great way to learn start up skills if you’re considering setting up your own charity or business once you leave university.

If you have an idea for a new project you would like to set up email us at Volunteering@cardiff.ac.uk with the Subject line Project Launch! 

Have a look at some of the projects students have already created with us! 

Bare Necessities 

Bare necessities takes donations of beauty products and turns them into packages to give to people who are less fortunate and might not normally have access to these kind of luxury products.

Make a Smile 

Luke Morgan created the Make a Smile project a few years ago which takes students into places such as childrens ward and soft play areas dressed up as their favorite characters to brighten up their days. He had this to say about what creating a project had done for him, “For me starting a volunteering project has been the biggest step in my university life. It’s opened new doors to me that I didn’t even believe were there, has allowed me to connect with and volunteer alongside lots of different and interesting people and has given me experience that I can take on into my degree and to a future career. A new volunteering project can become a project of passion and can go where you want it to go. If you ever see a problem that you’d like addressed, I’d recommend you make that change by starting a new project.”

Periods in Poverty 

Periods in poverty was set up a few years ago to help tackle the crisis of period poverty, they take donations of sanitary products and donate them to places where they’re needed.

All of the successful projects will receive funding from Cardiff Volunteering to help you get your project up and running and pay for any costs and expenses, so you won’t need to spend any of your own money. At the end of the academic year, you will receive a certificate detailing your achievements, which you can take with you to future employers.

If you would like to see if you can start your own project please Email Volunteering@cardiff.ac.uk with the subject line project launch.