Wellbeing Week 2022: Friday – Give

It is the final day of Wellbeing Week – we hope you have found our events and resources useful for boosting your mental wellbeing. If you want to explore any of the week’s themes further, check out Mind’s Five ways to wellbeing. Remember, if you are struggling with your mental health or wellbeing, please reach out to the Wellbeing Team for support.

Individuals who report a greater interest in helping others are more likely to rate themselves as happy. Research into actions for promoting happiness has shown that committing an act of kindness once a week over a six-week period is also associated with an increase in wellbeing. (The Institute of Volunteering Research 2012)

Volunteering

Giving your time to others or a cause is a really good way to give something back to your community. You can also develop your employability skills, add to your CV, and make new connections by volunteering throughout your time at university – 75% of employers say that they prefer applicants with voluntary work experience.

You can find out more by contacting the university’s volunteering service, Active Student, who can also help you to secure a local volunteering opportunity that is rewarding, safe and supported.

You can search Active Students online database  – Careers Connect where they host hundreds of volunteering roles. Register here to start your search – University of Brighton

Alternatively, if you are interested in volunteering with any of these community groups please get in touch emailing volunteering@brighton.ac.uk and Active Student will be able to support you.

Watch this short video to hear from students who have previously used this service.

If you are looking for other local volunteering opportunities, then check out:

• Brighton and Hove Community Works– a volunteer centre in Brighton and Hove
• Community Base– a website highlighting local opportunities
• Togetherco – a loneliness charity working in Brighton and Hove looking for volunteers
• Do It – they have a range of things that you can do online, as well as in person.

Brighton and Hove City Council and East Sussex County Council also list up to date volunteering opportunities, and there will be many Food Banks throughout the Brighton and Hove who are looking for volunteers too.

Donating

Another way to give is either through donating some of your things. Donating unwanted items to charity shops is an excellent way to give back, and committing to donating a couple of items could have a really good impact on your wellbeing.

There are a number of food banks in Brighton and Hove who are usually looking for donations. Many supermarkets also have food donation points set up where you can donate any spare food that you may not need at the moment – find your local one in Eastbourne.

Food Partnership is a great example of where giving has made a real difference locally, during the pandemic. You don’t actually have to donate yourself, but it is worth taking a look to see how communities can benefit from local contributions.

If you would like any support with managing your money or making it last a little longer then please get in touch with our wonderful Student Advice Team who will be happy to support you. They also have their Your Money Matters blog where you can find all sorts of advice and support regarding your finances.

Community Pages

There are lots of local pages active on social media where people can donate things they no longer need and others can receive. Why not see if your local area has a community page and if anyone needs anything you have a surplus of – maybe you have too much cutlery in your house that you could offer? If your local area doesn’t have a community page, perhaps you could start one?

Other ways to give

There are so many ways for you to Give and get the benefits from giving that don’t involve volunteering or donating. We have put together this guide to help you to think of ways you can help others (pdf). You might be surprised at the instant benefits you can get when you do something nice for someone else.