HEACF: case studies of good practice

Recognition of volunteering

Acknowledging the contribution made by student and staff volunteers can take a number of different forms. Some universities have gone down the formal recognition route, exploring various types of accreditation (see section on Accreditation and volunteering in the curriculum).

Accreditation is not, however, appropriate for all. The option to work towards an award is unappealing for large numbers of student volunteers, because the commitment required in terms of attendance, training, providing evidence of learning and other assessment is too great.

One means of rewarding and valuing student commitment to volunteering is to organise award schemes and celebratory events. These have the added attraction of being an excellent vehicle for communicating the university's HEACF achievements internally and in the local community.

Increasingly, universities are using multiple ways of recognising volunteering and awards, and celebratory events form part of broader strategies. In this section, however, we concentrate on sharing some of the detail of successful initiatives with similar aims but different forms.

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