Army of volunteers help Bath freshers feel at home
The University of Bath’s Student’s Union has enlisted 390 student volunteers to assist with the smooth-running of freshers’ week this year (22-28 September). The volunteers will be guiding new undergraduates on a cultural tour through Bath City centre and will organise a whole host of alcohol-free activities.
(Media-Newswire.com) - The University of Bath’s Student’s Union has enlisted 390 student volunteers to assist with the smooth-running of freshers’ week this year ( 22-28 September ). The volunteers will be guiding new undergraduates on a cultural tour through Bath City centre and will organise a whole host of alcohol-free activities.
In a new freshers’ week initiative, the University’s Student’s Union will be using specially trained second and third year student volunteers to introduce new undergraduates to Bath by taking small tour groups.
They will also be using online videos to highlight useful information about living at the University and in Bath City centre.
The Student’s Union will be continuing their alcohol-free events and facilities throughout freshers’ week.
These include: cultural, arts and film nights; a céilidh evening; organised trips to go paintballing and to visit IKEA; sports days and a coffee bar on campus open 15 hours a day.
The Students' Union is taking the relationship between students and the community very seriously. As such, this year there will be no organised evening events occurring in town during freshers’ week.
Recycling schemes have been instigated to minimise the environmental impact of freshers’ week.
There will also be opportunities for the new students to volunteer in the community throughout the week. This includes dog walking in association with the nearby Bath Cats and Dogs Home at Claverton.
Alex Nicholson-Evans, the Students' Union President said: "Developing a positive relationship between the student community and the local residents is something that we are passionately devoted to.
“We have numerous campaigns planned for the coming year that will help to deal with some of the issues that have been raised in the past."
These campaigns include cycle safety and SSHH ( Silent Students Happy Homes ). The Student’s Union is also working closely with the P.A.C.T ( Partnerships and Communities Together ) program running in the local area, and continuing to support the hundreds of students that choose to volunteer in the community during their time at University.
In a separate initiative, the University’s Widening Participation team has recruited student mentors who will be visiting local schools in the area during the year. They will be tasked with helping pupils of school age reach their full potential and aim for higher education as part of the Bath Ambassador Scheme.
The students are to work as mentors or tutors with individual children and classes, or as events staff at school visits, during open days, summer schools, subject-taster sessions and higher education awareness events.
“The role of the students is to share their own experience of higher education and to give pupils guidance and support in their studies,” said Liz Andrews, Outreach Events Coordinator at the University.
“Practically, this ranges from weekly emails to school pupils, to one-to-one coaching sessions, to helping out in a classroom or running an after-school club.”
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