Volunteers in Primary Schools

Placements in local primary schools take place from January-April and involved a minimum time commitment of 10 hours over this time, normally about 1-1.5 hours per week. A CRB check is carried out by UEA.  We provide a training session in November/December. You can choose different roles in the classroom:

• Reading Partners - encourage small groups of children to read and understand.
• Number partners - support numeracy skills through maths work and mathematical games.
• Classroom Assistants - provide support in classroom environment with varied activities e.g. art, science, IT.

Applications for the project are made at the beginning of the academic year until 15 October.  Placements start in January and last until Easter, but you can continue if both you and the school agree until May or June.  It is a wonderful way to gain some practical experienc in the classroom.  We ask that you attend the training in November/December which covers literacy, numeracy, classroom conduct and safeguarding children.  Applicants should be over 18 years of age and a minimum English level of 7.0 IELTS or equivalent.

 
Vice Chancellor Edward Action awarding a Volunteer in Primary Schools student

Campus Conservation Project

The UEA Campus Conservation Project offers volunteers the opportunity to help monitor and maintain the biodiversity of the campus, particularly the land surrounding the River Yare and UEA Broad.  There are 4 areas of the project you can help with - Conservation Work Parties, UEA Wildlife Trail management, Wildlife Surveys, Wildlife Guiding and Outdoor Education

"The Campus Conservation Project is great fun and a breath of fresh air from studies. I'm helping conserve UEA grounds and wildlife habitats. Although it's on the edge of the campus it feels like you are away from the campus. It's a very calming activity and makes you feel you are doing something valuable with your free time. I've learned coppicing skills and how to use loppers and saws with excellent supervision. Everyone is very friendly." (Francesca Cottee, UEA Volunteer

Conservation Work Parties     

Everyone welcome - just come along when you can to help with conservation work around the campus, supervised by UEA Estates.  Conservation workparties take place on Wednesday afternoons in term time 1400h - 1530h around the UEA campus - please wear suitable outdoor clothing and strong shoes or boots.  To register your interest and get email updates on the place and time to meet please email: volunteers@uea.ac.uk

  

         
 

Wildlife Surveys

Learn useful surveying and monitoring skills by helping with Wildlife Surveys.  Recently a volunteer helped the Yare Valley Society to survey the wildlife in the river valley between UEA and Cringleford-Bowthorpe and compile a new version of the booklet The Yare Valley Walk.  Another volunteer carried out a wildlife survey for the Friends of Eaton Park on the area of woodland near the campus along Bluebell Road. We have wildlife guides and a wildlife survey toolkit to help you identify and record different species.  If you are interested in carrying out a wildlife survey, please email:  volunteers@uea.ac.uk
 

Management of the UEA Wildlife Trail

The UEA Wildlife Trail opened in February 2012 with funding from the Big Lottery Community Wildlife Fund.  The Wildlife Trail helps to inform and engage people with the wildlife and provide a route through the site that is enjoyable, educational and sympathetic to the sensitivity of the natural environment with information boards and re-usable leaflets. There are 4 sections to the trail covering different habitats, using existing pathways around the campus and river valley. Conservation work, cleaning the boards and replenishing the leaflet dispensers along the 4 sections of the Trail are important to ensure that the trail is managed in an eco-sensitive manner and to keep it free of unsightly and damaging human impacts.  We need volunteers to take responsibility for managing the Wildlife Trail. 

UEA Wildlife Trail Leaflet  [427KB]

To volunteer for managing the trail please email: volunteers@uea.ac.uk
 

UEA Big Beach Cleans

Join us for a free trip to a Norfolk beach to clean up litter and once a year carry out a survey of the amount and type of litter you find for the Marine Conservation Society. The first Big Beach Clean took place at Waxham Beach, 20 miles East of Norwich, in June 2010, the second took place in October 2010 and the third in June 2011.  Future Big Beach Cleans will take place when there is an accumulation of litter and the time of low tide is right for cleaning the beach. 

To register your interest in a future Big Beach Clean please email: volunteers@uea.ac.uk

  

UEA Fix It Crew

Just a few hours to spare now and then? Do useful one-off jobs in the community with others, to fit in with your free time. We call on you when needed. Here are some examples of the type of work involved:

• Marshalling crowds
• Litter picking
• Outings for elderly and children
• Fundraising
• Street collections
• Helping at a public event
• Many other opportunities

Recently volunteers have helped set up and dismantle displays at Wymondham Arts Centre, the Water Day exhibition at the Forum in Norwich, the BBC Stargazing event in Chapelfields, Norwich, charity collections for Age UK in Sainsburys and Waitrose supermarkets, the Union's annual Reduce, Reuse, Recycle campaign and other events in and around the city.  If you have a bit of time to spare but don't want to commit long term, the UEA Fix It Crew could be for you!

To register for any future opportunities please email:  volunteers@uea.ac.uk