Social Sciences

 

There is a wide variety of volunteering opportunities you could do related to your degree in Social Sciences. Volunteering with a charity that works directly with vulnerable beneficiaries such as refugees and asylum seekers, children or socially isolated older people will give you experience of working with varied groups of people which would be valuable experience for a career in social sciences.

You could volunteer with a charity such as Citizens Advice, Shelter or Breakthrough UK to get an insight into policy and advocacy and use your subject knowledge and skills to help challenge societal barriers. If you’re studying or interested in economics and finance, you could support a small charity to develop a financial plan or volunteer to run adult financial literacy sessions. If you're a Law or Criminology student, there’s a variety of volunteering options related to your degree. For example the Department of Law’s own Legal Advice Centre gives you the chance to work alongside a qualified solicitor or barrister on a real case, while the Pro Bono Society offers opportunities to organise workshops and outreach programmes to provide legal information to local community groups.

If you’d like to make an impact in international communities you could take advantage of the support and guidance offered by the University’s overseas volunteering programme, or for something closer to home, you could use your interest and skills in social anthropology to support the volunteering programme at Manchester Museum.

You may also want to think about specific skills you want to develop as you may be able to do this through volunteering opportunities that are not necessarily related to your degree.

Justice Hub

The Justice Hub sits within the Department of Law, giving you the opportunity to explore various arms of the law to make real change in their community. This includes the Legal Advice Centre which gives you a chance to develop practical skills in offering pro bono legal advice on real legal cases. With supervision from a qualified solicitor or barrister, you will meet the client, research their case and prepare advice for them. You can also volunteer for one of the regular clinics held in a particular area of law to further develop your knowledge of that area.

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Manchester Museum

Volunteers contribute to the Museum in many different ways. The roles available vary from visitor facing roles on the galleries to providing essential support to staff from the Museum’s curatorial, learning and engagement departments.

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Volunteering related to your Social Sciences degree

The University’s Volunteer Hub advertises a wide range of volunteering opportunities with organisations in Manchester and further afield. Use the search filters to browse opportunities in your area of interest or study, or search for something completely different to your degree.

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Contact us

If you’re not sure about what volunteering you would like to do or you would like to chat through some of these opportunities, the Volunteering Team is here to help!

You can book an online support call with one of the team. If you would rather meet a member of the Volunteering Team in person or speak to them over the phone, we can easily arrange this. Just email us via volunteers@manchester.ac.uk to arrange this.

Ella, a student in the School of Social Sciences volunteers regularly at a local foodbank. She was also a part of the University’s international flagship project Team Uganda. Both volunteering opportunities let her connect with wider social aspects of society.

"For Team Uganda I had never been volunteering abroad alone before and I really wanted to push myself. I applied and thought I wouldn’t get it. I was pushing out of my comfort zone, and had to prove to myself that I could do that and it was an amazing experience. It is really great knowing that you are helping someone."

Ella

Emi, a final year Law student leads the British Heart Foundation Committee at the University. She stepped out of her comfort zone, leading a group of students to organise fundraising events and to promote campaigns.

"The BHF was something personal to me, I have a personal connection with the organisation. Also, volunteering was not just about being rewarding or doing something for my CV but also about extending not only my social but my professional networks, creating circles outside of the school of law or outside of my halls of residence and meeting other people. You can use the contacts and professionalism you gain in the future."

Emi