Making a difference

The modern architecture of Robinson College’s Chapel was the setting for a concert of mixed musical styles followed by tea, cakes and conversation.

Jazz piano, violin solos, organ recitals and the College choir singing pieces ranging from John Rutter’s ‘Gaelic Blessing’ to the ‘Teddy Bear’s Picnic’ made for an enjoyable time.

One of the guests, Joan, commented: “The whole afternoon was magic,” while another added: “What a really friendly group of young people.”

The occasion also clearly had an impact on the students. Zoe Pollington, from Christ’s College, said: “It was good to talk to people other than students,” and Rebecca Jones from New Hall observed: “It was great to feel a sense of community.”

The event was organised jointly by Robinson College and Student Community Action (SCA). One of the aims of the concert was to give people who have not volunteered before a taste of what is involved.

Publicity before the event invited students to drop in and help out for an hour or so. 23 volunteers attended in total, of whom 18 were new.

The SCA enables members of the University of Cambridge and Anglia Ruskin University to undertake voluntary work in the local community. Around 600 students volunteer each year and, together with running ten projects of its own, SCA recruits for almost 60 other organisations.

“Of all my Cambridge memories, the best ones have nothing to do with courts and towers, halls and gowns, intellectual conversations, poetry or punting,” said Amy Arthur, a former Cambridge student and SCA volunteer. “The best moments have been wearing a sailor hat and waving my arms around to an audience of octogenarians.”

A recent survey has highlighted the career benefits to volunteering, with two thirds of employers saying it can add skills to their workforce. 79 percent of members from the Association of Graduate Recruiters agreed that graduates who volunteer progress through their organisations more quickly.

Professor Drummond Bone from Universities UK said: “We believe that volunteering is an essential part of university life. Not only does it help build stronger relations between students and the local community, but it also provides students with a range of essential skills, such as team building, problem solving and communications. In an increasingly competitive job market, graduates need to think about how they can make themselves stand out from the crowd. Volunteering is an excellent way to do this.”

More details about SCA and its volunteer projects can be found on their website.