You’ll be volunteering as part of a team of consultants for a charity over a period of ten weeks during Lent Term 2023 (academic year 2022-23).

A charity will task you with creating a plan to help them to address an issue they are facing. This might involve deciding on the best area to position a new charity shop, for example, helping a charity to identify new fundraising strategies, or evaluating the impact of a charity’s service delivery with an eye further to improving the organisation’s performance. You’ll be collaborating in teams of 6 to 8 students to produce recommendations for action based on your research and analysis of the issue. In week 10 of the Lent Term, you’ll submit a report of your research to the charity. You’ll also be invited to present your findings at a ‘Finals Day’ at the LSE.

You’ll be working in teams of 6-8 fellow student volunteers and your paired charity. Each team will be supported by the LSE Volunteer Centre, LSE Careers, other relevant departments within the LSE, an LSE alumni mentor and their partnered charity. The Volunteer Centre has created a programme which is structured and supportive. We suggest an itinerary for each week and will provide regular support sessions and resources for the teams.

We welcome applications from all students at the LSE. We are particularly keen to reach people who may find access to volunteering challenging for reasons related to an unfamiliarity with it, uncertainty regarding what to do, and time pressures resulting from doing something very different from one’s studies whilst working towards a degree.

No. Applicants who do have expertise in these areas are encouraged to apply and their experience will be very valuable. At the same time, we are very keen to hear from people who would like to develop their skills in these areas and/or can offer different skill-sets. Skill development is something which we hope to facilitate; particular skills are not prerequisites for signing up. A collaborative attitude and a desire to make a difference, however, are necessary!

This programme is open to all current students at the LSE. Each team will be comprised of students from different degrees and degree levels and we pledge diversity in all respects.

We have designed the programme in order to make it feasible for most. We anticipate that each participant will need to commit to 4-5 hours of work a week. Collaborating in medium-sized groups (of 6-8 people) makes delegation and the sharing of tasks possible. The programme’s comprehensive 10-week duration should equate to a manageable workload for each team member each week. Help from the LSE and the groups’ mentors (LSE alumni) will make it easier for the teams smoothly to overcome any challenges which might arise!

You’ll have the chance to make a real difference to the communities we are part of. At the same time, you’ll get the chance to learn new skills and consolidate existing ones, make new friends, build your CV, enrich your experience of studying at the LSE, and acquire knowledge and connections in the consultancy and non-profit sectors.