This includes the FE sector's Good for Me Good for FE campaign, which has seen 140 colleges come together to undertake fundraising and volunteering, generating almost £4m of social value over the last two years.
At LSEC, many activities have taken place to support this social action campaign over the last few months - from opening up the college restaurant for 'warm Wednesday' lunches, to foodbank donations, collections and fundraising events. Staff and students have organised events to support many charities including Greenwich Foodbanks, YCL, RNIB, Children in Need, Macmillan, Turkey-Syria Earthquake appeal (via Greenwich Islamic Centre) and Ukranian Refugees (via Greenwich ESOL).
Paula Ribeiro, a student at the College's Greenwich Campus started volunteering at the charity Home Start last year. Supporting local, vulnerable families, the charity aims to give every child a better start in life - and Paula has gained a great deal from her experience. She was also presented with a special award at the House of Lords last week to celebrate her success. Paula says:
"The training provided by Home Start was amazing and it immediately became my passion. Supporting families and helping people develop a better future was what I really wanted to do - so I enrolled on a Health and Social Care course at LSEC to give me more knowledge and a better understanding of the sector.
"As a result of my volunteering and my studies, I've now secured a full-time job at Home Start which is amazing. I could not be happier."
Co-ordinating the college's volunteering efforts, Beth Moore, Deputy Principal Student Experience and Group Safeguarding, says:
"The effort and commitment shown by of our staff and students is amazing and we are so proud of our college community. The Good for Me Good for FE campaign has supercharged our College's efforts and Volunteers' Week is a great time to recognise and celebrate the work being done.
"As Paula's experience shows, volunteering can lead to exciting careers as a result of the employability skills and networking opportunities it offers. I'd urge everyone to get involved in volunteering, as it brings great benefits to your own wellbeing and mental health as well as helping others."
Good for Me Good for FE has made a significant impact across the country, please visit Good for Me Good for FE for more information.
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