On Tuesday 30 November the world will celebrate Giving Tuesday a global day of giving. It is a day to give back by supporting a cause close to your heart, helping a friend (or stranger) or doing something good for your local community.
There will be plenty of opportunities to mark Giving Tuesday and discover new ways of giving across campus.
University and SU events
Giving Tuesday 30 November 2021
Volunteering and Wellbeing: How volunteering can help you feel good!
Online talk and Q&A: 10.00-11.00am (Zoom https://zoom.us/j/91324057256)
Find out about the wonderful ways that volunteering can boost your wellbeing. The Volunteering team will explain how volunteering can help you to lift your mood, meet new people, and feel good about yourself, all while getting that warm glow from giving something back.
Hear how volunteering has helped students improve their wellbeing and find out about the many different ways that you can get involved, from opportunities to volunteer for an hour or two at home or on your doorstep, to others that might take you a little further out of your comfort zone! You’ll also have the opportunity to ask questions either in the session or afterwards.
Post Pals Crafternoon!
In person session @ University Place 1.218: 1.00-4.00pm. (Cake provided – bring your own drink)
Come along to this friendly, welcoming session and get crafty and creative making cards, letters and little gifts for seriously unwell children and their siblings.
Post Pals is a charity dedicated to making poorly children and teenagers in the UK smile by sending them cards and gifts. The charity was set up in 2002 by teenagers who were all ill themselves; founder Vikki had the idea after finding that receiving cards in the post was the only thing that made her smile when bedbound and isolated due to very severe ME.
It’s easy (no prior craft skills needed!) and a lot of fun. To attend please sign up via Volunteer Hub. If you can’t make this date other sessions are running throughout the year, search “Post Pals” on Volunteer Hub.
Students’ Union Peer Buddy and Student Angels information stand
Pop along to the SU between 1pm – 4pm and find out how you can get involved with the Peer Buddy scheme or the Student Angels project.
ResLife
The Reslife teamwill be holding a week-long foodbank donation drive, keep your eyes open for donation points in halls!
School events
Physics and Astronomy, are encouraging students to wear something yellow and donate to Manchester Central Foodbank via this link.
Environment, Education and Development are collecting food items and warm clothing to help local people and communities in crisis.
Donations can be dropped off at collection points in Arthur Lewis Building (2nd Floor, Student Information Desk) and Ellen Wilkinson building (1st Floor Hub)
All food collected will be donated to the Central Manchester Food Bank and clothing collected will be donated to Cornerstone Day Centre
Social Sciences are also holding a foodbank drive, students can pop into the Williamson Building Common Room between 10.30-3.30 to drop off donations and join staff for a tea or coffee.
Computer Science and the School of Engineering are also joining in with food bank collections.
Computer Science will be accepting donations of presents/toys, toiletries, non-perishable foods, and clothes for local charities including: Mustard Tree, the Wood Street Mission, and a local women’s refuge centre. Drop off is Kilburn LF.21 (the old Student Experience Office) between 9am and 5pm on Tuesday 30th November.
The School of Engineering drop off point can be found in Barnes Wallis
Pharmacy are spending some time on Giving Tuesday planning how to re-establish volunteering and charitable activities. If you’re a pharmacy student and have ideas, or would like to get involved in future activities there will be a session at 4pm in the Stopford Building
Outside of these events there are other ways to give this Tuesday. Do something kind such as;
- Send someone a thank you note or nice message
- Smile at strangers on campus
- Bring a surprise treat in for friends
Take a look at the Give section of our six ways to wellbeing website for more ideas and inspiration.
By improving others’ lives we can improve our own. Helping, giving, sharing – doing something for someone else has been proven to make us feel more positive about ourselves. Find out more about why giving makes us happy and the psychology behind it here. And remember, it’s not just about the big grand gestures – small acts of kindness woven into the everyday can make a big difference – to your wellbeing as well as the recipient.