Rye’s experience in the Student Union demonstrates the transformative value of volunteering for students. Acting on behalf of the student voice, Rye led meaningful initiatives including LGBTQ+ History Month awareness activities, Stroke Awareness Week campaigns, and major community engagement work through the Carli Lansley Project.

 

Through these projects, Rye developed practical skills in leadership, event coordination and advocacy, while making a tangible social difference. They built the confidence to speak up, challenge ideas and represent their peers effectively.

 

What began as involvement in student representation evolved into a platform for confidence building and personal growth. This demonstrates how volunteering equips students not just with experience for their CV, but with the confidence and capability to influence real change.

 

Rye says:

“The Changemaker Programme taught me three key skills: leadership, teamwork, and

project management – particular in the management of LGBTQ+ History Month in 2025.

I was the lead for this project and was in charge of setting up several major events, including a Hate Crime speech that was done by the police, as well as a bake sale to fundraise for Stonewall UK.

 

“I also managed the decorations at Palmer’s Campus and delegated roles to the teammates I thought were best for the job. I also delegated the role of poster making to another teammate and he made amazing posters, so I was glad that I put my trust in him!

 

 “This project helped me with the three skills mentioned above, because it helped me learn to rely on other people and put my trust in other people to do their work. This made the project run smoothly and helped build up my project management skills. I had to carefully plan my own time as well as that of my teammates’  - to ensure that each stage of the project was completed by the deadline.”