Student volunteer in the spotlight
Student volunteering week is the perfect time to talk about some of our fantastic student volunteers.
Sarah Hodgkinson volunteers with the Students’ Union and Staffordshire University Cop Shop.
An aspiring Police officer and Team Leader for the Cop Shop here at Staffordshire University; Sarah is studying level 5 BSc (Hons) Professional Policing and has interests in community interaction and developing student engagement.
Volunteering for the Cop Shop has enabled Sarah to build networks within the community and as such, throughout the summer; she has attended many meetings on behalf of the Cop Shop in partnership with Mutual Gain whose aim is to help organizations build social capital and develop active citizens in their communities. Sarah has been assigned to the voting panel of the 'Participatory Budgeting Scheme' for the 'Shelton Speaks' program, whereby members of the community bid for a share of £20,000 with the aim of improving safety within the Shelton community. The Participatory Budget is designed to empower communities and help them to work with local agencies to develop solutions to problems that are affecting their lives.
Sarah is using her role within the Cop Shop to build both and her skills and her networks, she works closely alongside PC Simon Stone and has had the chance to meet various other colleagues from the Staffordshire Police force. She is able to volunteer her time that fits around her studies and sees the time that she invests as being a great addition to her CV.
Volunteering with the Cop Shop has enabled Sarah to put a wide range of skills into practice from project and campaign planning, communications and negotiating to leadership and team work.
Head to the Cop Shop webpage to find out how you can get involved too.