How to record volunteering hours

Logging hours and adding volunteer roles

 

We define volunteering as any activity that involves spending time, unpaid, doing something that aims to benefit the environment or someone (individuals or groups) other than, or in addition to, close relatives. Central to this definition is the fact that volunteering must be a choice freely made by the individual. 

This can include formal activity undertaken through public, private, and voluntary organisations as well as informal community participation and social action. Everyone has the right to volunteer and volunteering can have significant benefits for individuals. 

(National Council for Voluntary Organisations, 2021) 

 

What is not volunteering? 

• Any activities which provide academic credit e.g. work based learning, study abroad, learning in the wider world modules. The only exception to this is where the student may have participated in additional hours to those required for the placement. If unsure email volunteering@chester.ac.uk
• Activities which are unpaid but that are with profit making organisations. The only exception may be volunteering with festivals/events which are supporting charitable initiatives or are offering free activities for the community. Again, email us if unsure.

• Activities which support family members or friends, including unpaid work for family businesses, caring for relatives or childcare for friends/ family. 
• Taking part in an activity such as a donation. We would count it if you were organising or helping with the running of the centre but not contributing to the donation itself. 
• Taking part in training which is not compulsory to complete as part of your volunteering role.

Categories

All volunteering is recorded under 4 categories:

• University Club/Society Committee Role – Any volunteering activity for a University of Chester/ Chester Students’ Union Sports Club or Society as a committee member. 
• Community Volunteering – Volunteering with organisations that are external to the University that are based within the UK e.g., with the Scouts, Charity shops etc. This can also include virtual volunteering opportunities. 
• University-led* – Any volunteering organised by the University of Chester, including Peer Mentoring, Students in Schools, Brightside Mentoring, Residential Living, any of our Student Led Projects and SERs. Volunteering with your academic department (unless you receive academic credit) would also fall under this category. *Please note, as Student Ambassadors are now paid this can no longer be recorded as volunteer hours
• International Volunteering – Any volunteering completed overseas. 

What can/can’t be recorded as Volunteering?

What can be Recorded	What Can’t be Recorded
University Club/Society Committee Role – Any volunteering activity for a University of Chester/  Chester Students’ Union Sports Club or Society as a committee member. This would include committee meetings, running events as part of the sport/ society.	You can not count just being a member of a club/society. Committee members can only include their committee hours, they cannot include hours spent e.g. playing in matches, training, society meetings, unless you are responsible for the running of that match/ meeting.
Community Volunteering – Volunteering with organisations that are external to the University that are based within the UK e.g. with the Scouts, Charity shops etc. This can also include virtual volunteering opportunities.	Activities which are unpaid but that are with profit making organisations. The only exception may be volunteering with festivals/ events which are supporting charitable initiatives or are offering free activities for the community. Activities which support family members or friends, including unpaid work for family businesses, caring for relatives or childcare for friends/ family.
University-led – Any volunteering organised by the University of Chester, including Peer Mentoring, Students in Schools, Brightside Mentoring, Residential Living, any of our Student Led Projects and SVRs (Previously SERs). Volunteering with your academic department (unless you receive academic credit) would also fall under this category.	Any activities which provide academic credit e.g. work based learning, study abroad, learning in the wider world modules. The only exception to this is where the student may have participated in additional hours to those required for the placement. If unsure please email volunteering@chester.ac.uk Student Ambassadors also cannot be counted.
International Volunteering – Any volunteering completed overseas.	Taking part in an activity such as a donation. We would count it if you were organising or helping with the running of the centre but not contributing to the donation itself.

 

Logging volunteer hours is done in 2 steps:

1.)Firstly a volunteer role must be set up under the correct category

2.) Then you can add volunteer hours to this role (once you have initially set up a role, you can keep adding to this)

Adding volunteer roles

 

1. From your Volunteer profile, select “Log Hours” (this can be found on the right-hand side of your profile page on a desktop or via your phone by first selecting volunteer profile via the drop down menu and then scrolling to the bottom of the page).

                                          Desktop view                     

 

                                                                  

                     Phone View

1. You will then need to choose which category your volunteering falls under. Please refer to the guidance above and select the correct category (If you are unsure which category to select, please contact the Team by emailing volunteering@chester.ac.uk)

                                Desktop view      

                                                                              
     Phone view

1. You will then need to provide further information about your volunteering role (i.e., Position,Organisation, when you started with them and when you finished (if you are still volunteeringwiththem,pleaseleavethisfieldblank)

 

Desktop view                                                                       

 

    Phone view

 Make sure to press save!

 

1. You can set up as many volunteer roles as you are participating in. They will appear as blue boxes on your “Log hours” section of your volunteer profile.

 

 

How to log hours

 

1. From your volunteer profile, select “Log hours and Skills”.
2. Select the role you wish to log hours for by clicking next to the role title "Log Hours and Skills" (this should appear as a blue box).
3. Once you have selected the role, two options will appear as pop-up boxes below the role, “Log hours” and “Log skills

                                              Desktop view                                                                                                    

  

   Phone view

 

1. Click on the red “Log Hours” box
2. You will then be directed to the Log Hours pop up.

               Desktop view                                                                                                    

  Phone view

1. To record your hours please select the date you volunteered, a quick

description of what you did (this doesn’t have to be much – just the role name) and then how many hours and minutes you volunteered for (don’t forget to include travel time!)

7. Keep adding hours for each date you have volunteered!

 

                               Desktop View

 

 

Phone View

 

For guidance on backdating large numbers of hours please see our guide on the Log Hours and Skills page of our Volunteer Hub

Backdating Hours Information

ANY QUESTIONS? Email the team or book a Volunteering appointment to discuss this further.