Volunteering

Student Council nominated The Women’s Aid movement as our charity of the year.

The Women's Aid movement in Northern Ireland began in 1975 and is made up of eight local Women’s Aid groups and Women’s Aid Federation.

Each Women’s Aid group offers a range of specialist services to women, children and young people who have experienced domestic abuse. They are all members of Women’s Aid Federation Northern Ireland.

The Ulster University Students’ Union, and it's members are committed to supporting Women's Aid NI to challenge attitudes, structures and systems which perpetuate domestic abuse and to ultimately enable women, children and young people to live free from violence and abuse.

This year UUSU ran a number of fundraising activities to help raise money as well as awareness for Women's Aid NI.

For a number of years UUSU has been volunteering for Mission Christmas. Mission Christmas is an annual project driven by the charity Cash for Kids. They help children across the UK who need it most, especially those affected by poverty, illness or neglect. Every year Mission Christmas aims to create a Christmas for every child.

Students, Students’ Union and University staff spent a day volunteering at Mission Christmas headquarters in December 2024.

Our artwork wall in Coleraine bar, as voted for by our members, was installed at the start of the 2024-5 academic year.

We installed five new digital screens across the Magee and Coleraine Students' Unions.

These screens are an effective tool in our student communications regarding our student services, campaigns and events.

We brought RAG (Raising & Giving) back after 10 years. We donated the money raised to three incredible charities to make a real difference! We’ve dedicated a worthwhile charity to each of our campuses, and every penny raised went to support these amazing causes.

UUSU Charity of the Year. Women’s Aid NI is dedicated to supporting women and children affected by domestic abuse. They provide a safe space, vital services, and advocacy to help those escaping violence and rebuilding their lives.

The Kevin Bell Repatriation Trust aims to alleviate the financial hardship of bereaved families repatriating the body (bodies) of loved one(s) who have died abroad in sudden or tragic circumstances back to Ireland.

The OddBalls Foundation is on a mission to raise awareness for men’s health, particularly in the fight against testicular cancer. Through fundraising, education, and support, they aim to break the stigma around discussing men's health issues and encourage early detection.

Connor O'Hagan (VP Sport & Wellbeing) and Reece Armstrong (VP Magee) held a Spinathon to raise money for Movember. They also hosted charity matches, 5k and a 5-a-side tournament.