Evidence shows that our wellbeing is affected dramatically by how we think and what we do from day to day. As noted in our 5 Simple Steps to Wellbeing post, those who are proactive and show a greater interest in helping others often have an increased sense of purpose and are happier themselves. To put it simply, giving empowers everyone – the recipient and the donor.
There are several ways you can give over your time at UWTSD. Here are some ideas:
Give Blood
Wales
The Welsh Blood Service relies solely on voluntary donations to maintain blood supplies to Welsh hospitals.
It’s safe, only takes 5-10 minutes to donate, and makes a real, tangible difference. Each donation could potentially save up to three lives. Find out if you’re able to donate and sign up to register here.
England
Or if you’re based in England you can see if you’re eligible to donate, register online and find a donation location near you on the NHS Blood Donation website
If you’re unable to donate blood, why not consider signing up to donate stem cells? You can register through the Welsh Blood Service or by requesting a swab pack from Anthony Nolan.
Create a ‘Dignity Pack’
Working with Matthew’s House, a charity who support Swansea’s homeless, you can donate a number of products including tampons, underarm sprays and underwear, which will help to give vulnerable homeless women back their dignity.
Why not get together with a group of friends and chip in towards a dignity pack? A gesture like this could make a huge difference. Find out more here.
Gain yourself some valuable experience by signing up to volunteer in a number of their projects. You’ll be making a genuine difference in the city centre, meet loads of interesting people, and it’ll look great on your CV.
Donate Old Clothes and Furniture
It’s easy to accumulate lots of ‘stuff’ while you’re a student. At the end of the academic year, why not consider donating your used clothes or furniture to charity?
Moving out soon? Drop off your donations at a charity shop or donation bank, or arrange a collection with British Heart Foundation.
You can also pick up a clothing donation bag from the accommodation team in Carmarthen, Lampeter and Swansea. Not in halls? Email accommodation@uwtsd.ac.uk to find out how
Remember items for donation need to be of a good, usable quality.
Search Engines for Good
Did you know that even making subtle changes like switching your search engine could have a positive impact?
Choosing a different search engine could allow you to support good causes by doing something most people do every day – browsing the internet.
Some search engines will donate money from advertising or sponsors to charities, or they might promise to plant a tree every time you hit ‘search’.
It won’t cost you anything.
Here’s a few we like:
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- ‘Tab for a Cause‘ – Will donate money to charity every time you open a new tab – perfect for when you’re researching that dissertation
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- ‘Ecosia’ – Uses revenue from your searches to plant trees where they’re needed most
- ‘Sleedo’ – Donates rice with every search
Just set one as your homepage.
Your Leftovers…
Ever misjudged your food supply and been left with a cupboard-full at the end of an academic year?
Instead of leaving it in your halls of residence or throwing it away, why not donate it to a food bank?
The accommodation team at UWTSD are collecting donations for local food banks and are encouraging students to contribute unopened, non-perishable food items through the university halls of residence.
Blue crates will be dropped off in halls for collection, but if you’re not staying with us you can still get involved by dropping off your items to the accommodation office on campus, or at your local food bank.
In addition to being more sustainable, the helps to prevent local families from going hungry. Everybody wins.
https://swansea.foodbank.org.uk/
https://carmarthen.foodbank.org.uk/
You can also join a community like OLIO, an app that connects neighbours with each other and local shops so that surplus food can be shared and not thrown away. This is a brilliant way to repurpose your leftovers, connect to people in your community, and make a positive environmental impact.
If you’re involved in an initiative that’s doing some good, let us know @UWTSDStudents and we’ll add it to the post.
