Information for Parents and Carers

Who are Southampton Hub?

Southampton Hub is a local branch of the national charity, Student Hubs. Our team of volunteers and staff work in partnership with the University of Southampton and support students to run practical volunteering projects in the local community.

Southampton Hub have been active in the community since 2011 (see our history here).

What projects do you run?

We have several youth projects which we run both in the community and directly through schools. These are:

• Schools Plus (academic tutoring and clubs directly in schools and colleges)
• Invent Plus (Engineering workshops in primary schools)
• Libraries Plus (tutoring in local libraries to support with homework and revision)
• Branch Up (Saturday activity days for disadvantaged 7 - 11 year olds)
• Branch Up Active (Activity evenings with a focus on healthy, active lifestyles)
• Empower (in-school mentoring for secondary school students)
• Active (Sport mentoring in local youth clubs)

For care homes/organisations that work with vulnerable and older adults: LinkAges, a project which tackles social isolation by giving students the opportunity to meet residents of care homes in their home or at on-campus tea and cake events.

Is there anything I should be aware of?

Our volunteering projects only take place during the university academic term-time so projects do not run for the entire school term. The timeline for projects typicall looks like this:

• Late October - December: Schools Plus, Libraries Plus, Empower, Branch Up.
• December - January: No programme delivery due to holidays and exam period.
• February - mid-March: Schools Plus, Libraries Plus, Branch Up and Active.
• Mid-March onwards: Volunteering finishes for the year due to Easter holidays and the following exam period.
• May - June: Branch Up and Branch Up Active.
• June onwards: No programme delivery due to summer break and graduation.

All of our volunteers working directly with young people or vulnerable adults are expected to undergo a DBS check. These are processed by oursleves or directly with schools and colleges. Volunteers are also expected to attend a training session delivered by the staff team and complete safeguarding training.

Who will be my main contact during the project?

Staff generally will be your main contact whenever needed, however once this project launches, student coordinators will take most of the communication as they will be there in person. Our projects are led by students and it is an excellent opportunity for them to lead others, engage with partners in a professional way, and get career-ready experience. In practice this will mean students speaking to you about project logistics, weekly contact and check-ins, making you aware of any volunteer attendance issues or general feedback from students.

Staff meet student coordinators on a weekly basis and support all students coordinators and volunteers with training and issues. The staff team are available to discuss issues either by email, over the phone or in person with you throughout any stage of the project if you need them.

Who do I contact about a Southampton Hub programme?

Get in touch with Sophie Ford, Southampton Hub Programmes Manager, at sophie.ford@southamptonhub.org or by calling 0203 958 6318, who will be able to talk about practicalities and next steps.