Volunteers making an impact

Making a positive impact and transforming lives for the better, globally and locally, is the driving force behind what we do at Durham University.

One way we make a difference in our city, county and region is through the huge volunteering efforts of our staff and students.

Since Student Community Action began back in 1989, volunteering at the University has grown and grown. We support staff to volunteer in work time, and enable student volunteering across many, many great charities and initiatives.

A successful year of volunteering

During 2024, more than 800 of our staff undertook volunteering, supporting more than 150 charities in County Durham and North East England. That includes 165 team challenges, and totals more than 10,000 hours – making a difference across education, health, social care, and care for the environment.

Causes to benefit include Durham Wildlife Trust, Wharton Park, Old Durham Gardens, and many schools and sports clubs.

I was recently very pleased to accept the voluntary role of honorary president of Nepacs, a charity that works across the region to ensure people impacted by contact with the justice or social care systems feel heard and empowered. It was a privilege to visit Nepacs’ centre at HMP Durham last month.

If you are connected with a local charity or cause that you think could benefit from support from our staff or students, please get in touch.

Congratulations to our graduates, and honorary graduates

The start of the year at the University means Winter Congregation. More than 1,000 graduates collected their degrees across six ceremonies at the Cathedral last week (January 9-10).

We were very pleased to welcome back our Chancellor, Bishop Auckland-born former US Presidential adviser Fiona Hill, and to award honorary degrees to Sir Jonathan Jones KC, astrophysicist Professor George Efstathiou, County Durham-born television presenter Matt Baker, and, posthumously, the late Suzanne Duncan, formerly Principal of East Durham College.

All four have been leaders in their fields and exemplify our ethos of inspiring the extraordinary. Our graduates achieve outstanding feats, not least on the recent University Challenge festive special. We look forward to seeing what this year’s graduating class go on to accomplish, both here in Durham and around the world.

Find out more

- Find out more about our staff and student volunteering.
- Read more about the Vice-Chancellor's work with Nepacs.
- Discover more about Winter Congregation.