Volunteering and activism

Bring about real change in the community with Oxford Hub!

We are a charity working to build a more equal, resilient, and connected Oxford. We run volunteering programmes and collaborative projects that support people to participate and thrive in their community, and to bring about systemic change.

Making a difference

Oxford is an amazing city, but it also has inequalities. There's so much you can do as a student to challenge this inequality while you're living here...

• Support local people to thrive
• Increase your sense of belonging to the city, your wellbeing, and your sense of agency (power to create change in the world)
• Develop transferable skills beyond your degree, such as teamwork and leadership
• Meet and collaborate with other like-minded students and members of the wider Oxford community
• Change the system for a better, more equal city.

There’s something for everyone, so sign up to the Hub newsletter to hear about volunteering, events, careers and more.

Current projects

• Schools Plus - Tackle educational inequality by tutoring a local young person, between 7-18 years old, in your preferred subject for one hour a week – or join the Schools Plus Committee to help run the programme behind the scenes.
• Big Brothers Big Sisters - Big Brothers Big Sisters is our long-term mentoring programme for young people who'd benefit from a positive adult role model. Meet up weekly with a local young person aged 7-11, take them on fun activities, and be a committed regular presence in their life for at least one full year. This is a high-commitment, high-impact volunteering role.

Read more about volunteering opportunities available with Oxford Hub.

Oxford Hub provides a bespoke volunteering support service for Scholars. This includes support through exclusive events, placements, one-on-one support meetings, and high quality programmes that count towards your goal of 25 hours of volunteering a year.

Read more about Oxford Hub's support for Crankstart Scholars.

Students can join Oxford SU’s Raise and Give (RAG) to support fundraising efforts through some great events for four charities chosen by our students. From hitchhiking around Europe and beyond in Jailbreak, to walking the runway at the RAG Fashion Show, to dancing the night away at the RAG Ball, there’s something for everybody.

Read more about RAG fundraising events and chosen charities.

At Oxford, student representation operates through Oxford's Student Union (Oxford SU) - the independent, student-led body that brings student voices into the heart of University decision-making. Oxford SU is run by students for students and all Oxford students are part of it. 

Student insight plays an important role in how the University develops and improves and this work is supported through partnership between students, Oxford Students’ Union (Oxford SU) and the University. 

Read about why Your voice matters.

A Junior Common Room (JCR) is both the cohort of undergraduate students at a college and the physical space in college where students can meet, socialise

JCR committees are student-led bodies that represent all undergraduate students within a college, focusing on welfare, academic support, and social life. Committee positions are elected by the JCR with terms usually lasting one year.

Information produced by college JCRs for prospective applicants, including Alternative Prospectuses and application advice, can be found by visiting the Common Room Mini-Sites on the Oxford SU website. 

Oxford SU's Conference of Common Rooms (CCR) brings together JCR Presidents to discuss shared interests, address students' concerns and build a collective voice.

Read more about the Conference of Common Rooms.

Representative Committees (RepComs) are a termly forum for representatives of communities to deal with matters of shared interest and common purpose, ensuring representation of those groups at all levels of the University and its constituent colleges. Students can attend, speak at, and observe these meetings if they self-define as part of the relevant group.

Current RepComs include:

• Class RepCom
• Disabled Students’ RepCom
• LGBTQ+ RepCom
• International Students’ RepCom
• Black and Ethnic Minorities Student RepCom
• Suspended Students’ RepCom
• Women*s RepCom

Read more about RepComs at the Oxford SU.