Students from the University of York have reached a new milestone, contributing more than 90,000 hours of community service across the city during the 2024/2025 academic year. This record-breaking effort provides a significant boost to the local region, with the value of the students’ work estimated at over £1.1 million based on the national living wage.
The achievement represents a major increase in local engagement, with volunteer hours rising by more than 163 per cent in just two years. In the 2022-2023 academic year, students contributed 34,201 hours to the community, a figure that was valued at £356,374 at the time.
More than 2,000 students were involved in these projects this year, supporting 18 different host organisations across York. This growth has been supported by the university’s move to build community service directly into academic studies. Through its Community Engaged Learning programme, the university has embedded volunteering into 12 taught modules across three faculties. This initiative currently involves more than 700 students working alongside 65 charitable organisations in York and the wider region.
The impact of this work was recognised on 7 May 2026 at the Student Community and Volunteering Awards held at The Merchant Taylors’ Hall. The event was attended by the Deputy Lord Mayor of York, Councillor Margaret Wells, who joined university leadership to celebrate the contributions made to local causes.
Among the standout efforts were the All Should Eat project, which collected 900 non-perishable food donations and raised nearly £700 for the youth homelessness charity Safe and Sound Homes (SASH). Additionally, student volunteers supported the Patchwork Kitchen Project, run by York City of Sanctuary, by helping refugee and migrant women through language support and the creation of a community cookbook.
The university continues to play a significant role in the area, contributing more than £1.78 billion to the local and national economy. These latest volunteering figures build on a long tradition of service, including the York Students in Schools programme, which recently celebrated 30 years of connecting students with local schools.
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