Volunteer Hub
Student Angels Night-time Safety Volunteer
Organisation Details
UMSU Wellbeing Projects
Activity type: Community Work, Drugs, Alcohol and Addictions, LGBT+, Race and Ethnicity, Youth Work and Young People
Sub theme: Disability, Drugs, Alcohol and Addictions, Health and Wellbeing, Homeless and Housing, Human and Civil Rights, LGBT+, Mental Health, Race and Ethnicity, Youth Work and Young People
Stellify Award: This opportunity is part of 'Make a Difference'
Organisation Description: The University of Manchester's Student's Union is a independent charity that engages in fundraising, volunteering and wellbeing projects to better student welfare and enhance diversity, inclusion, and acceptance.
Description of role: Are you passionate about the Manchester community and looking out for one another? Would you like to be involved in a campaign that offers a community-based alternative to keeping each other safe?
Then we warmly invite you to become a Student Angel! Student Angels is a night-time safety initiative organised by the Students’ Union, in collaboration with Manchester City Council, which involves teams of trained student volunteers heading out into the Manchester University and Oxford Road area to support and assist community members who may be at risk.
Last year, Student Angels supported more than 1,500 people in need and, with your help, we could support even more in 2025/2026!
WHAT CAN I EXPECT OF A STUDENT ANGELS VOLUNTEERING SHIFT?
Each shift consists of a small team of approximately 3 volunteers (you will never be alone!) who are active in the Oxford Road Corridor area, equipped with a backpack carrying a range of equipment, such as a first aid kit, anti-spiking covers, hydration pouches, foil blankets, menstrual products and much more. As a team, you will be equipped to help the Manchester community with a variety of presented problems, such as being in distress, intoxicated, injured and in need of first aid, needing assistance travelling home safely or being directed to a safe space and so forth. The core of Student Angels’ work is to protect, care for and support those in need.
Volunteer shifts are scheduled on Friday or Saturday nights from 10pm – 3am (with occasional shifts on other days for special events, such as protest marches and festivals). Our shifts are flexible and we work around you, as you sign up at your own will – there is no pressure or strict schedule and we are very grateful for any time you can commit!
On shift, you will also be provided with a £7.50 food and drink allowance, regular breaks and all transport costs are covered (we can provide a taxi straight home at the end of a shift so you don’t have to travel home late on your own!).
Our volunteers develop a strong sense of community and friendship throughout the programme and there are regular socials organised and events you can attend if you wish!
HOW WILL I BE PREPARED TO DO THIS COMMUNITY-CARE WORK?
Don’t panic! We know Student Angels’ work is a big responsibility but we would never send you on a shift without being confident you have been fully prepared! Before your first shift, you will be provided with full first-aid training as well as wellbeing training. There are also optional training modules you can undertake, including: water safety and mental health and suicide-prevention training, women and marginalised gender’s safety training. We also have exciting opportunities to network with other safety organisations, such as the LGBT+ Foundation, The Women's Night-time Safety Charter, MHFA England, and St. Johns Ambulance. You will gain vital training experience and/or qualifications for a majority of real-world jobs and you will feel prepared to help those in need.
As a community-care based programme, we are all about skill-sharing and want to emphasise it is absolutely ok if you don’t have any experience in this kind of role before joining! It is most important that you have a willingness to learn as you go and a passion for supporting the community!
WHAT COULD MY TYPICAL DUTIES ON-SHIFT INCLUDE?
- Providing a friendly and approachable safe-point for any member of the public to access, should they be in need of help, advice or support
- Being able to handle sensitive-subject matter and support people accordingly
- Provide first-aid to injured individuals
- Identify high-risk individuals and intervene during a safety concern
- Engage in brief interventions with community members around a variety of issues – for example, concerning mental health, sexual wellbeing, substance abuse, etc
- Provide harm-reducing resources – such as anti-spiking covers or hydration packs – to those in need
- Aid lost or disoriented individuals, perhaps by providing directions or organising transport to get them home safely
- Aid unhoused community members based on their needs, perhaps by providing resources such as foil blankets and hydration packs or sitting down for a chat if they express feeling lonely
- Provide first-response mental health support to anyone in distress
- Maintain regular contact on the Nitenet radio system with ambulance services, fire services, and safety services, and work alongside them, aiding their efforts, when needed
- Escalate serious issues to emergency services and identify safeguarding concerns
- Fill out shift documentation sheets, summarising each shift and providing data engagement statistics of specific issues, to provide a valid in-sight into current safety issues and concerns within the Manchester community
WHAT KIND OF (TRANSFERABLE) SKILLS WILL I DEVELOP AS A STUDENT ANGEL?
Volunteering with Student Angels will provide you with a lot of experience in real-world scenarios where you can develop key skills that are transferable in multiple future career paths. Some of these skills will include:
- Problem-solving on the spot in potentially high-pressure situations
- Approaching and speaking to a diverse range of people with confidence
- Willingness to engage with sensitive and potentially upsetting topics, such as sexual wellbeing, harassment and discrimination
- Deeper understanding of key night-time safety issues
- Understanding of the importance and practice of confidentiality and data security
- Effectively working with others to reach common goals
- Effectively using initiative to solve problems independently when necessary
- Ability to stay calm and follow protocol in challenging scenarios, such as when assisting an injured or distressed person
- Ability to act as an ‘active bystander’ when harassment or discrimination takes place (being prepared to identify harassment, intervene and offer support unexpectedly)
- Aligning with our stance as a sex-positive, LGTBTQ-friendly programme that takes a harm reduction approach to substance use and sexual wellbeing
- Developing a wider understanding of people from diverse backgrounds and a commitment to confronting discrimination against all marginalised groups
Sounds like you? Register your interest today for more information and/or sign up to be a volunteer!
Got a query? Speak to our UMSU Student Angels Assistant at inclusion.su@manchester.ac.uk about any questions or concerns you may have. We're here to help!
The Students’ Union welcomes and encourages all students to get involved in volunteering. As a Union we do not discriminate based on background and we welcome students from all ethnicities, genders, religious backgrounds, sexual orientations, ages, socio-economic backgrounds and disabilities.
We aim to support all students in their application process and during volunteering. Should you need any help, and/or adjustments with the application or wider volunteering process please contact the Students’ Union Volunteering and Fundraising team at: volunteering.su@manchester.ac.uk.
Then we warmly invite you to become a Student Angel! Student Angels is a night-time safety initiative organised by the Students’ Union, in collaboration with Manchester City Council, which involves teams of trained student volunteers heading out into the Manchester University and Oxford Road area to support and assist community members who may be at risk.
Last year, Student Angels supported more than 1,500 people in need and, with your help, we could support even more in 2025/2026!
WHAT CAN I EXPECT OF A STUDENT ANGELS VOLUNTEERING SHIFT?
Each shift consists of a small team of approximately 3 volunteers (you will never be alone!) who are active in the Oxford Road Corridor area, equipped with a backpack carrying a range of equipment, such as a first aid kit, anti-spiking covers, hydration pouches, foil blankets, menstrual products and much more. As a team, you will be equipped to help the Manchester community with a variety of presented problems, such as being in distress, intoxicated, injured and in need of first aid, needing assistance travelling home safely or being directed to a safe space and so forth. The core of Student Angels’ work is to protect, care for and support those in need.
Volunteer shifts are scheduled on Friday or Saturday nights from 10pm – 3am (with occasional shifts on other days for special events, such as protest marches and festivals). Our shifts are flexible and we work around you, as you sign up at your own will – there is no pressure or strict schedule and we are very grateful for any time you can commit!
On shift, you will also be provided with a £7.50 food and drink allowance, regular breaks and all transport costs are covered (we can provide a taxi straight home at the end of a shift so you don’t have to travel home late on your own!).
Our volunteers develop a strong sense of community and friendship throughout the programme and there are regular socials organised and events you can attend if you wish!
HOW WILL I BE PREPARED TO DO THIS COMMUNITY-CARE WORK?
Don’t panic! We know Student Angels’ work is a big responsibility but we would never send you on a shift without being confident you have been fully prepared! Before your first shift, you will be provided with full first-aid training as well as wellbeing training. There are also optional training modules you can undertake, including: water safety and mental health and suicide-prevention training, women and marginalised gender’s safety training. We also have exciting opportunities to network with other safety organisations, such as the LGBT+ Foundation, The Women's Night-time Safety Charter, MHFA England, and St. Johns Ambulance. You will gain vital training experience and/or qualifications for a majority of real-world jobs and you will feel prepared to help those in need.
As a community-care based programme, we are all about skill-sharing and want to emphasise it is absolutely ok if you don’t have any experience in this kind of role before joining! It is most important that you have a willingness to learn as you go and a passion for supporting the community!
WHAT COULD MY TYPICAL DUTIES ON-SHIFT INCLUDE?
- Providing a friendly and approachable safe-point for any member of the public to access, should they be in need of help, advice or support
- Being able to handle sensitive-subject matter and support people accordingly
- Provide first-aid to injured individuals
- Identify high-risk individuals and intervene during a safety concern
- Engage in brief interventions with community members around a variety of issues – for example, concerning mental health, sexual wellbeing, substance abuse, etc
- Provide harm-reducing resources – such as anti-spiking covers or hydration packs – to those in need
- Aid lost or disoriented individuals, perhaps by providing directions or organising transport to get them home safely
- Aid unhoused community members based on their needs, perhaps by providing resources such as foil blankets and hydration packs or sitting down for a chat if they express feeling lonely
- Provide first-response mental health support to anyone in distress
- Maintain regular contact on the Nitenet radio system with ambulance services, fire services, and safety services, and work alongside them, aiding their efforts, when needed
- Escalate serious issues to emergency services and identify safeguarding concerns
- Fill out shift documentation sheets, summarising each shift and providing data engagement statistics of specific issues, to provide a valid in-sight into current safety issues and concerns within the Manchester community
WHAT KIND OF (TRANSFERABLE) SKILLS WILL I DEVELOP AS A STUDENT ANGEL?
Volunteering with Student Angels will provide you with a lot of experience in real-world scenarios where you can develop key skills that are transferable in multiple future career paths. Some of these skills will include:
- Problem-solving on the spot in potentially high-pressure situations
- Approaching and speaking to a diverse range of people with confidence
- Willingness to engage with sensitive and potentially upsetting topics, such as sexual wellbeing, harassment and discrimination
- Deeper understanding of key night-time safety issues
- Understanding of the importance and practice of confidentiality and data security
- Effectively working with others to reach common goals
- Effectively using initiative to solve problems independently when necessary
- Ability to stay calm and follow protocol in challenging scenarios, such as when assisting an injured or distressed person
- Ability to act as an ‘active bystander’ when harassment or discrimination takes place (being prepared to identify harassment, intervene and offer support unexpectedly)
- Aligning with our stance as a sex-positive, LGTBTQ-friendly programme that takes a harm reduction approach to substance use and sexual wellbeing
- Developing a wider understanding of people from diverse backgrounds and a commitment to confronting discrimination against all marginalised groups
Sounds like you? Register your interest today for more information and/or sign up to be a volunteer!
Got a query? Speak to our UMSU Student Angels Assistant at inclusion.su@manchester.ac.uk about any questions or concerns you may have. We're here to help!
The Students’ Union welcomes and encourages all students to get involved in volunteering. As a Union we do not discriminate based on background and we welcome students from all ethnicities, genders, religious backgrounds, sexual orientations, ages, socio-economic backgrounds and disabilities.
We aim to support all students in their application process and during volunteering. Should you need any help, and/or adjustments with the application or wider volunteering process please contact the Students’ Union Volunteering and Fundraising team at: volunteering.su@manchester.ac.uk.
Skills / qualities associated with the role: Customer Service, Leadership, Oral Communication Skills, Practical Skills, Team Working
Are volunteer expenses available?: Yes
Duration of role: Ongoing / Long term
Opportunity times: Friday Evening, Saturday Evening
DBS required: On
Can reasonable adjustments be made regarding additional needs?: Yes
Is this organisation part of the Sports Volunteering Scheme (SVS)?: No
Minimum hours commitment: 5
Location:
UMSU, Oxford Road
Manchester
M13 9PR