Friends group supporting students at University of Buckingham seeks more members

Do you fancy helping an overseas student with conversational English? Or joining them for a de-stressing animal petting session? Or perhaps going to a talk by Sir Tim Rice?The Friends of the University of Buckingham, a voluntary group which aims to help students to have the best experience while they are at Buckingham, has started a recruitment drive.

Chair of the Friends, Graham Barker, said: "The rewards reaped far outweigh the effort put in. The students are a fantastic lot and being able to interact with them whether at an informal coffee session, formal tree planting, talk by a famous speaker or one to one is so enriching.

"As well as meeting students, it's great to get to know the university's work. We had a really fascinating tour of the AI and computing lab, including trying out ‘virtual flying’, which was an amazing experience.

"The sweeping grounds down to the river enable us to have a lovely Strawberries and Pimm’s evening in the summer, which is a great way of meeting members and sharing ideas.

"We like to make donations when we can and were delighted to donate some money to the Wellbeing Department for students who need extra help with learning.

"There are opportunities to organise events and also go to see speakers such as Sir Tim Rice and Mary Archer with other members. If you are thinking about volunteering, there is really a huge range of opportunities."

There are also monthly lunches for Friends in the university refectory and other social events.

Vice-chancellor James Tooley said: "The Friends have had an outstanding year. There has been walking with alpacas, an afternoon tea for overseas students and much, much more. The university is so lucky to have such an active and dedicated voluntary group to support it.

"Members really enjoy the social side as well as the volunteering. The Friends are a credit to the university."

Seventy new members joined the Friends following a recruitment drive last year, enabling the group to be much more active in its volunteering.

To find out more, visit The Friends' website.