Wednesday 21-02-2018 - 15:22

Between lectures, assignments, part-time jobs, and everything else, we know it can be a challenge to set time aside to volunteer.  Microvolunteering involves small actions which fit into just a few minutes, and which you can do digitally from home. We've picked a few for you to try and let us know if you have a go!

 

Be My Eyes – an iPhone app that connects volunteers from around the world to visually impaired people, who request help for things such as checking the expiry date on labels.

 

Free Rice – a free vocabulary game where each correct definition of a word donates 10 grains of rice to the World Food Programme.

 

Loch Ness Live Cam – a webcam set up overlooking the Scottish loch for anyone to tune in and try to catch a glimpse of the elusive creature. If you see something that looks suspiciously serpentine, you simply click the “Snapshot” button to submit a picture for further analysis by researchers (a personal favourite here at The Union!).

 

Fold It – an online game where you can twist virtual chains of chemicals into energy efficient shapes. The most promising solutions are then synthesised in the lab and could lead to the creation of new medicines.

 

Cancer Research UK – solve puzzles that help show scientists how cancer cells work, allowing them to improve diagnosis and treatments.

 

Zooinverse – the world’s largest and most popular platform for people-powered research, made possible by volunteers.  Study authentic objects of interest gathered by researchers, like images of faraway galaxies, historical records and diaries, or videos of animals in their natural habitats and answer simple questions about to help researchers contribute to the understanding of our world, our history, our Universe, and more.

 

Get your voice heard – sign petitions to request they’re debated in parliament.

 

You can leave a lovely message on Refugee Action’s Welcome Wall. They’ll make sure it’s seen by refugees by displaying it in their centres.