Imperial at The Notting Hill Dinner Club

Two weeks ago, the Union put on a whole load of student volunteering opportunities as part of the national campaign of Student Volunteering

The Student Development team from Imperial College Union worked closely with the Notting Hill Community Church to get students involved in the evening as part of Student Volunteering Week. SVW is a nationwide campaign designed to get more students involved in volunteering in the UK. It also involves celebrating the impact of student volunteers in their communities, which the Union took part in via the Great Volunteer Thank You scheme. I got a postcard, it was great.

The Notting Hill Dinner Club involves opening Notting Hill Community Church up for anyone who may be in need of food, friendship or just a helping hand in life. Much more than simply a free three course meal, the Diner Club exists to offer hope, light and love to the people of Notting Hill and London. The church is always happy to have food donations for the evening.

As part of SVW, 34 Imperial students headed over, with both ‘Take Note’ A Cappella Group and Imperial College Gospel Choir making an appearance to sing for the attendees., creating a friedly relaxed atmosphere. The Imperial students helped out and chatted with the guests. Everyone was able to talk about a huge variety of topics because of the range of students and people there.

“Imperial College students made a huge difference attending the Dinner Club; their welcoming and engaging attitude with the guests was fantastic and really helped break down social barriers. We hope to continue working closely with the Dinner Club in the future.” said Lucinda Sandon-Allum, Imperial College Union President.

Overall it was a really lovely opportunity to get more involved in the local community. Student Volunteering Week seems to have gone as well as ever this year, excellent news for a campaign in its fifteenth year.