Volunteering at the Festival of Higher Education
Volunteers who are central to our Festival of HE – here’s the details you need on getting involved
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The Festival of Higher Education from Wonkhe and the University of London – 11-12 November 2025 – is a fantastic event that many people working in the sector consider a highlight of the year.
It brings student officers, vice chancellors, lecturers and other experts together to discuss the big issues of the day in a relaxed and engaging atmosphere.
A huge factor in the success of the event is its volunteers who are central to the delivery on the day but also the positive experience that delegates have. We’re outlining what we expect of volunteers and what you can expect from us.
What volunteering looks like on the day
The event is a dynamic one and as such you might have a range of tasks.
Broadly though it could include helping getting all the delegates registered at the start of the event, guiding them to the right rooms for sessions and then to their chairs once they are in the room, supporting sessions by providing roaming microphone support, signposting lunch or meeting and greeting some of the excellent speakers on the day.
It’s a varied and fun role.
Will I get to see sessions?
Yes. We make sure that everyone has some time in the sessions. You won’t necessarily be able to choose which ones you go on but every volunteer will be able to see some of the event’s content while in the sessions.
Will I get breaks?
Yes. What this looks like depends in the number of volunteers available but we’ll make sure that there is plenty of downtime for volunteers.
What support will I get?
Volunteers will be supported by the team at Wonkhe and our friend and SU governance expert Nick Smith – who will be your lead on the day.
To support you there will be
- Training on your role in advance of the event
- Travel costs
- Accommodation if you can’t commute in to London on the days
- Food on the day
- An invite to the thank you event at the end of the 2 days (please come to this!)
- A commemorative volunteer T-shirt
We also know that volunteers enjoy the day (many come back for other events!) and make connections while undertaking the work. Though we can’t guarantee friendship as easily as we can a T-shirt it’s worth a mention!
How can I sign up?
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