# Student volunteering at the Gathering **This page tells you about opportunities for student volunteering to help deliver the Gathering - the UK's largest free voluntary sector event.** The Gathering brings together 3,000 people from charities and voluntary organisations across Scotland for a free two-day event offering delegates 80+ seminars and workshops, networking and an exhibition to showcase their work. A big event takes lots of people to make it work! You could support thousands of people from hundreds of charities and gain experience to build your CV, all at once.  **Could you volunteer for one day or both, on your own or with classmates?** https://youtu.be/3X-d77\_qL3Y > ![Alex Thomson](https://files.scvo.scot/2024/06/alex.png) > > Volunteering at the Gathering means building real skills and experience while supporting hundreds of charities at once. You’ll be part of the team behind an event for 3,000 people, and see first-hand how a big event comes together. > > Alex Thomson, > SCVO Events Manager ### What you'll do ![](https://files.scvo.scot/2026/08/THEGATHERING-10.02.26_0072-large.jpg) Every year, enthusiastic and energetic volunteers help us deliver the Gathering supporting with: * Welcoming people as they arrive * Helping people find their sessions * Supporting attendees with access needs * Helping exhibitors set up their stands * Helping keep the catering areas running smoothly You can volunteer for one day or both, on your own or with your classmates. We're flexible around your timetable. The Gathering is open to delegates from 8:30am til 4pm each day but we need support with everything from set up, delivery to closing the event down. ### What you'll get in return You'll enjoy lots of benefits from spending some time to help us make this year's Gathering the best yet: * Real, large-scale event experience to add to your CV * Skills employers value, like communication, teamwork and problem-solving * The chance to meet people from organisations across Scotland and discover careers in the voluntary sector * A welcoming and inclusive environment open to people from all backgrounds * A reference or certificate of your volunteering * A behind-the-scenes look at Scotland’s voluntary sector * A full event briefing so you're clear on what to expect * Lunch, refreshments and a cosy Gathering event hoodie are on us ![](https://files.scvo.scot/2026/08/THEGATHERING-11.02.26_0471-large.jpg) ### Get involved Thank you so much for your interest in volunteering at the Gathering. Email us to learn more and sign up. If you'd like to get involved as a class, let us know! We'd love to hear from you. [Get in touch about volunteering](mailto:thegathering@scvo.scot) Lecturers, course leaders and education professionals: if you'd like to talk about how SCVO and your organisation could work together, we'd love to hear from you. Get in touch with our Business Development Manager, Ryan Donaghy. [Get in touch](mailto:ryan.donaghy@scvo.scot) ![](https://files.scvo.scot/2026/08/THEGATHERING-10.02.26_0426-large.jpg) ![](https://files.scvo.scot/2026/08/THEGATHERING-10.02.26_0776-1-large.jpg) ![](https://files.scvo.scot/2025/02/gat-roundup-2025-dropdown-img-1-600x464-1.png) --- ## About SCVO SCVO (Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations) is the national membership organisation for Scotland's voluntary sector. Our role is to champion the role of voluntary organisations in Scotland and to support them to do work that has a positive impact. SCVO supports members and the wider voluntary sector with all aspects of setting up and running a voluntary organisation. SCVO represents the needs and concerns of the voluntary sector to the Scottish government in Holyrood and UK government and Westminster. Through our learning and events programme SCVO offers training and development opportunities to the sector. Members access an extensive membership benefits package including specialist, in-depth, 1-to-1 guidance from our Information Services team and from professional service partners. Access to exclusive membership networks (including comms, employers, governance and policy) supports members to grow their connections, stay up to date, exchange ideas and views with peers, and learn through tailored learning opportunities. SCVO members enjoy free access to Funding Scotland Premium to stay on top of funding opportunities to support their organisation’s financial resilience. Discounts and savings on SCVO products and services (including our HR service, managed IT support, payroll service and events and training) and partner offers provide members with support to allow them to focus on delivering their organisation’s goals. Further SCVO products and services include [extensive digital support](https://scvo.scot/support/digital), a climate action resource [Growing Climate Confidence](https://climateconfident.scot), a voluntary sector publication [Third Force News](https://tfn.scot) and a voluntary sector jobs and recruitment service [Goodmoves](https://goodmoves.org). For more information on SCVO membership, visit [SCVO membership](https://scvo.scot/membership)