About Us

Maya Patel – Oxford Brookes University

Maya Patel – Co-Chair

Maya joined the SVN last year in the Engagement Team and is this year she is also looking forward to being the Co-Chair of the committee and continuing to working with universities across the UK. She has 7 years of experience as a  Volunteer Coordinator for a mental health charity and now is the Volunteer Coordinator at Oxford Brookes University. In her spare time she enjoys travelling when she can and volunteering at fundraising events.

Clara Boeker – Edinburgh University Students’ Association

Clara Boeker – Co-Chair

Clara is a Co-Chair of the SVN committee and is also a member of the Engagement team. She is the Community Volunteering Development Coordinator at the Edinburgh University Students’ Association. 

She is passionate about providing students with meaningful volunteering opportunities in the community, increasing a sense of belonging amongst students, as well as supporting local and national causes. 

Clara is a committed third sector professional with a strong focus on community engagement and volunteer management. In her spare time, Clara loves spending time with her cat, sewing machine, roller skates and sailing boat.

Leanne Shaw – University of York

Leanne Shaw – Vice Chair

Leanne is the Vice Chair of the SVN committee and is also a member of the Research & Impact team. She leads the York Students in Schools (YSIS) programme at the University of York, placing 500 student volunteers each year in local schools and nurseries to support children and young people’s learning and development.

She is passionate about educational outreach, creating opportunities that develop valuable skills while benefiting both volunteers and the local community. She is keen to support Volunteering Teams across the country to develop and share best practice.

Sammy Alcock – City, University of London

Sammy Alcock – Research and Impact Team

Sammy Alcock is on the Research and Impact team for the Student Volunteering Network, focussing on how we can share best practice and gain insight into the student volunteering picture on a national level. Sammy is the Senior Community Volunteering Officer at City, University of London and has previously worked in several student volunteering teams at other universities.

Samantha Lawrence – Birmingham City University

Samantha Lawrence – Research and Impact Team

Sam is the Volunteering Officer at Birmingham City University and is on the Research and Impact team for the Student Volunteering Network. Sam is also part of the Birmingham Volunteer Network and the Vision for Volunteering Strategic Group. In her free time Sam likes travelling and volunteers for Crohn’s and Colitis UK.

Florence Buckley – Queen Mary University Students’ Union

Florence Buckley – Engagement Team

Florence works as Volunteering and RAG Coordinator for Queen Mary Students’ Union, overseeing community volunteering, one-off opportunities, and student-led volunteering projects.

She is particularly interested in making volunteering opportunities more accessible to students and building a sense of community amongst student volunteers.

Richard Binnie – Royal Holloway University London

Richard Binnie – Engagement Team

Joined the Network after starting in my role at Royal Holloway.

I look after Student Volunteering Social Action Projects, the Festival of Volunteering  and the Volunteering Awards as well as looking after the relationships with our partners.

Georgia Bate – University of the West of England

Georgia Bate – Research and Impact Team

Georgia works at University of the West of England as their Civic and Community Engagement Coordinator. She is passionate about civic participation, community wellbeing and socially engaged arts.

She has worked for over 10 years in the charity and public sector – mostly in Bristol where she grew up.

Emma Allison – Durham University

Emma Allison – Engagement Team

Emma is a Volunteering Coordinator at Durham University. She looks after the student-led and community-based volunteering projects, helps coordinate events such as the annual Volunteering Awards and Student Volunteering Week, and much more!
Emma is passionate about making a positive impact in the local community and supporting students to achieve this. Her favourite volunteering activity to do in her free time is walking dogs at the local rehoming centre!