As part of the Student Volunteering Week 2026 campaign, C3SC was honoured to catch up with Haneen Kablan to capture her experiences of volunteering. Haneen is a long-term student volunteer, having gained experience with one of C3SC’s member organisations, Welsh Refugee Council. Haneen’s volunteering experience has seen her be recognised in C3SC’s established Cardiff Volunteer Awards in the last few years – more specifically in the Young Volunteer of the Year award category. Alongside volunteering, Haneen is also a full-time student at Cardiff University, studying Law.
Read the full interview below to learn more about Haneen – and be sure to be inspired as Haneen takes us through her motivations of starting volunteering:
1. What inspired you to start volunteering?
Growing up with parents who immigrated to the UK, I saw first hand how volunteering can make a difference. My parents faced many barriers at the beginning of their journeys; from language barriers to work experience barriers, it was evident to them that they needed to go the extra mile to get where they wanted to be. Those who were volunteering their own time to translate documents and sign post them to the correct jobs and communities pushed them to be where they are today. They became the comfort my parents needed in a foreign country, allowing them to flourish and get to a place where they could themselves do the same. As a result, my inspiration comes from my parents’ experiences which highlighted the importance of supporting your community when you are in a more fortunate position.
2. Can you describe a moment when you realised the difference your volunteering was making?
It is not in every job that you get appreciated and thanked on a call with a client. Those moments of appreciation are worth a million. My volunteering with the Welsh Refugee Council helping asylum seekers fill out forms has been the greatest evidence of the difference you can make. Being one friendly voice provides them with so much comfort that you start to feel guilty that you ever took what you have now in life for granted. My time as a scout leader has meant that I can be the person I used to look up to when I was the same age as these young people. Overall, volunteering has not just been amazing in allowing me to give back to the community, but also be the role model my younger self would look up to.
3. What advice would you give to other students considering volunteering?
Don’t consider it. Do it. Volunteering has honestly aided me so much in my career and education. It is not just about gaining the right skills and giving up your own time, but keeping us humble. As a young person who, admittedly, is chronically online, volunteering has meant that I can take a step back and see how fortunate I really am. It has pushed me harder in my education knowing that other people would wish to be in the position I am today. These moments away from social media have also aided me in my career choices, showing me what really matters. Not how much money I make in a job, but the social benefit I can have.
4. How do you see your role as a volunteer evolving in the future?
Hopefully, volunteering will always be a part of my life, as I grow it grows with me. As I am studying Law, I hope to progress and be able to undertake Pro Bono cases.
5. What are your future goals and how might your volunteer experience help you achieve them?
My future goal is to use my Law degree for the benefit of society. My volunteer experience has already helped me greatly by being something I wrote about in my personal statement during UCAS season. It has given me the skills to deal with sensitive information efficiently and communicate in a manner that is effective.
We’d like to thank Haneen for her time in talking to C3SC about her volunteering experience while being a student. Haneen’s journey is a powerful reminder that volunteering is more than just a line on a CV; and our friendly team would be happy to help you start your journey today. Get in touch – contact us on 029 2048 5722 or email volunteer@c3sc.org.uk.
