Join Transition St Andrews

If nothing else, Transition is about getting involved in your local community. Transition is made up of people all across the University and local community. Coming together, we are taking practical action on the climate crisis, building community resilience, and cultivating a shared vision of a fairer, low carbon future. The ways to get involved:

1. Join our Steering Group which drives Transition forwards
2. Take on an internship
3. Explore research opportunities
3. Get involved in regular volunteer sessions
4. If you are part of another organisation, group, or society, why not collaborate with us on projects and events
5. Utilise our services like The Tree, Bike Pool or Tool Share
6. Attend our events

Why Should I Volunteer with Transition?

Wrapping our heads around environmental issues can often leave us feeling lost and hopeless. This is what inspired the Transition movement. As a grassroots group, Transition is about bringing people together, making climate action fun and celebrating our community and the work we are doing. Taking local action on the climate crisis is one of the best ways to tangibly make a difference.

Not to mention, the Transition community is full of colourful, kind and creative folk who are worth meeting!

Volunteering Opportunities

See below to find our more about the various volunteer opportunities that we have on offer or are present around the University. Under each of them you can click to directly email the project lead.

Steering Group Member

The Transition Steering Group are responsible for shaping our vision and direction. Elections for the Steering Group are held during Candlemas semester.

Videographer

This role involves the creation of short films illustrating the work of Transition for public use as well as recording events and activities for use in publicity and on social media.

Garden Leader (Edible Campus)

Co-ordinating volunteers and organising gardening sessions for one of our 14 community gardens across St Andrews, as part of the Edible Campus project.

Garden Volunteer (Edible Campus)

To assist with gardening work at one or more Edible Campus gardens, our community food-growing project.

Tool Share Volunteer

To assist with the practical running of our Toolshare project, which loans out and maintains a wide range of tools to the local community.

St AndReuse Volunteer

To assist with the practical running of our Toolshare project, which loans out and maintains a wide range of tools to the local community.

Skillshare Host

We are always looking for friendly members of the community to host skill shares. Let us know! It is a great way to meet people and learn a new skill or hobby.

Bike Pool Mechanic

Helping to maintain and undertake minor repairs on bicycles brought to the St Andrews Bike Pool Workshops as well as sharing information on how to best maintain bikes.

Cycle Ride Leaders

We’re looking for individuals to lead and support led cycle rides – as a ride leader you get to help others progress and hone your skills at the same time.

Air Quality Monitoring Volunteer

Working in pairs, you’ll undertake a walk or cycle around St Andrews once per week whilst carrying a portable air quality monitor to collect information on air quality in St Andrews.

Liftshare Champion

Carsharing is one of the easiest ways to reduce our Co2e and mitigate the impact of climate change. We’re on the hunt for volunteers to lead the way in changing travel behaviour amongst students and staff.

Active Travel Champions

Active Travel Champions are bound by the desire and drive to help support or deliver active travel initiatives in the local area. The message is clear – for the sake of people and planet lets work on delivering and spreading the word around the most efficient and environmentally friendly ways to get around.

Climate Conversations Volunteer

Helping to promote and facilitate our Climate Conversations programme, which helps people learn about climate change and carbon reduction in an inspiring way.

Hall Environment Rep

Contributing towards the campaign for reduction of energy use in Halls of Residence and using social media to engage with hall residents and promote the Interhall Environment Competition.

Conservation Action Volunteer

You will be involved in practical activities supporting the development of the St Andrews Forest – a community project seeking to identify, design and create new woodland in and around St Andrews.

Bioblitz Volunteer

On an average year the Bioblitz sees Transition come together with a number of different University departments, local schools and townsfolk to survey wildlife, host talks and learn about our local nature. 

Research and Project Opportunities

We offer a number of opportunities for both students and members of the community to support us with our research, including the opportunity to undertake a dissertation or thesis on an environmental or sustainability topic with support from Transition or Environment Team staff.

Living Labs

Through Living Labs, Transition enables links between practice, teaching and research in and around St Andrews. We aim to support students in having a direct and positive impact in the local environment and community.

Community PV Study

This project will analyse the opportunities for working with community groups to expand PV onto community buildings and/or land with the support of Climate Action Fife.

Electric Vehicles in Fife Study

This study will scrutinise the policy of Fife Council in relation to EV charging infrastructure and explore how this can be improved, with a particular focus on whether the current policy is progressive enough to help meet Zero Carbon targets.