One RSS volunteer wanted to meet more statisticians in their local area. Another wanted to use their skills to help a charity. Another said yes to a committee role and found themselves influencing the future direction of the Society.
These experiences may sound very different, but they all started in the same place: volunteering.
RSS volunteers give their time freely. So why do so many of them keep coming back?
When people think about volunteering with the RSS, they often picture committees, meetings and events. But volunteering can also mean helping a charity make better use of data, inspiring students to see statistics in a new light, contributing to policy discussions, or building connections across the global statistical community.
This Volunteers' Week, we asked our members what volunteering with the RSS actually looks like and what makes it worthwhile.
Building connections and communities
For many volunteers, the starting point is community.
Statistics is a broad and diverse discipline, which means it can be hard to connect with your peers. Some statisticians and data scientists might even spend much of their working lives as the only person with their expertise in their organisation or team. Volunteering through local groups, sections and committees helps create spaces where people can meet others with shared interests, exchange ideas and build professional networks.
As RSS member Dr Jia Shao explains:
“I’m proud to help bring together researchers with shared interests in my local community: creating a space where we can collaborate, exchange ideas, and grow together. As an Asian woman, I was glad to be heard and to see that diverse voices truly matter at every level.”
For members looking to become more involved in the Society, volunteering at a local level is often one of the most accessible ways to start.
Helping statistics inform public debate
Many of our volunteers are motivated by a sense of purpose. At a time when public debates are increasingly shaped by data—and when trust in evidence can never be taken for granted—many RSS members want to help ensure that statistical thinking informs decisions that affect society. Volunteering offers a way to contribute that expertise beyond their day-to-day roles.
Through advisory groups, task forces and policy-focused activities, members help the Society respond to major national conversations and provide evidence-informed perspectives on issues ranging from the UK statistical system to public health and artificial intelligence. Much of the RSS’s influence in these areas depends on volunteers who are willing to share their knowledge and experience.
As Dr Jiao Song explains:
“What keeps me coming back is the shared sense of purpose… everyone is working towards the same goal of using statistics to support society in meaningful ways.”
Whether responding to emerging challenges or contributing specialist expertise, volunteers help ensure that statistical thinking has a voice where it matters most.
Helping people engage with statistics
To some people, statistics can seem intimidating, overly technical or disconnected from the issues they care about. Many RSS volunteers are motivated by a desire to change that.
Through initiatives such as the William Guy Lectures and Statistical Ambassadors, members help bring statistics to schools, conferences, community groups and public audiences. Whether explaining how data informs healthcare decisions, discussing the role of evidence in society or simply sharing their enthusiasm for the discipline, volunteers help make statistics more accessible and relevant.
Reflecting on her experience as an RSS William Guy Lecturer, Professor Christl Donnely said:
“I really enjoyed being an RSS Guy Lecturer. I visited schools and science festivals ... the visits were really rewarding. I had a great time spreading the word about statistics and epidemiology.”
These opportunities remind us that statistics is not only something we practise—it is also something we can share.
Contributing to a global statistical community
Volunteering can also create opportunities to engage with statistics beyond our immediate professional environments.
Through the Society’s interdisciplinary activities, volunteers contribute to work that connects people across countries, sectors and disciplines. In these settings, members bring statistical expertise to challenges that extend beyond their day-to-day roles and engage with questions about how data and evidence can support wider social and economic development.
For Dr Ramzi Mraidi, this broader perspective is one of the most rewarding aspects of volunteering:
“Volunteering gives me a space to engage with statistics in a more international, open and societal way than my day-to-day work usually allows… One thing I particularly value is seeing how the Section can connect people working in very different countries, disciplines and contexts... In a volunteer setting, people may not always agree, and some ideas may initially feel quite far from one’s own perspective. But without hierarchy, the work depends on listening, finding common ground and building something together. That is part of what makes it valuable."
Growing as a professional and a leader
Volunteering is not only about giving back. Many members also describe it as a valuable source of personal and professional development. What often begins as a small commitment can evolve into opportunities to influence the Society and contribute to its future direction.
Reflecting on her own experience, Dr Rute Vieira said:
“Taking on leadership roles within the Society is definitely one of those “I’m glad I said yes” decisions, although not always without some hesitation at the start. It has pushed me outside my comfort zone at times, but it has also broadened my perspective on the role our profession can play and introduced me to many inspiring and thoughtful colleagues.”
For some volunteers, that journey leads to roles on Council or even the Presidency. Others may come to lead, represent and advocate for colleagues facing similar challenges in their field.
Professor Rebecca Killick found that:
“Volunteering on the Academic Affairs Advisory Group has given me the opportunity to represent the academic voice… and petition the society to support academics in pressing issues.”
Could volunteering be part of your RSS journey?
RSS volunteering often it begins with a relatively small step: attending a meeting, joining a committee, helping at an event or contributing expertise to a particular project.
From there, people often discover new interests, develop new skills and build relationships that last for years.
This Volunteers’ Week, we celebrate and thank every RSS volunteer for the time, expertise and energy they contribute to the Society. Your efforts strengthen our community, extend the reach of statistical thinking and help ensure that statistics continues to serve the public good.
And for members who have not yet volunteered, perhaps the stories above are a reminder that there are many ways to get involved—and that there may be a place for you too.