Why volunteer?

Everyone has something to offer as a volunteer, however much time you have to give. People volunteer for all sorts of reasons - here are just a few:

• Meet new people and make friends
• Make a difference in your community
• Gain experience and improve your job prospects
• Boost your self-confidence
• Learn new skills or put current ones to good use
• Try something different
• Access training
• Have fun!

Whatever your reason, we can give you help and advice to find a voluntary placement that’s right for you.

Where do you start?

It’s your choice! There are two easy ways to begin volunteering:

1.    Talk to us
You are welcome to telephone or visit any of our offices, where we can talk about the kinds of volunteering you might be interested in and offer you a range of opportunities to choose from.  Please contact your local Volunteer Centre for more information or to book an appointment to come and talk to us. 

2.    Register online

You can find details of our current volunteering opportunities on the national volunteering website, www.do-it.org.uk, where you can browse information on opportunities near you and apply online for anything you’re interested in.  You can also browse on line, then come and see us for more information about opportunities that have caught your eye.

Volunteering – something for everyone:

There are many reasons why people may want to volunteer, it may be that you feel strongly about a particular subject and want to support an organisation that tackles the issues concerned. It may be that you just want to fill your time or give something back to your community.

Many people who are unemployed are finding that volunteering is a great way to keep skills alive, to develop new skills and to keep up with what is going on in a modern organisation. It’s also a great thing to put on a CV. Volunteering often provides a route out of depression and loneliness and can help bring back confidence and self-belief.

Sometimes students need to gain experience to go alongside the theory being learnt and to have a way of testing theory in practice.

Many retired people enjoy some kind of voluntary work and find that their skills, wisdom and experience are really appreciated by the voluntary organisations concerned.

Even if you are employed full-time or part-time volunteering can be a great way of giving something back to your community or allowing different skills to be exercised or interests to be pursued.

The Top Ten Benefits of Volunteering:

1. Increase your confidence.
2. Improve your health and sense of well-being.
3. Develop new skills or maintain old ones.
4. Meet new people and make new friends.
5. Try out new types of work.
6. Improve your job prospects and enhance your C.V.
7. Access training and learning.
8. Gain valuable experience
9. Make a difference in your community.
10. Enjoy new surroundings and meet new challenges.

Click here to contact your local Volunteer Centre