Volunteering is...- Giving your time and energy for the benefit of the community, the environment or people outside your family. It is something you do freely and without expecting money in return.
- A great way to get involved in your local community.
- A powerful force for change. Volunteers work hard at what they do and get great satisfaction from seeing the results of their work.
Volunteering is not...- A cheap alternative to paid staff. Volunteers often work alongside paid members of staff, adding value and complementing what they do, but are never a substitute for paid employment.
- Limited to one or two activities. It impacts on all areas of life.
- Only for one type of person. Anyone can volunteer and people from all backgrounds are involved.
Volunteering is for YOU!Most people have thought about volunteering at some point in their life, but many don't get around to it. This web page contains everything you need to know about becoming a volunteer. Try it - you'll wonder why you didn't do it before. Why volunteer?You will have your own motives and reasons for getting involved, and a good volunteer involving organisation will ask you about these and try to meet your needs as well as its own. Through volunteering you can: - Get results - Volunteering can make a real difference to the lives of individuals, the community and the environment. As a volunteer you will get immense satisfaction at seeing the results of your hard work.
- Meet new friends - Getting involved with volunteering will allow you to meet lots of different kinds of people and make new friends.
- Take on a challenge - Getting involved in something new can be a real challenge. Volunteering can help you achieve personal goals, develop new skills and practice your talents.
- Enjoy yourself - Most volunteers really enjoy what they do, that's why they keep on doing it.
- Improve your health - Volunteering exercises both the mind and the body.
- Develop your skills - If you are thinking about your career, getting a job or returning to work, the experience you gain as a volunteer can be useful.
- Be part of something bigger - Volunteering can allow you to play your part, connecting you to your local community.
Before you volunteer...There are a number of things you should think about to help you find a role that is right for you: What do you want to do? - Do you have a cause or issue which interests you?
- Do you want to work on your own or as part of a group?
- Do you want to be involved in the management side or are you keen to be at the centre of what is going on?
- Are you a people person or would you rather do more practical work?
Be honest with yourself, and the organisation you are considering volunteering with, about what you want and do not want to do. How much time can you give? Time commitments can vary from a one-off effort for an event or specific project, to several hours per week or month, to a full time commitment. Be realistic about how much time you can spare. Do not over commit yourself. What skills do you have to offer? You may have skills or talents (eg, financial, musical, IT, etc) that you would like to put to use in your volunteering. there are also many voluntary positions which require no special skills and many more where training is provided. You should be clear about whether you want to use skills you already have, are willing to develop new skills through training, or a combination of both. What do volunteers do?Here are some examples of the kind of things volunteers do. But remember that volunteering is individual - don't be limited by what is on this list, be motivated by what interests you. - Work with children and young people - Playgroups, homework clubs, youth groups, holiday schemes, scouts, guides, mentoring.
- Work with older people - Visiting, befriending, offering practical help such as gardening or shopping, helping at day centres, organising activities, meals on wheels, transport.
- Work with children or adults with disabilities - Providing practical support to someone with a disability, helping at group outings, providing respite for carers, recording books and newspapers for people with visual impairments.
- Work in hospitals - Visiting patients, providing transport to and from appointments, hospital guides, hospital radio, patients library, helpiing out with activities.
- Advice work - In a Citizens Advice Bureau or other local advice centre working with people on issues of welfare and consumer rights. There are also more specialist advice organisations dealing with young people, lone parents, unemployed and homeless people.
- Counselling - Covers a range of issues and counselling can take place in groups, individually or on a telephone helpline.
- Work with families - Giving support to families that, for whatever reasons, are finding it difficult to cope.
- Work with people who have mental ill health - Befriending and assisting with social activities.
- Work with the criminal justice system - Prison visiting, support for prisoners and their families, special projects for ex-offenders.
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