Volunteers Week 1 -7 June
Volunteers’ week is a fantastic annual celebration of the amazing work that millions of volunteers do across the UK. It’s been running for over thirty years and aims to showcase volunteering work and its benefits. Volunteers now work in many different types of organisations. Last year in my immediate local area I interviewed a small sample and they included: dog-walkers for the Retired Greyhound Trust, a lady who was part of the costume team at a theatre, a school governor and a volunteer baker at one of the oldest watermills in Birmingham.
There are a vast array of options for all ages and abilities. You can volunteer in your local neighbourhood, online or even abroad. Close to home, you could for instance, work in a charity shop, run a scout group, take part in conservation work at your local canal, help do the administrative tasks for a charity, be a Guide at a National Trust Stately Home or befriend those in hospital for instance.
Some employers give staff paid time off to do occasional volunteering and some have employer-supported volunteering schemes To find out about opportunities, you can contact charities and organisations directly or get in touch with your local Volunteer Centre. One of the main online resources is the National Council of Voluntary Organisation website:
www.ncvo.org.uk . On there, you can find links to thousands of positions as well as
8 lots of valuable information.
They suggest that if you are looking for a voluntary role, you firstly need to consider what type of cause you want to work for and then seek out relevant organisations. When you have selected some preferred organisations, you should research them thoroughly and try to speak to some of those who currently volunteer for them to find out what it’s really like. You should also consider the skills you have to offer or want to acquire and the time you have available so that you can select the most suitable type of role. It’s also a good idea to undertake a trial period or shadowing so that both parties can see if it will be a good fit.
There are many potential benefits to volunteering including: a sense of pride at having given something back to your community, making new friends, a chance to gain new skills and work in an environment or for a cause that you are passionate about.
If you’d like to add travelling to your outcomes, you could also consider volunteering abroad. Take a look at the websites such as Volunteer Services Overseas, www.vsointernational. org, Tourist Concern
tourismconcern.org.uk/ volunteer and UN Volunteers
www.unv.org to find out more.
To advertise in thewire t. 07720 429 613 e.
the.wire@btinternet.com
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