Ever considered volunteering?

Lots of people volunteer in their spare time for many reasons including wanting to help others, having strong support for a particular charity/cause or for something to include on their CV. 

This article will take you through the benefits of volunteering and where you can find opportunities. 

What is volunteering?

The Collins dictionary defines a volunteer as: 

Someone who does work without being paid for it because they want to do it

Collins Dictionary

In other words, volunteering means doing some work for an organisation in your spare time either on a regular basis or as a one-off. Remember, volunteering is unpaid however you may be able to receive reimbursement for some expenses such as travel or transport. 

What could you be doing?

Volunteering takes many forms and there are numerous activities you could get involved in such as:

• Helping to organise events 
• Helping to run activities 
• Arts and Crafts
• Administrative work 
• Cooking/cleaning 
• Gardening 

Where can you volunteer?

You can volunteer on a part-time basis I.e weekends or one or two evenings a week, on a full-time basis for a set period of time i.e a gap year or during the summer holidays or even on a one-off basis.  

There are numerous places you can volunteer including: 

• Charities or voluntary organisations 
• Local community projects
• Youth groups such as GirlGuiding 
• Hospitals or residential care centres 

Many charities or voluntary organisations have websites that explain what volunteering opportunities they have available. Keep an eye on local newspapers, news websites or local community social media groups for any opportunities that may arise in your local community. 

There are also websites dedicated to helping people find volunteering opportunities. 

What are the advantages of volunteering?

Great addition to your CV. Whether you are a school pupil, student or in full-time employment, having volunteering experience is very useful to have on your CV.  People who volunteer are likely to have a range of skills including commitment, communication and timekeeping. Also, it shows the employer that you are prepared to give up some of your time to help others. 

Meet new people. Volunteering means you can interact with more people and make new friends thus widening your social circle. You never know when one of your contacts may come in useful I.e when searching for job opportunities. Plus it’s nice to have lots of friends. 

Learn new skills and gain qualifications. Volunteering lets you develop your leadership, communication, interpersonal and timekeeping skills (plus many more) which are incredibly valuable to potential future employers. You may also gain qualifications such as first aid or IT. These may come with certification or accreditation. 

Ability to help others. One of the best things about volunteering is being able to spend some time helping other people, including those who may be less fortunate than you are.