It’s not difficult to see why volunteering is so popular. It’s an important way to give something back and help those less fortunate. It also provides a sense of purpose and a feeling of achievement.
Whatever the motivation, there are any number of opportunities:
- Mainstream charities. Charities like the Red Cross and Oxfam offer a range of opportunities from working in one of their shops through to providing support for refugees. Oxfam even offer opportunities to volunteer as a steward at the summer music festivals!
- If you have specialist skills, there are a number of ways you can share these with others on a voluntary basis. For example, if you have business skills, you can help budding entrepreneurs realise their dreams
- Work overseas. Projects Abroad welcomes retirees with much needed skills to work on overseas projects or assignments. Teaching and care roles are always in demand, as are medical skills, but there are a huge range of possibilities.
- Local projects. Closer to home local projects may have greater appeal. You can insert your postcode and trawl through a database of voluntary roles in your area at DoIT.
- Working with children. Many people have a desire to help underprivileged or disadvantaged children. These most vulnerable members of society inevitably attract our sympathy and there is a strong desire to help. Before anyone is accepted to work with children, checks are carried out to assess suitability. Barnados, The Children’s Trust and the NSPCC are all well-known children’s charities that rely heavily on volunteers.
Volunteering can be rewarding, but do think about what you want to do. Where does your passion lie? What sort of project would excite you and what skills can you bring that you’d enjoy using or sharing with others?