How to get into volunteering??

bl0at3r

bl0at3r

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Alan
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I want to give a few hours a week volunteering - perhaps one evening or at the weekend (I have a full-time monday to friday job). Would also need to be flexible rather than committed to every night of the week for example.

Something like a soup kitchen or delivering meals on wheels, getting someone's shopping from tesco or ferrying around old people in a minibus. Any ideas how one would go about this?

Thanks :thumbs:
 
Maybe a call to the Salvation Army or Age Concern or any other localish charity who may need your help?? (We have East Anglian Childrens Hopsice) which covers Norfolk and some of Suffolk.. always looking out for volunteers.. maybe you have something similar??
 
bl0at3r said:
I want to give a few hours a week volunteering - perhaps one evening or at the weekend (I have a full-time monday to friday job). Would also need to be flexible rather than committed to every night of the week for example.

Something like a soup kitchen or delivering meals on wheels, getting someone's shopping from tesco or ferrying around old people in a minibus. Any ideas how one would go about this?

Thanks :thumbs:
Click to expand...

google springs to mind lol
 
I ended my term as Trustee / Finance Director for the South East Wales branch of CrossRoads Care a couple of years back (other commitments got in the way) and sadly I can say that it's not easy any more to volunteer on the sort of casual basis that you're talking about for the activities that you mention.

Even though you'd be doing this on a voluntary basis the charity still needs to make an investment in you up front. If you're going to have access to vulnerable people they need to have you CRB checked, they need to have you covered on their insurance and there's a basic minimum of training that they need to give you.
If they have a large number of volunteers that can be quite an expense especially if each of them can only give a couple of hours a week and could possibly get bored of it and walk away after a couple of weeks (not suggesting that you would)

As already said, the best thing you can do is to seek out charities that operate in your area and approach them directly to see if they have anything that you can help out with on that basis . . . some will be looking out for volunteers, but it may be more along the lines of fundraising type activities and not the type of thing you mention in your post.
 
SarahLee said:
I ended my term as Trustee / Finance Director for the South East Wales branch of CrossRoads Care a couple of years back (other commitments got in the way) and sadly I can say that it's not easy any more to volunteer on the sort of casual basis that you're talking about for the activities that you mention.

Even though you'd be doing this on a voluntary basis the charity still needs to make an investment in you up front. If you're going to have access to vulnerable people they need to have you CRB checked, they need to have you covered on their insurance and there's a basic minimum of training that they need to give you.
If they have a large number of volunteers that can be quite an expense especially if each of them can only give a couple of hours a week and could possibly get bored of it and walk away after a couple of weeks (not suggesting that you would)

As already said, the best thing you can do is to seek out charities that operate in your area and approach them directly to see if they have anything that you can help out with on that basis . . . some will be looking out for volunteers, but it may be more along the lines of fundraising type activities and not the type of thing you mention in your post.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the useful information :thumbs: - it is a real shame if that is the case :thumbsdown:

My dad retired a few years back and wanted to volunteer doing ambulance car driving but found that they wanted him to commit to 5 days a week - so due to just giving up work and wanting a bit of spare time had to say no too.

I guess it is H&S gone mad!

Nethertheless I will do a bit more research on local charities - maybe I'll go and knock on some old people's doors up my street and offer to get their shopping ?
 
Try

http://www.do-it.org.uk/

http://www.volunteering.org.uk/

https://www.gov.uk/volunteering/find-volunteer-placements

There are usually a lot of wildlife volunteering projects around.

Apart from also offering particular skills (we set up a local PC workshop to assist the elderly get help with learning and maintaining their IT kit. It lasted a couple of years).

Schools are often short of School Governors which formed the biggest core of volunteers in the country. Even if you are not a parent, schools need community governors, and depending on how the school is organised, LA and Trust governors or board menbers for academies.

Another volunteering role is that of Magistrate. It is open to all.

Despite the PM crowing about the "Big Society" - it has been here longer than the years he has been alive.

Good luck and respect for your commitment.

Steve
 
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I know that Macmillan Cancer Support are always looking for volunteers.
 
Alan first thing you need to do is have a realy good think about what you want to do. Once you volunteer doing it for a week and walking away because its not for you isn't a good idea as people rely on you to do your part. When you are sure or think your sure what sector you want to offer your services to the best people to talk to are the other volunteers. See what they think about the work. Ask lots of questions just like you would at a job interview. Then if its still what you want ask them who you speak to about joining.

Offering your time is a Great way to give back to a community. Even if its only working on a litter picking team. Good luck hope you find what your looking for.
 
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I would suggets that you think about it in reverse - what do you like doing and what local charites are there that interest you. Do some research and find out what they need then approach them and have a chat.

My feeling is that if you volunteer doing somthing you enjoy then you are more likely to be in it for the longer term and so the charities will happily invest in the CRB's etc

What about being a School Governor - biggest band of volunteers in the UK :thumbs:

Nick
 
local volunteer centre or look on do-it http://www.do-it.org.uk

(don't do what I just did and google Do it Essex - you'll get lots of iffy sites :lol: mainly concerning doing the girls from towie )
 
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deviant
 
Lynton ask Pete.....the links are on his favourites :lol:
 
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