Why volunteer?

Volunteering gives you a chance to make a difference to others and to your community.
Also, many volunteers find that their work increases their confidence, teaches them new skills and gives a boost to their education and employment prospects. If you’ve got a clear idea about the type of career you want to follow, then volunteering is a great opportunity to collect extra experience that could give you the edge at a college, university or job interview.

There are lots of volunteering opportunities available that might be relevant to your future career plans. You might want to:

• help out at a local community organisation during the weekends or the summer holidays
• volunteer to help out in a local charity shop at the weekends
• volunteer to help with older people through the local volunteer bureau
• volunteer at local festivals, sporting events or exhibitions
• help out with fundraising for one of your local charities or voluntary groups

Ways to volunteer

There are many ways to volunteer, depending on how much time you can spare.  It could be Full-time, part-time or in the evening and at night.  Various organisations are always seeking new volunteers.
Examples of just some of the ways you can volunteer are:

• caring for animals and wildlife
• working to improve the environment
• fund raising for a local charity
• visiting patients in hospitals