Volunteering in your area
To find out about local volunteering opportunities, you can visit your local
Volunteer Development Agency or volunteer bureaux. Staff there can tell you
about local organisations that are looking for volunteers, and help you work
out which opportunities will fit best with your skills and interests.
You can find contact details for your nearest Volunteer Development Agency in
England by calling Volunteering England on 0845 305 6979 or visit the volunteer
centre finder on
Volunteering England's website - opens new browser window . In Wales,
telephone 0870 607 1666 or visit
Wales Council for Voluntary Action's website - opens new browser window
Search for volunteering opportunities on-line on the
Do-it website - opens new browser window. Just enter your postcode and
specify the kind of thing you'd like to do, and the on-line database will come
up with a list of possibilities.
In Wales, visit the
Volunteering Wales website - opens new browser window for up to date
information on over 4,000 volunteering opportunities around Wales.
Becoming a trustee of a charity
If you are interested in becoming a trustee of a charity, visit
NCVO's 'Trustee Bank' directory - opens new browser window which
contains lots of useful guidance for prospective trustees as well as details of
brokers that help match individuals with suitable organisations. It also
carries a list of trustee vacancies.
Get on Board, is a joint campaign from TimeBank and the Charity Commission, to
dispel myths around trusteeship, highlight the benefits and encourage more
people to become trustees. Visit the
Get on Board website - opens new browser window.
If you are interested in becoming a school governor, visit
'The School Governors' One-Stop Shop' website - opens new browser window.
Older people
VITA is a Home Office initiative coordinated by the WRVS which aims to promote
the value and impact of older volunteers, and to increase the number of
over-65s volunteering by removing barriers across the voluntary and community
sector. Visit the
VITA website - opens new browser window to find a list of organisations
that welcome older volunteers.
CSV's 'Retired and Senior Volunteer Programme' (RSVP) helps over-50s get
involved in all sorts of volunteering activities in their local communities.
Visit
CSV's RSVP website - opens new browser window.
Young people
Youth Action Network has information about ways to get involved in your
community, with contact details for hundreds of organisations. Visit the
Youth Action Network website - opens new browser window.
Visit
TimeBank's special website - opens new browser window for 11 - 19 year
olds who want to make a difference.
www.do-it.org.uk
- opens new browser window provides a central place on the internet for
finding out about volunteering in England. It's run by Youthnet and can help
you find opportunities in your area.
Millennium Volunteers is a government initiative to encourage 16 - 25 year olds to participate in volunteering. If you are aged 16 - 25 and interested in volunteer opportunities please visit Volunteers website - opens new browser window and if you are interested in being a Millennium Volunteer provider please visit Millennium Volunteers website - opens new browser window.
Employer-supported volunteering
Many companies now support their employees to go out into the community and make
a difference by volunteering, either on a regular or an occasional basis. For
information on how and why they do it, or to find out how to get involved,
visit:
www.volunteering.org.uk - opens new browser window
Volunteering overseas
Hundreds of organisations are involved in sending volunteers to other countries,
some for short periods and some for a year or more. Visit
TimeBank's website for volunteering opportunities overseas - opens new browser
window or visit the
WorldWide Volunteering website - opens new browser window which has an
on-line database of volunteering opportunities in the UK and worldwide.
Mentoring & befriending
The
Mentoring and Befriending Foundation website - opens new browser window
has information for individuals and organisations interested in getting
involved.
TimeBank's
'Time Together' initiative - opens new browser window matches mentors
with newcomers to the UK, to help them settle in to their new communities.
Volunteering in sport
'Volunteering in Sport' a joint initiative between Sport England, Volunteering
England and the Central Council of Physical Recreation (CCPR). Visit the
'Volunteering in Sport' website - opens new browser window.
Search on
Sport England's website - opens new browser window to find a club
running the sport you want to get involved in, in your area. Look in the 'Get
Active' section.
Visit the
Sports Council of Wales's website - opens new browser window for
information about volunteering in sport in Wales.
Dragon Sport is a Sports Council for Wales initiative designed to offer 7-11
year olds fun and enjoyable sporting opportunities. Dragon Sport also focuses
on recruiting parents and other volunteers as helpers to support the
development of after school and community sports clubs. Visit the
Dragon Sport website - opens new browser window.
GuideStar UK is grateful to Volunteering England and Wales Council for
Voluntary Action for their help in compiling this page.
If you have any suggestions for additions please send them to
info@guidestar.org.uk - opens new browser window.