Freetime
Interested in volunteering?
You can volunteer:
- in your local community or another part of the UK
- overseas- not just in Europe or America but most countries in the world
- for a couple of hours a week
- during school, college or university holidays
- full-time.
Why volunteer?
You may not be making money - although most voluntary opportunities offer help with expenses and some offer pocket money and living expenses if away from home - but you will be helping yourself when you do any voluntary work.
Personal benefits you may gain from volunteering:
- Build your Employability Skills
- Check out your personal strengths
- Develop your confidence
- Feel valuable
- Find out if you suit a particular area of work
- Gain experience of work
- Get references
- Have fun
- Learn new skills
- Strengthen your CV
- Support a cause you believe in
- Training - most voluntary opportunities offer free training
- Win awards or work towards volunteering qualifications.
Have you seen the new "Ink Facts" for this page? Download all the main information in a printable factsheet.
Where to look for volunteering opportunities?
‘V’
A site from the V charity - which helps young people, aged 16 -25 who are keen to do voluntary work. The site has an opportunity search so that you can select where you want to volunteer, your interests and what you’d be keen to do - for example entertainment, fundraising, music, sports or youth work - and then get an individual list of opportunities for you.
You can also telephone ‘Vinspired’ on 0800 089 900
Community Service Volunteers (CSV)
Search on this site for volunteering opportunities for young people aged 16-26, including full-time volunteering projects where you can spend 4 months to a year away from home. On these full-time projects you’ll get free meals and accommodation and a weekly allowance, as you’ll be living away from home.
Volunteering England
This site has links to both local volunteer centres - where you can call in to ask about volunteering locally - and to all the main volunteering websites in both the UK and overseas.
Worldwide Volunteering
A site for volunteers of all ages, with more than 300,000 opportunities in UK, Europe or worldwide. You can build up an on-screen profile of your ideal volunteer placement by answering questions about your age, where you want to volunteer, who you want to help, how much you can afford - if anything, what activities interest you and where you’d like to volunteer. The database then displays voluntary opportunities to suit you.
BTCV (British Trust for Conservation Volunteers)
An environmental charity offering volunteering and work experience opportunities for young people interested in environmental work.
Concordia (Youth Service Volunteers)
Email: info@concordia-iye.org.uk. Registered UK charity providing young people with opportunities for international work experience.
Leonard Cheshire Disability
Various opportunities to help care for adults with disabilities. Projects include volunteering for care organisations and fund-raising.
Restless Development
A youth-led development agency with volunteering opportunities in Africa and Asia.
