When you are choosing which group or organisation to volunteer with you must look at why you are volunteering and what you hope to gain from your voluntary work.

Different people want different things from their volunteering. Some people just want to feel a sense of doing something worthwhile or something to fill the day, others want to build experience in a particular field of work to help them gain employment.

Looking at your motivations for volunteering will help you decide which the best area is for you.

You might want to think about:

• The aims and beliefs of organisations
• How far you are willing to travel
• What age groups you would or would not like to work with
• How much time you are willing to commit
• If the organisation is willing to pay your out-of-pocket expenses