Now you’ve thought about volunteering there are some things you need to know, like…

• What kind of support will I get and who will provide it?
• Will volunteering affect my benefits?
• How many hours am I expected to volunteer?
• Will I get reimbursed for my expenses?
  

Use the links to the left to access pages that will answer all these questions and more

Why volunteer?

Volunteering is not just about giving your time for no payment. While you give your time to help others, you can be taking advantage of the many benefits that can be gained from volunteering.

Benefits such as:

• Gaining work experience
• Learning new skills and having new experiences
• Making new friends
• Experiencing different areas of work
• Training and qualifications
• Improving your confidence and self esteem
• Volunteering flexible hours to suit your lifestyle
• Helping local people
• Escaping boredom

All of this and much more can be gained through taking part in volunteering.

Who can volunteer?

Volunteering is for everyone - You can have any experiences or skills, with any kind of background such as:

• People who are unemployed
• Students.
• Those returning to work.
• People with skills to share.
• People who want to be more active.
• Anyone with a disability – many organisations are fully accessible.
• People who work.

Equal opportunities

vinvolved recognises that everyone has a contribution to make to our society, and a right to equal treatment. It is recognised that each volunteer is different, has individual needs and has personal skills and abilities that can be harnessed within an organisation. We live in a diverse community and you as a volunteer also have a responsibility to treat people equally and not discriminate or judge people you are working with.