ADD ADVICE TO FAVVolunteering in the UK
There are hundreds of volunteering opportunities available in the UK, so it should be easy to find one that matches your skills and interests. Voluntary work is extremely rewarding and can be discussed as work experience during a job interview.
You could choose to volunteer in an area that’s related to your degree or preferred career. If you want to be a teacher, for example, consider working with children though a local youth group or a national organisation like Barnardo’s. Law students can get involved with pro bono work through LawWorks. Or if you’d like to become a social worker, you could enquire whether your local social services department takes on volunteers.
Your voluntary work doesn’t have to relate to your chosen career, however. There’s a whole range of opportunities available, from working with animals to political campaigning, all of which can help you develop transferable career skills such as time management and interpersonal skills, giving you that extra edge when it comes to applying for graduate jobs.
Finding local volunteering opportunities
Most universities have volunteering groups, and your university careers service or students’ union may advertise voluntary opportunities. There are often campus-based opportunities to volunteer, for example manning a helpline for students or helping to fundraise for your university’s Raising and Giving (RAG) group.
You could also check local newspapers for opportunities, or visit Volunteering England to find your local volunteer centre. In addition, there are several organisations that can help you find suitable opportunities.
Student Volunteering England
Student Volunteering England (SVE) works towards ensuring that every student has access to relevant volunteering opportunities and receives effective support. Part of Volunteering England, it runs Student Volunteering Week each year at universities across England.
www.volunteering.org.uk/WhatWeDo/Student+Volunteering
Millennium Volunteers
Millennium Volunteers is a nationwide initiative for 16- to 24-year-olds who want to do something constructive with their time. Volunteers can decide what they want to do in their own community, building on their interests or connecting with issues they care about.
www.millenniumvolunteers.gov.uk
Community Service Volunteers
Community Service Volunteers (CSV) is a UK charity dedicated to giving everyone the chance to play an active part in their local community. CSV involves volunteers in a variety of programmes, including part-time and weekend work and four- to twelve-month placements. The placements are community-based, supporting a wide variety of people to develop or mange their own lives. You could help people with physical disabilities or mental-health problems, children or the elderly.
www.csv.org.uk
do-it.org.uk
On the do-it website you can search through almost 70,000 volunteering opportunities across the UK and apply online. You can also get advice on starting voluntary work.
www.do-it.org.uk
TimeBank
TimeBank is a national charity inspiring and connecting people to share and give time. On the TimeBank website you can ask a question about volunteering, read inspiring stories or register to do voluntary work.
www.timebank.org.uk
