Have you been searching for volunteering opportunities in UK? Then this article was created just for you. Volunteering is a willful act of an individual, a group, a sect, or a Community of persons with familiar instincts to engage in service to individuals, organizations, and the community. This is done without the intent of financial gains as you’ll be contributing your time, energy, talent resources, and effort to a cause.
Some volunteers are trained in specific areas of Professional work while some on need-based areas. Volunteers help out by utilizing their knowledge, experience, and unique skills set in rapid responses to natural disasters, emergency rescue missions, research, and survey needs, etc
There are countless reasons why people engage themselves in volunteer roles. Some are moved by a sense of camaraderie and also to feel a sense of accomplishment, to some it helps them express empathy and network with people of similar instincts towards Community service.
Also for students or personnel in training, the reasons for volunteer work are mostly advantageous as it helps students to grow career skills, learn new things, network with industries and resourceful minds, gain hands-on experience, explore new lands and career possibilities and gain a closer and more concise view of prospective career paths.
Also, it gives your resume some sort of credibility and makes you as a job applicant gain self-confidence, refine and develop new and existing skills, gather a wealth of knowledge from diverse cultures for workplace implementation, and help you manage tasks as an entry-level employee. Also, volunteer time schedules are pretty much flexible except in serious cases of emergencies.
Basic Concept Of Volunteering
The concept of volunteering has its bases on it being:
- Beneficial to the volunteer and the community, organization, or individual.
- Volunteering is not being paid work.
- Volunteering is willful but required in the educational setting.
- Volunteering is a way of actively engaging members of a Community in a joint activity.
- Volunteering is a way of experiencing, appreciating, respecting, and contributing to the culture, Practice, and needs of people.
- Volunteering is aimed at meeting the needs of ourselves and the individuals around us.
- Volunteering is not structured to become a threat to paid workers.
Best Steps To Volunteering In The UK
The United Kingdom which is made up of a gross population of over 66,000,000 people speaking English, Welsh, and Scots as their main language and is located off the Northwestern coasts of mainland Europe is a perfect place for volunteers and all sorts of volunteer work.
The capital city London has various Learning opportunities for students in all career fields and houses a lot of multicultural facilities where people of diverse races are found. This helps to gain knowledge and mastery of a wide collection of experiences during the period of your volunteering work.
Before volunteering, considering the reason and drive for your decision is of utmost importance as it’s a sure way to make sure you enjoy the best volunteering experience and find the best location or area of volunteer work and the role which fits you best.
So before you join a volunteer movement you should consider:
- What would you expect from volunteer work or movement?
- How does your role impact either you or your community or organization?
- What is your role specialty?
- What’s your schedule like?
- What can you do to bring out the best in your work and productivity?
- Volunteering opportunities?
Becoming a volunteer would require a lot of sacrifices, determination, and super spirit as you would sacrifice family time, face emergencies, and as a student become an all-rounder who’s trying to get all the knowledge at your disposal.
Here is a summary of the best steps to take:
- Define your motives and goals
- Decide on where to volunteer in the United Kingdom
- Conduct research
- Get ready for expenses
- Pick a location in the United Kingdom
- If you’re not a citizen, get conversant with the seasons to know what you’d feel like or to know more about them.
- Be proficient in English as 98 percent speak it.
- Connect and identify with an online community
- Identify your mode of volunteering
Types Of Volunteer Work
There are five types of volunteer work that you can engage yourself in and they also cover other subranges of volunteer interests and projects.
- Environmental Volunteering
Ecological conservation
Change in climate
- Animal volunteer work
Animal Rescue
Animal farm work
Wildlife conservation
Animal care
- Social action Volunteer Work
Education
Empowerment
NGO projects
Community development
- Health Care volunteer work
Counseling
Health Care Facility
Old people’s home
- Tourism and leisure Volunteer work
Sport events
Web development
Hostel management
Also, there are different ways to volunteer and diverse volunteering roles you can fit into and they are:
- Keeping records for local clubs (sports)
- Working as a helpline agent
- Event coordination like community projects and leisure events
- Assisting in campaigns
- Take strolls with the elderly and do menial jobs at care homes
- Legal advisory
Finding a place to volunteer is usually an easy task as you would have many information Centers and facilities looking out for volunteers through social media platforms, newspapers, charity advertisements and notices, friends and families Community centers, etc
- Writer
- Consultations
- Research programs
- Fundraisers
- Social support for the physically unfit
- Management of charity movements and projects
The List of Volunteering Opportunities In UK
There are countless volunteering opportunities in UK that anyone can apply for and the list can keep on going.
Filtering the best options could be a hassle for you so we gathered from the best sources, some very nice 20 Volunteering Opportunities In UK that might be of interest to you.
#.Grant Writer
Date/Time/Duration: 2-4 hours weekly
Location: Haringey
Nature of Volunteering: remote
Information Center:
#.Small Animal Care Support
Age requirement: 18 but considerably 16
Location: West Hatch, Taunton, Somerset, United Kingdom
Nature of Volunteering: Community
Information Center:
#. Keeper Volunteer – BUGS and Aquaria
Date/Time/Duration: 8 hours for at least 6 months
Nature of Volunteering: Conservation
Information Center:
#.Interpreter
Date/Time/Duration: 15 – 30 mins for at least 6-9 months
Location: remote
Nature of Volunteering: community/individuals
Information Center:
#.Social Media Expert
Date/Time/Duration: 3 – 7 hours weekly
Location: Newton, remote
Nature of Volunteering: organization
Information Center:
#.Writer
Date/Time/Duration: 1-3 hours weekly
Location: Guildford, remote
Nature of Volunteering: organization
Information Center:
#.Cancer Campaigns Ambassador
Date/Time/Duration: 3 hours weekly
Location: Nationwide
Nature of Volunteering: Community
Information Center:
#.Driver Volunteer
Date/Time/Duration: 2 or more hours on the 24th of September
Location: Nationwide
Nature of Volunteering: Community
Information Center:
#.General Maintenance- Liverpool Hostel
Date/Time/Duration: 24 hours weekly
Location: Liverpool
Nature of Volunteering: organization
Information Center:
#.Caretaker
Date/Time/Duration: 25 hours weekly
Location: Heathrow
Nature of Volunteering: individual
Information Center:
#.Transport Support Volunteer
Date/Time/Duration: 24 hours weekly
Location: Livingston way
Nature of Volunteering: Community
Information Center:
#.Front Of House Volunteering
Date/Time/Duration: 7 hours daily from 15th Oct- 27th November
Location: 40 Duke Street, Brighton
Nature of Volunteering: public
Information Center:
#.Social Media Volunteer – Oxfam Shop
Date/Time/Duration: unspecified
Location: Unspecified
Nature of Volunteering: organization
Information Center:
#.Patient and Family Companion
Date/Time/Duration: Friday 16 September 2022, 11:00
Location: Willowbrook Hospice Portico Lane
Nature of Volunteering: health care
Information Center:
#.Cedarwood Reception Volunteer
Date/Time/Duration: 3 hours daily from 16th September to 30th February
Location: Willowbrook Hospice Portico Lane
Nature of Volunteering: health care
Information Center:
#.Retail Assistant – Haven House Children’s Hospice
Date/Time/Duration: 1 hour daily from 6th Oct 2021 – 30th Nov 2022
Location: 52 South Street Romford Essex
Nature of Volunteering: health care
Information Center:
#.Visitor Host Volunteer
Date/Time/Duration: 16 Aug 2022 – 31 Aug 2024
Location: Spring Gardens, Shrewsbury
Nature of Volunteering: tourism and leisure work
Information Center:
www.shrewsburyflaxmillmaltings.org.uk
#.Volunteering Radio Presenter
Date/Time/Duration: 22 Nov 2020 – 31 Dec 2039
Location: Torbay Hospital Radio, Torquay
Nature of Volunteering: social/health work
Information Center: torbayhospitalradio.com
#.Residential Volunteer Warden
Date/Time/Duration: closing date at 29th September 2022 with a 4 months commitment
Location: Forsinard, Highlands
Nature of Volunteering: Conservation
Information Center: https://www.rspb.org.uk/
#.Social Media Officer
Date/Time/Duration: 2 hours a week
Location: Remote
Nature of Volunteering: Conservation
Information Center: wild-ideas.org.uk
Do volunteers Get Paid In UK ?
Volunteering is usually out of a sense of camaraderie and self-development meaning that you don’t get any monetary and financial gains. Instead, you spend money on things like transport, food, and all other self expenses which can also be catered for depending on the status of volunteer work.
What Are The Benefits Of Volunteering In UK?
The UK has quite several places with volunteer opportunities where Community work and other ways and types of volunteer work are being done.
The benefits of Volunteering In UK are endless as it provides a great sense of purpose and Community, fosters the spirit of networking, builds a Volunteer in a wide range of skill sets, and boosts your esteem which is valuable to you as an individual and helps to expose Volunteers to endless life aspects.
Where are Volunteers Most Needed In UK?
Volunteers are needed in almost every sector available to them. Libraries, parks, Community centers, churches, relief organizations, food banks, animal shelters, and advocacy groups are all in need of a volunteer in one role or the other.
Also, in the UK, many organizations allow you the opportunity to give back to your community like; Newington Green Alliance, Refugees Network International, Ezen Foundation, etc. And they carefully select the most needed areas where volunteers can go to work.
Is Volunteering In UK Good For a CV?
Yes, of course, Volunteering is a good idea if you’re looking for a way to give back to the community or earn valuable experience for your life and career path. This is especially good when your volunteer work engages you with technical and physical engagements.
Since you might not have officially attended an internship program, volunteers can be a great way to get the hands-on experience that you can include in your CV.
How Do I Qualify To Volunteer In UK?
You don’t need any certification to be qualified as a volunteer in UK. You just need to pass through official enrollment processes especially if you’re from outside of the United Kingdom.
But as a volunteer, you should possess some qualifying skills like empathy, conflict resolution skills, communication skills, leadership skills, problem-solving skills, and social and Time management skills.
Conclusion
Volunteering is usually aimed at returning to the society, service which they rendered to you in one way or the other. As much as there is no definite reason for Volunteering, a lot of people do it out of empathy, to grab an opportunity to gain experience, to network and understand a different culture from what they know and are familiar with, and make the most out of everything Volunteering.
Volunteering has for long been a support platform for communities, organizations, etc, and has been used to help people with special needs and cater to humanity in every imaginable way thus putting Volunteers at the forefront of importance to society, organizations, government, and individuals.
We’ve compiled a list of just some of the Volunteering opportunities in UK but there are over a thousand more which can be found on volunteer opportunities catalog websites like National Association for Voluntary and Community Action and National Council for Voluntary Organizations (NCVO) website.
We Also Recommend
References:
- helpstay.com – Volunteering In The United kingdom
- breakthemould.org.uk – Volunteer
- www.charityjob.co.uk – Charity Creative Writing
- www.make-a-wish.org.uk – Volunteer Opportunities Copywriter & Content Organizer
- www.hachettebookgroup.com – Types Of Volunteer Opportunities