Voluntary organisations and charities across South Yorkshire are always听 looking for more time-givers, that's people like you who might want to use your skills, time and talent to help others.
CSV (community service volunteers) Action Desk producer at 91热爆 Radio Sheffield says; 鈥淰olunteers can do almost anything. From helping an elderly neighbour with their shopping, to providing legal advice for a local charity, or working with young people outdoors on a community environmental scheme. There鈥檚 also arts, sports and heritage volunteering鈥
Benefits of Volunteering:
Volunteers dig gardens at Bluebell wood
鈥 Make new friends, meet new people
鈥 Acquire new skills or experience
鈥 Overcome boredom or isolation
鈥 Make a difference to your local community
鈥 Build your confidence
鈥 Maintain good mental health
Thinking about volunteering your time?听 Here鈥檚 some of the things you could do;
鈥 Animal Welfare
鈥 Arts and heritage volunteering
鈥 Campaign volunteering
鈥 Environmental and conservation volunteering
鈥 Residential volunteering opportunities in the UK
鈥 Sports volunteering
鈥 Volunteering in health and social care
鈥 Volunteering overseas
鈥 Young people鈥檚 projects
鈥 Advice Work with CAB or a local advice centre
鈥 Your local School Governors
鈥 Helping children learn to read
鈥 Befriending Refugees or Asylum Seekers
鈥 Local Hospice or Hospital Volunteering
鈥 Volunteering in local museums, libraries or archives
Andy Kershaw鈥檚 Top Tips for Volunteering
鈥 Think about what you want from volunteering - new skills, fun, a chance to contribute to a cause?
鈥 Think about what you have to offer - enthusiasm, work skills, life skills?
鈥 Work out roughly how much time you have to give, and how many times a week or month. (Don't over-commit yourself to start with.)
鈥 Browse! The best way to find out what's available is to do some searches on the do-it database: www.do-it.org.uk
鈥 Remember that everyone can volunteer - whatever your skills, experience or background you should be able to find an opportunity.
鈥 Ask questions - don't be shy about asking questions as you go through the process of applying for an opportunity.
鈥 Just try it - often the most difficult part of volunteering is making the first move, so be brave!
Use the list above to help you decide whether you want to volunteer. If you have particular skills or experience and you want to use them to help a local charity or good cause that will always be welcome.
If you have management, financial or legal skills these are always in short supply.
However, you may have retired from your line of work and want to do something completely different and not too demanding.
You can also volunteer during the daytime or in the evenings or at weekends and many voluntary organisations welcome older or disabled people.
You may also want to check some or all of the following:
鈥 Will I receive reimbursement of any expenses I incur?
鈥 Will there be training /qualification opportunities?
鈥 What variety will there be in the work?
鈥 Will I receive support /supervision (someone to talk to regularly about how you are getting on)
鈥 Will volunteering affect your benefits or pensions?
Each area of the country has a local volunteer centre which provides help and support at a local level for individual volunteers and volunteer involving organisations.
Volunteers painting steps
In South Yorkshire you can find these at:
Doncaster CVS Volunteer Bureau
Units 5 & 6 Trafford Court
DONCASTER
South Yorkshire
DN1 1PN
Tel: 01302 343300
Fax: 01302 365 081
Email: doncastervb@doncastercvs.org.uk
Opening Hours: M 10-2 , Tues 10-3, Thurs 2-7
Sheffield Volunteer Centre
69 Division Street
SHEFFIELD
South Yorkshire
S1 4GE
Tel: 0114 249 3362
Fax: 0114 249 3361
Email: vc@vas.org.uk
Website: www.vas.org.uk
Opening Hours: M-Th: 10-4
Volunteer Centre Barnsley
33 Queens Road
BARNSLEY
South Yorkshire
S71 1AN
Tel: 01226 295 905
Fax: 01226 206 580
Email: volunteer@vabarnsley.org.uk
Opening Hours: M-F: 9-4.30
Voluntary Action Rotherham
Durlston House
5 Moorgate Road
Rotherham
South Yorkshire
S60 2EN
Tel: 01709 829 821
Fax: 01709 829822
Web: www.varotherham.org.uk
National Database of Voluntary Opportunities
You can also search a national database of 800,000 volunteering opportunities by logging onto www.do-it.org.uk and applying online.
