What a beautiful start to the week! June officially marks the beginning of the summer and what better way to start than with Volunteers Week!
I am sure every one of you reading this has volunteered your time to a good cause at least once. This week is your chance to celebrate all the incredible things you have done and promote the difference volunteering can make.
Run by Volunteering England, Volunteers’ Week runs until the 7th of June and aims to celebrate the fantastic contribution millions of volunteers make across the UK.
Every year, over 20 million people across the UK volunteer, donating more than 100 million hours to their communities every week.
http://www.volunteering.org.uk/policy-and-campaigns/volunteers-week
Volunteering is an incredibly powerful way to change your life and, through volunteering myself, I’ve found it’s opened so many doors for me. In fact, Writing this blog is voluntary! As a journalism student, not only does this blog give me an online presence, but also, through working with the wonderful team here at the Foundation, I’ve been able to continuously build on my skills, while all the while knowing that my work contributes towards the wider impact of the Foundation’s work.
Whatever your interests are there’s almost certainly an opportunity out there for you to help someone else and discover something about yourself in to the bargain.
With so many of us online, finding the right opportunities couldn’t be easier. My top tip would be to make the most of social media: begin following the organisations or groups that you are particularly passionate about and keep updated on everything they are doing.
Charities and community organisations constantly need people to volunteer their time, skills and above all, their passion. For young people it’s important to remember that it’s a good way to get your foot in the door. Whether you are just starting out, at university, or just trying to find as many work placement as possible; becoming a volunteer could really pay off. It’s certainly made me who I am today.
Get started by checking out some of the organisations that are involved in Volunteers Week.
Volunteering England- http://www.volunteering.org.uk/
CSV: http://www.csv.org.uk/volunteering
V Inspired: http://www.vinspired.com/v
VSO: http://www.vso.org.uk/volunteer
The Guardian: http://jobs.guardian.co.uk/jobs/volunteering/
Time Bank: http://timebank.org.uk/
Happy volunteering! Don’t forget to enjoy the sunshine this week x