What is Volunteering?

A volunteer is a person, who of their own free will and without payment, contributes their time and skills to help others.

What can volunteers do?
You’d be surprised. These are just a few of the areas that young volunteers are involved in:

•  Advice and guidance
•  Animal welfare
•  Arts and music
•  Childcare
•  Community action
•  Conservation and environmental work
•  Crime prevention
•  Culture and heritage
•  Health and social welfare
•  Housing
•  Justice and human rights
•  Peer support and education
•  Sports
•  Working with children or with elderly people
•  Youth work

Some volunteers work on individual placements with voluntary organisations like Hospital Radio or National Trust. Others join up with friends and attend a group placement such as a battle of the bands or a beach clean. Many volunteers develop their own group activities centered around the hobbies or pastime like skateboarding, media productions or Art & Drama. Others join a VSU – staffed project (see action centres, left).

Remember: Volunteering can be done in a variety of ways to suit you, your pals and the time you have available.