Making a difference

Have you thought about volunteering?

Volunteering is a great chance to do worthwhile things, help people and gain experience and skills. Although you won’t get paid, it will look good on a CV or job application and can help you be more employable. (If you’re keen on a particular area of work but can’t find a job vacancy, volunteering for something similar might be a good next step.)

The amount of time you put in is entirely up to you. It could be a few hours a week, a full-time gap year project, or even a working holiday. On top of all the benefits mentioned above, taking part in volunteering is an excellent way to have fun, meet new people and make new friends…

Why not find out more with the following links:

Do-it
You can search through over a million volunteering opportunities and apply online. Simply type in your post code to find volunteering opportunities near you…

vinspired
Just for young people aged 16-24 who want to volunteer. Projects include sports coaching, environmental issues, youth leadership, music and dance. You can also work for volunteering awards. Visit the website or phone 0800 085 1624 for more details.

National Trust
If you love nature, wildlife or history you may be interested in volunteering for the National Trust or taking a Youth Discovery working holiday. They’re exclusively for 16 - 18 year olds and run throughout the year to fit in with the school holidays. If you’re over 18, there’s an exciting range of working holidays for you too.. You’ll meet with people of a similar age do work experience and just pay for your accommodation and food. Visit the ‘Working holidays’ part of the National Trust website or phone 0870 800 3099 for more details.

St John Ambulance
You can join as a cadet from age 10 -18 and learn vital life saving skills on training programmes such as Young Lifesaver or Young Lifesaver Plus, or work towards the Grand Prior Award. If you’re 16 or over, you can volunteer as an adult first aider. St John Ambulance cover events such as pop concerts, football matches and festivals to make sure there is a medical presence there in case of an emergency.

Staffordshire County Council runs a Countryside and Environment Volunteer programme. Anyone who is currently out of work, or who wants to make a contribution to their local community can get involved.

World-Wide Volunteering
This database is run by a registered charity and lists volunteering opportunities in the UK and worldwide for 16-25 year olds. Check out the ‘volunteer of the month’ section and ‘volunteers stories’ to see what other young people say about their experiences.