Are you looking to Volunteer?

Volunteering is becoming increasingly popular as the government is encouraging us all to play a more active part in our community. Volunteering has a mass appeal that cuts across age gaps, faiths, classes and abilities.

The diversity of volunteers ranges from schoolchildren to grand-parents, from people using volunteering as a tool to help them find employment to people who take it up as a part-time during their retirement. Whatever their motivation 22 million people are currently involved in the UK.

What does volunteering have to offer?
What do volunteers do?
The Volunteers Guide
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Can't find anything to suit?

What does volunteering have to offer?
There are as many reasons why people volunteer as there are volunteers. Some of the most common are:

People who wish to change careers and use volunteering to gain an insight into a new field of work, e.g. nursing, teaching.

People who have been managing a mental illness and use volunteering as a way to gain in confidence and self-esteem.
People who have been unemployed for a while and want to keep their skills updated or learn new skills.
Students who have never worked before who need work experience to put on their CV's.
Groups of employees who tackle a project as part of a team building exercise.
People who wish to participate in their communities by becoming magistrates or sitting on consultation panels.
People who have retired who want to still feel useful.

You may recognise yourself amongst this list. No matter what your motivation there will be an opportunity that suits your needs.

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What do volunteers do?
Volunteers contribute to every facet of human life - whatever activity people see as worthwhile, some will get involved as volunteers. Volunteers work with elderly people, people with learning disabilities, people who have drug and alcohol problems, parents, children and animals . . . Volunteers get involved in activities such as mentoring, befriending, counselling, child-care, administration, animal rescue and many more.

The Volunteers Guide contains listings of organisations that need volunteers, with a description of the work volunteers are needed to do as well as practical information about each organisation (such as if they pay out of pocket expenses) as well as contact details so that you can arrange your placement directly. Order your free copy

You may also wish to access the National Volunteering database on www.do-it.org.uk which holds details of some local opportunities.

If you prefer to visit us
If you are unsure which volunteering opportunity to go for and would prefer to discuss your options first, staff are on hand to assist you. We can give you guidance over the telephone or can arrange a confidential one-to-one session with you if you prefer. If possible please telephone beforehand as private space is limited in our building and we need to book a room in advance. Contact us

Can't find anything to suit?

Volunteer Centre Gateshead provides a large range of volunteering opportunities that appeal to a broad range of people.  However if you cannot find what you are looking for please contact us and we will research your request for you.  In the past we have successfully helped people to find unusual volunteering opportunities e.g. model boat making that might not be registered with us.  Alternatively we can help you to set up your own voluntary group.  GVOC can support you with every aspect such as developing a constitution, finding other people to join, looking for funding, training etc.  It is not as daunting as you might think and we have many years of experience to help you.

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