A Little Bit of Your Time Please?
Do you wonder what you could do to make a small change in the world?
Well volunteering some of your time to help your local community is the perfect place to start.
Why should I volunteer?
Why not? It gives you an opportunity to give back and show your appreciation, allows you to make connections and interact with other people who share similar interests.
There are many ways and places to volunteer. If you enjoy looking after people, try retirement homes, nursing homes or care homes. You like animals? Try volunteering at an animal relief centre or rescue shelter, you can even work in charity shops and youth centres. Since volunteering is unpaid, there’s more of a likelihood you will find somewhere to work. There is always somewhere or someone in need of a little extra help.
One college student spends their free time working at an Oxfam music and books shop. The tasks they carry out consists of pricing, shelving, and working at the till. They say since volunteering at Oxfam, ‘my spoken communications have improved, and I have gained confidence’. They also say ‘it’s definitely helpful for UCAS and even applying for jobs because you learn skills and get experience and shows people that you’re ready to take up responsibilities. You also meet new people along the way and you get an insight into their life and interest’.
It is estimated that around 15.2 million people do some form of volunteer work in the UK at least once a month, according to the UK Civil Society almanac in 2013. There are over 165, 800 charitable organisations operating in the UK from research from the UK Civil Society Almanac. There’s bound to be something out there for you to find.
If you’re worried about not finding anyone one you can talk to, there’s no need to worry as statistics from the community life survey show that the most active age group to volunteer, were 16-25.
Try out volunteering if, you’ve got some time to spare. A little bit of your time truly can make a difference!
Carlotta Johnson, City and Islington College
