How To Get Into The World Of Volunteering

For most people there will be a time in their life when they decide they want to volunteer for a good cause. There could be numerous reasons why you want to start doing volunteering work - from retirement through to plain old fashioned good will.

But how do you get into the world of volunteering?

Step 1 - Make the time to volunteer.

Before you can start approaching organisations and enquiring about volunteering opportunities you need to first figure out how much of your time you can dedicate to volunteering. If you are working then ask your employer if you can have a consistent weekly rota, so you can then a lot regular time slots to volunteering each week.

When you can promise a set amount of time to an organisation then they are much more likely to take your volunteering offer seriously.

Step 2 - Think about why you want to volunteer

This one may sound obvious, but have a good long think about the reasons why you are volunteering. Is it because you're passionate about helping others? Is it because you want to socialise and meet new people? Or is it because you want to gain further experience and qualifications?

Knowing your motive can help you decide which organisations and roles are best suited to your wants.

Step 3 - Find an organisation to volunteer with

There are many ways to volunteer and a plethora of charities, businesses and organisations that will allow you to volunteer with them. You can volunteer at a local homeless shelter or at a charity shop. Maybe you like working with children, in which case the local youth centre would be an ideal place to start, or you could check for any adult volunteering jobs at your local Army Cadet Force detachment, so if you're in Somerset you could volunteer at the Somerset Army Cadet Force. Perhaps animals are more your thing, so you could ask a local animal shelter if they need a hand… as I mentioned before, there are plenty of places you could volunteer to work with.

Simply do your research, find the place that suits you and get in touch. Many organisations don't advertise that they're looking for volunteers, so it may be up to you to make the first move and contact them.

Step 4 - Contacting the people you want to volunteer for

Okay, so now you know how much time you can dedicate to volunteering, as well as why you want to volunteer and where you want to do it. The next step is securing your position working within that organisation.

First write a CV. This may not be a paid position but that doesn't mean you should be any less professional than you normally would be when approaching potential employer.

In your CV you should outline any experience you've had that is relevant to your voluntary position.

You should also include a covering letter explaining why you want to volunteer and how you would benefit the company. State clearly how much free time you have to dedicate and how long you would be comfortable to work for in terms of days/weeks/months.

Laying out these clear ground rules will prevent you from being taken advantage of and over worked, and will also help your potential employer understand your needs.

If you don't get the first volunteering position you apply for then don't be deterred. Keep trying, your persistence will pay off.


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Milton Bougemire works with a number of local charities and organisations. His experience and wisdom in the volunteering sector mean he is one of the best respected names in the industry. find out more at http://armycadets.com/county/somerset-acf/


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