Top 10 Volunteering Opportunities for 2010

Top Ten Volunteering Opportunities for 2010

New friends and new skills are not all you’ll get from volunteering. You’ll also feel good and it can help you get fitter too!

So to inspire you here are Timebank’s 2010 Top Ten volunteering opportunities (in reverse order)…

10) Get Concerned
Help The Aged and Age Concern support older people. Get involved in befriending, help with someone’s shopping, or visit an older person in hospital.

More details http://www.helptheaged.org.uk/en-gb/HowYouCanHelp/GiveYourTime/Volunteering/default.htm


9) Wave of Kindness
CSV’s “Make a Difference Day” in October each year sees a wave of kindness flood Britain. You can sign up now to keep updated on what’s happening and even start planning your own activity.

More details http://csvmakeadifferenceday.contentandcode.com/How+to+Get+Involved/?dm_i=4TF,33GT,G3IQJ,9P4L,1


8) Community Goodwill
Get involved with WRVS’s work providing practical support for older people. Be a good neighbour and collect shopping or help out at a local hospital, shop or café - just a few of the ways you can volunteer to make a huge difference to someone’s life.

More details http://www.wrvs.org.uk/inside.aspx?page_id=16&dm_i=4TF,33GT,G3IQJ,9P4K,1


7) Walking for Health
There are over 600 walk schemes across the country - get involved and get fit by taking part or volunteering as a Walk Leader. It’s fun and free!

More details http://www.wfh.naturalengland.org.uk/walkfinder/home/?dm_i=4TF,33GT,G3IQJ,9QJY,1


6) Action for Children
Action for Children is out there helping the most vulnerable children and young people get through injustice, deprivation and inequality. Be there for them too - from mentoring and befriending to driving and fundraising.

More details http://www.actionforchildren.org.uk/?dm_i=4TF,33GT,G3IQJ,9P4I,1


5) CHICKS away
Get involved with the life-enhancing experience that CHICKS offers to disadvantaged children by volunteering at a beautiful countryside retreat for six days.

More details http://www.chicks.org.uk/getinvolved_detail.asp?ID=483&dm_i=4TF,33GT,G3IQJ,9P4H,1


4) Fly the nest

Get some fresh air and exercise on an RSPB nature reserve. There are lots of opportunities for everyone from bird experts to novices, from under 16 years old to over 75.

More details http://www.rspb.org.uk/volunteering/about/about.asp


3) Share what others waste
Does seeing packaged food go to waste drive you mad? FareShare need volunteer drivers, navigators or food sorters to help them redistribute surplus food within communities.

More details http://www.fareshare.org.uk/volunteering.php?EmMailerKeywords=fareshare&dm_i=4TF,33GT,G3IQJ,9P4F,1


2) Youth at Risk
Coach a young person and support them to transform their lives. You'll get intensive training so you can spend time with a young person and help them through issues so that they can look towards a bright future.

More details http://www.youthatrisk.org.uk/our_work/areas_of_work/CommunityTransformationPprogramme.html?dm_i=4TF,33GT,G3IQJ,9P4E,1


1) Improve a Life
Hospice care helps people with life-limiting and terminal illnesses to live their lives to the full before dying. Volunteers make a big difference to patients and their families in a wide variety of ways including gardening, serving meals and DIY.

More details http://www.helpthehospices.org.uk/getinvolved/volunteering/


TimeBank tackles social issues by finding ways for people to give their time that inspire them and match their lives. http://www.timebank.org.uk/


You can hear more on air and online at www.passionfortheplanet.com.