What is volunteering?

Volunteering is a great way to gain experience and find out about a sector. Unlike some forms of work experience, volunteering is unpaid, but it’s still a great addition to your CV. You’ll learn new skills and show you're committed to a cause. Since everyone in an organisation is working towards a common goal (usually a charitable one), volunteering will help you feel part of a community and make connections.

We’ll explore how to volunteer and what it involves by running through:

• What is volunteering?
• What are the benefits of volunteering?
• Where can you volunteer?
• Volunteering organisations in the UK
• Volunteering organisations abroad
• How to get into volunteering
• Can you get paid to volunteer?

Volunteering is an opportunity to work for and learn from an organisation without pay.

What exactly volunteering involves depends on the organisation you’re working for. So if you volunteer within the public and charity sector, the type of work you do will vary based on the cause the organisation benefits. Examples include serving food at a shelter, gardening at a community allotment or serving people at a charity shop.

As a volunteer, you’ll work alongside colleagues who are paid staff members. Often, as a volunteer, you’ll have more choice in the work you’re doing. Plus, volunteering usually has more flexibility than paid work, meaning you choose the hours and days that suit your other commitments (eg. your job or education).

There are lots of volunteering opportunities available in the UK (in-person and even online). Some people also volunteer when abroad while they’re travelling.

Volunteering offers many benefits for your professional and personal life. For example, it’s a meaningful activity to put on your CV. Plus, working for a cause you care about is great for your wellbeing.

Here are just some of the benefits of volunteering:

Helping people, groups, animals and even objects in need is what volunteering is all about. All charities and nonprofits have something they’d like to achieve. By volunteering, you get to help with this mission and have a positive impact.

While voluntary organisations need to have some paid employees, they rely on volunteers. Thanks to people giving up their time for free, more funds go towards the cause rather than expenses. Without volunteers, the charity sector wouldn’t achieve the results it does.

Volunteering is a great way to meet people, especially if you’re new to an area. It also strengthens your ties to the community and broadens your support network. Being part of a team gives a sense of belonging.

Volunteering also helps you develop your social skills since you’re regularly meeting others. You’ll get to know people with both common and diverse interests. This will give you the confidence to branch out and make more friends and contacts.

While volunteering, you’ll learn useful skills that will help you in your career – whatever it is.

Some important skills you’ll learn are:

• Teamwork
• Organisation
• How to behave professionally

There are also some task-specific skills you’ll pick up if given certain jobs to do, such as:

• Working with a budget
• Persuasive writing
• Fundraising

Learning these skills will boost your CV. Plus, knowing what tasks you like completing will give you more of an idea of the type of job you’d enjoy.

Volunteering gives a healthy boost to your self-confidence, self-esteem and life satisfaction. Supporting a cause you care about provides a natural sense of accomplishment. Your role as a volunteer will also give you a sense of pride and identity, which will help you feel good.

Lots of volunteers say that volunteering has a positive impact on their mental health and wellbeing as it keeps them mentally stimulated and physically active. Plus, volunteering keeps you in regular contact with others, so you’ll have more social interactions.

Challenging yourself by completing work that takes you out of your comfort zone will also give you a feel-good boost. While it’s intimidating at first, it’s a great feeling after you’ve tackled something tricky.

There are lots of different places looking for volunteers, including:

Volunteering in a nursing home typically involves giving residents company and helping them with their day-to-day activities. Communication and people skills are essential in this role so that you get on with the residents and your colleagues.

Volunteer work with animals involves walking dogs and kennel duties, looking after injured animals or administration and office tasks. Experience with animals is essential for any hands-on volunteering in a shelter. You’ll also need to work well under pressure. And if you’re working in the office, you’ll have to be organised too.

Sometimes voluntary work is a necessity for certain qualifications. So, if you’re training to be a vet, you’ll probably need to volunteer for vet clinics to gain hands-on experience before you qualify.

Voluntary work in schools and libraries involves supporting children – including with numeracy and literacy. In this role, you develop hard and soft skills that will apply to future roles, such as a strong work ethic and a can-do attitude. Communication skills, enthusiasm and patience are essential. Remember, you’ll almost always need a DBS check when working with children, so check the requirements before signing up.

Volunteering in a charity shop will involve organising stock, pricing goods and arranging deductions, working on the till and setting up displays. Skills you learn from this include communication, organisation, leadership and teamwork.

This volunteering experience will be particularly useful if you want to work in the consumer, FMCG and retail sectors as you’ll gain plenty of relevant experience.

Voluntary work at a homeless shelter involves serving food, talking to people and logistical operations. It’s a great way to give back to your community while developing your communication and organisational skills.

Construction volunteering is most common outside of the UK where organisations need people to help build schools, homes, healthcare facilities and other buildings. This form of volunteering requires physical ability, great communication and determination.

It’s one way of gaining work experience if you’re interested in a career in engineering and construction.

Volunteering in an art gallery or museum helps you gain industry experience while learning about the cultural exhibits. It's ideal if you're looking for opportunities which are less physical and focus on education. It involves supporting curation, events and activities run at the gallery and office administration. Skills required include communication, creativity and strong attention to detail.

If you’re looking for volunteering opportunities which fit around your schedule and you can do at home, investigate online or virtual volunteering. You’ll develop the same skills, even if you’ve got less time to commit or aren’t near to opportunities that match what you’re after.

Online volunteering opportunities include, but are not limited to:

• Blogging and vlogging – Mind welcomes volunteers to tell their personal mental health stories
• Joining the Online Volunteering service of the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme – roles include research, design, translation and more
• Spreading the word about causes and searching for sponsors to support charities – Orphan Life Foundation welcomes volunteers in these areas

It’s possible to do other types of volunteering remotely too, such as:

• Working as a befriending telephone volunteer for Age UK to help prevent loneliness among older people
• Crafting for Innocent’s Big Knit, which is also run in partnership with Age UK
• Writing letters through organisations like Letters Against Loneliness

So, you want to volunteer? Many charities will be happy to hear that.

Take a look at these organisations to discover what opportunities are out there:

Doit Life is the UK’s largest database of volunteering opportunities. Sign up and then filter by location, sector and interest. If you find something you’d like, it’s easy to apply online.

By volunteering at the British Red Cross, you’ll make a difference in your community by helping vulnerable people. Some of the roles at the world's largest humanitarian aid organisation are open to those as young as 15, so there’s no need to wait to volunteer.

At the Wildlife Trust, there are lots of ways to donate your time. Their volunteers carry out a huge range of tasks – many involve working with animals, but it’s OK if that’s not for you! They also need people to offer their organisational, IT, administrative and financial skills in their locations all over the UK.

The National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO) is the membership community for charities, voluntary organisations and community groups in England. Join NVCO to get involved with more than 15,000 different voluntary roles.

Volunteer Scotland and Volunteering Wales are similar platforms that list volunteering opportunities in Scotland and Wales. They also provide volunteer practice and training to help you develop your hard and soft skills.

The Association of Jersey Charities supports charitable and community work in Jersey. It also encourages members and prospective members to collaborate on activities and discuss how to serve their community.

If you’re in the capital, Simply Volunteer London brings together lots of city-specific opportunities.

Volunteering Matters is a UK-wide organisation that partners with communities to overcome adversity, tackle social isolation and loneliness, improve health, develop skills and help young people lead change. Because they’re a national charity, they share their expertise across the country and have well-known partners, such as the Department for Transport.

National Citizen Service (NCS) is a voluntary personal and social development programme aimed at 16 and 17-year-olds. Some 15-year-olds will be able to volunteer too, depending on when their birthday is. If you’re aged 18 to 24, some circumstances mean you’ll still be allowed to take part (eg. if you’ve got an Education, Health, and Care Plan, you’re moving towards leaving the care of your local authority, or you’re receiving statutory support).

If you’re eligible, it’s free to sign up for the community and online experiences. The away from home experiences (which involve spending five days and four nights away during the school holidays) cost £95, but bursaries are available. Through an NCS, you’ll boost your UCAS statement and CV. Plus, you’ll meet new friends!

Volunteering doesn’t have to be in the UK. Some students and graduates take a voluntary role for their gap year. Shorter overseas volunteering is available too, so it’s possible to help abroad for a couple of weeks.

There are lots of options when volunteering in another country, including animal care, childcare, conservation, education and sports projects. Some organisations will set you up with overseas voluntary roles such as VSO (Voluntary Service Overseas) and Go Abroad.

Be sure to check foreign travel advice before going anywhere.

Want to get involved with volunteer work? Firstly, decide on a cause you’re passionate about. Is it animal care, homelessness, poverty, education or something else? Then, identify the skills you’ve got and the ones you want to develop. Once you know what you’re looking for, use one of the many UK and international volunteering organisations to search for positions that suit you and your goals.

And then, create a stand-out CV and an excellent cover letter. Some volunteer positions are more competitive than others, so make sure your application is great before you send it off. Don’t assume the role is yours because you’re giving up your time for free. Charities still need to check you’re the right person to do the work.

Volunteering is unpaid work because it’s usually non-profit organisations offering these opportunities. However, sometimes the organisation will cover your expenses (such as travel). When volunteering work is compensated, you typically receive necessities (eg. food or accommodation when volunteering abroad) in exchange for your work rather than being paid directly.

Some volunteer opportunities make you pay. Paying to volunteer is particularly common with overseas volunteer schemes. This fee will cover expenses for accommodation, transport and food if the organisation isn’t able to pay for these. Make sure you know about any volunteering costs before you sign up. You don’t want to be unexpectedly out of pocket.

Although you won’t earn money when volunteering, giving up your time for free sometimes leads to paid opportunities. Once you’ve shown your experience and worth (and your passion for the mission), it’s possible that the organisation will offer you a paid role. More likely, you’ll use the skills you’ve learned to secure a job in the future.

Volunteering is a worthwhile form of work experience which builds up your CV while having a positive impact. You’ll boost your skillset (ie. improve your communication, organisation and teamwork) while doing a relatively low-pressure and flexible role. There are lots of volunteering opportunities out there, so make sure you’re passionate about the cause before you sign up. Caring about the organisation’s mission will give you an extra boost to perform well and make a great talking point in future interviews.