Volunteering is a wonderful community service, and people with professional skills are particularly in demand. There is always a need for more people to develop projects and to keep community organisations running.
For example, you could consider becoming a school governor, a trustee of a local charity or using your experience to train and develop young people.
And, however you help out, you’ll have the satisfaction of offering something back to the community as well.
You can give as much time as you can spare and you can usually choose to work at times that suit you. Usually, the more time you can offer or the longer you want to be involved, the better your choices will be.
There’s no obligation to stay. You can decide to finish at any time – whether because you’d like to try something else or if your commitment to paid work increases.
Most organisations will pay some of your expenses and you should be able to volunteer for as long as you like and still claim benefits – although if you claim Job Seeker’s Allowance you must of course still be looking for paid work.
Thinking about what you want to do will help you to find the right opportunity. So, before you start you may want to consider:
There are loads of local organisations who would like to hear from you.
In support of the initiative Councillor Lucy Watt, Islington Council's Executive Member for Business, Communities and Skills said: "Volunteers are always in demand, especially those with skills and experience. I'd urge anyone who's found themselves out of work to use their talents to help some of Islington's projects and voluntary groups.
"It's a win-win situation, because volunteers also develop new skills that can give a real edge in the job market. Volunteering is also a great way for people to feel more part of their local community, to take up opportunities and build bonds that will last."
Contact details are available from the Volunteering Opportunities page.
Page Last Updated: 10 February 2009