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New Year… time to volunteer?

13 January 2022

With the start of the year just behind us, many will be looking to follow up on the new year’s resolutions they made. Although many people look to improve their own health or environment with their resolutions this is not always the case, and for some volunteering helps them to find a meaningful new direction.

But many people don’t know how to find volunteering opportunities or what’s out there for them. If that sounds like you then read on… We’ve got you covered.   

Volunteering is woven into the fabric of our organisation, as it was founded by volunteers in 1869 – so we’ve had a lot of new years since then to work on making volunteering inspiring for those who join us.

Everyone welcome

Our services support a diverse range of people across every section of society, so you can be sure that you will be treated with respect and dignity regardless of your age, gender, ethnic background, whether you’re LGBTQ+ or whether you have a disability – we believe our organisation is strengthened by the differing viewpoints and life experiences of our staff and volunteers. 

Flexible times and locations on offer

We know that for many people time or location can be a stumbling block when trying to implement a New Year’s volunteering resolution.  Although this often comes from a good place – with people worried they don’t want to “waste our time” – worries about this are usually unfounded. This is because we can offer positions both working in our services or volunteering at home in the hours that you are available.

Search for a variety of different types of volunteering opportunities

As our services are so varied, you will be able to develop the skills you’re trying to work on or find the life experiences you crave; whether that means getting involved in your local community, seeing the world through a new perspective by mentoring a young person or simply getting some exercise working at one of our food services. 

If you’re still unsure if it’s for you that’s fine – why not dip your toe in the water by visiting our volunteering hub and browsing through some of the available opportunities? Here you can specify the type of role you’re looking for, where you’d like to be based and the groups of people you’d like to work with – such as adults, children or individuals and families with additional needs.

This is a great way to ensure you get the role that’s best for you and utilise any unique experience you may have – we often find, for example, that parents of children with additional needs have already developed strong transferable skills and learning that can be useful for parents with younger children. 

Once you’ve specified what you want, you’ll be presented with a list of what opportunities are available – including, crucially, the hours and the length of the commitment, meaning you can put any worries about whether you’ve got the time to one side before you apply.  It’s the start of what we hope will be a stress-free and educational journey in general – with support and guidance from Family Action staff and regular training opportunities being key features of most of our volunteering roles.  

What will I get from volunteering?
We’re committed to your learning, and if you’re wondering “what does volunteering teach you?” or “what skills do you gain from volunteering?” then we’d recommend reading our archive of real-life stories, which tell of those who’ve seen the benefits first-hand.  

Its also worth saying that volunteering is often great for your mental and physical wellbeing too. 

There’s never a bad time to volunteer, and the start of the year is definitely a good time… but the best time? Well, that would be right now!