Volunteering

Looking to Volunteer?

About Volunteer Centres

Volunteer Centres hold information on a wide range of local volunteering opportunities with many different organisations.
Volunteer Centre staff can help you to find the right kind of volunteering opportunity for you, matching your skills, interests and reasons for wanting to volunteer with available opportunities to volunteer.
We can also help you whilst you are volunteering or if you want to talk in confidence about your experiences of volunteering.

Why do you want to Volunteer?
Volunteering should be something that you choose to do and that you enjoy doing.
It is a two-way relationship which should benefit both the person volunteering and the people, organisation or service that they are helping.
People of all ages and backgrounds can and do volunteer.
Before you decide to volunteer, you might find it useful to ask yourself some of these questions:

Why do I want to Volunteer?

• What do I enjoy doing?
• What skills do I have?
• What skills do I want to learn?
• How much time can I give?

The benefits of volunteering are varied, you can:

• Meet new people and make new friends.
• Learn new skills / gain different experiences.
• Help your career prospects.
• Have fun and combine your interests / use existing skills.
• Put something back into the community.
• Keep yourself active and occupied.

Ask for a brochure or look on-line
If you are thinking about Volunteering, ask for a copy of our Voluntary Vacancies brochure. This is a list of all of the Volunteering Opportunities that we have registered with us at the Volunteer Centre. You can call us on 01202 466130 to request a copy.
If you have access to the Internet, you can view the list here by clicking on the link on the right of the page.  We’d appreciate it if you download the brochure and view it on-line as it saves us postage and printing costs!  However, if you need any publication in large print please do not hesitate to ask.

For opportunities in the Poole area why not take a look on
www.poolevolunteercentre.org.uk

Alternatively you might wish to have a look at the national volunteering website www.do-it.org.uk .  This lists opportunities from all over the country and includes our local vacancies.

What next?
Once you’ve decided that you want to volunteer and have looked at the opportunities available. You can call us to see if we have any more information on file about specific opportunities.
We’ll also give you the contact numbers for your chosen opportunity/ies so that you can contact them when you are ready.
At the Volunteer Centre, we don’t arrange placements or put pressure on you, you contact the organisation/s when you feel the time is right.

Come and talk to us
If you are not sure about what you want to do, or want to investigate a range of opportunities, your Volunteer Centre will be able to help.
We can provide you with a confidential one to one discussion about your skills, interests, background and so forth and what you’re looking for in a volunteer role. We can help you decide by asking you to complete our questionnaire and discussing potential matches with you.  To download the questionnaire follow the link on the top right corner of the screen.  The Bournemouth Volunteer Centre is open Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm, please ask if you require an appointment outside of these hours.  To book an appointment call Carrie Smith on 01202 466130.

Applying to organisations
It is fine to contact a few different organisations to find out more about them. At this stage you are just making an informal enquiry rather than making a definite commitment to volunteer.
The organisation/s you are interested in may invite you in for a chat or send you an information pack. This is an opportunity for you to get all of the information you need so that you can decide whether you are definitely interested and want to volunteer with them.
The information that you receive at this stage should also tell you what to do if you want to go ahead. The process of becoming a volunteer varies and will depend on the type of role that you have chosen.
You may be asked to complete an application form, or to provide references.
If you are planning to volunteer with vulnerable adults or with children, you will also need a criminal record check.
If you want information on how to disclose, we can also help with guidance around disclosures.

Trusteeship

Trustees are responsible for the governance of voluntary organisations.  They usually meet between three and six times a year setting the strategic direction and ensuring compliance with all regulatory requirements.  Trustees agree budgets, oversee employment processes and are the people ultimately responsible for the organisation.  Becoming a trustee can be an excellent way for you to apply your established knowledge for the benefit of others and for you to take on new challenges and develop additional skills.  Whilst not the primary motivation for most trustees this can be an effective way of enhancing your CV and improving your employment prospects elsewhere. 

If you are interested in becoming a trustee of a voluntary group and would like to know more please give Dave Leighton a call on 01202 466130.