1. Welcome to the
Volunteering Workshop
• Lizzie Saunders/Marie Godinot

2. Aims of the Workshop
• Gain Knowledge about how the local Voluntary &
Community Sector is structured
• Understand how to get the best from your
volunteering experience
• Become familiar with the sources of information
about volunteering opportunities
• Raise awareness about the ‘application’ process
• To help you plan your next step(s)

3. Workshop Agenda
1. Getting to know one another
2. What is the local volunteering landscape like?
3. Why Volunteer? Why not volunteer?
4. The ‘Principles of Volunteering’
5. ‘Rights and Responsibilities’ of a Volunteer
6. The Volunteering ‘Journey’
7. How to apply to volunteer via do-it.org

4. Know each other

5. Know each other

6. Volunteering?
The UK does not have one common national
definition of volunteering; generally it is
described as an “unpaid activity where someone
gives their time to help an organisation or an
individual who they are not related to.”
Volunteering England
www.volunteering.org.uk

7. Mayor of London on volunteering
Walking to raise funds
for a Hospice

8. Success Stories
David -> accountant
Hendri -> ECVS
Sarah -> ECVS
Stephanie Rickaby -> CORAM Ealing

9. Why do YOU want to volunteer?
• Caring nature
• To gain qualifications and skills
• To give something back /to get involved in the community
• To meet people and reduce isolation
• Being part of a team
• For something to do/ reduce boredom
• Sent by the Job Centre!
• Strong beliefs (green issues/environment)
• Gain references for CV/pathway to employment
• Confidence and self esteem
• Pass on their skills
• Personal growth
• Learn new skills
• Meet people and make friends
• To have fun
• Learn new skills
• Receiving training in specific tasks
• Feeling good about yourself
• Adding work experience to avoid career gap
• Evaluating potential career choices 9
• Networking

10. Why people volunteer?
Top Four Reasons
1. To help people
2. Cause was
important
3. Time to spare
4. Want to meet
people and make Source: Institut for Volunteering Research
new friends

11. Benefits of Volunteering
• Satisfaction of helping and making a
difference
• Enjoyment
• Personal achievement
• Meeting people and making friends
• Do what I’m good at
• Broadens life experiences
• Makes me feel needed
• Gives me confidence
• Learn new skills
• Improves my health
• Status within the community
• Qualification
• Improve employment prospects

12. What may prevent people from
actually volunteering?
1. Not enough spare time
2. Bureaucracy
3. Worried about risk &
liability
4. Don’t know how to
find out how to get
involved
5. Haven’t got the right
skills
6. Cost/expense

13. Why people volunteer?
I've learned that you
We make a living by shouldn't go through
what we get, but we life with a catchers mitt
make a life by what we on both hands. You
give ~Winston Churchill need to be able to
throw something back.
~Maya Angelou
The best way to find yourself, is
to lose yourself in the service of
others. ~ Mohandas
Karamchand Gandhi

14. The London Borough of Ealing

15. Statistics
• Population in Ealing = 305,300
• Voluntary & Community Sector Groups in
Ealing = nearly 1000
• Number of people that volunteer (40%*) =
116000
• *Citizenship Survey 2009
http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/statistics/pdf/164191.pdf

16. Statistics
41% of adults volunteered formally
giving unpaid help through a group, club or organisation
62% volunteered informally
giving unpaid help as an individual to someone who is
not a relative
Source: 2008/09 DCLG Citizenship Survey

17. The Voluntary Sector

18. What is a charity?
An organisation:
• Independent of government and business
• Non profit-distributing
• Self-governance
• Voluntarism (money and/or time)
• Provides a public benefit (beyond membership)
Source: The UK Civil Society Almanac NCVO
18

19. Names?
• Voluntary organisations
• Ngos (non governmental organisations)
• Not-for-profit / non-profit
• Community groups
• Third sector
• Independent sector
• Civil society
• Social enterprises
19

20. The voluntary sector workforce
Paid workers 668,000 (539,000
FTE*)
Trustees (unpaid) 950,000
Volunteers 10.9m (at least once per
month)
*FTE = full time equivalent
• It is estimated that of the 668,000 paid workers,
247,000 are part-time.
20

21. What do charities do?
• Provide services (that no-one else
does)
• Campaign (for a better world)
• Offer information and advice
• Counselling and advocacy
• Fund other groups or individuals
(research, pilot projects, financial
support)
21

22. Different causes
• Social welfare
• International development
• Health
• Arts
• Heritage
• Environment
• Education
22

23. Types of jobs – service providing
Care worker Youth worker Counsellor Housing
worker
Social worker Outreach Day centre Community
worker manager worker
Legal / benefits Help line Information Development
advisor manager officer worker
Advocacy Family Policy analyst Programme/
support worker therapist Project
manager
23

24. Types of jobs - infrastructure
Finance Human ICT Administrative
officer Resources manager assistant
manager
Accountant Training Database Receptionist
officer assistant
Accounts Volunteers Computer Central
assistant Co-ordinator Services services
officer manager
24

25. Types of jobs – fundraising &
communications
Community Trusts Trading Internal
fundraiser fundraiser manager communication
s
officer
Events Donor Shops Publications
organiser development manager assistant
officer
Legacy High level Press officer Marketing
campaign Donor director
manager development
Corporate Direct Campaigns Website
Sponsorship marketing officer developer
25
manager

26. Fundraiser
Good communication
Database knowledge
Good interpersonal
skills
Working to deadlines
Attention to detail
Research skills
26

27. Administration
Good organiser
People
management
Good communicator
Problem solving
Budget
management
27

28. The Volunteer Manager
• Recruit the right volunteers with the
right skills
• Train staff to work effectively and
cooperatively with volunteers
• Orient volunteers to increase their
understanding of the organization,
its clients, its services and the role
and responsibilities of volunteers
• Ensure that volunteers are given
appropriate training to be successful
in their positions

29. The Principles of Volunteering
• CHOICE
• DIVERSITY
• RECIPROCITY
• RECOGNITION

30. Your rights as a volunteer
• To be given a clear idea
of your tasks
• To have an allocated
supervisor
• To be offered
opportunities for skills
development
• To be appreciated and
get recognition
for what you have done

31. Money
• You will not earn money
as a volunteer…
• but you should get your
expenses paid for,
including cost of travel
and possibly meals.
• Some organisations also
contribute towards
childcare costs.

32. Your responsibilities as a
volunteer
• Be on time and work the
hours you agreed to
• Do your best
• Follow advice and
directions from your
supervisor
• Be willing to undertake
training if necessary

33. How to get what you want from
volunteering…

34. Understand what you want
• Why are you
volunteering?
• What do you like
doing?
• When are you available
to volunteer?
• Where can you get to
for your volunteering?

35. Get ready for the interview
• Some of the more common questions on your motivation
• General questions:
-Why are you interested in volunteering?
-What do you know about volunteering?
-Why do you wake up in the morning?
-(Give 3 main factors)
Specific to the role and to the charity:
-How are you interested in this role for this VO?
-What is attracting you to this volunteer role?
-What interest you most/least about this role?

36. Get ready for the interview
About the past:
-What do/did you like most/least in your current/past working
experience?
-What frustrates you about a job/an activity?
-Why have you left your previous jobs/volunteering roles?
-What would make you leave the charity you are volunteering for?
-Tell me about a time when you found it difficult to stay motivated.
-Tell me about a time when you have had to keep yourself motivated
during a difficult situation.
About future:
-Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
-How long do you envisage staying here in the UK/in Ealing?

37. Click on advance
search
www.do-it.org.uk

43. Take Action: Make Contact
Ask questions Arrange to meet them

44. Take Action: Meet Them
• Use the meeting to find out if
they are right for you (they’ll be
determining if you are right for
them!)
• Understand:
– what they expect of you
– what they can offer you
• Be prepared to say No
• If all OK - agree a start date!
And please ...
let Volunteer Centre Ealing know
how you get on

45. Start volunteering

46. Thank you!
Ealing Volunteer Centre
Freephone 0800 652 3183

47. Why should I volunteer?
Ealing Volunteer Centre
Ealing Community Resource Centre
63 Mattock Lane
West Ealing W13 9LA