Five ways you can volunteer this International Volunteer Day

Volunteering is one of the most rewarding activities that a person can undertake and it is vital to many industries across the world, especially healthcare. Well, today is International Volunteer Day, a day where people across the world take a few moments to appreciate the hard work of volunteer workers. It’s important to recognize the free time, energy and dedication people are willing to give in order to help improve someone else’s life.

There are so many different ways to volunteer and some are often far easier to commit to than you think. We thought it would be a great idea to list some great methods of volunteering, especially as it’s almost Christmas time, which is a time of year that a lot of people really appreciate the extra support volunteers can offer.

Silver Line

Silver Line is a charity that focuses on providing support to the elderly community within the United Kingdom. They provide a free hotline that older people are able to call if they need any kind of support, or if they just need some company. They also offer people a letter scheme in which people that are lonely are matched up with volunteers.

Silver Line runs completely on donations, but also volunteers. Anyone can volunteer to work at Silver Line, all it takes is a bit of free time and the ability to talk. If you want to get involved, please check out the Silver Line website here.

Age UK

Age UK is another charity dedicated to working with the elderly. Considering that loneliness is most common among the elderly, it is no surprise that a lot of voluntary work revolves around providing company for older generations.

Age UK is great because it has voluntary positions based on your specific area, meaning you can help someone local to your area. One of the great services they offer is the “Befriending” scheme which gives volunteers a chance to befriend someone in their local area. This can be done through simply popping in for half an hour a week and making someone a cup of tea, or playing scrabble.

If you would like to find out more, please visit the Age UK website here.

NHS

The NHS is always looking for volunteers, for some it is a way to kickstart a career in healthcare, but for many it is a way to provide some comfort to those people that are having a hard time. Volunteers provide non-clinical support to patients and family members, which can be anything from being a great listener to making a cup of tea.

They might seem like very trivial things, but they might make the world of difference to someone having a terrible day. To find out about volunteering with the NHS, please visit their website here.

Blue Cross

It’s not just humans that need help. The Christmas period often leads to a lot of pets being abandoned, as people find they are unable to look after animals correctly. This means that there is extra stress on veterinary centres and animal shelters, to deal with the heightened demand. Blue Cross is a charity that provides support to animals that need it, voluntary positions can include anything from dog walking to simply helping in their re-sheltering homes.

If you are interested in volunteering at Blue Cross and helping need animals, please visit their website here.

Your local council

Short of well known charities and organisations, local councils have got loads of opportunities for volunteering. This could be anything from helping out in your local school to lending a hand at homeless shelters in your area.

Contacting them shouldn’t be hard, all you have to do is find their contact details on Google, or you can head into their office. Local councils are always look for volunteers and will be happy to point you in the right direction.

Voluntary workers are not only a crucial point of support for many people across the United Kingdom, but they also have a positive effect on the economy. If there are anymore charitable opportunities we’ve missed, please let us know in the comments.