Volunteer Centre Hounslow - about volunteering

About Volunteering

What’s in it for me?

Volunteering should be a two-way benefit. In exchange for your time and talents, you will be able to look forward to a rewarding experience in your turn. People do voluntary work for a whole variety of reasons:

to gain experience or learn new skills
to put into practice newly gained proficiencies
to get a job or make a career change
to give back something to the community or to help people in need of support
and many, many more.

Volunteering is a great way to gain expertise in a new field. Employers and universities now consider voluntary work experience to be as valuable as paid work. A voluntary placement can sometimes become a paid post.

You may be able to use your existing skills to help a charity. For example, many groups are seeking trustees, need help with marketing and designing publicity materials or writing funding applications or are looking for someone with legal knowledge. On the other hand, there is a great demand for more “hands on” experience, working directly with people in need of additional support, such as older people, mentally or physically disabled or people with mental health problems.

Make new Friends	Meet new people
Learn about other cultures	Find new challenges
Access to college courses	Relevant work experience
Feel good about yourself	Raise you self esteem

Enjoy yourself!

Extra support needs

If you want to volunteer but feel you need extra support to help you to get started, then our Volunteer Support Project staff will be able to provide support and training to help you find the most suitable placement for your skills and interests and direct you to organisations where your needs will be met. If you experience any problems or difficulties in your placement, you will be very welcome to return to Volunteer Centre Hounslow for further help.

The Volunteer Support Project is specifically tailored to work with people recovering from mental illness who are seeking to move into paid employment or further education or who simply want to feel involved again in their local community.

How can I volunteer?

It’s easy. Just complete our on line registration form. Or you can email us direct at info@volunteerhounslow.org.uk or contact us by mail or by telephone.

We will arrange a time for an informal, confidential interview with one of the Centre staff to talk over what you would like to do. She will be able to advise you what voluntary vacancies are currently available and help you to make contact with the organisations of your choice.

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