Against an uncertain and somewhat depressing backdrop, it's sometimes easy to think we can't make a difference. But whether it's visiting an elderly housebound woman for a chat once a week or helping children from a deprived area read and write, there's no doubt that volunteering can have a major impact on someone's life, and is integral to society. Many of us are socially conscious, with more than a quarter (27%) of British women volunteering at least once a month, according to the National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO). Whether you're looking to reduce stress (research shows that volunteering helps combat depression), make new friends or just wish to get stuck in and help out more in the community, we've outlined eight different – and super-flexible – ways you can get involved.
Keep fit & help the community
This is multitasking at its best. Facing a gym or volunteering conundrum? Fear not, for GoodGym has conquered the dilemma, enabling us to keep fit and help out the community at the same time. Sign up for GoodGym and you'll meet up as a group at a designated spot, then run to a destination, where you'll participate in physical tasks such as shovelling earth for community gardens, planting trees, or clearing derelict land before running back to the starting point. It also pairs volunteers with isolated older people.
Find your nearest location here. Also check out Green Gym which, like GoodGym, involves being active while simultaneously benefiting the local community.
Photo: Courtesy of GoodGym.
Host afternoon tea parties for the elderly
Dishing up tea and cake while having a good old chinwag sounds like the most pleasant way to spend a Sunday. In a bid to tackle loneliness and social isolation, Contact the Elderly came up with a sweet formula – afternoon tea parties for older people. They take place once a month and are organised by local volunteers. You can host one in your own home, help out at a local one, or act as a driver to escort party-goers.
Laura Parsons, 38, has volunteered for the charity for a year since watching a BBC documentary on loneliness. “The guests have lots of stories to tell,” says Parsons of the experience. “It’s great to see isolated older people really come out of their shells and grow in confidence and happiness.”
Photo: Courtesy of Contact the elderly.
Roll your sleeves up for canal restoring
Dig out your old trainers from the bottom of your cupboard for a weekend of energetic and fun-fuelled canal restoring. Run by Waterway Recovery Group (WRG), volunteers work together in a group to get stuck into activities involving anything from restoring a lock on the Cotswold Canals to rebuilding a weir on the North Walsham & Dilham Canal.
Each weekend costs up to £13, which includes food and accommodation. Volunteers need no previous experience; just a willingness to get involved and a good sense of fun. Sophie Smith, 37, lives in north London and has been volunteering with the WRG for more than a decade, spending an average of one weekend a month helping out. “I love the fact that it’s pretty much the opposite of my day job on a computer,” she says. “It’s physically demanding and you’re totally immersed in the work. You get a massive sense of achievement, for example if you look back at a big section of towpath that you’ve cleared of overgrowth.”
Photo: Courtesy of Waterway Recovery Group.
A helping hand
Not volunteering exactly, Helpfulpeeps is more focused on human capital, enabling individuals to share their skills or time. Whether you want to help someone learn a new language, you're able to cat-sit for a stranger, or can lend a hand at a charity event, Helpfulpeeps is the facilitator. Members simply log in and connect with those seeking help. Set up two years ago by Saf Nazeer as a pilot in Bristol, the site now has more than 15,000 members. “Every individual has something to offer each other and society at large based on their skills and passions,” says Nazeer.
Photo: Courtesy of Helpfulpeeps.
Hang out at Jimi Hendrix's old flat
Jimi Hendrix fans, look no further. The guitarist's former flat at 23 Brook Street in London has been restored and needs volunteers to guide visitors around the premises as well as the building next door, where 18th-century composer Georg Frideric Handel previously lived.
Volunteers will be stewarding people around Hendrix's restored bedroom, explaining the exhibition about his life and work, working in the gift shop and welcoming visitors in the reception. Volunteering opportunities range from a half day from 12pm to 3pm to 11am to 6pm throughout the week. Find out more here.
Photo: via @olauzt/Instagram.
Help fix bikes for refugees
Even if you don't consider yourself proficient at fixing a puncture, there are still plenty of ways to get involved in the The Bike Project, which fixes secondhand bikes at its Denmark Hill workshop and donates them to refugees.
As well as repairing bikes, volunteers can kit people out in their safety gear, help with surveys and hand out biscuits; the team at The Bike Project say they're short of hands and everyone is welcome to come to one of its donation sessions which are held every Thursday from 5pm to 8pm.
Photo: Courtesy of The Bike Project.
Style women to win at the job interview
If you've got your finger on the pulse when it comes to styling, then we've found the volunteering gig for you. Smart Works offers high-quality interview outfits, styling advice and interview training to women in need. The result helps restore a woman's confidence when it comes to finding a job.
Volunteers can also conduct practice interviews for the women – senior managers or HR professionals are particularly welcome – while stock volunteers can organise the wardrobes. Centres are in London, Manchester, Reading and Birmingham. Many of the roles are for just one day a month.
Photo: Courtesy of Smart Works.
Mentor care-leavers
The Big House Theatre Company 's mentoring scheme involves building a strong relationship with care-leavers aged between 16 and 25 who are at risk of social exclusion. The young people are signed up to The Big House programme, where they develop life skills and develop confidence through workshops at the Dalston-based theatre.
Mentors hang out with their mentorees informally – whether it's meeting for a coffee or going for a walk – for a couple of hours every two weeks throughout the course of a year, during which they will help them achieve their goals, which could range from helping them with a job application or deciding what course to study.
“You get to meet inspirational electric young people with incredible stories,” says Eleanor Wyld, 27, who has volunteered at The Big House since it was founded in 2013. “Having someone to talk things through is the big thing for them.” They're also on the lookout for volunteers to help with set building, photography and front of house support.
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