Ways to Volunteer: by Paul Twocock

Good neighbours and assisted shopping
Good Neighbours volunteers provide companionship and friendship by making home visits or speaking on the telephone which helps to prevent older people from becoming lonely. Volunteers can also help with tasks like collecting a prescription or small jobs around the home or even visiting the shops to aid their independence. Charities need people to deliver these services locally and is an ideal volunteering opportunity if you are not able to give your time at a set time every week or month.
Lunch clubs and social centres
By volunteering at a lunch club or a social centre, you will be giving company to older or housebound people. Not only are meals often provided, but there are also activities such as dominoes and dancing. Regular outings are organised - so you will have to have a passion for conversation and activity!
Professional support You might be in the world of work but that doesn’t mean you can’t contribute. Far from it - the flexibility of being a volunteer means that even people with full-time careers or other commitments can still find the time to help out. By sharing your expertise, you’ll soon discover just how satisfying and rewarding being a volunteer can be. Whether you have a specialist skill in areas like marketing, human resources and training, recruitment, Health & Safety, finance, fundraising, journalism, copyrighting, customer service, even teaching IT or computer skills �" many charities will always have a role for you. By giving some of your time, you can develop new insights by volunteering on a part-time or occasional consultancy basis in our offices or from your home. Hospital shops and cafes There are plenty of opportunities to help out in local hospitals across the country. In hospital shops and cafés you can gain retail experience - such as using cash registers and ordering stock. Some shops and cafés are open on Saturdays and Sundays, so these roles are ideal for anyone who can only volunteer for a couple of hours on a weekend, as little as once a fortnight or once a month. You can also volunteer with a friend.