Volunteering

Introduction

Volunteers are the lifeblood of voluntary organisations. People volunteer in many different roles including being a trustee, helping with operational activities such as assisting in a charity shop, fundraising, organising events, gardening, administration, caring for elderly people or children and so on. The importance of volunteering has long been recognised, particularly by organisations themselves, many of which would not exist without unpaid help causing some vital services to even collapse.

Section 3 is divided into three topics:

1. The role of volunteers explores what volunteering is, what volunteers do, and why people volunteer.
2. Recruitment of volunteers looks at the importance of volunteers to organisations and the different ways to recruit them.
3. Good practice in supporting and managing volunteers takes an overview of how to retain and engage with volunteers.

You may be a volunteer yourself or work in an organisation that involves volunteers on an extensive basis. You might have relevant experience to draw on, perhaps of being recruited as a volunteer, or you might even have recruited volunteers yourself. If you are considering applying for a volunteering role, then this section will help prepare you for applications and interviews, and give you a sense of what to expect as a volunteer.