|
|
|
|
| |
Home > Job Information > General Information > Voluntary Work
|
| |
VOLUNTARY WORK
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
|
VOLUNTARY WORK
Volunteering is the giving of time and energy for the benefit of the community, the environment or people outside your immediate family. It is undertaken by choice and without expecting money in return. The best thing about volunteering is that everyone has something to offer and everyone can get involved.
Before you begin volunteering there are a number of things you should think about to help you find a volunteering role that is right for you:
- How much time can you give?
- What skills do you have to offer?
- Do you have a cause or issue which interests you?
- Do you want to volunteer on your own or as part of a group?
- Are you a people person or would you rather do more practical work?
- Do you want to be involved in the management side or are you keen to be at the centre of what is going on?
Volunteering is a two way process. As a volunteer you will have your own motivations and reasons for getting involved. A good volunteer involving organisation will ask you about your motivations and try to meet your needs as well as its own. Through volunteering you can:
- Develop your skills and increase your employment opportunities
- Meet new friends
- Improve your health - both mind and body
- Get results
- Take on a challenge
- Be part of something bigger
- Enjoy yourself
Volunteers do not usually require any specific experience or qualifications but need to be reliable, responsible, mature and willing to help people. Volunteers may give a regular short-term commitment, be involved in one-off projects or get involved on a long-term basis. The commitment could be as little as one hour a week.
Opportunities exist in all kinds of areas such as: working with children and young people, older people, in hospitals, advice work, counselling, with families, in the environment/conservation, fundraising, with management committees, in sports and leisure, arts and heritage campaigning or community development. The list is endless.
You can still volunteer if you are claiming benefits. Receiving volunteer expenses will not affect your benefits provided the expenses you receive only cover what you actually spent in the course of your volunteering.
Volunteering will not affect your entitlement to Job Seekers Allowance provided that:
- You inform the Social Security Office that you are volunteering.
- You are only receiving the reimbursement of your out of pocket expenses.
- You agree to give up volunteering if an opportunity for paid employment arises.
- You are actively seeking work.
- Your volunteering is for a non-profit making organisation.
If you are unable to work and are receiving disability benefits you can still volunteer. However you must follow some rules:
- You receive only the reimbursement of genuine out of pocket expenses.
- You inform the relevant benefits branch that you are volunteering. Although there is no guidance about when to inform them, practice has shown that it is best done before you start volunteering. If you are getting Incapacity Benefit (IB) you should wait for a reply from your IB Branch before you start volunteering.
If you decide to volunteer the next step is to find an organisation that needs your help.
- Visit www.volunteernow.co.uk the Volunteer Centres’ Northern Ireland database of volunteering opportunities. Search to choose the kind of activity you are interested in and the kind of organisation you want to volunteer with, plus you can match your skills with the opportunities available.
- Make direct contact with an organisation. If you know the name of the organisation you would like to volunteer with simply give them a call. Look up their number in the phone book or do a search on the internet.
- Your local Volunteer Centre. Volunteer Centres are located throughout Northern Ireland. Your local Volunteer Centre will:
- have information on local volunteering opportunities;
- talk to you about what you want to do and what is available;
- arrange for you to meet with organisations; and
- can offer you support throughout your volunteer placement.
Armagh & Dungannon Volunteer Centre
Armagh Centre
3 College Street
Armagh
BT61 9BT
T: 028 3751 8415
F: 028 3751 8009
E: armagh@youcanhelp.org
W: www.youcanhelp.org
Dungannon Centre
Unit 4, Castleview Buildings
Feeney’s Lane
Dungannon BT70 1TX
T: 028 8772 9690
F: 028 8772 9690
E: dungannon@youcanhelp.orgW: www.youcanhelp.org
Ballymena & Larne Volunteer Centre
Ballymena Centre
Glendun Drive
Ballymena
BT43 6ER
T: 028 2565 6655
F: 028 2563 8580
E: Ballymena@helpingout.org
W: www.helpingout.org
Larne Centre
Units 11-13 Ledcom Industrial Estate
100 Bank Road
Larne
BT40 3AW
T: 028 2826 0460
F: 028 2827 0024
E: larne@helpingout.org
W: www.helpingout.org
Belfast & Castlereagh Volunteer Centre (VSB)
34 Shaftesbury Square
Belfast
BT2 7DB
T: 028 9020 0850
F: 028 9020 0860
E: info@vsb.org.uk
W: www.vsb.org.uk
Causeway Volunteer Centre
14 Killowen Court
Killowen Street
Coleraine
BT51 3TP
T: 028 7035 8285
F: 028 7035 8508
E: info@causewayvc.org
W: www.causewayvc.org
Cookstown & Magherafelt Volunteer Centre
Cookstown Centre
6 Loy Street
Cookstown
BT80 8PE
T: 028 8676 1122
F: 028 8676 1122
E: info@cookstownmagherafeltvc.org
W: www.cookstownmagherafeltvc.org
Magherafelt Centre
55 Rainey Street
Magherafelt
BT45 5AF
T: 028 7930 1862
F: 028 7930 1862
E: info@cookstownmagherafeltvc.org
W: www.cookstownmagherafeltvc.org
Craigavon & Banbridge Volunteer Centre
Office 2,
1st Floor
Legahory Centre
Craigavon
BT65 5BE
T: 028 3834 2741
F: 028 3834 8626
E: cb@youcanhelp.org
W: www.youcanhelp.org/cb
Down District Volunteer Centre
31a St Patrick’s Avenue
Downpatrick
BT30 6DW
T: 028 4461 9122
F: 028 4461 9069
E: info@downdistrictvc.orgW: www.downdistrictvc.orgFermanagh Volunteer Centre
Fermanagh House
Broadmeadow Place
Enniskillen
BT74 7HR
T: 028 6632 8438
F: 028 6632 2061
E: volunteer.bureau@gmail.com Limavady Volunteer Centre
Limavady Commnuity Development Initiative
Roe Valley Hospital
24d Benevenagh Drive
Limavady
BT49 0AQ
Tel. No. 028 7776 5438
Fax No. 028 7776 2303
E-mail: info@limavadyvb.org
Website: www.limavadyvb.org
Lisburn Volunteer Centre (VSL)
52a Bachelors Walk
Lisburn BT28 1XN
T: 028 9266 8740
F: 028 9266 8741
E: info@volunteer-lisburn.org
W: www.vslisburn.org.uk
Loughside Volunteer Centre
10d High Street
Antrim
BT41 4AN
T: 028 9446 6644
F: 028 9446 6644
E: loughsidevc@talktalkbusiness.netW: www.loughside.orgNewry & Mourne Volunteer Centre
Ballybot House
28 Cornmarket
Newry
BT35 8BG
T: 028 3026 2037
F: 028 3026 1411
E: info@newrymournevb.org
W: www.newrymournevb.org North Down & Ards Volunteer Centre
91 High Street
Bangor
BT20 5BD
T: 028 9127 0486
F: 028 9127 5335
E: lorraine@vsb.org.uk
W: www.vsb.org.uk
North West Volunteer Centre22 Bishop Street
L’Derry
BT48 6PP
T: 028 7127 1017
F: 028 7137 0859
E: enquiries@volunteeringnorthwest.co.uk
W: www.volunteeringnorthwest.co.uk
Omagh Volunteer Centre
2nd Floor, Community House
2 Drumragh Avenue
Omagh
BT78 1DP
T: 028 8224 0772
F: 028 8224 0772
E: odvb@onetel.com
W: www.omaghvc.co.uk
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|