Youth Volunteering
Young volunteers have so much skill, enthusiasm, passion and determination to share with organisations and causes.
“I enjoy mostly being able to see the smiles I bring to the face of the children as they love to see volunteers playing with them and keeping them company.”
What you gain
You can gain so much by volunteering as a young person by making a difference to a cause, individuals or an organisation that you are passionate about.
Through volunteering you can also:
- meet new people
- have fun
- gain new skills and enhance the ones you already have
- boost your CV, UCAS and employability
You can also gain recognition through the Volunteer Now Impact Awards. These Awards will give you recognition for the hours that you give.
What can you do
Search for a volunteering opportunity on Be Collective. Here are some guides in case you need any help:
Social Action/Activism gives you an opportunity to make a difference to a cause/issue/campaign that is important to you.
You can do it by yourself, grab a coupld of friends or join an already established group. It is usually time and issue bound and gives you the opportunity to make a difference without committing to a long term role.
Check out our social action toolkit for information and guidance.
Volunteering is a commitment to an organisation so think about a few things first.
Think about the following:
- What time do you have to give? If its an hour a week or an hour a month that is ok – just let your organisation know
- Can you commit? Make sure that you can commit and do commit as promised. Organisations rely on their volunteers to make that vital difference so your ability to turn up is crucial. Make sure you let them know when your exams are on or when you will be under pressure with work commitments. Giving them prior warning is a good thing to do.
- What skills do you have? Do you have skills that you can share with your organisation or those they support? Are you good at organizing things, photography, arts and crafts, talking to people etc? Think about these qualities when you begin to look at roles
- What skills would you like to gain? Many people volunteer to learn new skills. Does your chosen organisation have the ability to give you these skills?
#iWill is a movement comprised of over 1000 organisations and 700 young #iwill Ambassadors & Changemakers from across the UK. They are united by a shared belief that all children and young people should be supported and empowered to make a positive difference on the issues that affect their lives, their communities, and broader society.
Volunteer Now is the NI partner for the movement and supports the #iwill ambassadors as they undertake their roles.
Check out the #iwill movement website.
Supporting the staff and Board of Volunteer Now is a Youth Advisory Partnership. A group of youth involving organisations and inspirational young volunteers who are willing to share their ideas, views and to support the delivery of programmes with us.
For more information on the Partnership, contact our Youth Team.
