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Money

Charity work: How to be become a successful volunteer

The economic situation means that it is often hard to donate money, but you can still make a difference with your time
Mark Bridge 18 Jun 2011 00:01:22

The tough economic climate and Government cuts have hit charities hard. Giving more money is one way to help, but something many people cannot afford. Volunteering is an alternative that experts say is accessible to everyone and can provide huge benefits to both the charity and the individual. Justin Davis Smith, of Volunteering England, which promotes volunteering, says that it is important to take time to get the match right so that the volunteer contributes effectively, making best use of his or her abilities and skills, but also takes something worthwhile back from the experience. He adds that there is a damaging misconception that volunteering requires a big time commitment. I havent got time is the No. 1 reason people give for not doing it. In fact, there is work for anyone from helping with a one-off event to doing a few hours a month or several days a week. Nevertheless, experts agree that it is important not to commit to hours or responsibility that you are not sure you can manage, as you may cost the charity more than you benefit it if you pull out after training and may also let down beneficiaries, especially in one-on-one roles, such as a mentor or reading partner. One option, if in doubt, is to ask to shadow or help out existing volunteers for a few sessions first. Several large organisations can help would-be volunteers to make a sensible match. For instance, Volunteering England operates Volunteer Centres across the country that give one-to-one advice on local opportunities (and partner organisations provide equivalents across the UK). This is particularly useful if you arent sure how to make most effective use of your abilities and time. The Do-it.org site lists thousands of opportunities, searchable by postcode. If you are already keen to help a specific organisation, say a local school or a charity that you may have a personal link to, such as the Royal British Legion, it is easiest to contact it direct. Meanwhile, if you work, it is worth asking your employer if it has an employee volunteering scheme. These may entitle you to time off to volunteer, and may provide opportunities that take advantage of your particular skills.

However you search for a role, Helen Walker, of TimeBank, the charity, says that would-be volunteers should understand that it may take weeks to find a suitable placement and longer to complete criminal record checks and training if you make a regular commitment a thoroughness that she says brings huge benefits, nevertheless. Volunteering opportunities come in all categories from working with vulnerable groups to helping to maintain landscapes or historic sites. Many roles are unskilled, but you will be particularly useful if you have transferable skills, perhaps from your professional or other relevant experience. Reach Skilled Volunteers is an org-anisation that helps people with at least three years experience in a profession, business or management to find a role where their skills can be used to the fullest whether they work full-time and can only fit in a few hours a month, or are retired or unemployed and can spare a couple of days a week. It works mostly with smaller charities with very limited resources, who have no other means to access specialist expertise. Caroline Beaumont of Reach says that one inspired volunteer can have a transformative impact for these charities and that her organisation encourages them to create and develop roles to take proper advantage of the available talent. She says that there are all kinds of roles, but a particular need for people with business experience to bring strategic thinking to boost income generation an area that many charities are struggling with in the current climate. Russell Brown, 31, signed up with Reach three months ago, and will soon start working with Sported, which provides professionals as mentors to local sports organisations. He works full-time as a financial controller for a communications company and intends to use his accountancy experience to help the charity he is placed with to identify goals, refine its financial plans and apply successfully for funding. He says: Its about bringing in some outside thinking, not coming in and telling an organisation what to do. I love sport, so it should be a great match. Working with a small charity means that there is scope for seeing tangible results fast something we dont get in a corporate environment. Many of the volunteers that Reach places use their experience of helping charities to boost their careers building up areas such as strategic thinking. Others have lost jobs and use volunteering to maintain and develop skills to boost their employability. However, normal placements for volunteers without specific high-level experience can also significantly help people to improve their CVs and gain new skills. Victoria Jackson, who works three days a week in administration for Rochdale Metropolitan Borough Council, has volunteered with Victim Support, the charity for victims of crime, for 18 months. Ms Jackson, 40, says that she has received fabulous training and has progressed from making evening visits to victims of less serious crimes, such as burglary, to supporting victims of rape over periods of months. She says: I have always been interested in counselling, but had no experience or qualifications. My experience has been very rewarding. It is important for people who have been through these things to feel they can speak in confidence to someone who wont judge them. It has benefited me, too, as I am now studying for a diploma in counselling and plan to change career path once I qualify. Helping Victim Support definitely gives me an edge at college. Ms Jackson works the equivalent of at least one day a week, sometimes working Fridays but often at evenings and weekends. She says that she could fit the commitment around full-time work. For those with less availability, Walker says that volunteering as a mentor (see case study), or as a trustee are both options that require far fewer hours and no experience but can make a tremendous impact for charities. She adds: I have a busy working life, but volunteer as a mentor. That means committing to spend 24 hours with someone over six months, but there is flexibility about how you arrange that. Meanwhile, charities provide training for would-be trustees, who meet once a quarter and may do sub-committee work inbetween. More than half of charities need new trustees. Ms Walker says that many people are put off by fears of the liability that may be involved, but that the risks are often overstated and something that people should discuss with the charity, as there may be insurance cover.

If you would prefer not to make a regular commitment, the Do-it.org site lists many opportunities to help at one-off events. For example, Teenage Cancer Trust is looking for people to fundraise at their local Argos store for two hours over the weekend of July 30 and 31. Meanwhile, many charities require volunteers to steward at events such as concerts and sponsored runs. Another option is to volunteer in this country or overseas as part of a career break. Mr Brown spent six months setting up a microfinance project in Tanzania in a break encouraged by his former employer, the accountant PwC. Within the UK, you should be offered expenses on all volunteer placements, where relevant. And although there are no rules, Ms Walker says that it would not be good practice for a charity to use a volunteer in a full-time role that would normally be taken by staff. Case study: Mentoring has changed my life Martin Daay is a mentor with the TimeBank Back to Life programme, which offers practical and emotional support to young adults recovering from mental health issues. Mr Daay, 25, joined two and a half years ago, when he was working in the pharmaceuticals industry a career that he says did not bring him fulfilment. He says: I was doing very well and earning good money, but knew that I had a greater passion for helping in the community, specifically in South London. I found details of the programme on the internet and met the coordinator to talk through what it involved. TimeBank provided great training and I have always felt supported. After first helping a refugee who has since been deported, Mr Daay was matched with Jonathan Codjoe, 23, who had been off work with depression when they met and needed support to get his life back on track. They met once or twice a week through the official six-month mentoring period, but have since continued the process meeting less frequently as Mr Codjoe becomes busier with his new work and study commitments. Mr Daay says: Jonathan wanted to get into fashion, so I helped him to get work experience in Savile Row, then to get onto a course at Newham College. The mentoring process is flexible, so I have never found it a problem to fit around work. The relationship is very informal. In fact, we have become friends and I am delighted at how well he is doing. Mr Codjoe says that he was not sure what to expect from mentoring, but that it has been a huge help. He hopes to one day use the training, contacts and experience that he is now building up to found his own fashion brand partly inspired by Ozwald Boateng, whose modern take on classic British tailoring is something he admires. Mr Daay says that he has found mentoring so rewarding that he left his previous career and now works for a social enterprise. His experiences have also inspired several of his friends who work in the City and in the police to get involved in volunteering. Overseas opportunities for professionals VSO organises overseas volunteer placements for professionals with at least two years post-qualification experience in fields from medicine to IT and business management. Most placements are for one to two years, although the charity also arranges some sixmonth placements for those with at least five years experience. The organisation covers all expenses, from flights and insurance to visas and accommodation, plus a living allowance. See Vso.org.uk. Besides VSO, several international organisations including Merlin, RedR and Mdecins du Monde arrange overseas placements for doctors. The Volunteering Overseas pages of Do-it.org have contact details. Many organisations provide voluntourism placements overseas for people with or without specific skills. Unlike the other opportunities mentioned, volunteers pay for their placements often hundreds or thousands of pounds. Some providers have been accused of sending people on pointless projects, so do some research before committing. See Ethicalvolunteering.org.

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Martin Daay and Jonathan Codjoe Peter Nicholls for the Times

Publisher: News International Ltd Published Date: 18 Jun 2011 00:01:22 Article Id: 854393 Version: 1 Word Count: 1776 Character Count: 8669

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