(Inspired by the DFID Booklet)
by Louise Sutherland
(jump to List of Volunteer organizations)
If you’ve ever been moved by a situation or angered by the destruction of the environment there is a volunteering role which will enable you to help change things. Some volunteers do front line services overseas, teaching, clearing mines, providing health care, but others provide a vital support service here in the UK - raising awareness, campaigning, administering and fund raising. In the UK more than half all adults do some kind of volunteering: there are loads of ways of aiding global development or whatever your cause is, by volunteering your time.
Volunteers give their times and skills to enhance what charities are able to do. Many organisations see volunteers as essential to support their work and plug skills gaps. Also people in power will often listen more to someone who speaks with a passion than someone who speaks with a pay packet. Volunteering enables you to learn new skills, gain experience, meet a need in yourself to do something, enhance your self confidence, enables you to see into the work of charities you support and gives you confidence about how your donations are spent. From a Druidic point of view, volunteering allows us to serve our communities and gives us a sense of wellbeing – a satisfaction that you touch the web honourably, that your actions directly improving other places, people or creatures.
If you are already involved in financially supporting something and want to do more, call them and ask to speak to their volunteer co-ordinator. They will probably ask you to complete an application form, attend an interview or just talk with you about your skills and what you want to do with them. These are good signs and mean the organisation is serious about using your strengths to support their work.
If you are just starting to think about volunteering here are some questions to help you…
- Is there a particular cause you want to support?
- Is there a certain part of the world you want to make a difference in?
- Are there particular activities you’d like to undertake?
- Are there skills you have that could be useful?
- Are there skills you want to learn?
- How much time do you have to give?
So when you have some ideas, you could visit your local volunteer centre or try one of the websites below. Remember The Druid Network is also looking for volunteers!
Volunteering comes in many guises, long term or short term overseas placements, one-off UK events and long and short term UK work. However much time you have there is something you can do…
If you are interested in overseas volunteering there are lots of opportunities. In some cases your airfare and accommodation is paid for, in others you fund this yourself. Long Term Overseas Volunteering is usually supporting capacity building projects – i.e. projects which help people to help themselves. Check the resource list at the end of this article for potential opportunities.
If volunteering in the UK is better suited to your situation or desires, there are tons of things here which benefit UK charities or support overseas projects.
Small Commitments Matter Too…
One-off or occasional volunteering is a great way to help if you can’t give a regular commitment. For those short of time Amnesty International has a letter writing campaign, so you can fit it vital advocacy work around your existing commitments : www.amnesty.org/
You don’t even need to leave the house to volunteer! The UN Volunteers program links computer clever people to online work like programming and translating : www.unv.org
Promoting Fairtrade is a great way to volunteer from home. Working with agencies like Traidcraft : www.traidcraft.co.uk Volunteers sell crafts and commodities and spread the word about the ability of fair trade rules to eliminate poverty.
Save the Children and many other run speaker programs where volunteers are trained and given resources to go into schools and businesses and speak engagingly to raise awareness and money : www.savethechildren.org.uk
One-off fundraisers are valuable and not time consuming. Two friends and I recently dressed as naughty school girls and rattled a tin around a pub for one night and raised over £100 for ActionAid's Lick Child Poverty campaign. There are lots of easy ways to raise cash, from a collecting tin at work, to sponsored events, helping run a charity shop to selling raffle tickets.
Resource List
Cross-Cultural Solutions – http://www.crossculturalsolutions.org is a not for profit organisation that operates volunteers programs in many overseas countries.
Do-it.org - http://www.do-it.org is a national database of volunteering opportunities where you search by interest.
Experience Corps - http://www.experiencecorps.org recruits volunteers over the age of 50.
Institute for International Cooperation and Development – http://www.iicd-volunteer.org is a US based not for profit organisation offering volunteer programs for those who want to travel the world and do good at the same time.
International Service - http://www.internationalservice.org.uk is an international development organisation linked to partner organisation in Latin America, Middle East and West Africa.
Millennium volunteers - http://www.millenniumvolunteers.gov.uk focuses on young people.
Online volunteering – a UN website for virtual volunteers who can give time to help translate documents etc without leaving home. http://www.onlinevolunteering.org
Raleigh International - a youth development charity getting people involved in fundraising for development projects overseas http://www.raleigh.org.uk
Teaching overseas – http://www.teaching-abroad.co.uk
United Nations Volunteers – the UNV program supports and runs volunteering all over the world http://www.unvolunteers.org
Voluntary Service Overseas – http://www.vso.org.uk runs volunteers programs for those who can live and work overseas on two year placements. They also run short term placements http://www.vso.org.uk/volunteering/assignments/search.asp
UNLTD - http://society.guardian.co.uk/unlimitedvision (the Foundation for Social Entrepreneurs) is the UK’s leading charity supporting individuals who have the ideas, the vision and the commitment to make a difference in their communities. It does this by providing a complete package of funding and support, to help these individuals start up and run projects, both large and small-scale, that deliver social benefit.
MANGO www.mango.org.uk (Management Accounting for Non-Governmental Organisations) is a UK-based charity that specializes in financial management support to humanitarian relief and development NGOs. If you are: qualified accountants (with ICAEW, CIMA, CIPFA, ICAS, ACCA) and available to work in field and head office positions with international NGOs around the world.
Tibet Foundation - http://www.tibet-foundation.org does not arrange volunteer placements in Asia but seeks volunteers for the london office and those with the following experience; translators with skills in English, Tibetan, Mandarin, Mongolian, French, Hindi and Urdu, Graphic Designers, Researchers, Fundraisers and Event Organisers.
Médecins Sans Frontières - http://www.uk.msf.org provides independent medical relief to victims of war, disasters and epidemics in around 80 countries around the world. MSF is always looking to recruit qualified staff for voluntary work overseas. MSF has a policy of sending expatriates out to the field only if they have expertise which cannot be found locally. MSF is looking to recruit volunteers with the following professional background: Medical doctors, surgeons, anaesthetists, nurses, midwives, nutritionists, epidemiologists, lab technicians, mental health professionals, water and sanitation engineers, construction engineers, logisticians, financial controllers and/or management.
English First - http://www.englishfirst.com teach english overseas. They can train unqualified people with no previous teching expereince. You should be comfortable with the prospect of spending a year teaching English abroad, teaching people from a different cultural background and immersing yourself in that culture.
Hope and Homes - http://www.hopeandhomes.org aims to give the love of a family and a home to children orphaned or abandoned due to war or disaster. They seek trained volunteers for four countries in Eastern Europe. They seek volunteers with nursery nursing, special needs and teaching experience, occupational and play therapists and social workers. Volunteer placements last a minimum of six months. They cover the expenses of flights, insurance and accommodation and in some cases a living allowance may be available.
Recycle: The Bike Charity - http://www.re-cycle.org Thousands of bicycles are thrown away or left to rust in the UK while millions of people in Africa walk 4 hours per day or more. Re~Cycle's mission is to rectify this imbalance and change the lives of individuals and communities by collecting and shipping quality 2nd hand bikes, parts and tools. They need voluntees to; becoming trustees, help on management committee, work in one or more of the following areas: operations, fundraising and marketing, occasional help loading or working with bikes.
Peaceworkers UK - http://www.peaceworkers.org.uk are trying to develop the ‘Peaceworkers Register’, a database of civilians potentially available for work in the peace and conflict resolution field. They seek people with transferable skills and experience to be put forward for possible placement in roles such as human rights monitors, observers, people who accompany local peacemakers, rule of law experts, conflict transformation specialists and mission administrators. To become an active member of the Peaceworkers Register all applicants will be assessed on their competencies. Once a candidate has become an active member of the Register they may be put forward for possible placement on a peace mission with an NGO or intergovernmental organisation. Contact them via their website for more infomation.
The Simon Community cares and campaigns for London's street homeless. They rely almost entirely on full and part time volunteers for our work. For more information e-mail: thesimoncommunity [at] yahoo [dot] com
The Commonwealth Service Abroad Programme - http://www.thecommonwealth.org/whoweare/cftc/csap/csap.html is an innovative volunteer-based programme of the Commonwealth Secretariat, for delivering development assistance to member countries. CSAP assists in the design, development and implementation of people-centred, mass-impact projects that contribute to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals. All CSAP projects involve interacting with large numbers of people: at the grass roots; in youth, women and community groups; and in professional groups such as business entrepreneurs, scientists, technologists and environmentalists. For more information see the website.
BRICKS (Bosnian Refugee Information Centre and Kosovar Support) seek London-based volunteers interested in joining their friendship/skill sharing scheme, or helping with fundraising creative projects and website development. For further info please email : bricksintegra [at] hotmail [dot] com
Peace Brigades International - Human Rights Observers http://www.peacebrigades.org a human rights organisation which aims to create breathing spaces in conflict zones so that the civilian population may organise to defend its rights without fear of reprisals and violence. PBI is an independent organisation not affiliated to any religious or political institutions. They need volunteers to work as international observers to work in Colombia, Guatemala, Mexico and Indonesia to protect organisations and individuals who have requested our involvement. You must be over 25 and fluent in the language of the country you attend to be an international observer and be able to make the minimum time commitment of 12-18 months.
Hands Around the World - http://www.handsaroundtheworld.org.uk are currently seeking traingin volunteers for 3-6 month placements: Midwife, Midwifery Tutor, Maintenance Engineer, Radiographer/Ultrasound operator, Physiotherapists, Pharmacist, Solar Power engineer, Nursery/Reception teacher.
GOAL - http://www.goal-uk.org is a non-denominational, non-political organisation aiming to alleviate the suffering of people in developing countries. GOAL recruits project managers from a range of backgrounds (doctors, midwives, nurses, engineers, agriculturalists, social workers) and support staff as project accountants, administrators, logisticians. Must be 23 - 65 years of age for insurance purposes. Return air fares, suitable accommodation, modest in-country allowance, full insurance, appropriate training and resettlement grant are provided by GOAL to first time volunteers. Information available on website.
British Red Cross Society - http://www.redcross.org.uk/workingoverseas maintains a register of skilled, experienced delegates who are available to work overseas. It also seeks volunteers to support the work in UK, this can be very varied; emergency response, caring for people in their own homes, transport and escort, medical loan, fundraising, fire victim support, first aid, therapeutic care, skin camouflage, working in a British Red Cross shop, message and tracing. http://www.redcross.org.uk/whereweare
Handicap International - http://www.handicap-international.org.uk is a non-governmental and non-profit organisation, which works with people living with disability and vulnerability to make a positive difference to their lives. Handicap International is looking to recruit people with the following professional background: physiotherapists, occupational therapists, orthopedic technicians, community-based rehabilitation, mental health professionals, community health and management. Please see website for details of the specific requirements.
RESULTS is an international grassroots lobby group working to create the public and political will to end hunger and the worst aspects of poverty. RESULTS gives individuals the tools they need to take effective action and to speak out in favour of anti-poverty measures that really work. At the heart of RESULTS are the volunteers, people from all walks of life, discovering their own ability to make a difference. RESULTS has devised methods of training, coaching, and supporting individuals to overcome resignation about their ability to make a difference, to powerfully voice their opinions to their elected representatives, and to work strategically with others to build public support for ending hunger and poverty. Become a volunteer activist in a RESULTS action group and play a crucial role in your own community, influencing the media and your elected representatives on international development issues. Please contact Sheila Davie at info [at] results-uk [dot] org or tel: 01926 435 430 for more information.
