Charity Organizations In The UK
If you have been thinking about volunteering in England for a long time but still not clear which way to go, here is a quick guide:
Volunteering in England:
Volunteering is something that gratifies, that gives satisfaction. And doing it abroad is one of the best ways to get paid work in the future. It is good that you know that most groups require a formal application, personal statement, and some sort of filing before assigning a place as a volunteer. Since there is a deadline to apply, you will need to consult the web pages of each organization to find out if there are any offers.
Remember: if you are applying to volunteer in England over the internet, it is very important that you submit your CV and letter of recommendation. Introduce yourself and explain why you are interested. You will need to include an English mobile number otherwise they won’t be able to call you, which would be a shame.
Some voluntary associations in England
Idealist: This portal allows you to contact charities from all over the world; the search engine allows you to filter the results to search only for requests for volunteer work.
ResponsibleTravel: This site offers opportunities to volunteer around the world and focuses on English-speaking audiences.
HandsUpHolidays: This site caters to an international audience and allows you to find charity projects from around the world.
United Nations Volunteers: The United Nations program brings the help of professionals to conflict zones or areas affected by natural disasters.
Keen London: It is a charity that every week offers free sports and entertainment activities for children from 5 years and for adults with minor disabilities. In a nutshell, you will become a leisure center operator.
Batter Sea: It is an association that deals with abandoned animals and that always needs volunteers to take care of them within the structures, to manage charity shops or fundraisers. If you like animals, this is the type of volunteer for you!
Greater London: This is a kind of large charity which includes several charities in England that need staff for conferences, fairs etc. It’s a good starting point for finding the volunteer activity that’s right for you.
Time bank: That of the “Time Banks” is a concept, which has taken hold lately, in which you make your time and knowledge available to a person who will reciprocate by offering you his help. Furthermore, these associations often need volunteers for the development of their activities.
Red Cross UK: Whether it’s visiting patients, helping out in hospitals, running fundraising campaigns or helping logistics, there’s always something to do in the Red Cross.
Barnet Libraries: This involves volunteering at the libraries in the city by sorting books, sorting catalogs etc.
Volunteer Services in England
- The European Voluntary Service (EVS). This is a European Union program that allows young people between 18 and 25 years to volunteer for a charity for a period of between 6 and 12 months. In this case, the European Commission takes care of the travel expenses and those for health and accident insurance, also offering a salary that varies between 140 and 220 euros per month.
- Community Service Volunteers (CSV). It is the largest voluntary association in England . Each volunteer is assigned to one of his social projects for a period ranging from 4 months to a year, receiving in exchange a small fee of £ 30 per week.
- Camphill Communities. The Camphill Community offers volunteer places in England to help adults with special needs 6 days a week. The community prefers that volunteers remain in the same workplace for at least one year.
- National trust. This organization was created in 1895 by 3 volunteers. Activities carried out include helping with historic buildings and gardens. You can get more information on volunteer programs via the National Trust website
It is a rather intriguing proposal because room and board are paid for by the association , so you won’t have to worry about finding a place to sleep in case you decide to be part of this program.
Volunteering in UK Parishes If you have no problems with the Catholic world, the Caritas UK network and all the parishes in London offer many opportunities for volunteering: from helping in social canteens to being an educator in school or parish summer camps.
The official sites of Caritas in the United Kingdom and the Diocese of Westminster are CSAN and Rcdow. Here you can find volunteer activities and find out which parish is closest to you. There you can ask the priest directly for directions on where to volunteer. The priests are always aware of the volunteer activities that take place within their own parish.
It is not compulsory to be Catholic to help out in a parish, just keep in mind that, before people enter the canteen, all the volunteers pray for those who will be helped. It’s a matter of 3 minutes.
The most interesting part of this type of volunteering is above all after dinner, when you are left to chat with the people present, to have their story told and keep them some company.
It doesn’t matter if you move to the UK to study or work, you will surely find some time to help out those who really need it. By doing some volunteering in England you will get to know other English volunteers with whom you can make a good friendship and improve your English.