Why should I become a volunteer?

Meeting new people

By dedicating your time to being a volunteer, you can:

• expand your network, make new friends and boost your social skills
• strengthen your ties to your community and increase your sense of belonging. It can also increase your knowledge making it easier to find resources and activities for you and your family.
• meet likeminded people with similar interests

Staying happy and healthy

Volunteering can help to:

• make you feel better and happier
• provide a sense of direction and purpose in your life by keeping you mentally stimulated, so you can take your mind of other worries
• combat stress, anxiety, and depression by providing you with meaningful connections and a good support system
• gain a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction by giving you a sense of pride and increasing your self-confidence

Having fun

By volunteering you can:

• spend time doing activities you are genuinely interested in and support
• meet new people and expand your social network
• do something outside of work or family life which can help to relieve stress

Improving your career prospects

By participating in volunteering, you can:

• gain a wide range of new skills or advance skills you already have which can help to advance your career
• use the volunteering activities as good examples for job interviews
• show that you have interests outside of your degree, education, or job - this can help to set you apart from other candidates by having different interview answer examples
• try out new career option and gain experience in a new field

Take a look at our Volunteering - frequently asked questions