Are you thinking of volunteering? Then we want to help highlight some key steps to help you find the best volunteering opportunities to suit your interests, experience and capabilities.

1. Think about your interests
   Before applying for a volunteering opportunity and in order to choose a suitable opportunity it is always helpful to identify what your active interests are. Oftentimes volunteers will choose a volunteering opportunity based on what they have an interest in and what they know or feel like they will be best at.
   
2. Think about your capabilities
   In the early stage of applying for a volunteering opportunity, it is always good to consider your strengths so that you, the organisation, and the work your volunteering to help can get the best out of your abilities and experience.
   
   If you are unsure that you can fully commit to a long period of volunteering, it may be best to not apply for an opportunity that would like a volunteer to commit for a period of time. If you know that you have a lot going on or you are a full-time employee it may be best to realistically review your capabilities so that you don’t commit to more than you need to.
   
   If you see a volunteering opportunity that is of interest to you but you know you may not always be able to go to the location of the volunteering opportunity it may be best to realistically assess before applying or ensure that it is made to known to the organisation.
   
   
3. Think about your availability
   When applying for a volunteering opportunity you will need to determine how much you can input into the work of volunteering, you will also need to be practical about the amount of time that you can commit to volunteering and the day/s.
   
   This helps the organisation you’re volunteering with know what you can do within the specific amount of time that you will be volunteering, how much training you will need and what will work best for both of you whilst you are volunteering.
   
   
4. Think about your reasons for volunteering
   What are your reasons for choosing to volunteer? Is there a deep desire to see change, to offer your service to help others, to see improvement in your community, to make use of your skills, to help a specific cause that is close to you?
   
   Whatever the reason may be it is always good to allow the reason to help encourage and be the motivation for you whilst you volunteer.
   
   
5. Apply for the volunteering opportunity
   Now you are ready to apply for a volunteering opportunity or a few on Volunteering Wandsworth and wait to hear back from the organisation! Of course, if you need any assistance whilst looking for a volunteering opportunity then you can always contact us by sending an email or giving us a call.

You can visit Volunteering Wandsworth to find your next volunteering opportunity.

If you would like to speak to a member of the team about volunteering you can email or call us on the following:

volunteering@wandcareall.org.uk
Jummy – 07396 712 267