In 2017/2018, 38% of people surveyed by Third Sector Protect said they had volunteered at least once which is a 1% increase from the previous year. The statistics also showed 65-74-year-olds are the most frequent volunteers with the least likely age group to volunteer being 25-34-year-olds.
Volunteering has many benefits for physical and mental wellbeing including helping people utilise skills and develop new ones, allowing people to meet like-minded individuals, be proactive in the community and develop a sense of routine and purpose as well as improving the lives of those being helped.
Whilst volunteering is a great activity to do all year round, we especially notice the interest increase at Christmas with many people keen to donate their time to helping those in need of support.
Volunteering at Christmas
The help of volunteers is greatly appreciated at Christmas, ensuring ongoing support is available for those who find the festive season particularly difficult.
From helping charities with their gift wrapping projects, becoming a steward for a Santa’s grotto, helping the homeless or volunteering at a Christmas Day lunch, there is plenty to get stuck into. These roles and many others can be found in our 2019 Christmas opportunities’ list and we encourage anyone thinking about volunteering in the run up to Christmas or on Christmas Day to take a look at it.
If this is of interest to you and you would like a Christmas volunteering list, please contact us by ringing 01483 565456, or emailing communitypoint@vasws.org.uk or simply drop into the centre at 39 Castle Street.
Volunteering is not just for Christmas
Whilst Christmas volunteering is an invaluable thing to do, we also encourage you to volunteer all year round ensuring people in the community have ongoing support, as well as allowing you time to get stuck into a role and for the benefits of volunteering to shine through your life.
All volunteering opportunities are advertised on our website and through the volunteer centre. There is something to suit everybody’s interests, availability and needs.
If you have questions about general volunteering or if you would like to view our 2019 Christmas opportunities’ list, please either drop into the volunteer centre (39 Castle Street, GU2 3UQ, Monday-Friday 10am-3pm) or contact us via communitypoint@vasws.org.uk, or ring 01483 565456.
Let’s work together to ensure no-one in the community is left alone or without support.