What is a volunteer?
A volunteer is a person doing an activity which helps other people (other than your family) and is unpaid (although volunteers can get their travel paid for and other approved out-of-pocket expenses).
Volunteers can:
- drive vehicles for community transport schemes
- run sports clubs
- run play activities for children
- do environmental work outside
- help in a charity shop
- or be a trustee of an organisation.
The list of activities are endless. Volunteering can take place from the home, in the community or overseas.
Want to volunteer?
If you are interested in becoming a volunteer but are not sure what you would like to do, this information sheet may help:
Thinking about volunteering
Here are three ways to find your ideal volunteering opportunity:
- Contact Powys Volunteer Centre
- Contact one of our partners in your local area
- Visit the Volunteering Wales website
Online volunteering
Are you looking for a flexible volunteering opportunity that you can do from anywhere? There are lots of ways you can give your time via the internet, from home or anywhere else you get online.
To find more volunteering opportunities in Wales, try using the advanced search options on the Volunteering Wales website to search for ‘Home Based’ opportunities. Of course, volunteering online means that you can help organisations anywhere in the world. For international opportunities check out the UN online volunteering website.
You can also join the Powys Online Volunteers facebook group to chat with other volunteers and find out about opportunities.
Youth volunteering
There are 4,200 voluntary and community groups in Powys, which are a real A-Z including arts and drama; dance to music; health and social care; charity shops; amateur sports, environment and conservation.
You may already be volunteering, for example: fundraising for Young Farmers, Children in Need or Comic Relief; as a young leader in scouts, Guides or Cadets; coaching juniors.
You can find lots of volunteer ideas and places on a number of sites:
Volunteering Wales has hundreds of opportunities in Powys. Just enter your postcode. You can also search for age specific opportunities: https://volunteering-wales.net/