Why volunteer? Volunteering can add a great deal to your life and the lives of those you help and it offers you a chance to become involved in something you really care about as well as a chance to meet new people.
Retirees have a range of skills which bring benefits to many sections of the community, everything from sports clubs, to voluntary driving, to citizens advice, children’s panel, senior citizen assistance or even helping environmental bodies track wildlife and plant species. There are literally thousands of activities that you could take part in, and when you are helping others you will never have to worry about how to fill your time. But volunteering is a two way process and the helper gets a great deal of personal satisfaction from their voluntary work.
Do not underestimate the value of your skills and talents to the wider community
Here are links to a few of the websites which are keen to attract volunteers.
Volunteer Inverclyde The Volunteer Centre in Greenock involves people in volunteering to help solve real problems, as part of the Volunteer Scotland network you could find yourself working with Children and young people, Older people, Children or adults with special needs, Hospitals, those recovering with mental health problems, the criminal justice system, the homeless, the environment/conservation and the Emergency services
Retired and Senior Volunteer Programme is part of the Community Service Volunteers, an organisation which encourages the growing number of those aged 50+ to volunteer in their local area in England, Scotland and Wales.
Children's Panel System The children’s panel is a group of people from the community who come from a wide range of backgrounds and look to prioritise the welfare of children in a variety of situations. Panel members are unpaid and give their services voluntarily, but are carefully selected and highly trained. They must be at least 18 years old but there is no upper age limit.
Citizens Advice Bureau The Citizens Advice service helps people solve their legal, consumer and other problems by providing free advice, and by influencing policymakers. Every Citizens Advice Bureau is a registered charity and over 20,000 of the people involved in the service are trained volunteers, helping people to resolve over 5.7 million new problems a year.
RSPB Volunteers are an essential part of the RSPB. over 14,000 volunteers make a huge contribution to the RSPB, in our offices / in our visitor centres, showing people birds / managing our reserves, guarding nest sites / surveying seabirds, farmland birds and wildlife.
Natural Heritage Scotland (SNH) SNH believes that volunteering is an excellent way to connect people with the natural world, improve the environment and achieve a widerange of benefits for both individuals and communities. The Conservation Volunteers are a diverse group of people who carry out practical conservation work for the National Trust for Scotland throughout the country, working on a range of conservation projects to help preserve some of Scotland's natural heritage and scenery.
Plantlife Scotland Plantlife is the leading charity working to protect wild plants and their habitat. We are looking for help with the Common Plants Survey, a long-term project monitoring changes to the wild flowers in our countryside.
