1. How much time do I need to volunteer?
2. I'm working full-time. Will I still be able to volunteer?
3. Can I leave if I don't like it?
4. Can I be paid something to cover my expenses?
5. Can I claim benefits while volunteering?
6. Do I need qualifications?
7. Can I get a qualification?
8. Can I get an award for my volunteering?
9. Will I get training?
10. What about online volunteering?
11. Can I volunteer from home?
12. How old do I have to be to volunteer?
13. Can I volunteer with my family or friends?
14. I’ve got a criminal record – can I still volunteer?
15. I feel I need some extra support to volunteer – is this possible?
16. Can I volunteer full-time and get living expenses?
17. I do not live in the UK but want to volunteer there. Is this allowed?
18. I live in the UK but am from overseas. Can I volunteer?
19. None of these FAQs answers my question, what do I do now?
Q1 How much time do I need to volunteer?
This is really up to you. One of the myths around volunteering is it takes up a lot of time. You can find volunteering that only takes one hour per month to five days a week or more. Having said that, the more flexible you can be, the more roles will be available to you.
Some roles are for one-off events, some are short term, others might need a six month commitment.
You can volunteer at any time of the week, day or night. While much volunteering takes place in office hours, you can volunteer at evenings and weekends too, again depending on what you want to do.
Some organisations ask for a particular commitment from their volunteers, while others are able to take a more flexible approach. Certain roles, like being a befriender, requires building up trust with someone from a vulnerable group which is why a certain amount of commitment is required. Think carefully about the amount of commitment you are able to give before choosing your role.
The search facility helps narrow down the opportunities that suit your life. Go to Hints and Tips on Searching for more information about this.
Q2 I'm working full-time. Will I still be able to volunteer?
Yes, there are many opportunities to volunteer that do not require you to be available Monday to Friday during the day. Don't be put off volunteering because you work full-time! Many organisations would be positively delighted if you are able to volunteer evenings, nights and/or weekends.
It is important, however, to check out with any organisation you are interested in volunteering for, what time commitment they have in mind. Information if often given on this when you search the website.
The search facility helps narrow down the opportunities that suit your life. Go to Hints and Tips on Searching for more information about this.
Q3 Can I leave if I don't like it?
Yes, of course. One of the great things about volunteering (as opposed to a job) is you can vote with your feet if you don’t like it!
You are under no real obligation to keep volunteering for an organisation that you are unhappy in. However, it is always worth talking to somebody about this first. This could be your volunteer co-ordinator (if there is one), your supervisor or someone in the organisation who is responsible for you or someone who you have got on with well. You can then discuss with them why you feel unhappy and what you feel would improve your time as a volunteer in the organisation.
It is also something you may want to talk about with other volunteers in the organisation. You could either do this informally, or if your organisation has a Volunteers Council or a regular meeting that all volunteers attend, you could bring up your problem there. If you feel that something is seriously wrong or someone is treating you badly it is also worth checking whether your organisation has a complaints procedure. Some organisations have ‘volunteer agreements’ that explain expectations on both sides.
Q4 Can I be paid something to cover my expenses?
Yes, you can. It's a good idea for organisations to cover all your extra expenses that arise from volunteering. That includes the cost of travelling to the volunteering and meals while volunteering.
Unfortunately not all organisations do pay expenses. This could be because they don't have enough funds or because they don't realise that volunteers should be paid expenses. Information given on the website often gives details about expenses but if it’s not there, ask your chosen organisation about this before you start volunteering.
You can also narrow set up searches that only return those volunteering opportunities that pay expenses, although it is worth noting that a large number of organisations currently do not give this information (we are working to improve this).
Q5 Can I claim benefits while volunteering?
Yes, you can. The benefits regulations are clear that you can volunteer for as many hours as you like as long as you fulfill the requirements of your claim and tell your advisor. You are likely to be asked to complete a form
Unfortunately some local Jobcentres do not understand the rules and wrongly query entitlement (although this situation has been gradually improving over the last few years).
If this happens, let your organisation know, or contact your local Volunteer Centre. You can find your local Volunteer Centre here.
See the Jobcentre Plus leaflet 'Volunteering
While Getting Benefits' for full details.
Usually you don't. Some very skilled work such as counselling may demand qualifications, but usually organisations offer training and learning to enable you get involved in and make a go of your volunteering. If particular qualifications are needed in order to take up the volunteering role, this information should be available on the website.
Usually, however, organisations are looking for personal skills, such as being able to get on with a wide variety of people, being reliable and being enthusiastic about a particular cause etc.
Some organisations offer volunteers qualifications such as an SVQ, but it is still unusual. You may well learn a lot and gain valuable experience, develop your skills and be able to ask the organisation for a reference. If you do need a formal qualification, ask at interview, or contact your local Volunteer Centre as they may know if any other local organisations offer qualifications.
There are several courses available nationally which enable you to gain a qualification while you are volunteering. They vary in content, learning style and duration, but tend to focus on volunteering in care and/or community settings. Drawing on experience gained while volunteering, they aim to teach more about the kind of issues that volunteers encounter.
For more information about providers for courses below, or other courses, contact your local authority or community college. The Learndirect website might also be useful.
Certificate in Interpersonal Skills for Volunteers - Run by the University of Wales, this course is available to anyone across the UK (or the world) through distance learning. It facilitates students' learning of a range of communication skills to deal with a variety of situations.
Certificate in Community Volunteering - To take this qualification you will need to find a local voluntary sector organisation, college or training provider that runs it. The qualification recognises the general skills and good practice that volunteers need to show to work effectively in the community.
Q8 Can I get an award for my volunteering?
MV Awards: this isn’t a qualification as such but is the Scottish Government’s national certificate for 16-25 year olds to recognise their contribution to volunteering. Contact your local Volunteer Centre for more information.
Amazing Things – this is a guide to the wide range of youth awards in Scotland. (scroll down the page and click on Amazing Things )
Some organisations also give out their own awards to their volunteers to recognise their contribution.
This varies quite a bit depending on the organisation you are volunteering for and the type of role you have chosen. Some of this information will be available on the website but you should be able to get full details from the organisation.
Some volunteering roles require quite a bit of training e.g. volunteering for the Children’s Panels or Citizens Advice Bureau. With other roles, different training is required e.g. volunteering in the environment to clear overgrowth from paths may provide you with experience in handling tools and raise your awareness about health and safety; or giving you opinion as a lay person on a committee with your local health board may help you to become more assertive and confident.
Q10 What about online volunteering?
If you would like to give time but are unable to turn up in person, then online volunteering could be the answer. You can specifically search for online volunteering on the website.
Online volunteering is a way of enabling you to complete tasks from your desk, either at home or in your workplace. The tasks could be for groups around the corner, overseas, or indeed they may exist only on the internet.
Giving time over the web is convenient and flexible and allows people to get involved in social action who might otherwise be unable to. Contact can be made over the internet, by telephone or post, and suits people who have little free time or cannot go out.
The kinds of things you can do include
See also Q11 – Can I volunteer from home? For more information on this.
Q11 Can I volunteer from home?
As you can see from the Online Volunteering section above, the answer is yes. But there are other ways of joining in without leaving your home. It's an increasingly popular way of volunteering and you can search for homebased opportunities on the website.
Some people combine their hobby with volunteering. For example avid knitters producing baby clothes, small teddy bears or blankets to go directly to people or to be sold to raise money, or those who enjoy writing exchanging letters with others.
As ever with volunteering what's most important is do you have time to spare? So why not contact your local Volunteer Centre to see if together you can make something happen.
Q12 How old do I have to be to Volunteer?
You can be any age to volunteer but many of the opportunities on the website do have age restrictions. This is due to the type of opportunity, or because the organisation only has insurance in place for those aged 18 or over.
You can filter your search to return opportunities for a specific age range. Once you have returned your first search, look down the left hand side and click the age range you are under ‘Age Group’. However, it would be fair to say that many organisations who register on the website fail to complete the fields about age restrictions so some of the information may not be accurate (we are working to improve this situation). Once again, your best bet is to contact your local Volunteer Centre. The staff there will have local knowledge about organisations who accept younger volunteers and should be able to point you in the right direction.
Q13 Can I volunteer with my family or friends?
Yes, you can but you won't have such a large choice as if you were completely flexible. Some volunteering is usually done in groups, so two or more people could easily join together. Examples are practical conservation and fundraising. It's unusual for organisations to plan volunteering especially so that groups of people can volunteer together. Often large scale events lend themselves to this kind of volunteering and there is a whole section on Event Volunteering on this website.
Q14 I’ve got a criminal record – can I still volunteer?
Yes, you can. Depending on the nature of your criminal record, you may not be able to take up some volunteering roles but a variety of others would still be open to you. It’s best to discuss this with the organisation you wish to volunteer with. Alternatively, some Volunteer Centres work specifically with ex-offenders and they will all be able to advise you about volunteering with a criminal record.
Q15 I feel I need some extra support to volunteer – is this possible?
Yes! Many Volunteer Centres give help and support to volunteers with mental and physical health problems into a suitable role. If you fall into this category go to 'Find Your Local VC' and find out how your local Centre can help you.
Q16 Can I volunteer full-time and get living expenses?
You can, but only under certain circumstances. Most residential voluntary work offers board, lodging and some form of pocket money. This work can be for a week or two or a whole year. Other organisations take on 'paid volunteers', giving them regular 'living allowances' over and above their out of pocket expenses. You can see more information on this by visiting our Residential Volunteering Page.
Q17 I do not live in the UK but want to volunteer there. Is this allowed?
Please see our section on Volunteers from Outside the UK.
Q18 I live in the UK but am from overseas. Can I volunteer?
Please see our section on Volunteers from Outside the UK.
Q19 None of these FAQs answers my question, what do I do now?
Annoying, isn’t it? If we have failed to cover your burning question there are a couple of things you can do to get assistance:
