What opportunities are there?

There are opportunities for everyone and you should be able to find something to match your interests, for example; sport, art, finance, mental health, research, teaching, campaigning or legal aid and justice, to name but a few. Some agencies have opportunities in a variety of sectors whereas others are more specific. In either case volunteers can be accommodated and you need to choose which project will allow you to make a difference.

The voluntary field is also known as the third sector and working for a not for profit organisation can be a very rewarding career choice. Charity work offers a chance to be employed in a vibrant, growing sector with a steady increase of jobs available each year. When looking for opportunities you could investigate locally, nationally or look further and consider volunteering abroad. When considering the long term there are graduate positions available and paid roles as charities are keen to recruit strong, passionate candidates.

Volunteering opportunities advertised to The Careers Centre in the last two weeks

Clicking on a job title link below will take you to the TARGET Connect login screen where you can view further details and apply for the job. There will be further opportunities to view in TARGET Connect, as those shown below are just those added in the last two weeks.

Volunteer Counselling Role

Company: Helen & Douglas House.
Date Advertised: 04 April 2013
We are looking for volunteers who are, or have been, part of a post-graduate course, who would be interested in gaining practical counselling experience. They will be working for Helen &  Douglas House, who are a prominent Oxford charity, offering respite care for children and young adults. The [...] View full details.

volunteering

Company: A2Dominion Housing Group.
Date Advertised: 04 April 2013
We have Sheltered housing schemes in the following areas Reading, Thatcham, Tilehurst, Newbury, Lower Early and Windsor.We offer independant living to our residents but some are without family and would love a befriender to talk to. We also run events and activities and need help and support in [...] View full details.

Places to look for national voluntary work

• www.csv.org.uk is one of the largest volunteering providers, whose vision is to enrich lives and tackle real need. They place over 150 000 volunteers each year in top quality community projects
• www.volunteering.org.uk a network of organisations across England
• http://jobs.thirdsector.co.uk/ charity jobs across England, including paid and graduate work
• http://vinspired.com/ connects 16 – 25 year olds with volunteering opportunities across England
• www.do-it.org.uk/ a search engine of roles covering voluntary sectors

Local volunteering work around Reading

• www.reading.ac.uk/redaward The Reading Experience and Development (RED) Award is a new university scheme that rewards students for undertaking extra-curricular activities as well as helping students get the most out of their experiences in terms of their professional and personal development.
• www.volunteercentrereading.org The Volunteer Centre Reading
• www.sportreading.co.uk has information about working with sports groups in Reading.
• www.rvadirectory.org.uk Reading Voluntary Action is a directory of charity work available in Reading.
• www.reading.ac.uk/studentrecruitment/StudentTutoring/sr-studenttutoringinschools.aspx This is the University’s Community Service Volunteers "Learning Together" programme for tutoring in local schools.
• www.connectreading.co.uk is a link between businesses, voluntary organisations and charities who work towards addressing areas of need in Reading.

International volunteer programmes

You could volunteer abroad or combine it with travelling, the possibilities are endless once you research the roles out there. There are opportunities to teach, undertake conservation work, construction, cultural exchanges or work with animals. Sometimes organisations tailor their voluntary work to people taking a year out whilst others offer involvement for people who do not have that amount of time or who just want to work for a season. Terms and conditions vary as some organisations will charge including travel expenses and others will ask for a joining fee. Be thorough when exploring the possibilities.

• www.travellersworldwide.com offer voluntary placements in less advantaged countries
• www.ecoteer.com an agency for volunteering abroad opportunities
• www.vso.org.uk an independent international development organisation that works through volunteers to fight poverty in developing countries
• www.originalvolunteers.co.uk offer volunteering holidays and experiences abroad

You could also visit the The Careers Centre resource area or speak to your Placement and Development Officer to find out more.