About Volunteering

People who work as volunteers come from all walks of life. They offer their time and energy freely by choice. It is up to you how much or how little you can offer. Every little counts and you are never too old or too young to get involved. Working as a volunteer can be fun and help you meet new people and make new friends. Give you the opportunity to learn new skills. Be a way of getting involved in your community and give you the satisfaction of contributing towards it. Help you to gain experience which might be useful if you are looking for paid employment. Volunteers are not a substitute for paid workers. However, many organisations depend on volunteers to deliver their services and complement their work.

Getting Started

Getting started in volunteering can be exciting - but it can also be a little nerve wracking! Its natural to wonder if you'll be able to cope with the work. With this in mind we hope you find the following basic tips helpful.

At the start everything will be new so give yourself time to find your feet - a little give and take at the outset, and thereafter, can make a big difference.

Try and get things clear at the start. You should ask for information about the group or organisation, a clear outline of what you will do, when you'll be needed and for how long.

Ask about expenses and insurance, and who you should approach if you need to talk about your volunteering.

How can we help?

The Volunteer Centre Western Isles can… Tell you more about the opportunities for volunteering in your area of the islands Offer guidance on the kind of volunteering that best suits you. Put you in touch with organisations that need your skills and time . Offer you any support you may need throughout your volunteering. Support organisations to make best use of your time and skills by providing training for volunteer managers. Help with any new ideas or initiatives which involve volunteers.

Volunteering and claiming benefits

The Benefits Agency states that voluntary activity should not affect a persons benefits as long as they comply with regulations.
It is recognised that voluntary work is an excellent route into employment and can provide experience, skills, training, contacts and references.

Click here for further information

Youth Volunteering

At the volunteer centre our Development Workers can tell you more about the opportunities for volunteering in your area of the islands, offer guidance on the kind of volunteering that best suits you, put you in touch with organisations that need your skills and time  and offer you any support you may need throughout your volunteering. We also have information on gap year volunteering, volunteering overseas, Project Scotland, the MV Award and our local award for volunteers under 16 - WAVE.

MV Award

Volunteering from Home.

Loving Hands - Knitting Project.

Do you enjoy knitting or crocheting? Here is a great opportunity to give your skills and time to charity.

The Volunteer Centre are working with Loving Hands (based in Scotland) who distribute items to charities in need. The nice thing about this project is you can knit or crochet anything you enjoy making, as we will always find someone in need of it
So from Prem baby clothes, to hats for sailors, to toys for children in accidents and orphanages, to scarves and blankets for elderly people - the choice is yours!

If you need some inspiration of what to knit you can download some patterns from our downloads page or email us or pop in if you would like something else.

Once you have knitted your items you can drop them into your nearest volunteer centre and we will post them off for you.

Click here for more information on the charities Loving Hands are currently supporting.

Residential Volunteering

Unfortunately there are currently no volunteering opportunities in the Western Isles that offer accommodation. However, we are happy to offer information on possible short term opportunities for people visiting the Western Isles.
 
Alternatively we do have information on residential opportunities on the mainland and abroad. For more information please contact your local office.

Student volunteering

Did you know that volunteering can enhance your educational experience?

From the 300+ different volunteer opportunities available through the Western Isles, you could find one (or many!) relevant to your study area, that could get you started on building up experience in your chosen career!

To give you an idea of the variety available we have listed a selection below.  Please note these headings are not exhaustive! If your study area is in something completely different, just pop in to see us in the Volunteer Centre and we’ll do our best to find you a volunteer opportunity to suit you and your career path.

For further information on any of the opportunties listed or to search for something more appropriate visit www.volunteerscotland.org.uk

Data Protection

The Volunteer Centre Western Isles is registered with the Data Protection Agency. We operate a policy of strict confidentiality and only record and store information about you, with your permission.

We will not give out your contact details to organisations without your specific permission to do so.

References and Disclosures (Police Checks) for Volunteers

The Volunteer Centre does not request references or disclosures from potential volunteers who use our services. Any necessary checks will be carried out by the organisation you decide to volunteer with. The level of checks and the application process will vary greatly from one organisation to another, staff at the volunteer centre will be able to tell you in advance what to expect in each case.