Frequently Asked Questions

What expenses can I get?

Most organisations will pay your travel expenses and for a meal if you volunteer over a lunch/dinner time or for more than 4 hours.

What are my chances of getting job through volunteering?

By volunteering you are showing a potential employer that you are doing something outside your normal activities and that you are a motivated and committed person. You are also building up lots of good people and life skills. Although it may not seem like you are gaining direct experience if you think in terms of things like communication, teamwork, organisational skills, inter personal skills etc you are gaining a lot of relevant experience.

How long will it take to start volunteering from registering?

This depends on which placement you choose to do, some are very simple to set up and you can start instantly, but, those which need more training often take longer as you have to wait for training events and police checks to follow through. If you feel that it is taking too long please talk to the contact at your placement to see what’s happening. It also doesn’t hurt to hurry things along. If after your first meeting you haven’t heard from anyone within a week please give us a call again to check the current situation.

What type of training can I get?

Again this depends on your placement. Training that is offered can vary but for working with the elderly you may get visual impairment training, or with other groups you could have HIV awareness, learning difficulties awareness etc

Will volunteering affect my benefits?

If you are on Job Seekers Allowance you can volunteer as long as you are still actively looking for work. Getting your expenses returned will also not affect your benefits.

Can I get childcare arrangements?

Some placements do have facilities for childcare and if we are aware in advance we can try and target those organisations that do have facilities.