If you’re between 14 and 18 and want to get involved we’ve got loads of volunteering opportunities.

You could:

• Organize a music event for young people
• Design websites for other projects
• Help raise money for charities and groups
• Help out at play schemes or youth clubs for children and young people with disabilities
• Volunteer at the local hospital
• Get some retail experience in charity shops
• Get involved with youth led projects like community challenges
• Volunteer with or befriend elderly people
• Help out in a charity’s office
• Take part in virtual volunteering – where you volunteer from home on your computer!
• Volunteer with homeless people
• Support a charity or cause that inspires you
• Work with us to develop a new project

But why volunteer?

People volunteer for different reasons, to get experience, to use on UCAS / job applications, to meet new people – to have fun! The best thing about volunteering is that YOU pick what YOU want to do and when YOU want to do it, plus you help to improve someone else’s life or local community!

Julie’s Story

Julie started volunteering when she was 14, joining a local youth project. She helped organize a kids residential, taking away 25 kids on a week holiday who were from disadvantaged backgrounds.

After finishing school, Julie went on to do a gap year volunteering in Denmark, where she lived and volunteered at a school for “difficult” teenagers. She says “it was amazing. I got to learn so much about myself, made great friends, did things I never thought I would do, helped young people to have a better future and learnt Danish!”

The volunteering didn’t stop when she got back to England! She has now gone on to volunteer for lots of different groups – doing sign language for young deaf children at an activity day in Bedford, helping out at children’s playschemes and befriending an elderly man – taking him shopping and visiting for a chat once a week.

Julie says “ I’m not sure where or who I would be if I hadn’t volunteered. It's changed me so much and made me a much better person – I’ve really enjoyed helping people and hope to get paid work in the same area”

Why don’t you try something new today?

If you want to find out more, pick up the phone and call Rebecca at the Volunteer Centre on (01234) 213100  or email: rebecca@bedfordvb.org.uk

If you want to see what other young volunteers are doing, check out www.vinspired.com which is a cool new site for 16 – 25 year olds, with loads of ideas, blogs, competitions – all about volunteering!
Click here for the voluntary works organisation.