Thinking of Volunteering - a step by step guide

•  Do something they really enjoy.
•  Make use of special interests and talents.
•  Learn new skills and develop new interests.
•  Meet new people with similar interests.
•  Make new friends.
•  Find out more about a job or type of work which they are considering as a career.
•  Have a chance to take some responsibility and make decisions.
•  Gain valuable training and experience which may lead to paid employment.

If you decide that you would like to get involved in volunteering, and you are not sure exactly what you would like to do, then think about  WHY you want to volunteer. This can be a useful way of helping you to focus on the sort of volunteering you want to undertake.

SOME QUESTIONS TO ASK YOURSELF
If you are clear about why you want to volunteer then you may have some idea about the sort of volunteering that you would like to undertake. There are, however, a number of other things which may influence the type of volunteering that you do. The following questions should help you to focus on the type of volunteering that you would like to do and how much time you can give.

COMMITMENTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES

•  How much time can you spare for volunteering
•  Remember your other commitments (family, hobbies, employment) and do not over commit yourself.
• Are your circumstances likely to change in the near future?
•  What period of time can you commit to volunteering? For example, one day? A month? Six months? Some voluntary projects require you to stay for a minimum period of time, so check before you decide on a project.
•  How much time do you wish to commit to volunteering? For example, one day a month, one day a week, more or less?
•  What times of the day are you free? Morning? Afternoon? Evening?
•  What days of the week are you free?
•  Do you have your own transport? If not, is it easy for you to use public transport to get to your place of volunteering?
•  In what ways do you feel you can best contribute?
•  What are your particular skills and interests? What do you really enjoy doing?
•  Do you prefer to work with people or to do something practical?
•  If you prefer working with people, is this on a one to one basis or in groups?
•  Would you prefer to do something you have already done, using skills you have already acquired or would you prefer the challenge of doing something new?
•  What skills and interests do you already possess? Many everyday skills are useful when volunteering. Make sure you don't overlook these skills such as writing letters, decorating, talking, listening, DIY, driving, reading, shopping, sport, leisure and outdoor activities, entertainment, gardening etc.
•  If you want to work with people have you identified a particular group of people with whom you would like to work? Many skills can be used with many different groups, but there may be some people you would like to work with more than others (e.g. children under 5, young people, the elderly, families, people in hospital, homeless people, people with physical disability or learning difficulty).
  
  SOME QUESTIONS TO ASK THE ORGANISATION
  Once you've found a possible placement it might be worth asking the following questions:
•  Ask for a clear description of the work you will be expected to do.
•  Who will show you what to do and supervise and support you in your work? Will you get supervised sessions or will it be less formal than that?
•  What about expenses? Volunteers should not be out of pocket for the work they do. Ideally, though it won't always be possible, an organisation should cover expenses such as travel, lunch and childcare.
•  What about insurance? e.g. If you are doing driving, do you need tell your car insurance company?
•  How often will you be expected to do voluntary work and for how many hours each time?
•  How long is the volunteering likely to last?
•  Who do you tell if you can't make it that week?

TYPES OF VOLUNTARY WORK
The range of voluntary work available is endless! Think of any activity or job and the chances are that someone, somewhere is doing it as a volunteer. Below are some of the types of volunteering opportunities that are available through Kerry Volunteer Centre and keep in mind this list is not exhaustive.

Conservation, the Environment and Gardening
Conservation volunteers repair footpaths, clear ponds and waterways, plant trees, build dry-stone dykes, create nature trails - the list is endless. The work can be done at weekends. You could help out at a community garden project or do simple maintenance for someone who is unable to look after their own garden.

Learning Disabilities
People with learning disabilities have difficulty understanding new or complex information, learning new skills or coping independently.
Volunteers can:

•  help with activities, sports and crafts and social clubs, youth clubs and resource centres.
•  provide one to one support to families or individuals as befrienders or advocates
•  assist at Summer playschemes for children with learning disabilities.

Mental Health
Mental health problems come in a variety of forms. Many involve feelings of depression, anxiety and confusion, sometimes to an extent which makes it difficult for the person to cope with everyday life. Only a small number of people experiencing mental health problems are admitted to hospital. Most are treated and supported in their community.
Volunteers can:

•  assist at drop-in centres and social groups by helping with activities, chatting to people or providing a listening ear.
•  provide one to one support as befrienders or advocates.

Avice Work
Volunteer advice workers offer confidential advice and information to members of the public. Some advice centres give a very wide range of information e.g. Citizens Information Centres. Others are more specialist e.g. working with homeless people or people with a disability. Advice agencies look for a long term commitment from volunteers. Training can last up to three months.

Adult Basic Education
Many adults and young people want to improve their reading, writing or numeracy. Adult basic education provides tuition in groups with paid and volunteer tutors.
Volunteers must attend a training course and be prepared to give a long term commitment, perhaps helping once or twice a week for a least a year.
Volunteers can:

•  tutor people who have difficulty with basic skills.
• teach English as a second language
•  help deaf students with language development
•  help students who have a disability
•  work with people who have speech and language difficulties as a result of a stroke.

Fundraising
Charities need to have diverse and imaginative ways of raising funds for their work.
Volunteers can: organise or take part in sponsored events, street collections, fun runs, etc.; help in charity shops; be on a fund raising committee.

Office Work
Many organisations have an ongoing need for volunteers to do office administration such as reception, filing or typing. Others need volunteers to help out at busy times e.g. publicity campaigns or fundraising drives.
Volunteers can do:

•  reception and admin. work.
•  financial or management committee tasks.
•  computing
•  'one off' pieces of work such as setting up a database, producing publicity material or devising a marketing strategy.

Older People
Most opportunities to volunteer in this field are with frail older people or dementia sufferers, and are mainly in the daytime. They include;

•  helping at lunch clubs or day centres - perhaps serving teas and lunches or assisting with quizzes, games and reminiscing activities.
•  delivering 'Meals on Wheels' or library books to housebound people.
•  befriending and home visiting
•  helping in residential homes and hospitals e.g. reading to patients, playing board games.

Homeless
With people living in temporary or hostel accommodation, or those sleeping rough, volunteers can;

•  help at drop in or night shelters, providing hot drinks and meals and giving support.
•  be trained to give information and advice.
•  work alongside paid workers in outreach work on the streets.

•  Volunteers can work with groups dealing with specific conditions such as arthritis, cancer, or epilepsy or with more general disability organisations.
•  provide one to one support as a tutor, befriender or peer counsellor.

•  visiting and befriending patients.
•  helping in hospital shops.
•  providing trolley and library services.
•  escorting patients on outings.
•  helping with social activities.

Children and Young People

•  Creches and playgroups for under fives.
•  5 - 12 years - after school clubs, junior youth clubs and holiday playschemes helping with games, arts and crafts, music and sport.
•  12 years plus - youth clubs and "drop-in" centres providing varied social, leisure and outdoor activities, as well as 'issue' based work e.g. Health promotion or drugs awareness.
•  One to one support for children who are experiencing difficulties at school or at home.
  There are also well know youth organisations such as the Scouts and Girl Guides
  Volunteers working with children must be prepared to undergo a Garda check.

•  support for victims of crime
•   telephone helplines
•  bereavement /relationship counselling

Team Volunteering
Groups of friends or colleagues can get together for a one-off volunteering project, say painting a mural, creating a wildlife garden, decorating premises or organising an outing for a group of people.

A VOLUNTEER
As a volunteer you are offering your valuable time, energy and skills to an organisation - free of charge! There are basic conditions which you should expect of the organisation you are helping with, and there are also reasonable things that the organisation should be able to expect from you. Below are some guidelines about what these things might be.

A CLEAR IDEA OF WHAT YOU WILL BE DOING
Groups that take on volunteers should be able to give the volunteer a clear idea of what they will be doing before they begin their volunteering assignment. This can come in the form of a job description, a volunteer position description or an assignment summary.
Most organisations meet with or interview potential volunteers before they begin their volunteer assignment. This meeting will usually be an informal, two way interview or chat. The person will be trying to find out if you will fit in. You should try to find out whether the organisation/ project is what you imagined it to be, and whether you really want to be involved with that particular organisation/project. Any questions that you may have about your job description or role could be asked at this stage.

Some of the questions that you might ask on your first meeting/visit to the organisation might be:

•  What exactly will I be doing?
•  Is there anything that I will not be allowed to do?
•  How many hours will I be expected to commit myself to and when will these hours be?
•  Will I be working alongside lots of other people or mostly on my own?
•  Are there any particular skills which volunteers are expected to have?
•  What kind of training do you offer?
•  When will any training take place and how much of my time will it take up?
•  How soon will I be able to start?

TRAINING
Any group which takes on volunteers should give you some kind of introduction/induction to the organisation and to the activity you will be doing.

You should get any training you need to be able to cope with the tasks demanded of you, before you start volunteering, and any ongoing training you need to develop your skills. You should never be put in a situation which you do not feel you have the skills or experience to cope with. Don't be put off by the word training - these courses are usually fun to do, you may meet other volunteers and learn a lot.

Also, think about your own needs and motivations for volunteering. If you want to develop new skills and gain volunteering experience that may help you obtain employment, then structured training opportunities will be important in the organisation that you choose.

SUPPORT/SUPERVISION
There should be a named person who is responsible for you while you are volunteering, and you should have regular access to that person to discuss how things are going. This person should ensure that each volunteer is given adequate support.

Do not be afraid to ask questions and don't feel you are a nuisance.

You should also know who to contact if you have any questions, concerns or if anything goes wrong, and how to find them.

Equal Opportunities
You should be able to volunteer for an organisation without feeling that you are being treated badly or differently to other volunteers because of your race or nationality, because you are a woman or because you are a man, because of your age, because of your sexuality, on the basis of any health problems you have or may have had, or for any other reason that can't be justified by the nature of the work you will be doing (e.g. a support group for women might only accept women volunteers).

If you do experience any kind of discrimination then you should feel that the organisation you are volunteering with will take this seriously, support you and challenge what is happening. Many organisations have an Equal Opportunities Policy stating their commitment to treating all volunteers fairly and equally and explaining what steps will be taken if any problems occur - you should be given a copy of this.

If you do not feel able to talk to anyone within the organisation then staff at the Volunteer Bureau will be happy to talk with you about what has happened and to help you decide what to do next.

OUT-OF-POCKET EXPENSES
Volunteers are not paid for the hours they give to an organisation; volunteering is something you do for free. However you should equally not find yourself out-of-pocket for the volunteering you do. That way people who are on a low income aren't prevented from volunteering. You can reasonably expect to be repaid for the cost of travelling from your home to the place where you are volunteering. If you are volunteering over lunchtime many organisations will provide lunch or pay for you to buy a sandwich. If you need any special equipment or clothing then this should be provided by the organisation. A few organisations will pay for the cost of child-care or care of any adults who are dependent on you, if you want to volunteer but have caring responsibilities.

Although we encourage organisations that register with us to refund all of these expenses, many say that they cannot afford pay for some or all of them. If it is important that you have your expenses repaid then we can tell you which organisations will do so, or if we don't know we can find out for you.

Some people feel uncomfortable about taking the cost of their expenses from a group, especially if it is a charity or good cause. You should remember that you are giving your time for free; it is only fair that volunteering shouldn't cost you anything more than your time! We encourage all volunteers to take up expenses so that those who need to do not feel stigmatised. Those who do not wish to keep their expenses can repay them as a donation.

ENJOYMENT!
Volunteering should be something you enjoy doing and from which you get some feeling of fulfilment. Over time with an organisation you should be able to develop your skills and your role so that you remain interested. If you find that you are not enjoying what you do then ask yourself why this is. For example you might feel that it is time to do something different, either with the organisation or somewhere else. Or is it that you are not happy with the way you are being treated by other volunteers, or paid staff, or the organisation itself? Or perhaps what you are doing is not what you expected or wanted. Whatever the reason, you should feel able to discuss your concerns in the first place with the volunteer organiser or named person who is responsible for you or if this is not possible then with somebody else within the organisation. You are always welcome to come and talk things through with a member of staff at the Volunteer Bureau.
Sometimes people try a number of different kinds of volunteering before they find the thing they really want to do. So don't be embarrassed to come back to the Volunteer Bureau and look at what the other possibilities might be!

WHAT THE ORGANISATION YOU ARE HELPING
SHOULD BE ABLE TO EXPECT FROM YOU:
Just as you need to ask questions about the organisation, so the organisation will ask you questions about yourself. Organisations have different ways of trying to find out if a volunteer is suited to their particular project. For example, they may ask you to: