Volunteers Required

On this page we list the voluntary organisations that have contacted us asking if we could help them appeal for volunteers.

Many organisations are constantly seeking people to help them and you can be confident that the organisations on this page will welcome you if you contact them. We will add to it as different organisations approach us and if you know of any, let us know at feedback@laterlife.com and we'll include them, too.

• Fostering. The over-50s is a target group for fostering agencies because they ahve the experience, knowledge and time to provide excellent foster placements for vulnerable children. If you think you would like to foster, or find out more about it, go to www.simplyfostering.co.uk/ where you will find out all you need to know. Strictly speaking, fostering isn't voluntary work because you get paid for it, but we include it here because clearly it is the sort of activity for which you need commitment and belief.
• Manchester Neighbourhood Care Groups Association. This an organisation that supports older people who experience difficulties in later life. You can contact them through their website: http://www.mncga.co.uk/
• Macmillan Cancer Relief. They need people to support the community fundraising activities of Macmillan and to be ambassadors for the work of the charity in supporting people affected by cancer. In particular, they need people in various parts of London but there are also roles in other parts of the country. Contact them through the Macmillan website. If you live in London, you can contact Tamara Justice, Fundraising Manager NW London, on 0208 222 9017.
• Leukaemia Research. This organisation raises funds for research into leukaemia and needs people to help raise those funds through a whole variety of events. If you want to give local support, contact the Community Fundraising Team on 020 7269 9008 or at rporter@lrf.org.uk . If you'd like to help with sporting events, ring 020 7269 9001 or at sportsevents@lrf.org.uk. For helping to organise special events, contact Georgina Fitt on 020 7269 9003 or at gfitt@lrf.org.uk.
• Approach. This is a Staffordshire-based charity(www.approachstaffordshire.co.uk) They require people with their own vehicles to take one or two elderly people to their day care centre once a week and then return them home at the end of the day.
• The Samaritans. Each branch of the samaritans is self-funding and there are always vacancies for listening, support or fund-raising volunteers. The Barnsley branch has a particular need at the moment (February 2008) and there is a dedicated phone number - 01226 785769. To volunteer in any area, contact 08705 62 72 82. To find out more about the Samaritans, go to the web site: www.samaritans.org.
• Advocacy in Action. Advocacy in Action works alongside vulnerable adults in Surrey who need particular support in making the decisions that will affect their quality of life. They need active trustees to help them grow and they also need people to learn to become advocates or befrienders. If this sounds as if it's for you, please email: mail@advocacyinaction.org or phone 01306 881804
• The Genesis Appeal. This charity is a breast cancer prevention charity that is based in the Nightingale Centre and Genesis Prevention Centre at Wythenshawe hospital in Manchester. The centre has gardens all the way round its perimeter and several court yards. They need volunteers for two or three hours a week to help maintain them. Contact Lynda Ellis on 0161 291 4405 or email lynda.ellis@genesisuk.org
• Young Enterprise. Young Enterprise has a vision “that all young people will have the opportunity to gain personal experience of how business works, understand the role it plays in providing employment and creating prosperity, and be inspired to improve their own prospects, and the competitiveness of the UK.” In order to achieve this vision, more volunteers are needed each year. Young Enterprise operates a number of programmes for young people on a learning-by-doing principle and volunteers work alongside experienced teachers and lecturers showing the young people how to undertake a range of business tasks, including running a real company. Find out more at www.young-enterprise.org.uk. or www.yelondon.com if you are based in London. If you want to volunteer in London, you can also email mikeo@yelondon.com
• ChildLine in Scotland require volunteers across the UK to fill various roles. In particular, they are looking for volunteer counsellors. You would answer calls on the telephone helpline and then counsel the children and young people who call. They also want people to go into schools and young people's groups to talk about the services offered by Childline. The number to ring if you would like to help is 0870 336 2993 and the link to their website is: http://www.nspcc.org.uk/Applications/survey_internet/scripts/takesurveypower.
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• Thrive is a small national charity that helps disabled people make use of gardening to change their lives. They need a Volunteer Treasurer to join the Board of Trustees. Amongst the duties will be to attend full Board meetings five times a year at the National Office at Beech Hill, just outside Reading, Berkshire. If you are interested, please ring Michelle Hill on 0118 988 5688 or email her at: michelle.hill@thrive.org.uk
• The Royal British Legion are looking for help in three ways. They need poppy collectors; volunteer caseworkers who answer phone calls and visit people in their homes to identify and assess the need for assistance; and hospital and housebound visitors who provide a link to the outside world. Go to their website for more details.
• Home Link provide support for families with young children who are under stress and experiencing difficulties in south Edinburgh and Midlothian. If you would like to volunteer with Home Link, go to www.homelinkbefriending.org

Let us know of any organisations that you know about or with whom you're involved and that want volunteers. Laterlife will do its part in helping those organisations get helpers.

Voluntary work can be incredibly rewarding and if you're someone who wants to give something back to the community, then it is definitely something that will give you immense satisfaction. But you need to think carefully about it before you take the plunge so that you make the right choice for you and therefore for the organisation involved.

So make sure you read the rest of this Guide to get a proper overview of voluntary work in order to help you make the right choice. Just click the links in the box.