Volunteering is a great way to gain valuable skills and experience that will enrich your CV and help you to get started in your chosen career. It is also an opportunity to socialise, improve your self confidence and to support the local community. Volunteering can be rewarding in many different ways.

Before you volunteer, it is worthwhile considering what your motivations for getting involved are and what you want to gain from the experience. By doing this you are much more likely to find the right voluntary opportunity. Your answers to the following questions will help you to consider some of the issues.

Why are you volunteering?

• Is it to help you gain new skills, perhaps for a future job or career change?
• Can it support your studies in some way?
• Could it be a way of you meeting new people and gaining a new interest?
• Are you passionate about a particular cause?

What would you like to do?

• Would you like to go to a place of work (e.g. a charity shop) or would you prefer to do something from home (e.g. on-line mentoring)?
• Will you be able to commit for two hours a week or forty (be realistic - it is always looks more positive to increase your involvement with an organisation later if you want to)?
• Are you looking for a short-term project or do you want to make a long-term commitment?

What do you have to offer?

• Is your volunteering related to using past experience, job skills or specific knowledge?
• Are you willing to adapt, learn new skills and meet new people?
• Do not under estimate yourself! Everyone has skills, abilities and experience that are of value.

Who do you want to volunteer for?

• Have you had contact with a specific organisation in the past that you want to help?
• Do you want to volunteer with certain groups, i.e. children or animals?
• Do you want to volunteer overseas?
• Will the ethics or ethos of the organisation be important to you?

What should volunteers expect?

Volunteering is varied and diverse. You could find yourself as a volunteer within a large international charity, or with a small local group with no paid staff. There are no hard and fast rules as to what you can expect, nor specific rights laid down in law for volunteers. However, as a volunteer you are an important resource that any good organisation will value and support. In all cases, Volunteering MMU encourages organisations to adopt good practice procedures. As a minimum, the organisation with whom you volunteer should:

• Provide you with a clear description of your role and time commitment.

• Let you know who is responsible for your management and support.

• Give you an induction into the organisation and relevant policies such as confidentiality, equal opportunities, health and safety and grievance procedures.

• Ensure that appropriate health and safety standards are in place and applied equally to all. Insurance policies should cover volunteers. (If you require any special clothing or equipment in order to carry out your work, this should be provided by the organisation).

• Treat volunteers and employees equally. Explain the relationship between paid workers and volunteers. Volunteers should not be used as a substitute for a paid employee.

• Reimburse you for any out of pocket expenses. You are advised to discuss this at your induction, as arrangements will vary.

• Review the work you undertake at regular intervals. This should be a two way process, and opportunities for training can also be discussed. Your work should develop as your skills and confidence grow. You are encouraged to request a reference describing your contribution to the organisation outlining the experience and skills you have gained.

Some organisations may not fulfil all these criteria. It is your decision whether you still wish to volunteer.

If you are unhappy with any aspect of your volunteering role, you should initially discuss this with the organisation to try to resolve the matter through their systems and procedures. If you are still unhappy, please contact us.

What about the responsibilities of a volunteer?

As well as rights, you also have responsibilities as a volunteer to ensure the experience is a positive one for yourself, the organisation, and the service users. Your contribution to the organisation should be positive and productive. As a volunteer, you should:

• Be professional at all times.

• Understand and respect the aims and values of the organisation and abide by their policies and procedures.

• Be reliable and make all endeavours to attend induction training, supervision sessions, and other meetings as deemed appropriate. If you are unable to attend, you should notify the organisation in accordance with their procedures at the earliest possible opportunity.

• Ensure that you are familiar with the health and safety procedures of the organisation, and work in a manner that displays due regard and duty of care for you, your colleagues, and service users.

• Whilst you are a volunteer you are expected to behave in an appropriate and responsible manner, and act with due care and attention for the health and safety of yourself and others at all times. Respect other volunteers, paid staff and users of the project.

• As an ambassador for MMU, you are expected to treat everyone with whom you have contact in an equal and fair manner, and in accordance with MMU’s equal opportunities policy.

• Treat all information about the project, its staff, volunteers or service users as confidential.

• Not undertake tasks outside of the organisation’s remit without the express consent of the management.

• Should there be any changes to your personal circumstances or problems with your placement, it is your responsibility to notify both the host organisation and Volunteering MMU staff, as soon as you become aware of changes that will affect your commitment.

• Please give adequate notice if you wish to end your involvement.

What you can expect from Volunteering MMU?

• All students are welcome to attend an Introduction to Volunteering Workshop. Details can be found on our events page.

• Each organisation who registers with us is expected to provide adequate insurance policies and to ensure health and safety standards are met. Organisations are encouraged to provide at least one volunteering opportunity where the role is fully explained.

• Volunteering MMU will treat all volunteers equally in accordance with MMU's equal opportunities policy.

• Volunteering MMU operates within all policy and procedures adopted by MMU in respect to specific volunteering activities.

Find out more

• National Volunteering Opportunities
• Manchester Community Central provides a directory of voluntary organisations in Manchester, jobs and training opportunities as well as events.
• Volunteering with Cheshire East Council
• Volunteering Overseas Guide
• Using your experience
• Frequently Asked Questions