You and your mother are always trying to help lame dogs over stiles – even if they’re not lame and don’t want to go.
NOEL COWARD: THE VORTEX
Did you know that one in five of the over 50s is a volunteer? This data recently released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS – www.ons.gov.uk) suggests that simple and cost-effective solutions provided by those who volunteer help tackle many problems. Volunteers are the often unsung heroes of their communities, but more importantly, those who do it have greater overall life satisfaction. It appears that older people benefit more from volunteering than younger ones, as it gives them a sense of purpose. The WRVS Chief Executive, David McCullough, was quoted in 2013 as saying: ‘We know through our own research that older volunteers live happier and healthier lives and we see this every day. Over half of our volunteers are in this age group, with some still volunteering into their 90s and over the age of 100. However with an ageing population, this country needs more people to step up and volunteer to make life better for others. So we would encourage anyone thinking of volunteering to take the plunge and get involved!’ (www.maturetimes.co.uk). How’s that for a challenge?
A shining example for trying new things is 91-year-old, Margaret Leigh-Jones. This amazing lady hit the headlines last year when she began presenting at Hampshire nostalgia radio station, Angel FM, which made her possibly Britain’s oldest DJ. The Havant-based great-grandmother began by answering the phones at the not-for-profit station, but was soon persuaded to take up a role co-hosting a two-hour show and this, she said, changed her life. For her the key to staying young is keeping active – she still cycles every day (www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-22602801).
So if you are under 100, and interested in volunteering, why not give it a go? The local WRVS centre might be a good first point of contact. They can give advice on where the kind of help and assistance you can offer would best be placed. So much real value is given to communities by older people who have lived, experienced pain and survived the highs and lows of life. One way to define volunteering is to distinguish ‘involvement’ from ‘commitment’ and consider the difference between a chicken and a pig. While the chicken is involved in the production of an egg, the pig is committed to the making of bacon. And so with volunteers. While you were working and being paid a salary you were doubtless involved in your work. But once you begin volunteering you will join the army of people who are committed to the work they do to help others.
Should you require facts and figures in support of the value of volunteering, did you know that older people provide a range of formal and informal volunteering services worth over £10 billion per annum to the national economy? The value of this volunteering effort can be expected to grow to just under £15 billion by 2020. This report (Golden Age Pensioners published by the WRVS in 2011) also revealed the fact that pensioners’ net contribution to the UK economy is between £30 billion and £40 billion a year because they pay tax, spend money that creates jobs, deliver billions of pounds of free care to others and contribute to charities and volunteering.
Top tips: Motivators if you are thinking of volunteering
It is vital we celebrate and maximize the contributions of older people. Someone who is starting to volunteer at the age of 60 or just over, could have 20 years or more of positive contribution to make. So if this appeals to you, why not give it some thought? Here are some suggestions as to what you might do.
Clerical
Any active group is likely to need basic administrative help, from typing and stuffing envelopes to answering the telephone and organizing committees. This may involve a day or so a week or occasional assistance at peak times. Many smaller charities in particular would also greatly welcome hearing from individuals with IT expertise to assist with setting up databases and websites.
Fundraising
Every voluntary organization needs money, and when donations are static or falling, more creativity and ingenuity are required to help bring in funds. Events are many and varied, but anyone with energy and experience of organizing fundraising events would be welcomed with open arms as a volunteer.
Committee work
This can cover anything from very occasional help to a virtually full-time commitment as branch treasurer or secretary. People with business skills or financial or legal backgrounds are likely to be especially valuable, and those whose skills include minute-taking are always in demand.
Direct work
Driving, delivering ‘meals on wheels’, counselling, visiting the housebound, working in a charity shop, helping with a playgroup, respite care for carers: the list is endless and the value of the work incalculable. While certain qualifications and experience have particular value in some circumstances, there are many interesting and useful jobs for those without special training. As regards time commitment, do what you feel comfortable with. Whether one morning a month or a certain number of hours per week, it is far better to be reliable than to over-promise and have to cancel or let people down. Equally, as with a paid job, before you start you should be absolutely clear about all the terms and conditions:
Once you have all this mapped out you will find that voluntary work is not only rewarding in its own right but also allows you to make a real contribution to the community.
Should you consider working with vulnerable people (young or old) you will need to have a full DBS (formerly CRB) check. This was covered in Chapter 11, Looking for paid work, and applies to many jobs these days, both paid and unpaid. For further information about this see the government website: www.gov.uk – Employing people (select the ‘Recruiting and hiring’ link).
Choosing the right voluntary work
Once you’ve decided that you might take on some volunteering, next you will need to find out where the opportunities are in your local area and what particular outlet would suit your talents. You may have friends or neighbours who are already involved in volunteering locally. Asking their advice would be a start, as they may well have some good suggestions or know which organizations are in need of extra pairs of hands. However, if you don’t know where to start, the organizations listed here are arranged in broad categories of interest. As there are literally thousands of voluntary groups, national and local, that need help in some way or other, it is impossible to include them all or describe all their activities and volunteering opportunities. For a full list of charities, you could search www.charitychoice.co.uk. The following websites are general national volunteering organizations and can act as signposts to help you learn more about them and how you can get involved.
National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO): www.ncvo-vol.org.uk.
REACH: www.reachskills.org.uk.
Volunteer Development Scotland: www.vds.org.uk.
Volunteering England: www.volunteering.org.uk.
Wales Council for Voluntary Action: www.wcva.org.uk.
The scope of the work of the following well-known charities is so broad that they almost justify a category to themselves:
British Red Cross: www.redcross.org.uk.
Citizens Advice Bureau: www.citizensadvice.org.uk.
Community Service Volunteers (CSV): www.csv.org.uk.
Lions Clubs International: www.lionsmd105.org.
Toc H: www.toch-uk.org.uk.
WRVS: www.wrvs.org.uk.
Animal charities exist to protect animals from harm. Some are dedicated to stopping animal cruelty and others provide care for animals that have been neglected or mistreated. Animal conservation charities work hard to save endangered animals from extinction, for example by protecting their natural habitat, or putting a stop to animal poaching and illegal trade. Some animal charities have sanctuaries or wildlife parks where they rehabilitate rescued animals for release back into the wild. There are over 20 animal charities in the UK, all of whom require volunteers, so you can choose the type of animal you want to help. Some suggested websites:
Blue Cross: www.bluecross.org.uk.
Cats Protection: www.cats.org.uk.
Cinnamon Trust: www.cinnamon.org.uk.
Dogs Trust: www.dogstrust.org.uk.
PDSA: www.pdsa.org.uk.
Pet Fostering Service Scotland: www.pfss.org.uk.
Pets As Therapy (PAT): www.petsastherapy.org.
RSPCA: www.rspca.org.uk.
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB): www.rspb.org.uk.
World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA): www.wspa.org.uk.
Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust (WWT): www.wwt.org.uk.
There are a number of bereavement charities in the UK. To find specific charities, you could search www.charitychoice.co.uk, where you’ll find such organizations as dedicated child bereavement charities and grief counselling organizations. Here are some suggestions:
Bereavement Counselling Charity: www.bereavementcharity.org.uk.
Cruse Bereavement Care: www.cruse.org.uk.
Winston’s Wish: www.winstonswish.org.uk.
If helping children and young people is close to your heart, there are many UK-based charities involved with children and youths. By volunteering your time and skills, you can make a huge difference. The work done by this section of charities ranges from research, health and social care, disability, education, child protection, overseas aid to holidays and recreation. To see which ones exist, you could search www.charitychoice.co.uk. Here are just a few of them:
Action for Sick Children: www.actionforsickchildren.org.
Barnardo’s: www.barnardos.org.uk.
Beanstalk (formerly Volunteer Reading Help): www.beanstalkcharity.org.uk.
Children’s Society: www.childrenssociety.org.uk.
Children’s Trust Tadworth: www.thechildrenstrust.org.uk.
NSPCC: www.nspcc.org.uk.
Save the Children: www.savethechildren.org.
Scout Association: www.scouts.org.uk.
Sea Cadet Corps: www.ms-sc.org.
Should you be interested in promoting urban or rural conservation, there are several UK-based organizations listed concerned with the general issue of conservation. Others look at specific areas like urban conservation, architectural conservation or rural development. For a list of charities in this sector, see www.charitychoice.co.uk. Here are some for starters:
Architectural Heritage Society of Scotland: www.ahss.org.uk.
Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE): www.cpre.org.uk.
Friends of the Earth: www.foe.co.uk.
Greenpeace: www.greenpeace.org.uk.
Ramblers: www.ramblers.org.uk.
The Conservation Volunteers (TCV): www.tcv.org.uk.
Are you interested in helping the elderly? The following charities cover assisted living, elderly care and welfare, independent living and will be happy to accept your assistance. If you want to help the aged by volunteering your time, search www.charitychoice.co.uk, or begin your research here:
Abbeyfield: www.abbeyfield.com.
Age UK: www.ageuk.org.uk.
Carers Trust: www.carers.org.
Carers UK: www.carersuk.org.
Contact the Elderly: www.contact-the-elderly.org.uk.
Independent Age: www.independentage.org.uk.
There are a number of UK-based family support charities, each having a particular area of work. Perhaps there’s an adoption and fostering, poverty charity, domestic violence charity or group offering financial support for families you’d like to find out more about. Search for charities in this sector on www.charitychoice.co.uk, or start with these websites:
British Association for Adoption & Fostering: www.baaf.org.uk.
Family Action: www.family-action.org.uk.
Marriage Care: www.marriagecare.org.uk.
Relate: www.relate.org.uk.
Shelter: www.relate.org.uk.
Standing Together Against Domestic Violence: www.standingtogether.org.uk.
If you are interested in health and wellbeing, there are many UK-based health charities. Is your interest in organizations supporting people with particular conditions – for example, obesity, heart disease, mental health or cancer charities? Or are you keen to support charities for disabled people? There are charities concerned with specific conditions, such as cerebral palsy or multiple sclerosis, and those providing care for the disabled. Whether you are looking for a specific charity, or wish to volunteer, search www.charitychoice.co.uk, or have a look at these websites:
Attend: www.attend.org.uk.
BackCare: www.backcare.org.uk.
British Deaf Association: www.bda.org.uk.
British Heart Foundation (BHF): www.bhf.org.uk.
Cancer Research UK: www.cancerresearchuk.org.
Diabetes UK: www.diabetes.org.uk.
Guide Dogs: www.guidedogs.org.uk.
Leonard Cheshire Disability: www.lcdisability.org.
Marie Curie Cancer Research: www.mariecurie.org.uk.
Mind (The National Association for Mental Health): www.mind.org.uk.
Parkinsons UK: www.parkinsons.org.uk.
RDA (Riding for the Disabled Association): www.rda.org.uk.
Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB): www.rnib.org.uk.
St John Ambulance: www.sja.org.uk.
Scope: www.scope.org.uk.
Thrive: www.thrive.org.uk.
There are numerous opportunities if you wish to volunteer in the culture and heritage charity sector. Whether your interest is historic or new, there are many categories among the UK-based arts charities and national heritage organizations. Further information on charities in this sector can be found on www.charitychoice.co.uk, or have a look at these websites:
Ancient Monuments Society: www.ancientmonumentssociety.org.uk.
Architectural Heritage Fund: www.ahfund.org.uk.
Archaeology for All: www.newarchaeologyuk.org.
English Heritage: www.english-heritage.org.uk.
National Trust: www.nationaltrust.org.uk.
SPAB (Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings): www.spab.org.uk.
There are many social welfare charities, all of whom will be delighted to receive your help. Whether you wish to volunteer with refugee charities, addiction charities or poverty charities, you can easily find the social welfare charity of greatest interest to you by searching on www.charitychoice.co.uk, or starting with these websites:
Alexandra Rose Charities: www.alexandrarose.org.uk.
Elizabeth Finn Care: www.elizabethfinncare.org.uk.
Oxfam: www.oxfam.org.uk.
Salvation Army: www.salvationarmy.org.uk.
Samaritans: www.samaritans.org.
Shelter: www.shelter.org.uk.
Offenders and the victims of crime
If you are interested in helping ex-offenders’ rehabilitation and victim support, a number of charities in this sector can be found by searching on www.charitychoice.co.uk, or start here with these websites:
Nacro: www.nacro.org.uk.
New Bridge Foundation: www.newbridgefoundation.org.uk.
Supporting Others through Volunteer Action (SOVA): www.sova.org.uk.
Victim Support: www.victimsupport.org.uk.
You may not immediately think of political parties in the context of voluntary work, but all of them use vast numbers of volunteer helpers. Between elections the help is mostly required with fundraising, committee work and staffing the constituency offices. At election time, activity is obviously intense. See the major parties’ websites for details:
Conservative Party: www.conservatives.com.
Green Party: www.greenparty.org.uk.
Labour Party: www.labour.org.uk.
Liberal Democrats: www.libdems.org.uk.
Plaid Cymru: www.plaidcymru.org.
Scottish National Party: www.snp.org.
Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP): www.sdlp.ie.
UKIP: www.ukip.org.uk.
Ulster Unionist Party: www.uup.org.
Service personnel and veterans
Want to support armed and ex-services charities? Whatever your interest, you’ll find loads of UK-registered organizations offering support for soldiers, sailors and airmen and women in this sector on www.charitychoice.co.uk, or you could start with the following:
ABF The Soldiers’ Charity: www.soldierscharity.org.
Blind Veterans UK: www.blindveterans.org.uk.
Combat Stress: www.combatstress.org.uk.
Help for Heroes: www.helpforheroes.org.uk.
Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund: www.rbf.org.
Royal Alfred Seafarers’ Society: www.royalalfredseafarers.com.
Royal British Legion: www.britishlegion.org.uk.
SSAFA: www.ssafa.org.uk.
Would you like to support organizations that are associated with commerce, trades and the professions? Or do you wish to get involved with employment charities, professional associations or groups concerned with apprenticeships? Search on www.charitysearch.co.uk to view the whole sector, or see below:
British Chambers of Commerce: www.britishchambers.org.uk.
National Federation of Enterprise Agencies: www.nfea.com.
Scottish Business in the Community: www.sbcscot.com.
If you are thinking of a long-term, probably residential commitment there are a number of organizations both in the UK and abroad in need of voluntary help for a wide variety of projects. Some require specialist skills, such as engineering or medicine; others essentially need people with practical qualities, common sense and enthusiasm. Each organization has a minimum period of service. General conditions are similar for all of them; travel is paid, plus a living allowance or salary that is based on local levels rather than on expatriate rates. Couples without dependent children are welcome, as long as both have the necessary skills. National Insurance Contributions are provided, and a resettlement grant is paid on completion of the tour.
Overseas
There are four main organizations for overseas volunteering: Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO), Skillshare International, Progressio and International Service, details of which have already been provided in Chapter 11 (Looking for paid work: ‘Working in developing countries’).
Volunteering abroad for the over-50s is often referred to as ‘golden gapping’. It is gaining popularity among many 50- to 75-year-olds. Thousands of mature people have enjoyed gap years recently and the number is growing. If a life-changing experience and doing some voluntary work abroad before or just after you retire appeal to you, Gap Year Advice For All should be able to help; see website: www.gapadvice.org. (This is further described in Chapter 14, Holidays.)
In the UK
Although the organizations in this section are primarily concerned with schemes requiring volunteer help for between two weeks and six months, they would also welcome shorter-term help.
Sue Ryder Care: www.sueryder.org.
Vitalise: www.vitalise.org.uk.