Volunteering
Volunteering to Support Vulnerable People
Volunteering is run by York CVS’s Volunteer Centre. Any requests to volunteer for can go through Volunteering Opportunities - York CVS
Social action and impact volunteering
Social action simply means “people coming together to help improve their lives and solve the problems that are important in their communities”.
We know we have people willing to give time, expertise, energy and experience to others: with less public money and more challenges, we must make the most of this.
This is often called ‘impact volunteering’. Let’s say there’s an opportunity or a problem; the right people get together and plan to tackle it; they deliver the plan and, importantly, make sure there’s a clear result (and the one they expected).
Support for Volunteer Managers
York Volunteers offers lots of free advice, support and resources for Volunteer Managers and organisations that involve Volunteers. To learn more about their services and access resources, visit Support for Volunteer Managers.
Volunteering Opportunities
York CVS Volunteering Opportunities Directory
York CVS hosts a directory of volunteering opportunities. You can find lots of local opportunities to suit your interests and your time. If your organisation is looking to recruit volunteers you can also add the volunteering opportunity to the directory.
Live Well York
A range of volunteering opportunities are available on the Live Well York website. This volunteer opportunities link filters the community activity volunteer opportunities. Or navigate by filtering the type of volunteering options and by clicking the volunteering button on the Community Activities directory.
Ready for Anything (RFA)
RFA is a scheme to allow members of the public to volunteer and assist the multi-agency emergency response in a coordinated way.
RFA volunteers operate across York and North Yorkshire, providing support to people whose lives have been affected by an emergency.
Volunteers carry out a variety of important roles. This could include setting up a rest centre for evacuees or supporting people taking shelter there, or helping warn or inform residents by knocking on doors.
People of any age over 18 years are welcome. No specific skills are needed, just a desire to help others.
For further information and to register your interest, please go to Ready for Anything .
Volunteering for Students & Graduates
For volunteering opportunities for students and post graduates you can visit the York St John University or York University Students' Union websites.
Employment Support Volunteering work
York Cares is a partnership of the city's leading employers committed to making York a better place through employee-volunteering.
They match the skills and expertise of employers and their employees to community projects where they can have most impact. Our tried and tested programmes deliver tangible benefits for local people as well as workforce development opportunities for employers.
To check out the work of York Cares, you can view this video:
Volunteering with the Council
York is renowned as a volunteering city. City of York Council offers a broad range of volunteering opportunities for you to get involved. From looking after green areas to mentoring; people of all ages and backgrounds can volunteer in the city to:
- help others
- develop their own skills
- gain new experience
Community Health Champions
Community Health Champions are people who, with training and support, voluntarily offer their skills and passion and make use of their community links to transform Health and Wellbeing in their neighbourhood.
The Community Health Champions model is proving to be an effective way of reaching people and is making a real difference within communities. Champions are also influencing and shaping local services, increasing public participation, initiating community development opportunities whilst gaining new skills and knowledge.
Within their families, communities and workplaces Community Health Champions empower and motivate people to get involved in healthy social activities; create new activities to meet local needs; and signpost people to relevant community activities, and support.
For more information on Community Health Champions including how to become a champion please contact healthchampions@york.gov.uk or telephone 01904 552774.
Do-it Trust
Do-it Trust put volunteers and civil society at the heart of everything it does to inspire everyone to get involved and do something for their community. Using the latest technologies, it wants to help civil society reap the benefits of putting volunteers and communities at the centre of their work.
Find out more by visiting the Do-it website.
Recruiting Volunteers
Add your volunteering opportunities to the Volunteering Opportunities page of the York CVS website using the add your own volunteering opportunity link.
If you offer a community activity and want to recruit volunteers you can indicate this on your entry so that residents wanting to be involved can filter these volunteer opportunities.