Frequently Asked Questions

Legally anyone can volunteer , however it is common that most charities will expect people to be over the age of 13. There are different types of roles for individuals under 16 and over 16 , and each charity or group will have their own policies around age of volunteers. There are plenty of roles for individuals over the age of 14 , and we can support you in finding the right one for you!

Get in-touch and we will help find a suitable role for you ([email protected])

Visit our list of opportunities here.

If you find a role that you are interested in, you can register and then enquire via our database. We will also be able to support if you would like us to help you find a role or offer support with other areas.

Once you have enquired, we will send your details to charities, they will then be in-touch with you. Please note each charity has different approach.

Contact the organisation and ask for more information. Try to find out as much about the role as possible. Have a look at the organisation’s website (if they have one). If it is a registered charity, there may be more information available on the Charity Commission website.

Try to get a clear picture of the organisation and the tasks you will be involved in. You don’t want to start volunteering and quickly find the role isn’t right for you.

Often, voluntary organisations are quite dependent on their volunteers. Try to be reliable, keeping to the times and dates you have agreed to volunteer and let someone know if you cannot make it in to the organisation when you are expected. If the amount of commitment or responsibility you can offer an organisation is likely to change, let the organisation know as soon as you can.

Organisations have responsibilities for the safety and wellbeing of their volunteers, staff, the clients and the general public. You may be asked to comply with the organisation’s policies and procedures to do with health and safety, confidentiality, equalities or codes of conduct.

Often these ‘rules’ are set out in a volunteer agreement that you may be asked to read and sign at your induction.

In most cases volunteering is enjoyable and rewarding for the volunteer and the organisation, but sometimes things do go wrong. There may be a nominated member of staff who can answer questions or the organisation might set out a complaints procedure in the volunteer handbook. Either way, don’t be afraid to raise concerns.

The organisation may not be aware there is a problem, they might be pleased to have an opportunity to improve life for their volunteers or they might simply try to find you something different that suits you more.

As a volunteer you are not legally bound by a contract, so you are free to leave an organisation that you are unhappy with.

Volunteering will not impact your benefits. Volunteering counts towards a certain number of “job seekers” hours, so it is beneficial to volunteer. If you do start volunteering, you will need to let your benefits officer / advisors know.

Volunteering means giving your time for free. The law is very clear that volunteers should not receive any payments or gifts for the time they give. However, any costs which arise as a direct result of your
volunteering are usually repaid by the organisation. These out of pocket expenses could include travel, costs of clothing, printing or telephone calls, or lunch if you are working from the morning through the afternoon.

Generally speaking, expenses can only be reimbursed if a receipt is produced. Most organisations are happy to pay volunteer expenses and will be able to advise you when and how expenses are reimbursed.

Some volunteers choose not to claim their expenses. That is their choice. For the organisation though, it makes it difficult to understand the true cost of taking on volunteers.

A criminal conviction does not necessarily prevent you from volunteering. The decision will depend on the type of offence and the role applied for. If you have a criminal conviction, we advise that you let charities know as early as possible so you can discuss this with them.