You Can Volunteer, You Can Change Lives

‘Everyone has the potential to change lives’ – Volunteer Now reminds public that volunteering is open to all

The leading voice of volunteering in Northern Ireland, Volunteer Now, is hoping to dispel some of the misconceptions about volunteering, in the hope that more people will realise there are roles to suit them and feel encouraged to give any spare time they have for others.

The ‘You can volunteer, you can change lives’ campaign will see Volunteer Now tackle some of the perceived barriers that people often feel hold them back from volunteering in an effort to prove that there are flexible, local, accessible volunteering options for all abilities, ages and circumstances.

Jane Gribbin, Community Engagement Manager with Volunteer Now explains:

“Northern Ireland has a brilliant volunteer network however, we simply need more people as so many organisations need their support to survive.

“Sometimes people feel they would love to volunteer but feel held back for a number of reasons such as time, accessibility, age or availability. We want to prove that if you think one of those factors is stopping you volunteering, we can help.

“For example, we often hear people say they would like to volunteer but don’t have enough time in their week, or that they don’t have access to their own transport. We might hear people say they would love to give volunteering a go but they’re not from Northern Ireland so maybe it isn’t right for them – or people may worry about accessibility issues.

“We are keen to combat these perceived barriers. You don’t need to give a lot of time to volunteer regularly, even the smallest amount, as and when you can, will make a difference.  If you don’t have access to a car, there are plenty of regional volunteering opportunities we can match you with in your area. We have volunteering roles that suit people with accessibility requirements and we see time and time again how volunteering helps people from outside Northern Ireland integrate in their local community.

“The roles we have available are so diverse, from fundraising events to animal shelters, community sports to social media support for charities, the options are almost endless.

“By driving home the message that there are roles to suit everyone, we hope people will realise they have the potential to volunteer and, therefore, they have the potential to change lives,” said Jane Gribbin.

To find a volunteering opportunity in Northern Ireland that matches your requirements, visit our homepage and click on Search for Volunteering Opportunities.