Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
10. Volunteering in the UK
Volunteering doesn't have to be done in a developing country, amongst the poorest on the
planet, to bring a sense of satisfaction. There are many deserving cases right on your door-
step. You might also find that, if you do voluntary work close to home, it will make you
more involved in your own community.
What's more, the global recession has prompted a greater need for volunteers, as charities
have had to cut back on paid staff in the wake of reduced donations.
Equally some, like the British Red Cross, have also reported a huge increase in the numbers
of potential volunteers - in some cases up to four times as many per month as they'd nor-
mally expect. Arguably this reflects the numbers of graduates coming out of university un-
able to find work as well as high numbers of reported redundancies.
The National Union of Students believe volunteering at home is well worth considering (al-
though they add a few words of warning):
“If you decide to volunteer, consider doing so in your local community where your support
can make a huge difference to your own community and comes with the added bonus of giv-
ing you experience of working in an environment similar to the one that you're more likely
to be eventually working in.
“Be careful to ensure that any job you take for experience will give the opportunities you are
looking for. There's no point in spending a year filing invoices if your ambition is to work
as a museum curator.
“There is also an unfortunate trend towards unpaid 'internships' with the term applied to
anything from a flexible, well-structured placement that can nonetheless be difficult to ac-
cess for those without other sources of funding to long, menial, and ultimately fruitless jobs
that would barely be worth your time if they were paid.
“Some employers are unscrupulous about using internships to bypass minimum wage legis-
lation. If you have any doubts about whether you should be paid for your work, contact Cit-
izens' Advice.”
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