Voluntary Action Giving Even More Support to Organisations, Charities and Communities

Published on: 12 Sep, 2024
Updated on: 13 Sep, 2024

By David Rose

Volunteers are vital for charities and similar organisations to operate. Think of food banks, charity shops, heritage attractions, youth work, good neighbour schemes – without volunteers they probably wouldn’t be here.

However, since coming out of the Covid 19 pandemic there has been a marked decrease in people volunteering, according to Voluntary Action South West Surrey, a charity itself that supports people who seek to volunteer and gives them help and advice to find a role that will suit.

Alice Sheppard (left) and Kate Jones from Voluntary Action South West Surrey, who head up its new Volunteers Connections project.

And it is also what’s known as a council for voluntary services across the boroughs and Guildford and Waverley. It currently supports more than 300 organisations and charities in need of volunteers, by promoting the many different roles they have as well as giving them advice on topics such as managing their own volunteers and fundraising.

With the aim to increase the level of volunteering among small charities and voluntary organisations across south-west Surrey, and to enable them to work more efficiently, Voluntary Action has a new support project called Volunteer Connections.

The project’s co-ordinators are Alice Sheppard and Kate Jones.

Alice Sheppard said: “The four-year Volunteer Connections project has been funded by the National Lottery’s reaching communities fund and gives us the opportunity to help groups to be more proficient in managing their volunteers, as well as encouraging volunteering among under-represented groups.”

Kate Jones said: “The benefits people can enjoy while volunteering their time are unmistakable. You can learn new skills, make new friends, it’s good for your physical and mental health, can improve your confidence, connect with your community, feeling good about giving something back, and valuable work experience if your aims are to find a paid job.”

Would you like to volunteer?

The Volunteer Connections project is hosting “Lunch and Learn” online sessions that are perfect opportunities to discover how volunteering could become a part of your life.

The next one is on Tuesday, September 24, from 12.30pm to 1pm on Microsoft Teams.

Click here to book you place.

And to find out more, whether you are keen to undertake some volunteering or are a local organisation or charity that would like some help and support, call Alice on 07936 364336, email a.sheppard@vasws.org.uk or call Kate on 07513 825132, email k.jones@vasws.org.uk