Volunteering Guide

Here you will find a comprehensive introduction to becoming a volunteer in your community.  This is a vital resource for anyone who is thinking about becoming a volunteer (who doesn't know where or how to start), as well as for existing volunteers who would like to find out more.

People are always surprised at how much volunteering has to offer and the wide variety of roles that are available.  What surprises us most is that people don't see what they have to offer.  If you have a particular skill or hobby or would like to develop your interest in a particular subject, come along and see us at VASA and we'll show you how you can help others.

For many of those whom we have met, volunteering has had an extremely positive impact on their lives.  These include those who have gained great satisfaction from helping people; a large number who have developed new and interesting skills; and countless who have become happier or found increased confidence through their volunteer work.

Volunteering can be a great experience. We would certainly recommend the benefits of becoming involved.  Many of our VASA staff volunteer, which has led to life long friendships, enhanced employment opportunities, as well as helping some great individuals and organisations.

We would encourage anyone thinking about volunteering to make sure that they contact VASA.  All of our friendly and informative team have been volunteers at some point and have been trained to assist you in finding a volunteering opportunity.

"Volunteering is the giving of time and energy through a third party, which can bring measurable benefits to the volunteer, individual beneficiaries, groups and organisations, communities, the environment and society at large. It is a choice undertaken of one's free will, and is not motivated primarily for financial gain or for a wage or salary"
Scottish Executive (2004)

Volunteering, as characterised above, is often described as the giving of your time and experience, without expectation of reward. The reality is, however, very different!

The personal and developmental benefits and opportunities that can be gained through volunteering cannot be emphasised enough. Recent statistics estimated that some 21 million people in the UK give some time at some point in the year to volunteering, many of them without even knowing it - making a huge contribution to the economy in Great Britain.

Volunteers in South Ayrshire provide a wide and diverse range of services in the local community. These include advice giving, befriending, driving, administration, fundraising, helping with reading, writing and the computer, conservation and gardening, providing crafts for fundraising events, counselling, group support plus many more general and specific services.

Opportunities for volunteering exist within local organisations and national organisations who have a local focus, and who register their opportunities through VASA.  All current opportunties can be viewed by visiting our opportunities section or by visiting Volunteering Scotland.

People volunteer for many different reasons. It may be to benefit themselves in some way; perhaps to benefit others - but more often many people who volunteer achieve both of these at the same time.

People volunteer to use their spare time effectively, to meet new people, to help their community, to help a cause they believe in, or just to gain another interest.  Some people have more specific reasons for volunteering such as gaining a new skill or experience to improve their chances of accessing further education or a new job.  Others volunteer simply because it is part of their beliefs and values.

Whatever the reason for volunteering, most people who start, find other motivations to keep going for the sheer enjoyment and fulfillment they gain from being involved!

There are a great many benefits to volunteering which include both benefits to the volunteer and the local community.  In South Ayrshire alone, volunteering accounts for £28.2 million to the local economy of South Ayrshire and £3.2 billion across Scotland.

Below is a list of some of the many advantages of volunteering.  The benefits very much depend on why you want to volunteer and what you hope to achieve:

Volunteering may lead to paid employment or help you towards a career change!!

The answer ……. anyone who wants to, and feels that they have time to offer. You don’t have to give up huge chunks of your time or make huge commitments.  It may be that you have one or two hours each week to spare or that you feel able to give more than that.  Volunteering is a commitment, but it can fit around your lifestyle and availability.

We help people from a wide range of backgrounds and lifestyles to access volunteering opportunities which suit their individual requirements including skills, employment and other needs or wants.  Voluntary organisations in South Ayrshire have benefited from the skills and experience of students, retired people, people with additional support needs, employed and unemployed people, single parents, people who have recently moved to the area and ethnic or minority groups.

There is no age barrier to volunteering.  It can be more difficult however to find opportunities for young people under the age of 16.  Indeed for some opportunities the minimum age is 18 or for driving positions often the minimum age is 25.

It is important that any volunteering you undertake fits with your needs as well as those of the organisation.  There is no benefit to agreeing to undertake an activity at a time when you cannot or would find it difficult to meet the commitment. The same applies to the opportunity.   If you are expected to carry out a task you don't like or don't want to do, then you are unlikely to gain satisfaction from your volunteering.

As a volunteer you are under no obligation to grin and bear it.

It may be that your initial expectations of what the work is likely to involve differ from the practicality of carrying out that task, or it may be that you don't feel that you are part of the team.  Whatever the reason, if you are unhappy with your volunteering activity and would like to try something else, then you are perfectly entitled to do so.  We can offer alternative opportunities which may better suit your needs.

It is the responsibility of the organisation to make sure that all volunteers are insured.

In some cases (if you are a volunteer driver using your own car) you will be advised to inform your insurance company that you are volunteering, but it should not have any affect on your insurance payments.

Please do remember to ask about insurance before beginning in your placement.

You can volunteer from as little as a couple of hours per month, whatever you feel comfortable with - depending on the opportunity.  We do recommend that you start off slowly and build on the hours to suit you. Your expected time commitment to any volunteering will vary depending on the activity carried out.

Please do check the vacancy and the commitment required before you proceed with your application.  It is common courtesy to inform your volunteer supervisor/contact if you are unable to attend on the agreed date/time as some organisations rely on their volunteers to carry out services for their clients.

Almost all organisations have a volunteer training or preparation programme. This will usually involve things like health and safety, communication and boundaries.  It can also include specific training in areas such as recognising the signs of dependency, lifting and handling or training on how to operate equipment.

We encourage all our member organisations to offer induction training into the organisation which covers its main aims and history, as well as any other training which will help volunteers to effectively and comfortably carry out their tasks.

Any volunteer who comes into contact with children, young people and/or vulnerable adults as part of their normal volunteering activity is subject to a Disclosure check. You do not have to agree to a Disclosure check being carried out on you, but refusal to agree may affect your ability to volunteer in a particular capacity.  An organisation (or an individual) cannot run a Disclosure check on you without your permission.  Results of any Disclosure check will be treated confidentially and procedures will be in place within each organisation to ensure that the information is known only to one member of the volunteer involving organisation.

If you are worried about any information which may appear on a Disclosure as a result of a check being done, it is a good idea to ask the organisation what policies they have in place to deal with Disclosure checks for volunteers  - to ensure that volunteers with non relevant convictions are not discrimated against. If you have a previous conviction and are concerned how this may affect your volunteering, it is best to discuss this privately with your volunteer supervisor/manager in advance of a  Disclosure check being carried out.  Having a previous conviction does not prevent you from volunteering in general.

In cases where direct contact with a child, young person or vulnerable adult does not take place, Disclosure checks will not be required.  Many volunteer involving organisations will ask you for two referees as part of their recruitment process.  Your referees should NOT be members of your family, but may include a health professional, education provider, employer or similar.  If in doubt ask!

Most of the organisations that VASA works with will offer out-of-pocket expenses such as travel to and from your volunteering location. The provision of out-of-pocket expenses is however entirely up to each individual organisation and some smaller organisations may not have the finances available to pay them.

If you are in any doubt as to whether you will receive expenses, then please ask the organisation.

Talk to us - you're under no obligation - and find out what we can offer you.  You have nothing to lose and you'll never know what you've missed if you don't!

Please either:
email: seonaid@voluntaryactionsouthayrshire.org.uk for an application form  (Email link please)
or
complete an online application enquiry form (word version) (pdf version)
or
ring 01292 291 997 between 10am and 1pm or 2pm and 4pm (Monday-Friday)
or
call into our office at 60 Kyle Street, Ayr to pick up an application pack

Once we have received your completed application we will endeavor to call you in for an informal chat within 5 days.

At the initial meeting we will help you to identify a suitable volunteering opportunity – you may even identify more than one!  The next step will usually involve us arranging a suitable time for you and the volunteer manager of the organisation(s) of your choice to meet up for a more detailed chat about how and when you can help.  If you are interested in more than one organisation, this step will usually help you identify the most suitable to your needs.

Many organisations will have a set procedure for recruiting new volunteers.  You may be required to go through a informal chat or formal interview, disclosure checks, reference checks, trial period, induction training.  Don't be put off by these procedures - they are in place to help ensure that you are fully informed of all aspects of the opportunity you are interested in.  These are in place to help you become part of the team. Generally, volunteering organisations are delighted to have people willing to give of their time and effort to help their cause. The volunteering environment is more relaxed, which is why volunteering is such an enjoyable and refreshing experience.

It should be noted that some organisations only recruit or train their volunteers at certain times during the year or when they have enough potential volunteers to run a training course. If this is the case, then it can take some time before you may be able to start.

Obtaining references and disclosures can be a lengthy process, again slowing down the start date.

Receiving any form of Welfare Benefit should not affect your right to volunteer.  In fact, with recent changes in the welfare benefits system, it is now easier than ever to volunteer and receive your full benefit entitlement.

If you are in receipt of Job Seekers Allowance, you can volunteer as much of your time as you want, as long as you can still comply with the JSA requirements of being available to attend interview/start work within 48 hours etc. Prior to beginning any volunteering activity, you should inform your Advisor.

If you are in receipt of Disability Living Allowance you can still volunteer. Being able to volunteer for a few hours in a week or in a month does not mean that you are able to carry out paid employment.  Our best advice to anyone in receipt of any benefit at all is to inform your benefit advisor of your intention to volunteer and keep them up-to-date of any changes in your circumstances.

If you are aged between 16 and 25 then you could be eligible for a MV award.

What are MV Awards?

MV Awards are open to all 16-25 year old volunteers. The Scottish Government endorsed these awards.

MV Awards are given for 50 and 100 hours of volunteering. The Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth signs both the 50 hours Awards and the 100 hours Awards.  At 200 hours an Award of Excellence is presented, which is signed by the First Minister.  The time limit for completing the required hours is two years.

What do I have to do to apply for an MV Award?

If you are volunteering at the moment, the good news is you don’t have to do anything other than tell your volunteering manager you would like to be put forward for an award.  The agency you are volunteering with may present young people for awards at the moment.  If they don’t, it is a quick and easy process to register as a presenting agency.  Agencies that are not registered and who want to recognize their young volunteers through the MV awards initiative should get in touch with us.