New Year and new volunteers needed
WITH research showing that volunteering is increasingly among the most popular of New Year’s resolutions, by taking up volunteering in 2017, Warwickshire County Council is encouraging residents to support their local communities.
Warwickshire Community and Voluntary Action (WCAVA) works with the county council to offer people the chance to take up one of a number of volunteering opportunities to suit their needs, interests and goals. The scheme is a great way to learn new skills, share the ones you already have, meet people and make a real difference.
The opportunities on offer are numerous and include: libraries, heritage and culture volunteering, outdoor volunteering and caring for people such as families and those with disabilities. For some, the sense that they are making a difference comes from volunteering to help with older, vulnerable people in their communities. Being possibly the only point of contact during the day is a great responsibility but one that can bring the greatest of rewards.
WCAVA works across Warwickshire using Volunteer Connect - a database that matches the right roles to the right individuals based on their skills and interests. This means that all those who sign up undertake work that suits them personally, maximising the value of the placement.
Cllr Jeff Clarke, Portfolio Holder for Environment, said: ‘Volunteering is an excellent way to immerse yourself in your local community. All parties benefit. Doing so provides a great deal of satisfaction that comes with helping others, while offering the chance to make new friends and develop skills you wouldn’t ordinarily get the chance to.’
Cllr Philip Johnson, Chair of the Communities Overviews and Scrutiny Committee, said: ‘The WCAVA scheme is excellent as it pairs volunteers up with the type of work they’re suited to and will find interesting. This is important as it ensures that people are really dedicated to the work they undertake’.
Anybody looking for a way to get involved in their local community can sign up by visiting WCAVA’s website
