Finding volunteering opportunities

There are lots of reasons to volunteer:

• To develop new skills
• Boost your CV
• Make a difference 

Young people also volunteer as part of schemes like the Duke of Edinburgh Award and at their groups or clubs or other community spaces. 

Instant Expert: Find out more about the benefits of doing some volunteer work. 

Finding local volunteering opportunities

There's lots of ways to find local volunteering opportunities, including asking at libraries, visiting local charity shops and museums and checking local noticeboards. 

You can also look for volunteering opportunities online:

• Our opportunities database
• Volunteering in Oxfordshire
• Oxfordshire Volunteers 

You can also ask about volunteering opportunities at any youth club or activity group you attend.

Crucial: Wherever you volunteer, you will need to talk to the organisation, check the opportunity is right for you, and then agree what you are going to do, and when. There is often a full application process, including interviews.

Informal volunteering

Lots of people get started in volunteering by doing informal volunteering, helping out at events or volunteering a bit of time to support at their school or setting. These are great ways to get into the volunteering habit without going through the full formal application process. Lots of groups have ways you can help out and get more involved, and many young people get their first taste of volunteering at the clubs or activities they have been attending. 

The first step is to ask group leaders if there are ways you can help out.

Nice to know:  "young people are already highly active in informal volunteering, even when systems often make formal volunteering difficult to access for their age group....and 65% say volunteering improves employment prospects" - The High Sheriff’s Breakfast Conversations 2025

Volunteering at your local library

Volunteers are crucial in libraries, and there are opportunities for young people aged 14 and over to get involved.

The sorts of opportunities that are available include:

• Bookclub volunteer
• Rhymetime volunteer
• Library stock helper

If you are aged 14+ you can also become a Summer Reading Challenge Volunteer and help during the holidays to sign children up for the challenge and give out rewards .

Volunteering with the scouts - I have been in scouting for the best part of 10 years it has taught me many useful things for later life, I became a young leader around 2 and a half years ago and have loved it ever since. Being a young leader has also taught me good leadership qualities and has caused me to be more inquisitive and understanding; as working with children 8-10 and a half years old has also shown me how to be patient ,and it's an added bonus that it contributes to my D of E silver. - Written by Robbie Wright