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, National Citizen Service 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.

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 .