Start volunteering

Volunteering is a great way to develop new skills, meet new people and boost your CV. 

Some young people volunteer as part of school work, part of a youth club, or at their local library. 

Take Action: Young people aged 14+ in Oxfordshire can volunteer for the Reading Challenge. This is an opportunity to work with younger or reluctant readers and help them complete a reading challenge. Visit your local library and talk to staff about how you can volunteer.

Find local volunteering opportunities

There's lots of ways to find local volunteering opportunities, but many young people just start by visiting their local charity shops or community centres to ask about what's available. 

Take Action: Find more ways to look for local volunteer opportunities.

There are also lots of places to look for volunteering opportunities online:

• Volunteering in Oxfordshire - a dedicated local website with lots of great ways to volunteer
• Oxfordshire Volunteers - local database of volunteering opportunities

You can also check out volunteering opportunities on our own opportunity database - these have all been checked to make sure that they are suitable for younger volunteers. 

Volunteering matters

Volunteering helps the organisation you are supporting by volunteering. But it also helps you, and not just in the ways you might expect. Volunteering can improve exam results, for example, and makes people less likely to become involved in crime. Informal volunteering ("helping out") is also helpful to personal development.

Participants emphasised that belonging is a powerful protective factor. Where young people feel recognised and included through youth activities, sport, arts programmes or volunteering, their outcomes improve significantly. - The High Sheriff’s Breakfast Conversations 2025