Christmas volunteering
If all those mince pies have left you craving something more fulfilling, volunteering at Christmas is a good option. There are lots of ways to get involved - here are just a few.
"Volunteering at a homeless shelter is a popular Christmas activity if you're looking for a short-term volunteering placement."
Why volunteer at Christmas?
Christmas is a good time to explore volunteering options because many organisations will be looking for extra hands. Doing something for others increases your own sense of wellbeing and helps develop organisational and communication skills which could also be useful for a CV or How to find jobs. There are lots of different ways you can volunteer: Here are a just a few.
Want to do something over the school/university Christmas holidays?
Finding short-term volunteering posts might sound a bit difficult but there are several websites which should be able to help you. Vinspired.com has volunteering opportunities specifically for 16-25 year olds, while Do-it and timebank.org.uk are also good places to look. Online ('virtual') volunteering opportunities, like being a mentor for online bullying charity cybermentors.org.uk, are great because you can volunteer from anywhere as long as you have a computer, cutting down on travel costs.
Thinking of volunteering with homeless people at Christmas?
Volunteering at homeless shelters is a popular Christmas activity if you're looking for a short-term volunteering placement. Many homeless hostels specifically need volunteers at Christmas and will be happy to take you on. Extra volunteers are needed to help greet guests, give out clothing and toiletries, look after luggage stores, keep fire watch and perform cleaning and kitchen duties.
Some hostels provide extra services, such as hairdressing, life skills lessons, music shows and medical services, so volunteers can put these skills to use if they have them.
If you don't have these skills, you'll still be needed. Crisis uses 5000 volunteers to staff its Christmas shelters, and stresses that the most important aspect of volunteering is chatting with the guests and making them feel welcome.
Some ideas for volunteering with homeless people this Christmas include:
Crisis Learning and Skills Volunteers in London
Knit for the Homeless in Manchester
Volunteer hosts in Bristol
Want to develop entrepreneurial skills through Christmas volunteering?
Christmas cards and gifts are great sources of income for charities, but they usually need extra help selling them. You can volunteer some hours at your local charity shop, on a temporary card shop or stall, or offer to sell the cards to friends and family.
Want to do something quick and easy?
Contact your favourite charity and offer to help with Christmas collections – you generally only need to spare a few hours and there are no necessary skills to take part – just enthusiasm for the cause! Charities currently recruiting include Macmillan Cancer Support and Marie Curie Cancer Care.
Want to develop listening and counselling skills?
Christmas can be a particularly distressing time for people who don't have family or friends to be with, people with mental health problems or those who don't have a stable home life. Helplines such as Samaritans and ChildLine can be a real lifeline to these people, but they require lots of volunteers to keep them running. Most involve a training programme before you start manning the phones, so it's worth getting in contact as early as possible.
Want to do something unusual and fun?
Marshal a Santa run in Cambridge
Collect presents for families going through difficult times in Newcastle
Coordinate carol singing in Norwich, in aid of Christian Aid
Be a white van driver for children's charity READ International
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