Who volunteers?

Anyone can volunteer - whether you're young or old, at the start or the end of your career, working or not working. No matter what your skills or experience, someone will value your help and you will gain something from it. People volunteer for many reasons. Many just enjoy the experience whilst others are developing useful skills and confidence that can be transferred to the workplace.

So why would you volunteer?

There are so many reasons! Through volunteering you can:

• try out new types of work
• make a difference to people's lives in your community
• get experience that looks good on your CV
• learn new skills that could lead to a new job
• get training and qualifications - Manchester Event Volunteers offers First Aid, Teamwork and other training courses
• network - make contacts that could lead to offers of paid work
• get references to use in job applications
• meet new people
• have great experiences
• get out of the house and keep active
• get satisfaction from doing something useful!
• or just do something that you find fun!

What can I do?

There's a huge range of volunteering opportunities. These are just a few examples of activities you could do:

• sports event volunteering
• environmental conservation
• supporting people with learning disabilities, mental health problems or physical disabilities
• taking care of sick animals
• running community arts programmes
• fundraising
• supporting young people or older people
• helping homeless people
• administration
• befriending isolated or lonely people

Will it help me get a job?

Volunteering experience impresses employers. It shows you're a positive, motivated person and you use your time constructively.

In order to get into some jobs employers will expect you to have done some volunteering - for example environmental conservation, the media and social work. Volunteering gives you essential hands-on experience and shows you're committed to this area of work. If you've been out of the workplace for a while, through volunteering you can also learn valuable transferable skills like team-working, communication skills and time management.

MEV provides additional training opportunities including First Aid, Health & Safety and Team Work. We can signpost people to other agencies if they need specific help in finding a job or further education.

How do I become a Manchester Event Volunteer?

To be an Manchester Event Volunteer, you must be 16+ and a Manchester resident (i.e. pay your Council Tax to Manchester City Council). If you live outside the Manchester city boundary, you can visit www.do-it.org or visit your local Volunteer Centre for more information on local opportunities.

Find out more

Call us on 0161 234 1532 or e-mail info@mev.org.uk