Hello and welcome to EasyExpat.com! Volunteering in the UK can be a great way to get to know a new culture and gain new skills. Volunteering can also be a great option for a following spouse that is not allowed to work. Have you volunteered in the UK? How long was your program? Did you set-up your own trip? How did you find your volunteer job? Is there a website or method you would recommend? Did you have to pay for the experience? What activities did you do in your volunteer work? What skills/abilities did you learn? Were you able to use that experience to find a job or another opportunity? Would you do it again? What advice would you give to other people interested in volunteering in the UK? Thank you for sharing your experience and providing information for others to follow in your footsteps!
Hy, I did a 4 month volunteer job in a charity agency in London last summer. I found it very difficult to arrange everything from Germany, that's why I used a company that is providing internship placements for students (http://www.internshipinlondon.com) to get my placement. during the time there my English improved a lot. Additionally I was allowed to prepare some projects and PR activities on my own, which helped me a lot to become more confident with my skills, as I saw that I could handle all the tasks very well on my own. xx Nina
Hi Nina, Was is a volunteer job (usually for a charity, heping people) or more internship in a company? What sort of projects did you do?
If you are looking for volunteering opportunities in London then you can check http://www.theinterngroup.com/london/ there are some foundations, socities and NGO where you can apply for volunteering. I had an excellent volunteering opportunity at health related NGO and I had a wonderful experience. I also would like to point out that from my observations, most successful outcomes usually involve volunteers who have technical expertise to contribute/transfer...not just fully qualified professionals like civil engineers, nurses, scientists, & optometrists, but even students of IT, architecture & veterinary science, & people who hold diving qualifications.
Really volunteering is a good idea to help the communities who needs. I have visited many websites which offers volunteering opportunities. One of the well known website is http://www.volunteeringsolutions.co.uk which also offers this service.
For volunteer opportunities in the UK, the Guide to London and the Guide to Edinburgh are the best places to start. Info on Volunteering in London Info on Volunteering in Edinburgh