Volunteering

Thank you for your efforts, I am sure you made your park look so much better.

Wandawitch said:

I would love to volunteer on an archaeological dig.  I've made enquires but unfortunately there doesn't seem to be anything happening certainly during the week when I would want to do it.

It might be worth contacting your local museums and University. Ask them if they know of any local archaeologists you can email or write to about upcoming local digs. These depend upon funding, thus are irregular. I found out about local digs through the local newspaper. When you find one, they will bite your hand off to volunteer!

Local beekeeping groups also like volunteers, either with the bees or looking after the gardens. You could also try honey farms, if there are any local to you.

Hi Wandawitch,

Thanks for sharing.  I am sorry to hear that you retired early due to burnout.  Its wonderful to hear that you are looking for volunteering opportunities.

You may like to have at look at our volunteering page to see if there is any roles you may be interested in.  You can access this here:  Volunteer

You can also find some details of volunteering organisations in our employment resources here:  Support to get work experience and find a job

I hope this information is useful

Kind Regards

Suzanne Mod

This is a lovely thing to do for the community.  I would find some satisfaction in this and have done a bit at my local park.

Hi Marianne

I would love to volunteer on an archaeological dig.  I've made enquires but unfortunately there doesn't seem to be anything happening certainly during the week when I would want to do it.  I'd like to investigate this further it would tie in with my love for foraging and being in the outdoors.

I have also done a course in bee-keeping. 

1. I volunteered on archaeological digs as a child and enjoyed these - no gossip except about finds and the site. You could be a digger or offer to make the tea.

2. I helped run the tea tents at fetes held by different churches and religious order [Quaker, Vedanta, Buddhist, Methodist, Salvation Army] because I was interested in world religions.

3. as a volunteer, I tried bee-keeping for a year, helping clean the hives and looking after the gardens. 

You could try your local authority parks department or voluntary gardeners in villages, towns or cities [entrants for Britain in Bloom always need volunteers]. National Trust and suchlike also need all kinds of volunteers.

I did think about a horse but I'm not a keen rider (wouldn't be interested in jumps etc. just plodding along) a horse share would probably suit me for a similar reason of being outside and something lovely to care for. 

Yes, my life has become small.  I'm struggling to turn it around.  

Hello, I have been litter picking for eight years now with my local council. They provide bags and gloves. I provided my own high viz but they did give me a top. Does your council provide this, may be worth checking as I see other volunteers using their own bags but then they have to take them to the tip where as I leave them to be collected. Dirty hard work but I do get to meet many people and it is good to see what a difference I have made. Three bags collected this morning so am pleased.    

Take your time to research what you do. I work 2 days a week as a nurse in the community. It pushes me to my limit so I can do no extra. I used to read at my children’s primary school and I share a horse. The horse is my safe place, it’s quiet and the countryside is lovely. I kind of need it in my life, it’s what keeps me getting up and going outside. My world could become very small without these things to do. 

Hi, I'm in the same position, need to get out, but not ready for much interaction after horrendous burnout/meltdown due to health and safety issue at work.  I'm thinking of just litter picking in my local area, so I get to go for a walk with purpose and may occasionally see other people. 

Thank you Orangegnome.  Reading has been suggested to me.  There is a new SEN school opening in the city where I live, I have thought about approaching them to see if they are happy to take on a volunteer.  Feels a bit daunting making the initial contact.  Could be a quieter environment as the school is starting out relatively small.

Do you volunteer or work?  Looking for ways to build up more of a structure to my week.  Going to do an obvious thing and join a gym with a pool. I do like a swim, worried I am going to get bored of that too, although planning to take dc along for a swim when the gym allows.

I think some of the animal shelters might be a bit flooded with volunteers. 

Would you consider helping with reading in a primary school class one afternoon a week? I used to do that when my children were in primary school. It was quite noisy though and I found it exhausting. Other things might be a wildlife charity near where you live? Or a local park needing volunteers for gardening or litter picking? Or an animal charity needing dogs walking or cats feeding etc.