Is there any volunteering I can do from home on an evening or weekend?

[MeadowHay]

I didn't know where to post this really. I've just searched the home opportunities on do-it but there's hundreds and hundreds and lots of them are still specific to certain areas of the country, I can't find a way to sift through them quickly. I'm thinking of things like helplines or online volunteering, that I can do on an evening or on a weekend, and I only have probs 3hrs max to spare a week. Maybe even less.

Is that possible?

Telephone befriending - makes a huge difference to isolated older people.

www.ageuk.org.uk/get-involved/volunteer/telephone-befriender/#

Do you have a Good Neighbours scheme in your area? They're just in the process of setting one up where I live. The aim of the project is to help neighbour's with mobility issues get to the doctors, fetch shopping etc. They were also looking for people to take the calls for those making appointments.

Or if you have a Community Facebook page in your area you could try posting something on there. You never know in amongst the parking and complaints about youths you may get a response. Someone on one of our boards ended up volunteering for Cats Protection who were looking for help putting ads in the free local papers.

Or perhaps try Voluntary Action they might be able to match you with something.

My friend answers emails for a charity- she volunteers 2 hours a week and does it whenever.

I was just going to suggest the ageuk befriending linked up thread I saw a thing on our local news last year about it .

Blood bikes need co-ordinaters to liaise between the hospitals and the biker volunteers; as the volunteers usually help out of hours (5pm to 7am) it may be what you are looking for? Google for your county organisation and more information.

The Age UK link says they aren't taking any volunteers for that at present.

Any other suggestions?

Just type the town/city where you live into google followed by the word volunteering and you should find your local volunteers centre.

They should have lots of opportunities for both local and national organisations.

I live in a small market town and our local volunteers centre is currently looking for volunteers for around 50 local charities/groups and about 10 national ones.

A friend of mine used to volunteer from home for "Seeing Ear" - they rewrite books into a format that can be read by a computer so that deaf people can 'read' them.

My MIL used to read local papers into a microphone to record them, which would then be sent out to the blind in the local area.
Probably there are groups who would do the same for books.
Would that be an option?

Not a charity, but more of a social project, lots of websites look for transcribers. There's freebmd which is a register of births, deaths and marriages and lots that record details from grave stones. These details enable people to research their family tree or local history etc.