Volunteering - what are you doing during Covid?

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If you are still volunteering during these Covid times what are you doing? Anything done online? I’m looking for ideas as volunteer positions have almost completely dried up around my area (I search the local volunteer website, Do-It, local charities etc).

I’ve been looking for voluntary positions for the past 12-18 months and not getting far at all. I want to return to work after being a SAHM and volunteering is a good way to get back into work mode as well as hopefully helping people in some way.

I joined the school PTA last year and have helped with a few things but I have a distinct feeling of being a square peg in a round role compared to the other parents. I was an active member of an employee forum (fundraising, promotional stuff) in my last job for years and always enjoyed that but this PTA just makes me feel tolerated and not particularly welcome.

I was DBS cleared and did training to volunteer at SureStart and then Lockdown 1 happened and all volunteers were cancelled and not yet started again.

Applied to volunteer as a reader in DC school but they were cancelled too due to Covid obviously; DC has started at Beavers but parents are rostered to volunteer when meetings start again in two weeks so that’s not a regular thing either.

Looked at NHS Responders last year but they are closed to new applicants plus I’d need a car to do shopping and collect prescriptions etc so that’s not an option.

CAB want people with specific skills ie lawyer, accountant, and marketing in my area whereas my skills and experience are not in these areas.

Charity shops are not an option, and office work I’m assuming has either dried up or gone online. I’m presuming things will pick up this year but I just find it hard to believe there are hardly any volunteers working anywhere at the moment.

I’d like to do anything based in an office, from home or at an actual office. I have solid PC skills, background in sales admin and logistics etc.

You can contact most local charities and put yourself forwards for volunteer roles with them. Scouts is another option too.

DD volunteers for the brownies, online at the moment, only once a week. She's doing Duke of Edinburgh and it was quite hard to find voluntary things which seems strange given the amount of people needing help must have increased and funding fallen.

I needed to get support for someone who was blind other side of country before and phoning round for her there seemed to be a shortage - RNIB has these:

www.rnib.org.uk/volunteering/find-volunteering-opportunities-near-you/search

I'm Chair of the PTA - but see you're already a member of yours. Could you suggest a sub-committee or project to manage?

Try www.charityjobs.co.uk too & most job sites you can filter by unpaid/voluntary including LinkedIn.

Oh I remember hearing about Be My Eyes - an app that links blind or partially sighted people with sighted people to help with everyday tasks:

www.bemyeyes.com

I think the issue is that you're expecting people to create vacancy for you Like most people, I am busy doing my actual job, and we don't have time and energy for people who worry they're a 'square peg in a round hole' and/or need lots of handholding. No one wants to hear about a volunteer who's dead keen but only wants office jobs.

Have you considered helping at a foodbank? I know many are crying out for volunteers.

Cinnamon trust (dog walking)
raise money by selling donated things for PTA (ebay)

Try Family Action

There used to be a website called do-it.org listing volunteer opportunities. Not sure if it still exists.

How about a school governor? If you're hoping to use it to get back to work, I think it looks more impressive on a CV than the PTA as it's a more official position (nothing wrong with the PTA btw - I did both when I was a SAHM).

COVID vaccine centre as a steward/ meeter and greeter/ data inputted?

I volunteer for the Cinnamon trust and that has continued through Covid.

I'm the chair of a charity, all our meetings are done over Zoom at the moment so it's easy to stay involved and connected without even leaving the house - not great long term as I'd like to be engaging a bit more with the people we support, but it's working for now.

I run a food bank, most would welcome new volunteers.

I believe guide dogs have restarted the myguide service (where you take visually impaired people out) and if you like dogs you could be a guide dog exerciser who free runs guide dogs.

I work for an NGO and it has been hard to meet the demand for online volunteering. A lot of people are asking us for opportunities to volunteer remotely or do a school project on us remotely etc, but we're so busy trying to manage our normal workload with fewer in-person volunteers and staff that it is difficult to come up with ideas for remote volunteers that aren't just busywork or to give the volunteers a sense of purpose.

I agree that food banks or charities helping people who are homeless might be looking for extra hands.

I wonder if there are any initiatives local to you that involve online tutoring/homework helping for children in need? There must be endless hundreds of children who aren't getting the support they need to keep up with school work throughout the pandemic.

Thanks for the ideas everyone which I will look into.

Unfortunately our local Foodbank never needs volunteers (checked many times), and a few weeks ago the Scouts gave parents the NHS contact details for the Covid centre but they were over-run with volunteers.

@SarahAndQuack you have completely missed the point. The reference to ‘square peg’ is that school PTA’s are notorious for being a clique and Queen Bee behaviour. I absolutely do not expect any charity or business to lay out the red carpet for me to volunteer. I merely asked what are other people doing to volunteer as I find it hard to believe there’s no volunteering occurring during these Covid times. Our local council has a website specifically for any organisation to list their volunteer vacancies - this is usually at least 30+ pages long and it’s now approx 1.5 pages. If you have any issue with your time being taken up with volunteers then you need to discuss this with your manager.

Girlguiding and Scouting often welcome new volunteers. We’ve had 3 start in lockdown - not as leaders but helping with hut maintenance and communication. We also need new leaders

Have you thought about getting a low skilled part time job? Near me there are always spaces for supermarket assistants or couriers. Obviously not what you're looking for long term, but it would give you something to talk about at interviews and a reference. Otherwise I second the idea of school governor.

Nothing, I have stopped. What about local libraries? More and more are volunteer-run now.

Have you contacted hospitals directly?

Home-Start?

Have you tried your local Age UK? They are often looking for volunteers to do telephone befriending or well-being checks on older people who are socially isolated. They may also have people who are local to you and need shopping or prescriptions you could help with, without a car.

I've started volunteering with Home start. Completed the training online over lock down :) The support to families at the minute is by phone call but we hope to be back visiting again soon.

I'm about to apply to Cinnamon Trust for dog walking as I probably won't be re-starting my business and I have too much time on my hands.

NCT? They are always crying out for volunteers... our branch desperately needs more (and some roles could be done remotely!) I will gladly talk more with you if you are interested!

I volunteer for Home Start, working in the office rather than going into families' homes. That has been curtailed somewhat, but I know my branch have run volunteers' courses online during lockdown so that people can do telephone support (with a view to them becoming home visiting volunteers once lockdown has ended).
I think Age UK also do telephone support.
My food bank always needs help. I would phone your local one and ask, as they may have been too busy to update their details.
Samaritans might be worth a try.

Have you got a local Voluntary Support? They take your details and try and match you up with somewhere that's looking for volunteers.

Only thing is that I know that the local one is very busy currently, they've had huge numbers of people volunteering since the first lockdown and really more people that charities that are open can use. But they are doing their best to try and match as many as possible.