Volunteering - your suggestions and tips please!

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I'm about to retire. I have a million and one things I want to do....long country walks, amateur photography, watercolour landscape painting, creative writing. But these are all things I do for myself. I'd also like to do some volunteering as it would bring me into contact with other people and I'd feel I was still making a useful contribution to society.

My problem is, what? I have been working in education for much of my life and I'm already governor at the local primary school, so I'd really like a break from children/teenagers after all these years. Therefore I'd prefer not to be involved in more schools, holiday clubs or playgroups if possible.
There are also volunteers in hospitals but I'm a bit squeamish around healthcare and most hospitals are based in cities....the nearest ones are miles away from here, although I do have my own transport.

I live rurally and love the countryside best, but at my age I just don't have the strength to do things that demand masses of physical energy eg. laying stone paths on moorland, clearing footpaths, dredging old canals or whatever. Although I do like being outdoors.

I prefer being part of an organisation and have considered National Trust volunteering (I love old houses and their grounds) but guides seem to spend a lot of time indoors, standing around doing nothing until some visitor happens to get too close to the artwork!! Has anyone done this sort of volunteering? Is it tedious or quite interesting?

Has anyone any other suggestions, or am I being too picky? Any tips or advice from experienced volunteers would be gratefully received!

I work at a museum and having volunteers for our education sessions (school trips) is a great help, especially if you've got an education background. There's also volunteer opportunities showing handling objects or front of house if you really don't want anymore kids. I'd check out local museums.

You say hospitals make you a bit squeamish. Would you feel the same about a hospice? You could volunteer in their cafe or on reception.

Do you drive? Is there a local charity looking for drivers to take people to hospital appointments etc?

Are there any local specialised charities, such as a hydrotherapy pool or MS therapy centre?

What about animal charities? Like pet rescue or donkey sanctuary?

Any local charities that support the elderly in their own homes, for example going to visit and have a cup of tea with someone that is lonely?

Citizen advice

Park run always need volunteers to do timings and stand at signposts for the route. Very positive vibes and outdoors but no real physical exertion.

Canal and river trust - I know someone who volunteered painting the wood at the locks. She found it very relaxing and nice to be in nature.

i do the following:
parish councillor
village hall trustee- keeping village halls open relevant for the local community is vital imo. It’s a varied role- finance, legal, repairs, project management and community events, updating Facebook page…lots of tasks to get involved with.

Local library
Food bank
Day centre for the elderly/adults with special needs
Community cafe
Beach cleans
Litter picking
Animal/wildlife charities

There’s a wildlife charity near me that is always advertising for volunteer hedgehog carers, I would love that!

Is there a refugee charity local to you? I used to volunteer teaching English to adults which is nicely different to kids, but there’s loads of other jobs you could help with too

I volunteer walking dogs at my local Dogs’ Home. Best thing I’ve done in ages. You get contact with the staff and other volunteers in the Home though you generally walk alone. I love it though. The dogs are so lovely and yet they’ve had such bad experiences.

Children’s/families charities will have roles that don’t involve meeting any children at all - there is so much admin to do behind the scenes, training, social media, fundraising, logistics, raising awareness, signposting, charities regulatory stuff.

i volunteer with a charity that aims to alleviate the impact of poverty on families, and I’m right on the front line. I don’t see many children at all!

We’ve spent the afternoon in our local library with our grandchildren. There were two volunteers there who engaged with the children in encouraging them to try the various activities on offer there - fairly low key stuff. The children loved it and it seemed like a really lovely way to spend a Saturday afternoon from the volunteer point of view

Where I live, we have a local voluntary service that has a listing of all current volunteer vacancies. I ended up volunteering through my local church and now run a food pantry, a toddler group, and a very small community library. I'd really like to do window dressing in charity shops, but I don't have any spare time.

Sports volunteering? I have volunteered at many events such as the commonwealth games, European championships but also smaller events.

I'd love to be a line judge or an umpire or get involved helping out at disability tennis training.

Yes this or a foodbank or similar. Rural poverty is such an issue.

Or driving volunteers are needed for community transport and hospital schemes? That's very practical.

Community Transport!!! Find your local charity that runs community transport and volunteer. So rewarding and very flexible.

Food banks. Weekly ones, or my parents volunteer once a month to collect food from a particular point and take it to the food bank. Need a fairly big car for that one. Also community fridges and community larders. The team who run ours seem to have a lot of fun doing it!

Baby banks - ours recently advertised for people to basically “shop” their warehouse, making up packages for new parents.

Transport - I’m rural too with no public transport, there are a couple of local groups of volunteer drivers who take people to medical appointments etc.

Churches often have a “friends” group who fundraise, if religion is your thing.

Oh, also, I know you said not kids, but scout groups very often need trustees. It’s not a role that needs any contact with kids! It’s primarily running a small charity, but obviously the safeguarding etc background you would bring would be valued.

Some of the care homes near me often advertise for volunteers to help with the garden, some churches do too(if you don’t mind the church aspect).

I see you say you like arty things the care homes near me are often looking for people to help with drawing/painting or different craft things or activities.

Teaching adults to read through Readeasy or similar?

Community first responder. Has a kit and goes out to medical emergencies to either help the ambulance or before an ambulance can get there. On call so can do things at home and wait for the phone to go.

Summer reading challenge at the local library? DS said there was a mix of teenagers and retired people when he did it.

I missed the part about break from children. Do not do the summer reading challenge!

I’m a volunteer with English Heritage: lots of different roles from ticket sales/membership checks, event stewarding, gardening, storytelling in costume and more. EH buildings tend to be more ruined castles or Roman villas than stately homes, so you’re much less likely to be indoors, and while visitors do approach and ask things, if you’re leading a tour, or role playing a historical figure, it tends to be with groups at set times, so quite proactive.

Driving for community transport schemes.
Library volunteer
Run a group/class via the U3A, or WEA.

How about training to work for the Samaritans?

I was a befriender in the RNIB for many years.
There were a range of options from driving people to appointments, group events for range of age groups.
I did visiting with one particular blind woman. We just arranged to meet up for a few hours every other Sunday and I'd take her out shopping and to a cafe and just listen to her tales.

Do you drive? If you're rural is there a patient transport service? My Dad drives for one and really enjoys meeting all his passengers and it's really flexible