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Frequently Asked Questions
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Q. What can I do?
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Q. Do I need qualifications?
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Q. Can I claim benefits while volunteering?
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Q. How much time do I need to volunteer for?
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Q. I'm working full-time. Will I still be able to volunteer?
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Q. How can I find out what there is available for me?
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Q. What happens at the appointment with Volunteer Centre Greenwich?
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Q. Where will I go for my appointment?
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Q. Are the signposting sites accessible?
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Q. When are appointments available?
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Q. Are there any specific times to call to make an appointment?
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Q. What happens if I am not satisfied with the service?
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Q. Are the appointments Confidential?
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Q. Is Volunteer Centre Greenwich impartial?
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Q. Will Volunteer Centre Greenwich ask me for references or check up on me?
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Q. What happens after the interview?
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Q. What can I expect from my chosen organisation?
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Q. What if I'm not suitable or I don't think the opportunity is right for me?
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Q. Will I get training?
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Q. Can I get a qualification?
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Q. Will I get expenses?
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Q. Will I get support?
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Q. Can I leave if I don't like it?
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Q. What should I expect as a volunteer?
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Q. What can I do?
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Almost anything you want to do or can think of! You can volunteer to rescue people from
mountains, to farm organically, build houses, write a magazine, judge criminals as a
magistrate, office administration, be a trustee or fix computers. There are organisations out
there you can join that cater for every interest and minority group imaginable.
Volunteering is about choice. Choose something you like doing, or you want to learn to do
Give some thought to what you might be able to give others and what you might get out of
volunteering yourself
Choose to work with people, an issue, or organisation you care about or are interested in
Decide how much time you can afford to commit each week - don't overload yourself
Still not sure?
Think about what you are good at? Think about what you would like to do with your time. Talk
to friends about it. Talk to someone who volunteers already - what do they do? Do they know
any other volunteers? Does it appeal to you?
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Q. Do I need qualifications?
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Usually you don't. Some very skilled work may demand qualifications, but usually
organisations offer training to enable you to do the work.
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Q. Can I claim benefits while volunteering?
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Yes, you can. The benefits regulations are clear that you can volunteer.
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Q. How much time do I need to volunteer for?
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This is really up to you. You can find volunteering that only takes an hour a month - there's a
trend towards short-term volunteering requiring minimal commitment. Having said that,
obviously the less time you have the harder it can be to find something that's right for you.
You can volunteer at any time of the week, day or night. While much volunteering takes place
in office hours, you can volunteer at evenings and weekends too, again depending on what
you want to do. Typical volunteering out of office hours includes befriending, campaigning, the
Samaritans, environmental and sports.
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Q. I'm working full-time. Will I still be able to volunteer?
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Yes, there are many opportunities to volunteer that do not require you to be available Monday
to Friday during the day. Don't be put off volunteering because you work full-time! Many
organisations would love to find volunteers that are able to volunteer evenings, nights and/or
weekends.
Some examples of out of office hours volunteering include: campaigning, the Samaritans or
other helplines, working with homeless people, befriending, environmental and sports
activities.
It is important however, to check out with any organisation you are interested in volunteering
for, what time commitment they have in mind. You will need to work out how many hours you
will volunteer for and for how long you wish to volunteer.
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Q. How can I find out what there is available for me?
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Contact Volunteer Centre Greenwich either:
By phone - book yourself an appointment and have a look at our information. We can help you
through the deciding process
Register online
Go directly to "Do-it" to search what is available
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Q. What happens at the appointment with Volunteer Centre Greenwich?
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Trained "Face to Face" staff and volunteers will ask you some details about you and your
interests and ambitions and help you make an informed choice.
You will be asked to fill in a short form to help us to search our database of opportunities for
something suitable. You will be offered need help filling in the form if you need this.
The "Face to Face" worker will open the database and help you to choose up to four suitable
opportunities.
If you need further support, Volunteer Centre Greenwich may be able to offer this through our
Supported Volunteering Project.
We give you the information that you then follow-up for yourself or, if you prefer, we can call
the organisation there and then at the appointment.
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Q. Where will I go for my appointment?
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Volunteer Centre Greenwich has a network of appointment sites across the borough so you can book your appointment
at a signposting site near to you to save on travelling.
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Q. Are the signposting sites accessible?
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Most sites are fully accessible for wheelchair users and people with mobility difficulties. If you have a physical
or sensory impairment you should mention this when you book you appointment.
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Q. When are appointments available?
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All signposting sites have specific days when appointments are available. These will be explained to you when
you book your appointment. Volunteer Centre Greenwich also operates evening appointments once a month for
people who cannot make a daytime appointment. Flexible appointments can also be considered.
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Q. Are there any specific times to call to make an appointment?
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Volunteer Centre Greenwich telephone enquiry line operates from 9.30am to 5pm Monday to Friday. A message
can be left at other times and Volunteer Centre Greenwich will return your call.
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Q. What happens if I am not satisfied with the service?
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At the end of the appointment you will be asked to fill in a further simple form to tell us if you
were satisfied with our service and also given a card which you can take away to fill in any
comments or complaints you may have. This can be sent to us at a freepost address. Any
complaints about our service are dealt with seriously by our Management Committee.
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Q. Are the appointments Confidential?
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A. Our appointments are confidential and informal and a chance for you to get a better idea
about what voluntary work is available locally.
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Q. Is Volunteer Centre Greenwich impartial?
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Volunteer Centre Greenwich is purely an information and support service. We hold details on
our database of a range of local volunteering opportunities and are completely impartial. The
choice is yours, you should not feel obliged or intimidated to undertake something you are
unsure of.
Volunteer Centre Greenwich may suggest options for you or highlight a particular opportunity
that urgently needs volunteers.
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Q. Will Volunteer Centre Greenwich ask me for references or check up on me?
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Volunteer Centre Greenwich do not select, interview or check up on you. However, when you
decide what voluntary opportunities you are interested in you may be screened or checked out
by the organisation you wish to volunteer for. This should depend on the role you will be
playing with them. In some cases a "Criminal Records Bureau Disclosure Check" will be
undertaken on you if you are to be working closely with children or vulnerable adults.
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Q. What happens after the interview?
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It's best to ring the organisation we have signposted you to before you visit them to ensure
they are still looking for volunteers and often they will send you some information about what
they do so you can take your time in deciding if the opportunity suits you.
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Q. What can I expect from my chosen organisation?
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Application Forms - Most organisations will ask you to complete one of these for your contact
details; what you want to do, how long for etc.
Depending on what you want to, you may be asked to Provide references - simply give the
names of people that know you. Occasionally a professional reference may be requested.
To disclose any police record. This should only be necessary if you will be working closely
with children or vulnerable people & even then only under certain circumstances. Having a
police record will not necessarily stop you from working with children, or other groups. It is
always advisable to be honest about any criminal convictions or cautions that you may have
when you have your interview.
Show your driving licence (if you want to be a driver).
Interviews - Most organisations will want to have an informal chat - this is for them to find out
about you and you to find out about them and for you to ask any questions you need
answering.
Some organisations will ask you to attend a more detailed interview - so they can place you
where your skills, experience or knowledge can be put to best use.
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Q. What if I'm not suitable or I don't think the opportunity is right for me?
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If it turns out there is nothing suitable for you, don't worry. Check back with Volunteer Centre
Greenwich, or the organisation may know about other opportunities in the area.
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Q. Will I get training?
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Volunteers need to be trained for some roles, to make sure that the services are kept to a high
standard. You may be asked to attend a training or induction course - it could be for one
afternoon, or a series of evenings or other combinations.
Don't be put off by the word "training" - it is usually fun, you'll meet other volunteers and
hopefully learn a lot about how the organisation works.
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Q. Can I get a qualification?
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It's becoming more common for organisations to offer volunteers qualifications such as an
NVQ, but it is still unusual. You may well learn a lot and gain valuable experience, skills and a
reference though. If you do need a formal qualification, ask at interview, or contact Volunteer
Centre Greenwich as they may know if any other local organisations offer qualifications.
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Q. Will I get expenses?
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Most organisations will reimburse your "out of pocket" expenses. These are the basic
expenses that you may have to be able to undertake your voluntary work. These could be
travel expenses, lunch, childcare or carers expenses. It is best to ask about these as some
organisations have limited budgets and may only be able to reimburse the minimum.
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Q. Will I get support?
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Most organisations will provide you with a "line manager" or a named person to support you.
They should offer you regular support and supervision to help you with your role and an
opportunity for you to tell them if there are any problems or issues you have relating to your
voluntary work with them.
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Q. Can I leave if I don't like it?
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Yes, of course. You are under no real obligation to keep volunteering for an organisation that
you unhappy in.
Having said that however it is always worth talking to somebody about this first. This could be
your volunteer co-ordinator (if there is one), your supervisor or someone in the organisation
who is responsible for you or someone who you have got on with well. You can then discuss
with them why you feel unhappy and what you feel would improve your time as a volunteer in
the organisation.
It is also something you may want to talk about with other volunteers in the organisation. You
could either do this informally, or if your organisation has a Volunteers Council or a regular
meeting that all volunteers attend, you could bring up your problem there.
If you feel that something is seriously wrong or someone is treating you badly it is also worth
checking whether your organisation has a complaints procedure.
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Q. What should I expect as a volunteer?
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You should expect (as a basic minimum)
- A clear outline of your tasks
- A contact person if you have any problems
- Contact with other staff and volunteers
- Out-of-pocket expenses
- Adequate insurance cover for the work you are doing
- A reference
- Recognition and thanks.
Finally - it's probably worth remembering ...
Volunteering should be good fun and a challenge. Hopefully you'll get a lot out of it -
Build on existing skills & develop new ones - Meet new people - And have a good time.
Any Further Questions?
Contact Volunteer Centre Greenwich on 020 8853 1331
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