The joy of volunteering: fun, flexible and fulfilling

If you’re on the fence about volunteering, aren’t sure where to start (or how to fit it in), discover the joy of volunteering with charities that are members of Brighton Chamber – from preserving local history to creating connections with other humans. By Hannah Jackson, Membership and Marketing Manager at Brighton Chamber.

People offer their time to volunteer with charities for lots of different reasons – it could be a cause close to your heart, or you want to give something back to your community. We have some fantastic charities in the Chamber all doing brilliant things across our city. I recently started volunteering with one of those charities – Together Co – who work to tackle loneliness and isolation.

Before I became a volunteer, I spent a lot of time figuring out what I wanted to do. For me, I wanted to connect with other people, have an impact, and have fun doing it. It also had to be something that fit around my full-time job. And I was pleasantly surprised at the amount of flexible volunteering opportunities that are out there.

So, if you’re considering volunteering, here are a few charities in the Chamber with volunteering opportunities to get involved in. They might be an hour or two a week, evening, weekend, or one-off things you can do – mine fits into my lunch break.

Take Shelter at Downs Junior School – one for the local history buffs

Take Shelter is a volunteer led charity offering guided tours of the original WW2 Air Raid Shelters at Downs Junior School. The project is all about exploring what life was like for families in Brighton during WW2.

Volunteer as a tour guide, leading groups of up to 10 visitors around the shelter on a 45-minute tour. You don’t need to have specific historical knowledge (you’ll get full training), but it’s suited to people interested in local history, and comfortable leading a tour group. Their tour guides conduct around 400 tours each year. Some do it every week, some do it once a year, so it can be flexible around you.

Creating change with the Survivors Network

For over 30 years, Survivors Network has been supporting survivors of sexual violence. As the Rape Crisis Centre for Sussex, their vital services rely on the time and energy generously donated by their volunteers.

Have a positive impact on the lives of survivors by volunteering for their group work and helpline/email support services. You need to commit to a bit of training, but you’ll be well supported by their team, and their volunteering opportunities are flexible with daytime or evening commitments once you’re trained up.

Befriending with Together Co

Together Co is Brighton & Hove’s loneliness charity, creating connections through befriending, social prescribing and volunteering opportunities. I started their befriending scheme a couple of months ago (you can do this in-person, or over the phone). They match people to create friendships that help volunteers connect with those who are experiencing loneliness, isolation, and might have a physical or sensory disability. You could do this as a home visit, in social group, at events or sessions that last from 30 minutes to an hour.

For me, it’s one hour, every other week – and their matchmaking is incredible. They match you up with someone who has shared interests, and that hour goes very quickly! They have lots of other opportunities to volunteer too, at their monthly socials or one-offs like helping at events.

Community gardening for Brighton & Hove Food Partnership

One for the green-fingered…the Brighton & Hove Food Partnership was started by a group of Brightonians in 2003. They deliver food projects helping people learn to cook, grow their own food, eat healthier, and waste less.

They’re looking for volunteers to help with their community gardens at Saunders Park Edible Garden, the Preston Park Demo Garden and Stanmer Wellbeing Gardens. All sessions take place fortnightly on a Wednesday for an hour or two in the morning. There’s a range of gardening tasks on offer to suit all abilities as well as the chance to meet some nice people and learn about growing fruit and veg.

Whoopsadaisy: helping children with physical disabilities to live full and independent lives

Whoopsadaisy have been providing conductive education to children with physical disabilities for over a decade. Based in Preston Park, they support children with disabilities and their families to live full and independent lives.

Whether you’d like to offer your time on a regular basis for about two hours a week, assisting a conductor with sessions with the children, or want to help at one-off things like coffee mornings, or their annual Christmas party – there’s a good range of volunteering to choose from.

Day centre volunteering at The Clock Tower Sanctuary

If you do have a little more time to volunteer, The Clock Tower sanctuary is looking for volunteers to support in their day centre.

The Clock Tower Sanctuary provides safe space and practical support for young people experiencing homelessness in Brighton. Volunteers at their day centre work directly with the young people who use their services. You’ll spend time getting to know them, offering support, putting away food donations and making up care packages.

Hopefully this has sparked some inspiration if you’re on the fence about volunteering, or weren’t sure where to start.

My best advice? Just go for it. It’ll be one of the most rewarding things you decide to do.

Brighton Chamber is a dynamic, inclusive and welcoming membership organisation for businesses of all sizes. For links to these volunteering opportunities, and to find out more about Brighton Chamber, head over to brightonchamber.co.uk/blog.

Photo by Sarah Bennett.