The UN’s International Volunteer Day falls on 5 December this year. As the UK faces a cost of living crisis, this year’s theme of solidarity through volunteering is especially poignant.
The use of food banks has been in rising in the UK for a decade. During 2021/22, hunger charity the Trussell Trust provided 2.2 million three-day emergency food parcels to food banks nationwide. While this marked a 14% increase compared to pre-pandemic levels, figures for 2022 are expected to show a further rise.
The charity issued 1.3 million parcels from April to September 2022 alone.
As this year’s International Volunteer Day approaches, you might be tempted to offer your services to those who need help in your area.
There are plenty of ways you might do so. You might help out at a local food bank or sign up as a volunteer with a charity like Age UK. The pandemic also spawned creative new ways to help those in need, including through a surge in online volunteering.
Here are three simple ways you might help those in need this winter.
1. Volunteer at a local charity shop or food bank
The government website’s volunteering page lists some of the benefits of volunteering:
- Meeting new people and having new experiences
- Gaining new skills and finding new uses for old ones
- Making a difference in your community.
The page is also a great resource for finding volunteering opportunities near you.
You might opt to get out into the community by committing to voluntary work at a local charity. While you might enjoy the face-to-face interaction of being on the frontline, this isn’t the only type of work available.
If you have skills – built up through your long career – that could be of use to a charity, why not offer these skills and services for free? Maybe you could help with a marketing campaign, upgrade their computer systems, or help with their accounts.
2. Befriend an older person and help them to regain their confidence
Age UK currently has more than 25,000 volunteers offering support at around 130 locations. These volunteers help you brighten the day for older people, by:
- Befriending them and helping them to regain confidence after a bereavement
- Driving them to regular local activities that they enjoy and look forward to
- Support them on a journey home from the hospital or to and from a regular appointment.
Sadly, despite the amazing work of Age UK and other charities like it, an estimated 2.5 million older people currently have no one to turn to for advice or help in an emergency. This can leave older people feeling isolated and vulnerable.
You might be able to use your skills to organise events in your local village hall or community centre or deliver Christmas hampers around the area.
An Age UK enquiry form can be found here.
3. Consider using your skills to volunteer online
Pandemic lockdowns proved difficult for charities, as a decrease in donations and closed shops arrived alongside an increase in demand.
For many, the solution was to turn online.
If you have tech skills – like coding or web development – you might volunteer to improve a struggling charity’s website.
A beautiful, intuitive, and functional website with clear user pathways and excellent copy could make all the difference to a non-profit organisation’s online appeal.
Maybe you’re a social media expert and could improve a charity’s presence online that way.
You might have years of experience in customer service. Consider putting this to use by volunteering for a charity’s phone or online messaging service. This could prove particularly rewarding.
Get in touch
The cost of living crisis will affect millions of Brits this winter. With inflation at a 41-year high, £55 billion of tax rises and spending cuts incoming, and a rise to the energy price cap in the new year, charities across the sector are likely to see an increased demand for their services over the coming months.
If you are worried about the effects of rising living costs on your household budget or long-term plans, get in touch. Equally, if you have spare cash but would like help factoring charitable giving into your current or estate plans, we can help.
Please email hello@globeifa.co.uk or call us on 020 8891 0711 to discuss how Globe IFA’s expert financial advisors can help you.
