7 December 2007
For immediate release
If you want to make a difference this Christmas, helping out in a hostel for the homeless, or making a commitment to year-round volunteering are your best options according to a new survey by Volunteering England. Manning a helpline, organising a fundraising event and selling Christmas cards for good causes were considered less of a priority by respondents to the online poll.
The favoured options gained 39% and 37% of the votes respectively, demonstrating the need to balance a seasonal demand for volunteers with the sector’s need for a steady supply of committed people all year round.
Justin Davis Smith, Acting Chief Executive of Volunteering England, said:
“Christmas is a time when many people think of helping others, and volunteering with the homeless can be a wonderful way of helping out at a time of increased need. Another great Christmas gift to your community would be to look into volunteering all year round, as many projects need support on an ongoing basis. Have a look at our Christmas volunteering tips if you’d like to get stuck in straightaway, or visit your local Volunteer Centre for suggestions on volunteering opportunities to take up in the New Year.”
Jane Eggleton, Crisis Communications Manager, said:
“Volunteers are the lifeblood of Crisis Open Christmas and without them the event would not be the success that it is. Over 5,000 general volunteers are needed to run the centres and thousands more specialist volunteers are also needed in areas as diverse as welfare and benefits advice, hairdressing, dentistry, catering and drugs and alcohol prevention. It's a hugely rewarding experience which is why many of our volunteers come back year on year."
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Case studyKaren Scarborough, volunteer services organiser at Crisis Open Christmas
This is my sixth year volunteering at Crisis Open Christmas – I started as a general volunteer and I now organise the eight hairdressing centres. It’s easy to take for granted how good it feels to have your hair washed and styled, and it’s great to be able to offer that to our guests who are homeless or on limited income.
I’d done some volunteering for a homeless charity when I was at school, but I didn’t really get back into it until years later when I did my first Crisis at Christmas. It just felt really good to help other people and you hear some amazing stories. There’s a lot of camaraderie with the other volunteers as well and there’s a real feeling of “there but for the grace of God….”
Volunteering at Christmas inspired me to give something back during the year as well so I volunteered on reception at the Crisis Skylight Centre one day a week. I got to know the members and other volunteers really well – and made two really good friends out of it, one of whom now works with me!
I really believe in the work Crisis does, and I’d recommend anyone thinking of volunteering to think of what you really feel strongly about, then just do it. Charities need volunteers all year round so just be yourself and give it a go.
Notes to editors
- For more information or interviews please contact Cat Dean on 020 7520 8932 or email cat.dean@volunteeringengland.org. For out of hours enquiries contact Sonya Roberts on 07952 128 057
- 540 people responded to an online poll asking “which type of Christmas volunteering activity would be best for the sector”? 39% said: “helping the homeless at a hostel or community centre”; 37% said: “none – would prefer year-round commitment”; 13% said: “manning a helpline”; 6% said: “organising a fundraising event or local collection”; and 5% said: “selling Christmas cards for good causes”.
- For Christmas volunteering tips and suggestions, visit www.volunteering.org.uk/christmas. Other Christmas case studies are available: please contact Cat for details.
- Volunteering England aims to improve the quality, quantity, impact and accessibility of volunteering throughout England. For more information please visit www.volunteering.org.uk
- Crisis is the national charity for single homeless people. The Charity campaigns and delivers innovative services year-round to help people find a route out of their homelessness and rebuild their lives. Crisis Open Christmas is held at eight venues across London from 23-30 December providing vital companionship and hot meals for many homeless and vulnerably housed people as well as essential access to services like housing and benefits advice, health checks and training and further education opportunities.
- The Volunteering England Convention Transforming Passion into Power: Volunteering at the heart of social change is being held on 23-25 April 2008. Make sure the dates are in your diary. For regular updates, www.volunteering.org.uk/convention
