• Volunteers Co-ordinator

Volunteers Co-ordinator

Volunteering :To do charitable or helpful work without pay                             

...ok, this might be a hard sell.

The idea of working without pay is enough to send a shiver down your spine, right? After all it’s hard enough to get a job these days without wasting your time working for free, right? WRONG

You see, YOZILA reader, whilst volunteering might not fill your wallet, its rewarding in a million other ways!

Just think of the sense of wellbeing you could get from using your spare time to really make a difference!

You might already be thinking about joining the Police Force or Fire Brigade, so why not volunteer and have a little taster?

Believe it or not volunteering is a great career move to make. Not only does it provide you with valuable experience of the working environment, but you’ll have a whole lot better chance of getting whatever job it is you want if prospective employers read about volunteer work on your CV. Its shows that you’re selfless, caring and committed.

Strathclyde Police now employ Special Constables. These officers are normal people with other jobs, that work at the weekend or whenever it suits them. They really get to know communities and try to make them a better place to live in. Here’s some more info http://www.strathclyde.police.uk/recruitment/Special_Constables/ , although you might need to wait a while to get involved-you must be at least 18!

The work that the police and fire brigade do is extremely important, but they would struggle do their job as well were it not for the amazing contribution made by volunteers. People like Joe Harkins, founder of the Retired Employees Association, which arranges retired fire fighters to help full-time crews. Joe is living proof that the work volunteers do doesn’t go unappreciated-he recently received the prestigious Fire Service Medal from the Queen!

Then again volunteering doesn’t necessarily involve fighting fires or policing the streets, there’s loads of organisations doing fantastic work that are crying out for a helping hand, from the British Red Cross to Save the Children UK, the Royal National Lifeboat Association and Alzheimer Scotland.

If you’d like to get involved with any of these organisations then have a wee look at http://www.volunteerscotland.org.uk/Home/

They say it’s better to give than receive, and that principle applies here. Think where you’d be if it wasn’t for all the people that have helped you in your life-parents, friends, teachers (whoops, sensitive subject!)

Here’s your chance to give a little something back.