See our case studies showcasing the great volunteering opportunities available in Oxford.
Nina Crisp, Volunteer with Oxford Pride
When I came to university, I knew I'd want to get involved in the LGBTQ+ community, and volunteering with Oxford Pride is a great way to do so!
Oxford Pride, each year, puts on a great festival, held in late May/early June, and also work with other organisations, such as youth groups, to help people find resources, advice, and community.
Of course, there's Pride Day, where I help with the Parade - organising people as they arrive, marshalling it, making sure the group is safe from traffic along the route - and with the festival, collecting donations, and tidying up.
I also help out at smaller fundraising events, selling raffle tickets and raising awareness. It means I get to meet a more diverse range of people than just within the university LGBTQ+ society, and the community gets to enjoy a wide range of events - talks, performances, stalls - throughout the year (though primarily in May-June).
Some of you reading this might enjoy the fact you get to wear rainbows and glitter whilst working. If that's not your style, don't let that put you off! If you volunteer with Oxford Pride, you can really be a part of whatever event you're helping on - the volunteer group isn't huge, so there's always something to do - and you get to meet some great people.
It's really interesting seeing the festivities from the other side of the organiser/consumer curtain, and knowing you've contributed to something hundreds of people can enjoy is a brilliant feeling.
Discover more about Oxford Pride.
If you'd like to become a volunteer then register with Oxfordshire Volunteers.
Martina, Volunteer with Asylum Welcome
Hi my name is Martina!
I volunteer on the Asylum Welcome reception desk, where I answer clients' queries, explain our services and make appointments for them, as well as at our Food Bank, giving clients in need parcels of fresh and packaged food.
I volunteer because it helps me put things into perspective and reminds me how lucky I am. I feel good knowing that I am doing something to create the world I would like to live in.
It helps to eradicate poverty and marginalisation through building links with the local community. Therefore it empowers our clients and avoids negative perceptions on the part of the local population.
Volunteering means to focus on something bigger than yourself.
You will have the opportunity to really make the difference while learning to step out of your comfort zone.
Asylum Welcome makes a difference through a range of high quality, practical advice and information services, to meet the needs and priorities of asylum seekers, refugees and detainees.
Discover more about Asylum Welcome.
If you'd like to become a volunteer then register with Oxfordshire Volunteers.
Aaron Lee, Volunteer at the Museum of Oxford
I’m Aaron I volunteer with the Museum of Oxford.
My main responsibilities has been stewarding the galleries but also acting as front of house for the many visitors we receive each year. This involves answering queries about the museum, the city and its history as well as engaging those new to the city or its history in exploring our objects through their own curiosities.
I began volunteering at the Museum of Oxford with enhancing my CV in mind and it has certainly go on to achieve that with further volunteering roles.
After three years of volunteering now it has become apparent that volunteering at the museum is much more than a line on a resume!
I am able to engage and educate others about the history and the city I love. I am continually challenged progressively in my understanding of the role by visitors who have their own stories to tell. I am offered training and event planning opportunities which will form beneficial transferable skills to future employment.
Most of all, my greatest gain from volunteering is the familial and friendly environment I am greeted with by friends made from visitors, fellow volunteers and staff.
As a young volunteer myself I feel as if my role benefits the community by preserving its heritage and keeping the stories attached to our objects alive as those who owned them would have wanted.
The museum goes a long way to integrate all ages in interacting with their history and providing those who do with an excellent network linking the entire community together no matter your faith, where you come from or your knowledge of history. The volunteering which supports these activities tells you incredibly well where they fit in as a beneficial service to the community.
I would recommend being a volunteer because it is so much more than the title suggests. You become a part of a larger organisation which in itself pushes you to bigger and better things no matter who you are. It is for everyone and anyone and the rewards are endless. You will never find anywhere else a more caring or constructively challenging group of community dedicated people anywhere else but in volunteering.
Discover more about the Museum of Oxford.
If you'd like to become a volunteer then register with Oxfordshire Volunteers.
Riki Therivel, Volunteer with Connection Support
I’m Riki Therivel and I have been volunteering for Connection Support for about five years. Connection Support helps people who are homeless to get into housing, and people who are vulnerably housed to stay in housing.
Over the years I have gone out with staff or another volunteer to find people who have been sleeping rough, to get them signed into the homeless services; have taught people about how to be good tenants and how to cook; have helped clients to look for housing on the computer; and have been a second person (for risk purposes) when staff have been carrying out initial assessments with clients.
People who are vulnerably housed often have deep-seated issues like mental health problems or a prison record. At the moment I am helping a member of staff who specialises in particularly difficult cases, supporting her clients with things that are holding back people’s ability to access housing, like finding literacy courses and finding housing for hard-to-house people like repeat offenders.
I enjoy volunteering because it allows me to meet a wide range of people.
They are all so interesting, and are coping with such big problems, and I feel like I’m really helping them to move on in their lives. The staff members whom I volunteer with are lovely. I have also learned a lot about housing and benefits.
I think that the social services nationally are so stretched, with staff being asked to do more and more.
Volunteers can add value, like cooking classes, which staff do not have time to do. Volunteers also help people to feel like someone cares for them.
Discover more about Connection Support.
If you'd like to become a volunteer then register with Oxfordshire Volunteers.
Andy Hougham, Barton Community Association Trustee
I attend monthly sessions to discuss various topics which will affect those of us who live on Barton, for example issues that affect the neighbourhood centre, the services available from the centre, aspects of council/BCA integration amongst others. I try to imagine and then argue for, what I think my neighbours would benefit from and give a voice to them to make Barton an even better place to live.
I became involved as a result of getting to know other trustees and the secretary whilst being involved with the job club (a separate voluntary service running at the centre). I could see their ambition and vision for the estate and I felt compelled to offer my help where I could.
The wider the variety and diversity of skills and experiences on the BCA, the more likely it is to represent the people who live on Barton.
Whilst it is positive for my community, it is also positive for me personally if the organisations and structures which are operating in this area are doing so in the interest of those who live there.
I've made good friends with other members and also with lots of my close community whom I would otherwise have had no cause to meet.
Organisations such as councils, the police or other large agencies who have huge influence on a community, can sometime misjudge or not see the viewpoint or a need of the area they are serving. One aim of the BCA trustee is to 'join the dots'; not tell other people what to do or make demands, but put forward their views or those they've heard the community express. It hopefully helps keep the community of residents walking in step with the community of organisations who have an impact on each of our lives.
I'd recommend being a trustee to all ages.
It is hard for people to represent their community when they have little or no contact or lifestyle which mirrors that community. The BCA like all community associations is there for all the community, all ages, education, beliefs, ethnicities etc. Ideally there would be a dozen more trustees to ensure all voices are heard. If you have a view about how the area could change or if a service should be available; being on a community association is an ideal way to meet councillors, council representatives, community leaders - these are the people who might make your view a reality.
It’s not a terribly hard burden; you're not agreeing to chain yourself to a stuffy boardroom by being a trustee. Lots of it is good fun as you're able to create imaginative community events which are often backed by the council and other donors. If the BCA wasn't there, the community simply wouldn't have these events or the many dance, health, craft, bingo, cooking, leaning, children's clubs and many more activities which take place on Barton.
Some of it is more serious, sometimes there are rally cries to right a wrong being imposed on the community, or change a situation on the estate which is causing fear or distress to residents. I'm glad the BCA is there, the BCA is made of the Barton community.
Discover more about Barton Community Association.
If you'd like to become a volunteer then register with Oxfordshire Volunteers.
John Elo, Oxford Kurdish and Syrian Association Spokesman
I love to help people, that is why I volunteer. In return, I’ve met and worked with great and talented people.
A lot of our community members who recently arrived the UK, does not speak English. So we do our best to help them find accommodation, learn English, and connect them to the right organization for further support.
Being is a trustee is a responsibility and allows you to develop leadership skills.
I recommend everyone to be active and positive in their society, we need help and we can help others.
Discover more about the Oxford Kurdish and Syrian Association.
If you'd like to become a volunteer then register with Oxfordshire Volunteers.
