Thinking about making a New Year’s resolution? How about volunteering?

Paul Donohoe from CSV, the UK’s largest volunteering charity, explains why making volunteering your New Year’s resolution would be as beneficial for you as for the people you would be helping

New Year is the perfect time to make improvements to your life that can benefit both yourself and others. Unfortunately, most resolutions quickly fizzle out, with thrice weekly visits to the gym soon losing ground to the latest soap storyline.

An achievable resolution which can also give your life a timely kick-start is volunteering. Though it might seem a major commitment, ‘dip-in dip-out’ volunteering increasingly allows people the chance to make a difference without overstretching themselves.

CSV, the UK’s largest volunteering charity, gives people the chance to try volunteering through taster days.  Projects range from anti-racist initiatives and tackling homophobia to re-decorating community centres or improving local wildlife areas.

Research shows that new volunteers increase their involvement throughout the year, with 63 per cent of first-time volunteers with CSV still volunteering six months on. The reason for the popularity of volunteering is that it can benefit you as much as the person you are helping. For a start, volunteering is a social activity and friendships flourish with other volunteers and the person being helped, and this is a core reason why people continue.

Independent research commissioned by CSV and Barclays shows that volunteering has many benefits. Nearly half of all volunteers say volunteering improves their physical health, 56 per cent believe volunteering makes them feel less stressed and 44 per cent of volunteers feel less depressed.

CSV believes volunteers have the determination and skills to deal with real issues and should work alongside projects in social services and care settings. CSV volunteers are currently helping families of children on the ‘at risk’ register, young people in care and supporting disabled people to lead independent lives.

In fact volunteering is a great route into social care. A growing number of CSV gap-year volunteers choose to volunteer for four to 12 months in the UK to find out first-hand whether the sector is for them.

So whether you decide to volunteer for an hour, a day or even a year, make your next New Year’s resolution one worth keeping.

To find out more about volunteering with CSV visit www.csv.org.uk or call 0800 374 991. To find volunteering opportunities in your area visit www.do-it.org.uk. To find out more about volunteers working with care projects contact CSV on 01223 728460.

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New Year is the perfect time to make improvements to your life that can benefit both yourself and others. Unfortunately, most resolutions quickly fizzle out, with thrice weekly visits to the gym soon losing ground to the latest soap storyline.

An achievable resolution which can also give your life a timely kick-start is volunteering. Though it might seem a major commitment, ‘dip-in dip-out’ volunteering increasingly allows people the chance to make a difference without overstretching themselves.

CSV, the UK’s largest volunteering charity, gives people the chance to try volunteering through taster days.  Projects range from anti-racist initiatives and tackling homophobia to re-decorating community centres or improving local wildlife areas.

Research shows that new volunteers increase their involvement throughout the year, with 63 per cent of first-time volunteers with CSV still volunteering six months on. The reason for the popularity of volunteering is that it can benefit you as much as the person you are helping. For a start, volunteering is a social activity and friendships flourish with other volunteers and the person being helped, and this is a core reason why people continue.

Independent research commissioned by CSV and Barclays shows that volunteering has many benefits. Nearly half of all volunteers say volunteering improves their physical health, 56 per cent believe volunteering makes them feel less stressed and 44 per cent of volunteers feel less depressed.

CSV believes volunteers have the determination and skills to deal with real issues and should work alongside projects in social services and care settings. CSV volunteers are currently helping families of children on the ‘at risk’ register, young people in care and supporting disabled people to lead independent lives.

In fact volunteering is a great route into social care. A growing number of CSV gap-year volunteers choose to volunteer for four to 12 months in the UK to find out first-hand whether the sector is for them.

So whether you decide to volunteer for an hour, a day or even a year, make your next New Year’s resolution one worth keeping.

To find out more about volunteering with CSV visit www.csv.org.uk or call 0800 374 991. To find volunteering opportunities in your area visit www.do-it.org.uk. To find out more about volunteers working with care projects contact CSV on 01223 728460.