London,
14
February
2013
|
23:00
Europe/London

Get involved – Council launches one-stop-shop for volunteers

The 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games may be a distant memory but the legacy of volunteering lives on, with more people than ever looking for ways to get involved and give something back to their local community.

Hackney residents can now take advantage of an online one-stop-shop information service giving a wealth of information on volunteering opportunities around the borough, as well as getting involved in initiatives in your local area.

The ‘Get involved, get community active’ resource is part of Hackney Council’s commitment to helping residents to get more active in their community. Cabinet Member for Health, Social Care and Culture, Cllr Jonathan McShane said: “Volunteering is not only a great way to give something back to the area you live in but is also invaluable in helping people to build new skills and to meet new people. I would encourage anyone who has been thinking about volunteering but was unsure where to start to visit the website.”

The project is supported by Volunteer Centre Hackney who help to match prospective volunteers with local organisations. One volunteer who took up a placement at Age UK said: “What surprised me was how flexible Age UK are with the time you offer up. It works around you and I didn’t have to commit to a set time or hours every week. I decided to volunteer with Age UK as I wanted to use my spare time to do something different. But it has also helped me. My family are overseas and I rarely get to see my Grandmother.” 

There are over 400 different volunteering opportunities including working with children and young people, befriending, DIY and gardening and mentoring.

Visitors to the website can also find out about how to get more involved in local issues through Ward Forums, becoming a school governor or joining a Tenants and Residents Association.

To find out more, visit www.hackney.gov.uk/get-involved-with-community