Volunteering in Oxfordshire
Volunteers make this county tick – carers for people, for the environment, for buildings, for the arts, you name it. (There’s even a volunteer online newspaper.) For Volunteers’ Week, which this year runs from 1–7 June, we spoke to Jenny Bowley, Deputy CEO of Oxfordshire Community and Voluntary Action (OCVA) to find out more.
This week, 1- 7 June, marks Volunteers Week, and it is a big deal for charities and other non-profits across Oxfordshire.
The event has been running since 1984 – over 40 years old! It marks the week in the year where we can collectively thank the many volunteers who support good causes across the county, and beyond. It celebrates the spirit of volunteering, that people do great things every day because they can. We can say thank you every single day, but this week is a great opportunity to make a fuss.
Groups, where they can, will be providing thank you cards, afternoon teas, events and even recruitment events this week, in the hope of sharing their appreciation. At OCVA, we hold our annual volunteer awards in June each year, an annual highlight and an opportunity to say ‘thank you’.
Volunteers are the backbone of any civilised society, helping the sick, the vulnerable, our environment and communities – seeing a good cause and jumping in feet first to help. Studies have shown volunteering is good for you, supporting your physical and mental health, providing skills, experience and even helping with career goals. Headlines talk about a drop in volunteers, which has been true since the pandemic, but many people still want to volunteer. And volunteers are very much needed by groups across Oxfordshire.
The world of technology that has developed in the last 5, 10, 20 years, has revolutionised the way people find volunteering opportunities. While 30 years ago a team of people would have sat in an office welcoming prospective volunteers through the doors, now most people find out about volunteering online. The use of websites, social media, AI and emails has changed the way people want to engage with volunteering opportunities. While we will always campaign for those who are not technology-minded, we can’t ignore a world where technology dominates so much of our lives. The use of AI to suggest volunteering is now commonplace, along with search engines and websites. (Indeed, there are so many ways to find volunteering roles it can sometimes be confusing for prospective volunteers who just want to chat it through with someone.)
At OCVA we are always happy to chat to people about volunteering. This normally happens at our volunteer fairs and events, as well as by phone. We occasionally meet people in our office, but this is usually when someone has a need for extra support. We are a charity ourselves, our purpose being to support the non-profit sector in Oxfordshire which relies on volunteers and trustees.
Our main focus for advertising volunteering roles is through our website Oxon Volunteers. The website has gone from strength to strength, and we see around 3-4,000 visits each month with people coming directly to the site or via search engines or other local signposting websites.
If you are looking to volunteer, please do check out the over 350 opportunities we currently have listed. There are a variety to choose from, and we are happy to help. Or if you want to talk more about volunteering, get in touch.
