Volunteering Can Change Lives

Working as a volunteer can help you to gain life experience and make friends. You can make good use of your gap year, or you can do something to make the world a better place. There’s always something for everyone. Doing voluntary work is very popular with British people. Over 20 million people worked as volunteers in 2013. ‘Volunteering’ means using your time to help people. It can be in the UK or overseas. Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO) finds volunteers in the UK to work in developing countries. Volunteering can take many forms; you can work with children with learning difficulties, you can help at an animal hospital, or you can plant trees. 70,000 volunteered at the 2012 London Olympics to make the games a success.

Volunteers can be anyone of any age. But why do people volunteer? Some do it because they want to do the right thing. Others do it because they have free time. Some volunteers talk about self-awareness. As Pawel, 28, who works in communications in Manchester, says, 'You're no longer doing it for yourself, but for someone else'. Many enjoy meeting new people. Some volunteers hope to meet new friends or even a life partner through volunteering. Many of them say that their social lives have improved since they began volunteering. Most volunteers have better health and fitness, especially those working with children or doing conservation projects. Some say they feel less stressed. So, it seems volunteering may improve your life – you may even find the person of your dreams.