13:00, 18 March 2021
Words by Smiley Team, Staff Writer, London
While the UK remains in lockdown, volunteering is one of the few ways in which you are legally allowed to go outside and mix with other people. Although it might sound like hard work, helping others will boost your own mood as well as that of the people you support. So check out our top choices of volunteering opportunities for you to join in with in your spare time.
Uniting 18 food charities across the country, FareShare tackles hunger and malnutrition by distributing balanced and nutritious meals. From driving food supplies to sorting it and doing admin work, there are plenty of opportunities for you to help.
Homeless people’s charity Crisis seeks volunteers for its shops across various locations in London. You can commit to a minimum of just one shift a week of three or six hours, any day of the week.
MacMillan Cancer Support offers a wide range of opportunities from cheering on marathon runners to doing office work. Their website features a map to help you find the roles nearest to you.
St John Ambulance is offering training to anyone interested in supporting the rollout of the Covid-19 vaccine to help put an end to the pandemic once and for all. In addition to this, they’re always looking for volunteers to fill a wide range of roles from student positions to ambulance service volunteers.
As one of the first ports of call for people struggling emotionally, volunteers for the Samaritans do impressive work listening to people and offering emotional support. Now more than ever, this kind of assistance is vital for ensuring the population’s mental health doesn’t deteriorate too badly during the pandemic.
