City : Volunteering Mall : Volunteering Opportunities
Involve: This organisation provides excellent opportunities for volunteering in all sectors around Bracknell Forest. In addition to signposting opportunities it also provides support, resources and training to volunteers.
vInspired: A national charity which signposts opportunities for youth volunteering around the country, including inBracknell Forest. They also offer awards for volunteers who have given a certain number of hours.
Berkshire Youth: A local provider. Currently in the process of re-developing its volunteering offer.
Bracknell Forest Council in collaboration with Nacro: There are some volunteer opportunities made available through Nacro. It is the Nacro in collaboration with the Council who co-ordinate Work Pairing which is where young people (who are currently not engaged in education, employment or training) can sign up to a course that allows them to gain 3 months of relevant work experience, employability skills and an allowance of £40 per week. If it sounds of interest then check out this video. For more general information on work experience have a look at the council’s website or this Flyer for further details.
Additionally the Community Learning Team of the Council offers a range of volunteering opportunities that can be as a regular arrangement or as a one-off project.
Future Foundations: An independent organisation which aims to help young people gain skills by taking part in volunteer programmes. In particular the National Citizen Service is a service provided to youth organisations and schools.
Do-it.org: A website with a searchable database that lists a number of opportunities for volunteering across the country.
Volunteering Matters (formerly CSV): Volunteering Matters is an organisation which aims to promote volunteering in the care sector. It also provides volunteer opportunities for individuals who are disabled.
iVolunteer: is a service connecting people and organisations who want to get involved in volunteer projects or who want to find people to help on projects they are setting up
Forest Timebank: The Forest Timebank is a community-based “favour exchange” scheme where members get something back for being helpful to eachother. It complements services provided by professionals and institutions by providing opportunities for meaningful, purposeful and productive social interaction.Bracknell LETS: LETS is a barter system that enables people to exchange goods and services with minimal use of money. It's a self-help community initiative that encourages the sharing of skills and resources.
You can also set-up your own volunteering opportunity, see the fourth floor for more details on starting your own project.
You can still volunteer in most roles if you have a criminal record, depending on your offences. You might need a Disclosure and Barring Service check (formally a CRB check) especially if you want to volunteer with children or vulnerable adults. All the organisations above will have exact information on this, so get in touch with them if you have any questions.
