We'll match volunteers with projects

VOLUNTARY Action North Lincolnshire is currently acting as broker between businesses that want their staff to spend some time volunteering and voluntary organisations that need help with a project.

Operating a bit like those TV programmes where a team descends for a day to complete a project, this could be a life-saver for some local groups.

One example is at a village hall which needs a facelift.

A team of volunteers is being put together that will wield paintbrushes and do a general makeover.

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Another example is a group with a garden that needs a team to carry out an urgent tidy-up. Any group which needs a few extra volunteers to help with, for instance, staffing reception, helping to redecorate a room or getting involved with some research, would be welcome.

These are skills which easily transfer to and from businesses.

All of these jobs would give staff from the private sector some valuable extra experience and could be used for team-building exercises to help weld the team together. Volunteering in the community also provides alternative training and personal development opportunities.

An example of this would be if a member of staff is given a team leading role for a project.

The opportunity would suit firms looking for a different kind of team-building opportunity or a way to give staff extra skills.

Anybody interested in taking part should contact Jacky Birkett at VANL on 01724 845155 or e-mail jacky.birkett@vanl.org.uk

Similarly, if your voluntary group needs a job doing that needs more voluntary labour than you can muster, or if you need occasional extra hands for regular jobs, contact Jacky as above.

Any project could be welcome, even if it is completely different to the examples given above. Just ring for a chat to see whether Jacky can help you out. The only limit is that the businesses cannot necessarily provide regular volunteers over a long period of time – one-off jobs are more versatile for them.

After that, it is up to you to persuade them that they would like to come back in their own time and continue volunteering.

After all, you know it makes sense.