Volunteering Matters


Volunteering Matters is the UK's leading volunteering charity. It was founded in 1962 by Mora and Alec Dickson, who also founded Voluntary Service Overseas. Prior to 2015, Volunteering Matters was known as Community Service Volunteers. In the 2016/2017 financial year, Volunteering Matters engaged around 30,000 volunteers through its hundreds of voluntary projects across England, Scotland and Wales.
The president of Volunteering Matters is currently Lord Levy and the charity is led by its Chief Executive, Paul Reddish.

Organisation

Around 30,000 people volunteer with Volunteering Matters each year. It was Volunteering Matters who pioneered the idea of teaching citizenship in schools – it became part of the National Curriculum in England in 2002.
Volunteering Matters has sought to recruit volunteers from all demographics and backgrounds. Examples of their projects include RSVP, Active Volunteering, Choices, Sporting Chance, Sex Matters Too, Lifelines, Grandmentors, Volunteers Supporting Families as well as many befriending projects to assist older, young and disabled people.
Volunteering Matters also runs weekend volunteering projects in London. They also have a journalist network through which journalists can volunteer their skills to non profit organisations who need extra promotional help. Additionally, Volunteering Matters Action Desks work in partnership with the BBC in 36 BBC local radio stations. They broadcast appeals for volunteers, run awareness campaigns and promote Lifelong Learning.
In April 2015, the charity changed its name from Community Service Volunteers to Volunteering Matters.

Full-time volunteering

Volunteering Matters runs many full-time volunteer projects across the UK.
Volunteering Matters Full Time Volunteering is residential and volunteers move away from home and are provided with accommodation and a weekly food and essentials budget. A full-time placement can last between 6 and 12 months, although it is sometimes possible to extend a placement after this date. No previous experience or qualifications are necessary.

Part-time volunteering

Each year Volunteering Matters involves thousands of part-time volunteers throughout the UK.