Getting started
If you are new to volunteering in your local community, finding opportunities to volunteer that interest you but are also practical and fit around your other commitments can be a challenge. If your just interested in finding out what opportunities are available near you, check out the Your Local page on our website. This is where we have set out where you can find opportunities to volunteer near you.
Or perhaps you have been volunteering for some time now and would like to set up a community group or friends of group. Maybe there is something you would like to do within your local community, and you know other people in the community who would also like to get involved and volunteer. So in this page, we have put together a quick fire guide to get you started.
Step one
The first thing to do is to contact your local authority and/or your local Council for Voluntary Service and let them know what it is you would like to do; they may be able to offer specific guidance.
Step two
It’s important to get the governance right. If you decide with your local authority that you want to set up a friends of group, you will need a constitution and you’ll likely need insurance. Both Parks Community and CCVS offer guidance on different types of insurance that might apply to your organisation.
Not sure how to where to start writing a constitution? – No problem, Parks Community have created a free template you can use to get you started.
Alternatively, you might be interested in setting up a charity, trust or other type of community organisation, in which case, Hunts Forum and Support Cambridgeshire both have excellent guidance on how to start a community organisation.
Step three
Once your organisation is set up, there may be other policies and procedures you need to think about next such as GDPR, Health and Safety, Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion.
Step four
Now your community group is constituted, you may have appointed a treasurer when you set up your governance and now want to open a bank account. This will also help you if you wanted to run fundraisers or apply for grant funding.
Step five
And you’re off! As your community group grows and becomes increasingly active in your local community, you will start to recruit more volunteers either as regular community volunteers, or one-off volunteers who take part in community events you run. Click here to download more guidance on recruiting and managing volunteers.
