Volunteering – a pathway to work

Want to gain hands-on work experience that helps you stand out in your CV and interviews?

Volunteering could be an excellent choice.

Research reports from the Department for Culture, Media & Sport and Royal Voluntary Service highlight several benefits of giving back to your community.

For people who are currently unemployed and returning to work, they can develop new skills, confidence and network.

Volunteering is particularly helpful for young people aged 16-25 as it can provide a valuable pathway to paid employment.

Other benefits:

  • Increasing overall life satisfaction
  • Building stronger connections and a sense of belonging within your neighbourhood

Interested in applying for volunteering opportunities near you?

You can register with Work Hounslow to access employment support and get help applying for both volunteering roles and job opportunities.

If you’ve already registered, contact your employment advisors to find out more.

Register with Work Hounslow

Volunteering

Find out more about the opportunities by clicking the button below.

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Supporting residents into volunteering

With career support from Work Hounslow employment advisor, resident Gurpreet Singh has obtained a volunteer role with Thames Reach, a London-based charity supporting homeless people. He now volunteers twice a week, shadowing a support worker within the organisation and helping to carry out welfare checks with service users.

Gurpreet believes Work Hounslow offers life-changing support. He said:

"I had shut myself off from the world and had been without regular work for more than ten years. I was at such a point of despair that I questioned whether I wanted to live. Trying to get back into work, I thought, might be a way out and coming across the Work Hounslow poster at Heston Library gave me a lifeline. I took a chance and reached out for help from Kam, my employment advisor.

Volunteering has provided a stepping stone back into work. It fills gaps in my employment history and allows me to re-engage by talking to people - clients and colleagues alike. It has given me valuable experience and, most importantly, confidence. Even in the darkest of times, with Kam and Work Hounslow, there is help you can reach out for. Hopefully, I can do the same for others in future job roles”

Also, the Work Hounslow employer engagement team has partnered with Thames Reach and other local organisations to promote volunteering opportunities, helping to empower residents with the skills and experience they need to move into work.