Volunteer

Benefits

The great thing with volunteering is that it’s just as rewarding for the volunteer as it is for the people and projects they support. For example, volunteering can help:

  • Increase your confidence – by giving you the chance to try something new and build a real sense of achievement.
  • Improve your CV – by providing you with opportunities to learn new skills, gain valuable experience and sometimes even qualifications.
  • Make a difference – by having a real and positive affect on your local community and its residents.
  • Grow your friendship circle – by helping you meet different kinds of people and expand your social network.
  • Make you feel part of a community – by supporting you to feel part of something outside of your immediate friends and family.
  • Challenge yourself – by providing you with opportunities to try something different / new, achieve personal goals, practice using your existing skills or discover hidden talents.
  • Have fun – because volunteers have a great time, regardless of why they do it. 

All these benefits add up to improved health, wellbeing and happiness, reduced loneliness and isolation and greater overall life satisfaction.

So what are you waiting for?

Whether you want to:

  1. Volunteer for ICA (internal)
  2. Find a volunteer role with another organisation (external)
  3. Develop volunteering within your own organisation.

Just get in touch.

ICA Volunteers

ICA’s 100+ volunteers are our most precious asset. They make it possible for us to deliver our many activities and services, from fundraising to supporting the services we run for older people.

Here are just a few of our current roles:

  1. Helping Hands (our project for older people and those impacted by disability and / or serious, life-limiting or terminal illness)
    • Befrienders
    • Club supporters (e.g. at our lunch clubs, art groups and exercise classes or outings)
    • Drivers
  2. Growing Local
    • Tutors
    • Training support
    • General support (e.g. for our food, growing and environmental activities)
  3. General
    • Office staff
    • Fundraisers (e.g. running and supporting our fundraising activities)
  4. Events (great for younger volunteers aged 16+)
    • Role players (e.g. zombies for Nothe of the Living Dead – an interactive ‘Crystal Maze meets The Walking Dead’ zombie fest in collaboration with the Nothe Fort and EPIC Dorset)

NB: ICA provides training and ongoing support for all of its volunteering roles. In addition, all ICA volunteers are subject to reference and, where relevant, DBS checks (e.g. where volunteers are working one a 1-2-1 basis with vulnerable adults).

Non-ICA Volunteers

As Portland’s official Volunteer Bureau, ICA co-ordinates a wide range of non-ICA volunteering opportunities. So, whether you are looking to volunteer, or have volunteering opportunities to offer, we can provide you with practical advice and support.

ICA works in collaboration with Volunteer Centre Dorset.