A snapshot of the work of Volunteer Now
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00:00Volunteering means many things to different people.
00:07It's giving a hand to a neighbour.
00:10It's coaching a sport.
00:13It's fundraising for a cause close to your heart.
00:17It's saving a life.
00:20It's a very personal thing.
00:22It's very rewarding, you know, to be able to give something back.
00:25Also, it doesn't take an awful lot of your time to make a big difference.
00:27People should really think about it.
00:29One of the mothers that I had for about a year or two years
00:33actually told me I saved her life
00:36by coming to visit and looking after her children.
00:39I feel very good when I go to bed at night
00:42that I've done something for the community.
00:44To see somebody smile back at you when you've helped them,
00:47it's an unbelievable feeling.
00:49People from all backgrounds and all ages volunteer.
00:53They get involved to try something new
00:56or share their experience.
00:58Meet different people and make new friends.
01:02Volunteering is unpaid.
01:04You choose what to do.
01:06It can lead to better health, mental and physical.
01:10It keeps me going.
01:12I think it'd be nothing worse than having nothing to get up for in the morning.
01:16I went out for the first day and I came in
01:19and I really felt happy and satisfied
01:22and felt that I'd done something.
01:24And if you're thinking about getting a job
01:27or career development,
01:29the experience you gain as a volunteer can be very useful.
01:33It really does give a big perspective of you
01:36and about what you're able to do for other people.
01:39The benefits for me would be to improve your CV
01:42and give you an opportunity for work later on in life.
01:45But not only that, it allows you to give something back to your sport.
01:49Volunteering definitely means that you build up your self-confidence,
01:53you build up your management skills of time management
01:55and even with other people, your communication skills really improve.
01:59Volunteers enjoy what they do.
02:01That's why they keep on volunteering.
02:04Rather than sitting about watching Jeremy Cain,
02:07you go out and get amongst your people, of your community
02:11and you can give a bit back.
02:13You can contribute towards society.
02:15So you can.
02:16So I'd advise anybody that's thinking about it
02:19to jump on the bandwagon and give it a go.
02:21Almost a quarter of the population of Northern Ireland are volunteers.
02:25Volunteer Now's vision is that volunteering becomes part of our everyday life.
02:31Many organisations couldn't operate without volunteers.
02:35We help them with recruiting and supporting volunteers,
02:39working to increase the number of people involved
02:42and the range of opportunities available.
02:46We provide a friendly and personal service
02:49to help people find the right volunteering opportunity.
02:54We work with employers, large and small,
02:57to develop employer-supported volunteering.
03:00A lot of our staff are heavily involved in volunteering
03:02and it's great when they bring that activity into our stations, into our facilities.
03:06It brings a bit of fun about the place
03:08and it's also important that people see that we're involved in the community
03:11and we're giving something back to the community.
03:13Membership of Volunteer Now is free and open to all organisations
03:17with an interest in volunteering.
03:19Together, we provide a stronger voice for volunteering.
03:23I think there's something really exciting about giving your time for free
03:27and seeing the way that you can make a difference to other people's lives.
03:30I think that's one of the most powerful things that we can do as human beings
03:33is to give up our time to make a difference to somebody else without any obvious reward.
03:37Volunteering helps to build healthy and vibrant communities.
03:42Volunteers make a positive difference to the way we live.
03:46VOLUNTEER NOW