Have You Got What It Takes To Be A Volunteer? Soapbox Answers Your Questions On Volunteering, Wed 25 Jan, 7pm, 6 Towns Radio

Have You Got What It Takes To Be A Volunteer? Soapbox With Guest, Esther Bromley from SMCVS, Answers Your Questions, 7pm, Wed 25 Jan, 6 Towns Radio

One is not born into the world to do everything but to do something.
    Henry David Thoreau, poet, writer, philosopher 

How great or small, we all have the ability to inspire one another!

Why not tune into Soapbox this Wednesday, 25 January, 7pm, as we explore the true meaning of volunteering and what volunteering means to you.

Feel free to ask a question, register a comment, or simply contact the programme to offer a suggestion.

We’ll be discussing:

• what is volunteering?
• How do I become a volunteer?
• What skills do I require?
• Sources of help and advice
• What is the application process?
• Do I need a CRB check?
• Where do I look for volunteering opportunities?… and lots more.

We’ll also be discussing the history of volunteering, plus inviting you to email us your words and phrases associated with volunteering.

And, of course, please feel free to share with us your own volunteering experiences. Contact details maybe found at the end of this page.

Interesting Facts About Volunteering

• All population groups have a long history of volunteering, even if they use different vocabulary to describe their service to others.  Stereotypes about volunteering as white, wealthy women’s work are flatly false.  Drop the word “volunteer” as a label and every individual, regardless of gender, race, religion, creed, or background has the potential to be engaged in making a difference about something that matters to him or her.

• Volunteerism is both reactive and proactive. It is a response to current events, social problems, and community needs that vol­unteers are often the first to identify. Volunteers can take action before institutions and government are able or willing to offer services. As such, volunteers are pioneers and experimenters, unlimited by the restrictions of tradition, public statutes, need to make a profit, or availability of initial funds.

• Volunteering is inher­ently political.  By creating or urging others to create programs, volunteering challenges the status quo. The irony is that pressure in one direction elicits pressure in the other; whenever one group of volunteers works toward change, another group often reacts to pre­serve tradition or advocate yet another alternative. Vol­unteers are found on both sides of an issue – and at all points along the political spectrum.

• The cycle shows that, historically, volunteers create paid jobs, directly contradicting the myth  that volunteers replace employee; history proves that the greater the number of volunteers who become involved in services, the greater the chance that stable finan­cial resources will be developed.

How To Get In Touch

Email the programme during the live broadcast: studio@6towns.co.uk

Tweet: @6townsradio

Tel/Txt: 01782454180

Or on the web: http://www.6towns.co.uk