Volunteering over Christmas
As Christmas draws near, the Volunteer Centre receives lots of queries about Christmas volunteering. While it is true that many organisations and projects see an increase in activity over the festive period, in a lot of cases this doesn’t lead to an increase in volunteer need because most organisations have a team of year-round volunteers that cover any Christmas requirements.
Whether you celebrate the holidays religiously or culturally, or even at all, there’s no denying that this time of year throws community and individual need into sharp relief. So how can you help out if there are no (or at least very few) Christmas-specific roles to fill?
One way is to look to your neighbours. Volunteering and helping out does not need to be formal, you can just offer to support people you already know who might need a bit of extra help. You might have a neighbour who struggles to get out in cold weather so maybe you could do a bit of shopping for them. If the weather gets worse you could make sure their driveway is clear, or free of ice. Do you know someone who is a bit lonely or will be alone over the Christmas period? Perhaps you could invite them over for Christmas dinner.
If you have an older neighbour or friend or even family member, you’ll be aware of the increased pressure this winter due to the winter fuel payment cut, so if you’re able to you could open your home to those who you already know to give them a warm place during the day to help them save on their own costs.
You can also look to any local activities such as village halls, community centres, churches etc, many of which will be providing extra activities over the next month or so. Just pop in and say hello!
Another way to help out is to look at volunteering opportunities that are not Christmas-specific but have a different significance at Christmastime, such as befriending. This doesn’t mean that you have to continue volunteering indefinitely (although you will very likely get so much from the experience that you will!).
And if you do find something to contribute to on a more formal basis now, or earlier in the New Year, you will be better placed to be able to offer more support over Christmas in 2025!
