volunteer - Introduction
Welcome to REACH. We are a charity that helps skilled volunteers put their expertise to work in the voluntary sector. If you have time, a commitment to working on a voluntary basis and professional skills or career experience to offer, REACH can match you with a voluntary or community organisation that needs you.
With connections to over 10,000 large and small organisations across the UK, REACH offers an effective service that helps skilled volunteers put their expertise to work for causes they believe in. Our service is free to you and free to voluntary organisations.
On any given day there are over 5000 REACH volunteers working for the UK voluntary sector and contributing the equivalent of some 28 million pounds of expertise annually. You can become one of them too.
Is REACH right for you?
REACH works with volunteers who have professional skills or career experience in areas such as management, entrepreneurship, marketing, IT, administration, HR, finance and accountancy. Most REACH volunteers have a minimum of 4-5 years of career experience.
REACH welcomes volunteers of all ages and backgrounds in all three sectors - public, private and voluntary. We actively encourage volunteer candidates from black and minority ethnic communities and from all religious affiliations.
- REACH volunteers must be based in the UK.
- All REACH volunteer positions are unpaid.
- REACH has no overseas opportunities to offer.
For more information about the kind of people who volunteer with REACH, see About Our Volunteers.
Become a REACH volunteer
With almost 30 years experience placing skilled people in voluntary roles, REACH offers opportunities that are:
- accessible: allowing you to work within easy reach of home
- flexible: you decide how much time to commit
- rewarding: contribute to the cause of your choice
Registering with REACH is simple and carries no obligations. No voluntary organisation will contact you without your permission. REACH protects your privacy and ensures your right to choose a role that suits you.
How REACH Works
1. Register
Download the registration form as a Microsoft Word document. Complete it fully with your details, then send it to REACH as an email attachment. Your form will be checked to make sure it is clear.
2. Choose
Within seven days of receiving your information, REACH will email you a number of volunteering opportunities, matching your skills to the needs of organisations near you. Just let us know if any are of interest. We’ll arrange for the organisation(s) to get in touch with you. There’s absolutely no obligation however on you wishing to find out more about any of the opportunities on offer. If nothing seems suitable, let us know.
3. Browse
Once registered, you’ll also be able to browse REACH’s online listings to view more than 4000 other volunteering opportunities.
4. Review
Finding the right match can take time — or you may be looking for more than one role. We will continue to send you potential opportunities until you find the place that’s right for you. If your circumstances change and you no longer have time to commit to volunteering, please let us know so that we can amend our records accordingly. You can always come back to us again at a later date.
For more guidance on registering with REACH, email us or contact our office on 020 7582 6543.