Volunteering in the UK gives you a chance to contribute to your own community. It is much less expensive than volunteering abroad, and offers more flexibility. In addition, it is usually easier to sustain a long-term commitment to a cause when it is closer to home.

Volunteering Organisations

Organisations which offer opportunities to volunteer in the UK are listed below. This is by no means an exhaustive list.

• Oxford Hub: Community Volunteers (OH:CV)
  
• CSV – offers a range of voluntary opportunities worldwide
• Do it- a national database of volunteering opportunities in the UK.

• Millenium Volunteers

• NAVCA - organisation supporting the local voluntary and community sector infrastructure in England.
• Timebank UK
  
• Vinspired – “inspire a new generation of volunteers aged 16-25 in England”
• Volunteer Development Agency– volunteering in Northern Ireland
• Volunteer Development Scotland
• WCVA - volunteering in Wales
• What Can I Do? - volunteer opportunities in the criminal justice system
• Workers in Student Community Volunteering - a support network for those working in community volunteer projects in higher education: both student and staff volunteers.

Charities

Some of the bigger charities in the UK often need volunteers...

• ActionAid
• Action Against Hunger - Action Against Hunger
• Action for Children in Conflict
• Addaction (a charity providing treatment for drug and alcohol abuse)
• Age Concern
• Amnesty International
• British Heart Foundation
• British Red Cross
• CAFOD - The Catholic Agency for Overseas Development
• Cancer Research UK
• Christian Aid
• Crime Concern
• EDA - Eating Disorders Association
• Help The Aged
• Mencap (learning disability charity)
• The National Trust
• Oxfam
• RNIB- The Royal Institute of the Blind
• RSPB - The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds
• RSPCA - The Royal Society for the Protection of Animals
• Samaritans
• Shelter (charity dealing with housing issues and with the homeless)
• St John's Ambulance
  
  

UK Charity Directories

• CharitiesDirect.com
• Charity Choice: the Encyclopaedia of Charities on the Internet