Do the right thing
Wednesday 12 October 2005
Coldplay, U2 and Madonna all did it at Live8; Davina McCall went to Africa to do it; Princes William and Harry spent their GAP years doing it and hundreds of thousands have signed up to get involved in the last four and a half years alone.
n2k caught up for a quick chat with DJ and sometime volunteer Trevor Nelson to find out how easy it is to get involved and make a difference.
n2k: Some people think that volunteering's for old people, don't they?
Trevor Nelson: Volunteering is no longer an old fashioned word – it’s not just something for older people with plenty of time on their hands. Young people have loads of energy and as the 176,000 16-24 year olds who have been Millennium Volunteers show, many of them want to make a really positive contribution to their local communities.
n2k: But what if you don’t just want to dig up gardens and help local charity shops?
TN: Volunteering really allows you to follow your passions and build on what you want to do. My passions are music and DJing - and I love to share this with as many people as possible.
I have volunteered my time in the past and feel that it is important to provide opportunities for others to do the same. It is a great feeling to make a difference to the lives of people around you - whilst at the same time gaining from the experience yourself.
n2k: But do the volunteers get much out of it?
TN: Volunteering gives young people the chance to develop really important skills that not only benefit the projects they are working with, but also add to their CV. You also get to meet loads of like-minded, cool people – so what’s stopping you?
n2k: How can someone who wants to volunteer get involved?
TN: To find out more, check out www.millenniumvolunteers.gov.uk. Here you can find out who your local MV co-ordinator is, who will then set you up with a project you really want to get involved in – and then you just go from there!
Meet a real volunteer
Next week, n2k will be chatting to Melissa Mackay, who was so into volunteering that she won the Volunteer of the Year award.
