The Reach process for finding the right skilled volunteering role
Stage one - Registering with Reach
The first stage in applying to be a Reach volunteer is registering your details with us.
The details which you provide enable us to find a volunteering role which is suited to your skills, experience and availability.
For information on how to register with Reach read our Registration guidelines for volunteers.
Once you have registered with us, we will email you log in details and you can visit your Reach profile, where you can make sure that your details are up to date as well as search for roles on our register.
Stage two – Using the Volunteers area
Once you receive your login details, you will be free to search our online register for volunteering roles that might interest you. You may find plenty to interest you but it is better to limit your choice to about 5 roles to start with and see how these go. You can always select more roles at a later date.
Our team of volunteering advisors will help to get you started by looking at your details and emailing you information on roles in your area which they think might interest you.
You will also be sent information of suitable new roles on an ongoing basis as they are registered with us.
You are under no obligation to accept any of the roles that we send you. Please do give us as much feedback as you can about the roles which we are sending you so that we can improve the accuracy of our searches.
Stage three – Making the initial connection with voluntary organisations
Once you have let us know that you are interested in a role, we will let the voluntary organisation know and give them your contact details. They will contact you directly and you will arrange to meet and discuss the role and your relevant experience. There will be no need to make a commitment until you have met them.
Most voluntary organisations will contact you very quickly but sometimes there may be a delay, particularly if they have very limited resources. If you have not heard from them after a reasonable length of time, 2 to 3 weeks perhaps, feel free to contact them directly to discuss your interest.
Stage four – Meeting the organisation and making your decision
It will be important to meet the organisation before you decide whether or not you will find the role fulfilling. You will want to ask them about the organisation, its aims and beneficiaries and how it is managed. You will want to be clear about the role they have identified, do bear in mind though that volunteer roles are very flexible and the organisation will probably be open to discussion if you think you could add value in a different way. It will be important to know how you will be managed and to meet some of the individuals who you will be working with most closely.
You may want to meet more than one organisation before you make a decision. It is very important to keep the organisations up to date with your plans, though, and let them know quickly whether or not you have decided to take their role.
Finding the right role
It may be that you take a while to find a role that suits you, it is important that you find one that is challenging and fulfilling. Do log in regularly as our pool of organisations grows every week and we will keep providing you with more suggestions until you either find a role or let us know that your situation has changed.