As we step into 2025 and look forward to the opportunities the New Year holds, why not let us inspire you to make the changes you’ve been considering during the long, dark winter months? Let us motivate you to take those first steps—whether small or large—towards positive change, learning new skills, becoming more active, and connecting with your community. We’re living in challenging times, and now is the perfect moment to turn off your own lights and heating to help others.
But volunteering is so much more than just supporting people or causes—it’s about doing things you enjoy, meeting new people, building your skills, and having fun! Research shows that resolutions with a positive impact are much more likely to stick. Choosing to volunteer could be the best New Year’s resolution you ever make.
When people were asked what they found most rewarding about volunteering, many responded with: “seeing others achieve something” and “knowing that someone’s life has been improved.”
Whether you’re looking for a small or large project, short-term or long-term, there are countless opportunities in your local area waiting to inspire you. No matter your age, there’s almost certainly a volunteering opportunity just right for you!
Welcome to 2025: your year to volunteer!
Get Active
How many of us make a New Year’s resolution to get fitter or be more active? Why not combine that goal with volunteering? What better motivation to get moving than by helping out at a local club or group? Meeting new people is also a great way to stay committed to your New Year’s resolutions. Take a look and see what opportunities you might enjoy!
Healthy walks take place across the New Forest, Fareham and Winchester on a regular basis, some weekly, some monthly. They are run by volunteer Walk Leaders who lead the walk and act as back markers for the group, plan routes and ensure all walkers are catered for.
Volunteers have the opportunity to attend a free half-day training course to become a qualified Walk Leader and receive regular support form the Healthy Walks Coordinator. This is a great opportunity to get out and enjoy your local area, as well as to help others to get walking and improve their fitness.
Youth Options run a drop-in football project on Friday evenings from 5.45pm-7.15pm. They are looking for volunteers who are enthusiastic about football and can help with the session. Previous experience of working with young people or football coaching would be desirable but is not essential.
Duke of Edinburgh Trainers and Expedition Leaders
Do you get a buzz out of helping young people improve themselves? Do you enjoy the outdoors? Can you inspire young people at each stage of their DofE adventure? DofE Awards are looking for volunteers to help young people aged between 14 and 25 undertake their Duke Of Edinburgh Award. Alongside inspiring young people to choose their options within the programme, Leaders keep a close eye on the participants’ progress, assist with any issues through regular meetings (normally once a week during term time, often evenings) and help them stay on track to complete their DofE programme.
Learn a new skill
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to learn a new skill—something you’ve always wanted to try but never had the chance? Maybe there’s a hobby or activity you used to enjoy, but it’s been put on the back burner. Why not revive those skills through volunteering, or join a group where you can learn something new while helping others? Whatever your skill, we’re sure there’s a volunteering role where it would be a perfect fit.
The Crafty Makery CIC welcome enthusiastic people to join their small and friendly team at their Community Crafting Hub located in Central Fareham. They offer an opportunity to use arts and crafts as a way to bring people together. Their Crafting Hub offers a vast array of activities, including knitting, sewing, paper crafts and ceramics to suit people of all ages.
They would welcome friendly and reliable people willing to engage with all members of the community who make up their customer base. Willingness and enthusiasm to learn and meet new people are more important to us than crafting experience, as they are willing to train and nurture.
Telegraph Woods Nature Recovery Group (TWNRG) main goals are to protect, enhance and expand on the biodiversity within the TWNRG Site of Importance for Nature Conservation (SINC) in West End Hampshire. They are currently focused on restoring a scarce heathland area and improving the pond environment to encourage more species to flourish.
They offer regular litter picking opportunities with the use of litter picking tools and bin bags to keep the site clean. Manual Dexterity to operate a litter picker can be a great skill in everyday life.
Volunteer Cooking Class Assistant
Munch CIC are a social enterprise providing cooking classes for families on low incomes with children, adults with learning disabilities other vulnerable adults. They help people develop the skills and confidence they need to be able to cook from scratch, while learning about healthy eating, food labelling and sustainability. They are seeking volunteers for theirMunch Grub Clubs and other projects in the Winchester and Eastleigh areas.
You do not need any prior experience, but an interest in cooking and healthy eating along with a passion for building communities would be beneficial. Basic food safety, health and safety and safeguarding training is provided, with future opportunity for certified training in these areas. A great opportunity to learn develop catering skills.
Inspire Others
HYP support young adults with physical and/or mild – moderate learning disabilities aged 13-25 years. There are weekly activities, usually held on a Saturday, with a programme of sessions that their young people design empowering them to make choices and gain new experiences. In doing so, they hope to develop the independence and social skills that they believe are so vital.
Their sessions range from fun leisure activities, like laser quest and a Subway meal; skill-based sessions, such as baking & cooking; historical visits & naval tours; and big experiences: indoor skydiving, Portsmouth Summer Show and Star Wars Celebration are recent examples.
The White House (Curdridge) Ltd. are looking for Dementia Companions to join their team, spend quality time with their residents offering them activities both individually and as a group. They have a pub to enjoy a drink (non-alcoholic) and some fun pub games, they have beautiful grounds to walk around and enjoy the animals, they have a lovely gardening area so green fingers are welcome. Many of the residents enjoy outdoor activities, for example football and tennis, along with many other outdoor games. Some residents would prefer a sit down with a cup of tea and a chat. They have many activities, including reminiscence, dementia friendly technology and dementia friendly games.
Education Volunteer (Presenter)
If you are comfortable with public speaking or would like to improve your public speaking skills and being around young people, then Anthony Nolan are looking for people who are positive about young people and believe that they can make a difference. Education volunteers deliver inspiring presentations to young people aged 16+ in a variety of settings from schools and sixth forms to colleges and youth groups (either in person or online). These presentations inspire students by showing them that they have the potential to help save a life.
Their presentations aren’t a hard sell, but they educate all young people about stem cell, blood and organ donation and encourage them to make an informed decision about donation based on facts, not myths! They provide comprehensive training, so you can be confident delivering inspirational presentations. They’ll also make sure you attend events with experienced staff or volunteers. Education volunteer presenters make sure potential lifesavers know the facts about donation by delivering their education programme, The Hero Project.
High quality careers education that is responsive to skills needs is crucial to the future success of both young people and employers. Enterprise M3 Careers Hub are therefore seeking volunteers to partner with local secondary schools or colleges in Hampshire as Enterprise Advisers, using your skills, business experience and networks to help develop a strong careers programme.
This is initially a one year voluntary position (taking up a few hours per month) where you will be: supporting the school or college’s senior leadership team strategically to develop and evaluate their careers plan; providing a valuable employer’s perspective on how a school or college can embed labour market information and opportunities into the careers programme; and engaging with local businesses and employers in your network to put a wide variety of careers opportunities at the heart of young people’s education. You’ll just need a business background, and excellent communication and networking skills.
Get to know your community
Did you know we partner with over 700 charities and non-profit organisations across Hampshire? That’s fantastic news for volunteers, as it means we offer hundreds of interesting, diverse, and rewarding roles—ranging from specialised positions to one-off events. What better way to explore your community than by volunteering with some of the incredible services across the county?
Conservation, Gardening and Outdoors
Various roles, including: experienced and amateur Gardeners, Activity Helpers, Rangers and Maintenance Volunteers.
Hammersley Homes launched a Community Visiting Home Support Service for people who suffer from enduring mental illness, and they are looking for volunteers willing to visit these vulnerable people in their homes, to enrich their lives with companionship and support, to help them live their best life.
As the name suggests, a Community Visitor has a friendly disposition and supports the beneficiary with company, tactful guidance, presenting options for the person to make informed choices and encourage: Independence; Self care; Happiness and contentment; Social contact and integration where possible; Guidance and referrals for other support when desired/required.
Minstead Trust are always looking for friendly and enthusiastic volunteers to help support their fundraising efforts and be a positive ambassador for them. Depending on your time, skills and interests, there are a number of different ways you can get involved.
Fundraising is exciting, energetic and lots of fun and they warmly welcome any new ideas and opportunities. Just let them know what your interests are and how you’d like to get involved and they’ll support you to support them every step of the way!
Don’t let 2024 drive you to distraction. Our most requested volunteer role is for drivers, from cars to minibuses, here are just a few of the Driving Opportunities near you.
Finally, if you’re still undecided about what you’d like to get involved with, why not look at things a bit differently by checking out our roles that enable you to work from home or, for a taste of volunteering, try our events and one off link to see what’s happening near you.
Working From Home – volunteer from your living room or just outside your front door.
Events and One Off Volunteering – help by volunteering short-term or to support special events.
For even more inspiration and other volunteering roles, just visit our website. Check it out, sign up, sit back and watch new things start to happen.
~ Happy New Year from Jag and Katy ~
