Make Volunteering One of Your New Year’s Resolutions.
Visit the Island Volunteer Fair on Saturday 14th January to find out more! 
As we enter a new year, many of us will be writing lists on paper or in our heads of New Year’s Resolutions. People have been doing this for over 4 thousand years, since the time of the Babylonians, and although we often fail to maintain these resolutions, it is something that we continue to do.
I would like to offer you a New Year’s Resolution that will be easy to complete :
“In 2023, I will volunteer my time for at least one organisation on the Isle of Wight on at least one occasion”.
You may find that by taking up volunteering, some of your other New Year’s Resolutions fall into place more easily. Volunteering is good for you as well as those you are helping. Have you heard of the “Helpers’ high”? Doing good for others releases endorphins and makes us feel good. It can lower blood pressure and stress and research shows that volunteers tend to have better physical and mental health and overall are happier!
Volunteering is something that we can all do at some point in our lives and in some way. There is no one set way to volunteer. Some people do choose to make a regular commitment to a cause they strongly believe in and will continue to do this for years. Others will focus on an activity that they like to do and do this for a range of organisations. Still others will use volunteering as a way of building their skills, confidence or contacts in an area they wish to work in longer term. Some people volunteer when an opportunity comes along that sounds like fun or they simply want to fill their time or escape their regular routine.
There is no right or wrong reason to volunteer, but the important thing is to find the right volunteer opportunity for you with an organisation that is the right fit for you. The IW Volunteer Centre helps to connect potential volunteers with organisations who are looking for volunteers. We have a website where you can search for opportunities and read news stories about the voluntary sector and with over 200 opportunities advertised there is something to interest most.
Every year we hold one or more Volunteer Fairs, where you can meet in person a whole range of charities, community groups and organisations who have volunteer opportunities locally. The next one is the Island Volunteer Fair on Saturday 14th January at Riverside in Newport. There will be over 50 stalls to visit. It won’t cost you anything (unless you want to buy something to eat or drink while you are there) and who knows what new opportunities you will find. So what have you got to lose? Come and say hello to staff and volunteers from some incredible organisations and who knows where it might lead you.