They are One in a Billion!

Volunteering

Did you know that 1 in every 7 people worldwide volunteer?

Yes, there are one billion people all around the world who work willingly without seeking to be paid for doing so.  Why is volunteering so appealing? Well, other than the obvious which is doing something that is helping others, there are many reasons why people give their time to volunteer.  It is a good use of time rather than doing nothing if you have some spare time. Volunteering is an opportunity to make use of your skills, but also to learn new skills and gain life and professional experience. Even more, it provides opportunity to meet new people.

The work of many charities In the UK is supported by volunteers and their dedication helps to advance the important causes that charities are engaged in.  In no small way volunteers help to minimise overhead costs, thereby enabling charities to use much more of the donations and grants they receive towards their charitable causes.

Impact on ACT

ACT is volunteer led.  With just two paid employees our six volunteers generously give of their time, skills and energy to breathe life into our work and give hope to the several thousand children and widows we support in 8 countries of Africa. But it is a mutually beneficial relationship. We are a training ground that provide learning opportunities for our interns and placement students and enable experienced and mature volunteers to deploy their skills.

“I decided to volunteer for ACT because it offered me a chance to give something back to the community and provided me opportunity to develop some new skills and gain experience.”

 – Purvi, volunteer –

Our volunteers range from people of different ages, faith and backgrounds. They include undergraduates on short-term university placements, fresh graduates who join us as interns to gain experience for a fixed period of 3 to 6 months, retirees with time to spare and want to give back in a meaningful way and also, professional people in full-time jobs who volunteer their free time to support our work.

“My advice to anyone who is thinking of applying to ACT is, go for it, you won’t regret it. It is an amazing place to work and learn, and definitely somewhere you want to be volunteering at if you’re passionate about making a difference to the lives of orphans, widows and disadvantaged people in Africa.”

– Jamie, Intern –

Volunteering at ACT is not limited to the UK.  In fact, we have far more volunteers supporting our work in Africa than in the UK. Our care teams are staffed with volunteers in the 54 communities and 8 countries of Africa where we operate and managed by our in-country project officers. They are typically school teachers, social workers, health and local government staff, but who give their time without charge to care for the disadvantaged children and orphans and support the widows in need in their communities

“It is the least that I can do to help the orphans and widows, as am myself a widow. If people far away are giving their time and money to help, what then is my excuse.”

– Fathi, Care Team Burkina Faso –

Would you like to volunteer for us?

We are a small, friendly and welcoming charity and doing amazing things. We believe everyone has something they can give. Would you like to join us as a volunteer? We would love to talk to you. Click here to find out more about volunteering or contact us.