People who want to use their spare time to make a difference in their community can find out about hundreds of opportunities at events due to held next week.
Leicester City Council is marking National Volunteers’ Week with information stalls and event where people find out more about the numerous ways they can get involved as a volunteer.
Volunteering opportunities with the city council include helping out in Leicester’s museums or libraries, working in the city’s parks and open spaces, helping keep the gardens of Newarke Houses looking their best, clearing litter from the waterways, or supporting the council’s response to major incidents by volunteering to help in rest centres.
Information and advice will be available at the Riverside Festival taking place this weekend (Jun 1-2); and at Leicester Market on Wednesday (5 Jun).
Assistant city mayor Cllr Mustafa Malik, who leads on jobs, skills and communities, said: “Volunteering is a great way to meet new people, get active, learn new skills and do something positive to improve your local environment.
“There are hundreds of ways to get involved and National Volunteer’s Week is the perfect opportunity to show people how they can help make a real difference to their community.”
Volunteering roles in the city’s libraries include supporting the council’s summer reading challenge or helping others to acquire basic computing skills. Museum volunteers could find themselves acting as tour guides, while volunteers are always needed to help with the dozens of festivals and events staged by the council each year.
Last year, over 10,000 volunteers took part in sessions on the city’s parks, open spaces and waterways, contributing over 65,000 hours.
More information is available at www.leicester.gov.uk/volunteering
Voluntary Action Leicester (VAL) will also be hosting a volunteer celebration event at the Brite Centre in Braunstone on Tuesday (4 Jun), where local organisations and potential volunteers can find out more about the benefits and opportunities on offer. To find out more visit www.valonline.org.uk/events
