Everything you need to know about volunteering
Have you always wanted to volunteer, but don’t know where to start? Give something back to your community and become a volunteer with Catalyst Stockton. Keep reading for everything you need to know…
How can Catalyst help me become volunteer?
Catalyst are big believers that volunteering should be a mutually beneficial experience.
Volunteers help provide vital support to both worthwhile causes and individuals in their community, this is invaluable to both the communities volunteers work in and the causes they support.
Catalyst’s role is to support volunteering across Stockton-on-Tees and support organisations with their volunteer recruitment and management. Catalyst is there to promote volunteering for the Borough as a whole and ensure those wanting to volunteer can find opportunities to suit their skills, motivation, and interests.
If you're a learner with Stockton Learning & Skills' you can volunteer along side their studies too! Just speak to Catalyst, who can help you find a volunteering role around your studies.
Why volunteer?
Volunteering can help you meet new people, feel useful, and gain experience. It’s also a brilliant opportunity to take on a new challenge, try something different, and achieve your personal goals. Sounds pretty good, right?
Volunteers bring a whole host of useful skills to the table, as well as being able to develop new ones which can be used in both their work and home lives.
If this isn’t convincing enough, here is what one of Catalyst’s volunteers, Harry, had to say about his vital volunteering role:
“I enjoy going into the Catalyst office and helping on reception. It's something that I look forward too. I am getting out the house seeing people every day and I enjoy helping other people and supporting the charity. I also enjoy taking phone calls from people who are unable to collect their own shopping or need a food parcel delivering.”
Will I be supported?
As a volunteer, you should feel well supported, listened to, and valued. Catalyst work with organisations to help make sure this is the case.
If you’re an organisation looking to take on a volunteer, The Tees Valley Volunteering Charter is a great way for organisations to demonstrate their commitment to providing a good quality experience for volunteers. This Charter was developed in partnership with colleagues from across the Tees Valley. Find out more and sign up to the charter.
Where do I start?
Anyone thinking of volunteering in Stockton-on-Tees can view and apply for opportunities with organisations across the Borough on the Stockton-on-Tees Volunteers website.
Organisations are encouraged to post their volunteering opportunities on the site, to help those willing to give up their time to support others to find a role to suit them.