Training exercises on volunteering

Training exercises

Below are four training exercises that look at

• What volunteers do?
• Who volunteers?
• Why would someone like me volunteer?
• Why would I volunteer? 

These training exercises can be used to develop awareness of volunteering with different groups of people and allow people to explore why they would volunteer and what they would do as a volunteer.

Exercise 1 – what do volunteers do?

• Using cue cards, in groups, divide these into two piles – things that do, or do not constitute voluntary work. As a group, you must be able explain why each card is in which pile.
• Then take the ‘do’ pile and rank in order of importance [or you could even say merit] – as a group you must justify your decisions

Suggested cue cards

Help in their community; work for voluntary organisations and charities; raise money for good causes; help their neighbours; are active members of a community group; go to a youth group/club, take an active role in a youth group/club, take part in extra-curricular school activities; run extra-curricular school activities; recycle waste; take environmental action; help to run religious activities, go to a sports or leisure club, help run a sports or leisure club; take part in an award scheme; get involved in political campaigns; help in a hospital or home; sit on a management committee; as part of an employee volunteering scheme. [Please add ideas yourself, if you would like to]

 To make this more accessible – read the card to the group and then discuss whether this is or is not volunteering

Exercise 2 – who volunteers?

• Using cue cards, in groups, divide these into two piles – people that do, or do not do voluntary work. As a group you must be able to explain why each card is in which pile.
• Then take the ‘do’ pile and rank in order of importance [or you could even say merit] – as a group you must justify your decision.

Suggested cue cards

People who like to help others, people who want to help the community, committed and trustworthy people; people who want to improve society; all kinds of people; people who care about animals/the environment/other people; middle aged and older people; religious people; people like me; women who do not work; people with nothing else to do; do-gooders; busy bodies; people with no friends; middle class or well off people; people who are too incompetent to get paid for it [ Please add ideas yourself, if you would like to]

To make this more accessible - read the card to the group and then discuss how you would support these people if they were to volunteer.

Exercise 3 – why would someone like me volunteer?

• Using cue cards, in groups divide these into two piles – reasons to, or to not, become a volunteer. As a group you must be able to explain why each card is in each pile.
•  Them take the ‘do’ pile and rank in order of importance [or you could even say merit] – as a group you must justify your decisions

Suggested cue cards

Because I believe in the cause to help people get work experience, to get a qualification, to find out about career options, to get more life experience, to learn new skills, to fulfil some of my personal needs, to make friends, to socialise, to help change things in society, to have fun, because my friends or family volunteer, because I get bored; because I feel I should do something useful, to make me feel important. [Please add ideas yourself, if you would like to]

To make this more accessible – read the card to the group and then discuss whether this could be ‘me’

Exercise 4 – why do I volunteer?

• Find quotes or statements relating to volunteers, print them out and place three or four around the room. Let participants move around the room and stop by the statement or quote that most ‘speaks’ to them. In small groups, discuss why they prefer this statement [or quote] and how it relates to their own motivation for volunteering.
• You can use the quotes above, the quotes in the accompanying leaflet, song lyrics or find quotes anywhere you can

To make this more accessible – read the statements to the group as they move around.