Patrick Scanlan, Volunteer Bureau Organiser
"I've been amazed by the diverse range of people who have come to see us. It's really rewarding to help fulfil peoples' ambitions to help others less fortunate in their own neighbourhoods".
John, Volunteer at Multiple Choice
"I had been thinking about doing some voluntary work for a while and decided to visit the Bureau, they showed me lots of interesting voluntary opportunities. As a result of this I am now teaching basic computing and Internet skills to clients of Multiple Choice, a charity that helps rehabilitate young drug users. I find this very rewarding and I feel I want to try and put something positive back into my local community."
Jack, Volunteer, Leeds Development Education Centre
"When I contacted the Bureau they gave me a contact for the Leeds Development Education Centre. I went for a look round and found that they had a small library. I am now helping out two days per week there and thoroughly enjoying it. It has helped me to get back into some kind of routine and use my brain again after being in Hospital for seven months and sitting about the house."
Steven, Newsletter editor, Home -Start Leeds
"I decided to try volunteering shortly after completing a degree course at Birmingham University. I had only just moved to Leeds and found job-hunting a very lonely and daunting experience. I soon became impatient waiting for application responses and yearned to do something useful with my spare time. Voluntary Action-Leeds is widely promoted by the Leeds University careers library and seemed like a very good starting point. After a very friendly and welcoming meeting I discovered that the Volunteer Bureau offers a wide variety of volunteering opportunities and decided to take up a volunteering role with the Home-Start Leeds organisation. I have been producing the Newsletter for Home-Start Leeds for the last 18 months, and have also been in full time employment for the last 15 months. Volunteering has given me the confidence to find my first full time job, and continues to broaden my experience and skills. I enjoy making a contribution towards a very positive and valuable organisation, and working alongside a friendly team of people."
Amanda Hudson, Volunteering Development Worker, Home-Start Leeds
"Since Steven came to us from the bureau he has brought many skills to our organisation, but in particular a wealth of I.T experience and knowledge. He is also extremely reliable and has an abundance of enthusiasm!. He has been very successful in producing and developing our monthly volunteers newsletter into a professional, informative and interesting publication, but at the same time, he has skilfully retained the overall qualities which reflect our organisation. Steven has brought youth and enthusiasm (he participated in a sponsored abseil on our behalf!) a male perspective, and new innovative ideas to Home-Start Leeds.
I feel sure that the invaluable support we received from the Volunteer Bureau very much helped us in finding the right person for this role!"
Professor Sir Alan Wilson, Vice Chancellor, University of Leeds
"I know from the experience of our students how important volunteering is in the city. Voluntary Action-Leeds plays an enormously important role in Leeds, connecting those who want to volunteer with organisations that need them. Support for VA-L will be repaid many times over in voluntary work delivered to those in need."
Rt Hon John Battle, MP for Leeds West
"Volunteering is vital - that giving of time and effort to co-operate together and build our community benefits all of us across this city, and the Volunteer Bureau makes it easy to connect people with time and skills to give with the groups that need them. I strongly support this appeal."
Rt Hon Paul Truswell, MP for Pudsey, Leeds
"Volunteers and voluntary organisation make a invaluable contribution to the communities of Leeds. It is crucial that volunteers' skills are matched to the organisations where they can provide maximum benefit to the community, while deriving the greatest possible personal fulfilment themselves. The Volunteer Bureau helps to do this."
Rt Hon Hilary Benn, MP for Leeds Central
"As a local MP, I know first-hand how important the work that Voluntary Action-Leeds does is to the community. Getting people involved in local organisations is the most important factor in building community spirit and self-help and I am delighted to support the Volunteer Bureau Project. I wish it every success."
For further information please email or call Jason Slack on 0113 297 7928.