Over 650 Volunteers signed up to Volunteer Bucks

The milestone was reached in just six months.

Volunteer Bucks, the online volunteer platform for Buckinghamshire, has reached a key milestone with over 650 people signing up to the platform in the first six months.

Launched by local charity Community Impact Bucks in September 2024, Volunteer Bucks makes it easy for potential volunteers to find and apply for volunteering opportunities from across the county according to personal interests, location, and availability.

There are over 300 volunteer vacancies ready to be filled from 129 organisations from across the county – from foodbanks and community libraries, to conservation charities and youth organisations.

“We’ve received great feedback – both from people looking to volunteer and from the organisations looking for help – and are delighted to say that over 90 volunteers have already started with their chosen charity, with many more matches currently in the pipeline,” commented Stephanie Thompson, Community Impact Bucks’ volunteer brokerage lead. “This response – which was so evident during the pandemic – is a great reflection of the volunteering ethos in the county.”

The platform also provides much needed support to not-for-profit organisations in Buckinghamshire to help them find volunteers to support their activities. For example, in just three months, BucksVision successfully recruited seven volunteers through the platform (three administrators, three drivers, and one befriender):

“We are looking at starting a new recruitment campaign soon to attract volunteers between the ages of 18 and 25. We will be using Volunteer Bucks as part of this as we feel it will help us reach new potential volunteers from across Buckinghamshire,” said Kimmi Gray, Bucks Vision.

For those unsure of what type of role they would like, there is an online quiz which can suggest the types of roles which best match someone’s skills and interests. There is also an interactive map which shows opportunities in nearby locations, making it easier for users to find roles.

If you are aged 18 and over, visit volunteerbucks.org.uk (external site) to find a volunteer role suitable for you. If you are aged between 13-17 years, or need additional support, the Volunteer Bucks team is on hand to help match potential volunteers to suitable roles. The team can be contacted via email at volunteerbucks@communityimpactbucks.org.uk or phone 01296 846678.