Places to Volunteer in Newcastle
Give a little bit back to the community with our round-up of volunteering opportunities in the city
There’s plenty of evidence that helping out and supporting others is good for us and can improve our own well-being as well as that of the people we're helping.
We’ve gathered some places in Newcastle city centre that offer fulfilling and worthwhile places to lend a hand, whether you want to tend to a garden, work in a theatre or help in a kitchen. Take a look — you might find something for which you’re a perfect fit.
King’s Trust
One of the biggest volunteer-led charities in the country, The Prince’s Trust was founded by the then Prince Charles back in 1976 and these days works with around 60,000 people every year who are aged 11-30 and struggling in some way. They could be experiencing homelessness, disability, mental health or legal issues — whatever their difficulties, the trust seeks to provide practical support through various programmes, and volunteers are central to this. The charity runs a database of skills they need and perhaps you have something unique to offer, in any number of training or mentoring roles.
The Gatekeeper’s Garden
As part of the eco-friendly developments taking place across the city, The Gate is responsible for the Gatekeeper’s Garden, a small oasis of green tranquillity in the heart of the city. It’s a gorgeous little utopia full of eco-innovations (a bio-graffiti wall, for example) and they need your help. If you have some gardening skills – or are part of a group that does – get in touch with them and let them know what you can do to maintain this lovely space.
Tyne Theatre & Opera House
The magnificent, historical Tyne Theatre & Opera House uses volunteers in several aspects of its work and is dependent on some for some important roles. In production terms, Tyne Theatre Productions, its in-house fundraising team, is entirely volunteer-run, similarly the Tyne Youth Company. If you’re of a more technical bent, much of the stage machinery and the theatre as a whole is maintained and operated by volunteers, and the volunteer team also offer guided tours. There’s a wealth of ways you can get involved!
Newcastle Castle
If history is your thing, you should consider volunteering at Newcastle Castle. The castle is dependent on its team of volunteers, who support the castle in three key ways: events volunteers help out with a range of cultural events, from film nights to guided tours, installations and performances; learning team volunteers run workshops and tours, often in conjunction with local schools; and the Living History Team take part in reconstructions, demonstrations and story-telling, often in historical costume. All the roles offer an opportunity to meet people, have fun and expand your CV.
Connected Voice
Active since 1929, Connected Voice offers advice and support for people and organisations, campaigning and working in the community on their behalf, with events, networking and volunteering. Their new volunteering project – run in conjunction with Volunteer Centre Newcastle and the North of Tyne Combined Authority - aims to increase involvement in the city by increasing the volunteering roles, creating new ones, championing the voluntary sector in the area and increasing the available support. If you’d like to get involved, drop them a line!
The Lit & Phil
The Lit & Phil is full of history, knowledge, ghosts and – you might be surprised to learn – volunteers. There are volunteers involved all aspects of the Lit & Phil’s daily life, from serving on the Board Of Trustees to helping out at the hundreds of events that take place each year, from working as a bookbinder maintaining the priceless stock of books to greeting visitors and leading tours. They welcome all the help they can get so drop them a line and get involved.
The People’s Kitchen
Established in 1985, The People’s Kitchen offers a safe place for people who live on the streets or in difficult circumstances. By providing hot meals, clothing, phones and sleeping bags, people’s lives can be improved or even saved, but this service depends on volunteers to function. The volunteer team in Newcastle runs into the hundreds of members, and tens of thousand of unpaid hours every year, but always needs more. There are always specific spaces that need to be filled on their volunteer pages, or you can register your interest to get involved here.
Volunteer Centre Newcastle
Volunteer Centre Newcastle was founded to promote and support volunteering in the area, and is funded by Newcastle City Council. The organisation acts as a central resource for volunteers and the organisations that use them, providing contacts, advice and support, and helping ensure the efforts and needs of volunteers are recognised. VCN are passionate advocates for the benefits of volunteering for the community and for the volunteers themselves, and they provide a database of volunteering opportunities if you want to get involved.
There are so many pluses to being a volunteer: it can be rewarding, it can be a great way to socialise, to learn new skills, to put something back into the community and even improve your CV. Plus there’s a feeling of doing something for others, which is a very good feeling indeed. There’s a vast array of volunteering opportunities in Newcastle to suit everybody, why not find one that works for you and give a little bit back to this amazing city?
Main image: Three diverse volunteers smiling and holding cleaning tools during a community service event by RDNE Stock project via Pexels / Free to use under the Pexels License
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