Many small community groups and charities have no paid staff and so everything they do relies on volunteers.
Whilst larger community groups, charities and social enterprises usually have paid staff, they generally also rely on volunteers to help them achieve their goals.
For example, all registered charities in Scotland must have trustees to govern the charity and this is a volunteer role. The Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR) reports that in 2023 there are 184,00 volunteer trustees in Scotland alone!
The following North Lanarkshire/Lanarkshire public bodies also provide volunteer roles:
North Lanarkshire Council offer a variety of volunteer roles.
Email CommunityMatters@northlan.gov.uk for more information
NHS Lanarkshire also offer volunteer roles
Police Scotland offer youth volunteering opportunities, including in North Lanarkshire
Scottish Fire and Rescue offer youth volunteering opportunities, including in North Lanarkshire
Organisations recruiting and involving volunteers under the age of 16 need to:
- offer age-appropriate roles and suitable times for children and young people to volunteer
- consider if consent is required from the young person’s Parent/Guardian
- have appropriate Child Protection Policy and procedures in place to provide protection and supervision including:
- appropriate supervision by a parent or guardian or another adult who has appropriate clearance through Disclosure Scotland
- health and safety risk assessments and control measures to minimise risk of harm
- check if their insurance covers volunteers under 16.