With the year well underway, it’s time to think about how you’re going to make this year better than the last.

Although everyone has their own unique reason and motivation for volunteering, it’s one of the few activities that can enrich your life and that of others in more ways than one.

Here’s a reminder of why you should use volunteering to make this year, a great year.

Building social connections

Having strong social connections makes a massive difference to your quality of life. If you’ve been feeling disconnected from other people, volunteering can be a fantastic way of fostering a sense of belonging. For others, you might think you don’t have time for new friends. But we all have time for new connections.

Most shared experiences will create a social connection. So, look for roles where you know you’ll be working alongside other people, or perhaps where you’ll be coming into direct contact with the recipient of your volunteer services.

For more tips, check out how to volunteer to build important social connections.

Landing a new role

If you’re job-hunting, it’s likely that you’ve faced this classic conundrum - you want to get a new job to gain more experience, but it seems that every job out there requires you to have bucketloads of experience already! Luckily, volunteering can help you bridge this skill and experience gap, eventually leveraging your volunteer work to land a new role, gain that promotion or even change careers altogether.

To find out more about using volunteering to gain new skills, read how volunteering experience can help you land a job.

Don’t forget, even if you’re not planning to change jobs, volunteering can help you continue to build your skills and experience, thereby helping you perform better in your current role.

Helping others

If making a difference by helping others is your top motivation to volunteer, why not find out where volunteers are needed the most? Choose one of the top 10 most in-demand roles that align with your interests or find a cause that is topical and relevant in your local area. Perhaps you can donate to a food bank or help at a charity fun run that is happening in your area.

No matter what your motivations are for volunteering, there’s sure to be a path for you to choose. Start your search for more volunteer opportunities here.