Volunteer work

Volunteer work offers a wide range of possibilities, in various sectors, for different target groups, with flexible working hours. Mentors, for instance, or coaches, committee members, marketing assistants and more! And the need is great: volunteer organisations are crying out for extra hands.

Why do volunteer work?
Reasons might be:

• You contribute to society; you do something meaningful to help others;
• You build up practical experience, in terms of the tasks you perform and/or experience with the target groups;
• You can put your knowledge and skills into practice and also develop yourself personally and professionally;
• It's a good way to get your bearings in the labour market and/or to obtain a better overview of the work environment and your own career wishes;
• It's a good way to meet new people and expand your network;
• You build up your cv!
• Employers usually place high value on the skills you have built up in a voluntary capacity, because they believe it is not only paid employment that contributes to your skill set: voluntary work also has an important place in your development as a young professional.

Volunteers wanted
Many volunteers are wanted in a wide range of sectors, focused on various target groups. Volunteers wanted, including: Mentors, buddies, coaches, activity leaders, supervisors, client support assistants, team managers, committee members, fundraisers, communications assistants, marketing assistants, museum staff, coordinators, hosts/hostesses, readers (for people with reading disabilities), maintenance assistants.

Different sectors

As a volunteer you can work in various sectors. Below you will find an overview of various sectors and examples of organizations that are part of these sectors.

• Environment and sustainability– Duurzame Horeca Leiden en omstreken, Vereniging Kringloop Project Leiden, Duinbehoud, Naturalis, vrienden van het Singelpark, EXARC, By the Ocean we Unite, etc.
• Animals and care– Haags Dierencentrum
• Health care –Stichting BAKboord, Stichting Mensen van Overal, Marente
• Legal – De Leidse Rechtswinkel, Het Leids steunloket migranten
• Art & Culture – Bibliotheek, Stichting Theater Het Trefpunt, Stichting Culturele Droomwevers, Erfgoed Leiden en Omstreken, Rijksmuseum van Oudheden, Stichting de Vrolijkheid
• Aid organizations – Red Cross, Amnesty International Nederland, Stichting The Umbrella of Hope Nederland
• Education – Vereniging Leidse Schooltuinen, Gilde SamenSpraak Leiden, Stichting JES, Stichting Move, Stichting IncLUsion.
• Sports & Recreation – Blijf in Beeld, LeidenAmateurVoetbal.nl, Vrienden van De Vliet, Scouting, Reddingsbrigade.

Vacancies
There are various places where you can find vacancies for volunteer positions. For example, Incluzio and Den Haag Doet have an extensive vacancy database with various possibilities in a wide range of diverse organisations.

Handy vacancy sites include:

• Volunteer the Hague vacancy database
• Deedmob
• Leiden University Career Zone's job portal (log in with ULCN).

Organizations

Do you want to gain experience as a volunteer? Here are some volunteer organizations that facilitate and welcome international volunteers:

• Volunteer The Hague - this non-profit initiative connects volunteers with meaningful opportunities at local non-profit organizations.

• NL Cares - this platform facilitates flexible volunteer opportunities allowing you to decide when, where, and how often you want to participate in activities.

• Stichting Present - through this local foundation, you can provide assistance to those who live in poverty, suffer from social isolation, or live with a physical/mental disability.

• ACCESS-Netherlands - at this not-for-profit organization managed by volunteers, international volunteers who have been through the relocations process themselves use their personal experiences to help answer questions from internationals about moving and settling into a new home.

• AIESEC - volunteer projects and internships abroad.