Making City and Hackney a place of understanding and mutual respect where the culture of volunteering has a positive impact. For almost 30 years our services have enabled over 11,000 people from all backgrounds to share their skills, knowledge and experience with their community. We also support over 400 local not-for-profit groups by giving them the skills they need to manage volunteers effectively. We are here to bring out the best in volunteering: for volunteers, for organisations, for the people being helped and for City and Hackney. Our services are specifically tailored to build the capacity of community organisations through good quality volunteer management, while ensuring local people receive the support they need to progress. Our aims are to improve employment outcomes, build social cohesion, boost mental wellbeing and reduce social isolation. Our model is to work in partnership with organisations and local people, facilitating the bridging of division across communities.
Volunteer Centre Hackney provides the opportunity for volunteers to find roles that meet their requirements in terms of the timing of the volunteering, location, its nature i.e. physical, outdoors, indoors, craft related, who it helps, demonstrating the flexible nature of volunteering. Volunteering allows existing skills to be used, new skills to be acquired and, in each case, the sharing of those skills. Volunteering connects people with each other and with their local community, builds confidence and wellbeing, and leads to greater resilience. Organisations that rely on volunteers gain a much-needed resource to help deliver their services. The result is stronger and more cohesive local communities based on mutual support, with programmes that meet community needs.