JVN Blog

Volunteering is part of daily life. It appeals to all ages, genders, ethnicities and religious groups. There are many reasons why we take our time out to participate. For students and graduates, it’s part of building our CV into a tree of success. It appeals to those who have retired and want to spend their […]

It is widely known that, arguably, the Japanese word for crisis – “kiki” – is comprised of their words for danger and opportunity. One of our star members of the JVN Ad Hoc Volunteering Squad, Sue Krisman, recently volunteered at an event led by the London Resilience Partnership, in conjunction with emergency services across the capital, called Exercise Unified […]

Sadaqa Day, which will be marked for the second time on Sunday 20th March 2016, was a new initiative started last year by the Muslim community. Modelled on the success of the Jewish community’s Mitzvah Day, it is an opportunity for people of all faiths to come together and engage in social action. Sadaqa (in Arabic), or […]

If you’re new to volunteering, we thought it might reassure you to know that you’re in good company, and a very large company at that. Over 21 million people volunteer every year in the UK, and nearly 14 million of them do so regularly. That equates to close to 200 million hours of time given […]

Student Volunteering Week is from 22nd-28th February this year. In its 15th year, SVW is now an important fixture in the calendars of colleges and universities up and down the country, with 86 institutions taking part this year. The aim is simple: to get students enthusiastic about volunteering and showcase the range of opportunities available to […]

Flowers, leaves and blossom may not yet be apparent, but there are still so many things you can do for the environment. Whether you have a passion for gardening, conservation or just being eco-friendly, there are volunteering opportunities out there for you. Organisations such as Trees for Cities, Thames 21 and Big Green Jewish are […]

Avrom Glickman tells us in his own words how he used volunteering as a means to improve the lives of people on the other side of the world… I have never been a person with a life plan and so when I stopped working full time I was very unclear how I was going to spend my […]

This guest blog is written by Claire Cantor. She writes about her new-found love for volunteering and how JVN has helped her find roles she finds really fulfilling and worthwhile. A few months ago I decided to make some changes to my working life. I have been a self-employed nutritionist for the past six years, […]

So, it’s small charity week and we decided to lend our support to the countless small charities out there by examining how difficult it is for them to make the impact and difference they want. There are 180,000 registered charities in England and Wales, all of which are recorded on the online register of charities. In addition, […]

I often write about volunteer stories that inspire or challenge me, or make me reflect. I mentioned last week the book Relational Judaism by Dr Ron Woolfson, and my thoughts on relationships have been so recently heightened by a series of events and above all personal challenges. My younger son has been a little unwell […]