Terrence Higgins Trust was founded by volunteers and the work done by people offering their time, commitment and experience as volunteers continues to be vital to the charity.
People volunteer to do all sorts of roles, from helping out for a few hours at a fundraising event to running the reception desk at a Terrence Higgins Trust service centre for a couple of days a week. We fully train all of our volunteers for the role that they choose and give them support and supervision to make sure that they are happy with the work that they are doing.
Why do people volunteer?
People volunteer to help us for all sorts of reasons, which may include:
- Giving something back because they have received our help and now want to use their experience to help others.
- Gaining skills to help get them into a particular area of paid work or study.
- To meet people.
- To try something new.
How volunteers help
The kind of help we need varies from centre to centre, and the ways that you can get involved will depend on the amount of time you have to give. Most centres have volunteers who help with fundraising, working on the reception desk, doing health promotion in the community, supporting people in their home as a community support volunteer and giving advice on housing, immigration and benefits. However, there are lots of other roles as well.
Positive participation
Our charity is committed to encouraging applications for paid and unpaid opportunities from people living with HIV, and indeed many of our volunteers and staff do have HIV. But, of course, you are not required to declare your HIV status if you do not wish to do so. We provide all our volunteers with good quality training and ongoing support and supervision. We consult widely with volunteers to encourage them to participate in the charity's decision-making processes. To find out more about volunteering, please contact your nearest Terrence Higgins Trust office.