Why volunteer with Victim Support?
Did you know that volunteering is good for you? Even if you have a busy lifestyle, fitting in some time to help others will have great rewards. It can help you reduce stress, find new friends and give back to your community, as well as benefiting your career. It can also keep you mentally stimulated and provide a sense of purpose.
If you choose to volunteer for Victim Support we also offer first class accredited training. We cover all out of office expenses so it’s a great way for you to upskill while helping people in the local community.
Volunteering has proven benefits too. When researchers at the London School of Economics examined the relationship between volunteering and measures of happiness in a large group of adults, they found the more people volunteered, the happier they were, according to a study in Social Science and Medicine.
If you want to change career, or upskill to benefit your career, then volunteering is a great way to practice important skills used in the workplace, including teamwork, communication, task management and much more.
However, it’s not always about learning new skills; if you have compassion, time, and a positive attitude then they are all as important.
Volunteering opportunities
We have two types of volunteers at Victim Support – those that work within the Witness Service and those who help within our Community Service.
Our Witness Service volunteers work within the courts, and support victims and witnesses as their cases come to trial, accompanying them into court, advocating on their behalf, and conducting pre-trial court visits.
Our Community Service volunteers meet with victims shortly after a crime has been committed, and provide emotional support and advice to help them through this period. They work out of the Victim Support Hubs in Belfast and Foyle, as well as in outreach centres across Northern Ireland.
In terms of time commitments, we usually ask for a minimum of 4 hours per week for the Community Service and one day per week for the Witness Service. However, if you are keen to volunteer with us, but are worried about this time commitment, please do talk to us as we do have some flexibility around the roles.
We also received the nationwide quality standard ‘Investing in Volunteers’ Award in June 2017, and had this ratified for a second term in 2021. Investing in Volunteers aims to improve the quality of the volunteering experience for all volunteers and demonstrates that Victim Support NI values the enormous contribution made by their volunteers.
If you are interested in volunteering with us please get in touch via email at volunteer@victimsupportni.org.uk or call one of our hubs, Belfast Hub, 02890 243133 or Foyle Hub, 02871 370086.
