Section Opportunities

As a volunteer you would work with people with learning disabilities to support them in their own volunteering activities, including helping at coffee mornings, allotment, conservation and gardening work, and work with animals. Help is also needed to put a newsletter together. There are opportunities throughout West Norfolk. A CRB check is required. The local contact for this is Helen Cooper who may be contacted by telephone: 01366 385839, click here to e-mail or for more information visit www.csvsupportedvolunteering.org.uk

Have you considered learning to be a radio presenter? Hospital Radio Lynn gives you the opportunity to work your way through all the tasks of running a successful hospital radio station from collecting requests from patients on the wards, finding the music in the library, co-presenting, to eventually presenting shows on your own. You never know it might also be the basis for a successful career as well! For more information please contact John Greyson on 07739 370513.

How about a life on the ocean waves? Well, more giving your assistance to the Royal National Lifeboat Institute at Hunstanton. Contact Robin Rafferty, the Lifeboat Operations Manager on 01485 532145.

An opportunity to work with young people with learning disabilities to support them in putting on musical performances. Groups meet twice weekly in North Wootton and Hunstanton. For more details contact Les Miles on 01485 518556 or visit www.lhmtc.co.uk.

Would you know what to do in the event of an emergency? First Aid is a skill which many of us may need at sometime in our lives but many of us do not have. By joining the St John's Ambulance Service you can improve your own first aid knowledge, gain qualifications as well as helping to save lives. For local details contact Mr David Cole on 01553 675398 or click here to email.

The Queen Elizabeth Hospital. A number of ward-based and other opportunities in the evenings and at weekends for people aged over 16½. Potential volunteers undergo a full application process and CRB checks. Contact Fran Monson on 01553 613205 to request an application form.

Natural England is the government agency who work to preserve wildlife and natural features throughout England. They use volunteers in a variety of roles at their Dersingham Bog site and you can use whatever skills you have from basic office work, to designing leaflets, acting as guides, carrying out surveys, and practical work like clearing bracken, repairing steps etc. For more information speak to Tom Bolderstone on 097899 901559, click here to e-mail or visit www.naturalengland.org.uk.

 For further suggestions for volunteering opportunities visit www.do-it.org.uk

If you a want to take up a new sport but are not sure what to do, visit King's Lynn and West Norfolk Borough Council's sports directory at www.west-norfolk.gov.uk for a full list of the various sports and clubs available.

If drama is a subject which catches your attention, why not try to get involved in a local production? West Acre River Studios is an ideal chance to put your talents to good use, however it is important to note that Westacre cannot guarantee being able to offer the opportunity, but would be happy to help if possible. For more information please contact Isobel Smith at www.westacretheatre.com.

Is the sound of an orchestra music to your ears? The West Norfolk Jubilee Youth Orchestra offers the chance to join a renowned youth orchestra as a player or helper if you prefer. For more details visit www.wnjyo.co.uk.

Like the idea of mixing a worth while cause with a holiday on the Broads? Perhaps a conservation project working with the local environment and wildlife is something you would like to consider. Click here for further details about the British Trust for Conservation Volunteers

Volunteers choose Cathedral Camps for a wide range of reasons. They might want to enter their work on the camp for the residential project qualification of their Duke of Edinburgh's Award. Some simply want a challenging and different type of holiday with the chance to meet new people, visit www.cathedralcamps.org.uk for more information.

Whether you're interested in gardens, castles, wildlife, places linked to famous events or people, you're looking for a new coastal path to walk or just somewhere peaceful to relax and enjoy a nice cup of tea, The National Trust offers a wide variety of things to do, as often as you like, visit www.nationaltrust.org.uk for more information.

Helping the disabled is a very rewarding experience, and you would be able to put your caring skills to good use at Sandringham Park House, a hotel for the disabled. Your tasks would include helping people with their daily activities and staffing days out. For more information please contact Tess Gilder on 01485 543000 or visit www.parkhousehotel.org.uk

Thistle Camps are residential working holidays organised by The National Trust for Scotland to help in the conservation and management of countryside properties in its care visit www.thistlecamps.org.uk for more

Sheringham YH (sheringhammanager@yha.org.uk) and Blaxhall YH (blaxhallmanager@yha.org.uk) are two local youth hostels who would welcome volunteers for a week to help with cleaning, preparing and serving food etc. Please contact volunteers@yha.org.uk for more information. To Laura Calaby's residential experience at Sheringham YH, click here.

PACT Animal Sanctuary River Farm, Woodrising, Hingham, NR9 4PJ. If you like animals this is the place for you. Duties are likely to include feeding, cleaning and walking the animals (‘wellies’ essential). There is no accommodation at the sanctuary, so you would have to make your own arrangements (one person found a local campsite and travelled the two or so miles to and from each day). Contact Terry McCarthy by email or ring 01362 820775. For more information visit www.pactsanctuary.org/.

Hawk and Owl Trust Sculthorpe. This nature reserve is just outside Fakenham. There is no accommodation, so you would have to make your own arrangements, possibly camping at the campsite in Fakenham if you have transport. Contact Leanne Thomas on 01328 856788. Visit www.hawkandowl.org/SculthorpeHome.