Perhaps the best place to start is to ask yourself three questions:

– What issues/causes/organisations am I interested in?

– What do I want to gain from my volunteering?

– What time and what skills do I have to offer?

You also need to consider what you are going to enjoy the most – if you don’t enjoy it, you’ll struggle to stick with it for long.

If you love the great outdoors, try to avoid volunteering that is mainly in an office environment. If you love dealing with people, volunteering in a hospital, retirement home or youth group might appeal. How about fundraising – run a marathon, organise an event or get sponsorship from a company.

To help you choose your volunteering activity, take a look at our ideas list.