First Ever Volunteer Fair at Follaton House

Six local organisations – including the Totnes Pulse-  will be attending the first ever Volunteer Fair at Follaton House on  Wednesday, June 3.

Government figures show that participation in volunteering is significantly lower than a decade ago with 16% of adults in England during 2023/24 volunteering formally at least once a month — down from 27% in 2013/14.
The drop is partly blamed on the pandemic with a sharp drop between 2019/20 (23%) and 2020/21 (17%).

It’s organised by the Jobcentre and work coach Andrew Galliers hopes that around 80 people will come to look at what volunteering opportunities are on offer.

“We know that there are organisations struggling to find volunteers and we know that being a volunteer helps people with their social skills and boosts their self confidence,” Andrew said.

The Citizens Advice Bureau, Dartmouth Caring, Totnes Museum, Bridgetown Alive, Totnes Pulse and a local gardening group will be chatting to potential volunteers about what they can offer and what the jobseekers may be able to offer in return.

“If they are looking for work this could help with references. We are hoping that some will be able to gain new skills.  The most important thing is that if they get a volunteer position, they will enjoy it,” Andrew said.

The event runs from 10am to 2pm.