Potential volunteers can find out more during expo at Worcester Guildhall

Anyone interested in volunteering in Worcester can find out what it is all about during an event at the city’s Guildhall.

Worcester Volunteer Expo takes place on Friday, June 7 as part of the national Volunteers’ Week, running from June 1 to 7.

Starting at 10am, the free event will see around 40 different charities and organisations setting up stalls to talk to visitors about the work they do for the local community and the opportunities they offer to volunteers.

The stalls at the expo will cover a range of opportunities across caring, mentoring, drama and dance, sport and heritage, young people, conservation, computing, supporting families and more.

The event is aimed at people with time to spare, from a couple of hours to whole days, who want to make a difference in Worcester.

There will be goody bags for the first 500 visitors through the Guildhall’s doors.

It is not just about attracting new volunteers. The expo will also feature workshops on how to successfully bid for grant funding to launch a new community initiative or take an existing voluntary project to the next level.

The beginners’ grant workshop starts at 10.30am, with an advanced workshop for more experienced fundraisers following at 12.30pm. Places are free but strictly limited. To reserve a place email community@worcester.gov.uk.

Worcester Volunteer Expo 2019 has been organised jointly by Worcester Community Action and Worcester City Council and runs from 10am to 2pm.

Conservative councillor James Stanley, who chairs Worcester City Council’s Communities Committee, said: “I hope Worcester Volunteer Expo will be a chance for people to take the first steps in volunteering or further empower those who already give so freely of their time and energy.

“Volunteering is a remarkable and fulfilling thing to do, touching the lives of countless people in a positive way.”

Sally Ellison, Worcester Community Action Project Co-ordinator, said: “Volunteers are central to the work of countless charities and other organisations, making a difference in places as diverse as sports clubs, libraries, schools and hospitals.

 “Worcester Volunteer Expo will give people who might be thinking about volunteering the opportunity to talk to different organisations about the many different roles that are available in the city.”