West London YMCA - Volunteering FAQs

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Below you will find a list of the most frequently asked questions .
Volunteer FAQ's Why do people volunteer? In what ways can I volunteer? What can volunteering offer me? Do I have to volunteer for a certain number of hours per week? Do I need any specific experience or qualifications? Can I volunteer if I have a criminal record?
Q. Why do people volunteer? People have different reasons for choosing to volunteer. It may be that they are looking to gain some experience in a particular field to help them along their chosen career path, or that they have been out of employment for a while and wish to update their skills, or simply they have some spare time and they wish to use some of it by “putting something back” into the community. Whatever the reason volunteering can provide you a fulfilling experience. Q. In what ways can I volunteer? We offer many different types of voluntary work across the association. Whether it be in housing at one of our hostels, helping at our after school clubs or children’s classes, youth work or even general admin tasks. Q. What can volunteering offer me? Volunteering can be a great way of meeting new people, gaining experience in a different environment as well as learning new skills. Q. Do I have to volunteer for a certain number of hours per week? It would be ideal if you could commit to a set number of hours per week. This can be anything from a couple of hours (for example an afternoon) per week or a few hours everyday. Q. Do I need any specific experience or qualifications? You do not need any particular experience or qualifications to become a volunteer at West London YMCA although we can of course utilise your skills and experience if you have some in a particular area! Q. Can I volunteer if I have a criminal record? As part of the application process you will be asked to complete a declaration of criminal convictions form. The nature of the work we do means that you will be brought into direct contact with children and young people, either as service users on their own right or children of service users. Accordingly, our voluntary posts are exempt from the provisions of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. Therefore you are required to disclose information about all criminal convictions, both current and “spent”. Declaration of a conviction will not necessarily mean disqualification from appointment. However if it is subsequently found that you failed to declare a conviction, this will be regarded as gross misconduct, which could lead to your employment being terminated. The information you provide will remain confidential. Because of the nature of the work that we do with children and vulnerable people, all volunteers and employees of West London YMCA also have to complete a Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) enhanced disclosure form. Back to top>