How To Support Grassroots Charities In Your Area

Supporting or getting involved with charities can feel a little intimidating - especially when they’re on a national level. So, why not look a little closer to home? Grassroots charities and organisations are those that use collective action on a local level, to affect change at a local, regional, national and even international level. Here’s how you can find what’s going on in your community...

NCVO

NCVO champions the voluntary sector and volunteering because they believe they’re essential for a better society. They connect organisations with people, partners and resources. They represent the voluntary sector to the government, demonstrating it’s true value and influencing policy change. And they support organisations by generating and identifying the best knowledge and expertise. They have a few top tips on how to volunteer at a local level and how to find what’s best for you:

Think about what interests or excites you: This could be something you enjoy doing, or something completely new.

Think about what time or skills you can give: With so many opportunities to choose from, it’s a great idea to narrow down the choices by deciding what you’re willing to give.

Get researching: go to your local volunteer centre, search the internet, talk to your friends, family, teachers or class mates about what they do.

Once you’ve thought of a charity, cause or organisation and have worked out how much time you can give, NCVO suggests checking out do-it.org - a website dedicated to matching people with good causes….who make a match every 45 seconds! Just pop in your postcode and find a bunch of opportunities close to you. 

You can also go to your local volunteer centre, which is a local organisation providing support to volunteers and the organisations that involve them. This is a really good place to start when you’re thinking about volunteering at a local level. NCVO has a dedicated page on their site where you can search for your local centre by using your postcode. 

Or, if you’re looking to move into the world of work and find a (paying!) job within a charity, NCVO suggests taking a look on charityjob.co.uk - the UK’s largest and most specialised job board for the not-for-profit sector.

Neighbourly

Take a look at the projects page on Neighbourly to find volunteering and fundraising opportunities in your area. You simply fill in your postcode or surrounding area and it filters everything near to you! You can even filter by category. From Climate Action to Zero Hunger, Affordable and Clean Energy to Peace, Justice and Strong Institution…there will definitely be something to pique your interest. And, if you’re not quite ready to go out into the world to volunteer, you can take a look at their campaigns page and also find ways of helping out charities from the comfort of your own home, by donating, spreading awareness and sharing on social media. 

We also reached out to you to ask what volunteering you do and who you support. Here’s a list of all the charities you sent in...so why not take a look through these and see if any give you some inspiration!

Children in Need - Our vision is that every child in the UK has a childhood which is safe, happy, secure and allows them the chance to reach their potential.

RSPCA - We specialise in animal rescue & furthering the welfare cause for all animals.

Sick Children’s Trust - We are the charity that gives almost 3,800 families with a seriously ill child in hospital a warm and comfortable place to stay when they need it most.

Mind - We provide advice and support to empower anyone experiencing a mental health problem.

Muslim Aid - We are a faith-based British international charity that provides help to people who are victims of natural disasters or conflict or suffering from poverty, hunger, disease, illiteracy, discrimination, homelessness, debt, unemployment, injustice, deprivation or lack of skills and economic opportunities.

Cancer Research UK - We pioneer research to bring forward the day when all cancers are cured.

Clic Sargent - We fight tirelessly to stop cancer destroying young lives.

WWF - We're determined to ensure that people and nature can thrive together, for generations to come.

Alzheimer’s Society - We campaign for change, fund research to find a cure and support people living with dementia today.

Asharaf Union Trust - We are a UK based charity organisation that helps communities with food, medical relief, and developmental programs.

Stonewall - We're here to let all lesbian, gay, bi and trans people, here and abroad, know they're not alone. We believe we're stronger united, so we partner with organisations that help us create real change for the better.

Young Minds - We're the UK's leading charity fighting for children and young people's mental health. We will make sure all young people get the best possible mental health support possible. 

You can also find out more about taking local action and charities to get involved with by taking part in NCS! So, why not sign up for autumn - it’s going ahead this year and the best part is it’s totally free!