Volunteering around the UK

CAFOD campaigners interviewed by LBC Radio while protesting about injustice [Kate Stanworth]

Could you offer some of your time to promote CAFOD's work in your parish, school or diocese? Whether you have plenty of spare time, or only a little, we have something for you

CAFOD volunteers help with a whole range of different aspects to CAFOD's work.

You don't need any expertise in a particular subject area, just enthusiasm, commitment and a bit of spare time.

What you can do to help

Some volunteers prefer to work 'behind the scenes' - helping run our busy diocesan offices, for example, or producing prayers for our newsletters.

Others enjoy getting out and about visiting schools and youth groups to talk about CAFOD's work, for instance, or organising and taking part in sponsored events or campaign actions. Many volunteers do a mixture of things.

By volunteering with CAFOD, you can work in any of the following areas:

Office administration
Join one of our friendly office teams and help out with a whole range of jobs including speaking to parish contacts on the phone, keeping the database up-to-date and writing to supporters.

Schools
Give talks at assemblies about CAFOD's work and lead classroom activity sessions. Volunteers also promote CAFOD resources to school communities and give support to CAFOD groups within schools.

Youth work
Lead interactive sessions about poverty and injustice at youth groups and confirmation classes. You can also help organise CAFOD activities for young people and represent CAFOD at youth events.

Fundraising
Organise events in your parish such as Friday Self-Denial, World Gifts, Fast Day or a whole range of social and sponsored events.

Media work
Tell the world about all the brilliant things CAFOD supporters are doing by writing press releases and items for newsletters and the web, build relationships with local journalists and encourage other volunteers to involve media in their events.

Campaigns
Take part in campaign actions, lobby your MP and generally publicise CAFOD's campaign while getting others involved. Volunteers can also represent CAFOD on local justice networks.

In your parish
Involve your parish community in CAFOD by encouraging them to take part in fundraising events and schemes, take campaign actions and pray for a fairer world. You can also help organise and promote CAFOD Fast Day collections.

In your area/deanery
Specialise in recruiting, supporting and co-ordinating parish contacts in your area, assisting them in their efforts to raise awareness of CAFOD, organise Fast Days and set up fundraising events. You can also represent CAFOD at deanery/area meetings.

Encouraging spirituality
Volunteers can produce reflections and prayers, promote CAFOD spirituality resources, help organise pilgrimages and other events and help Catholics explore the social justice dimension of their faith.

Speak out for justice
Become a trained CAFOD speaker and raise awareness of CAFOD’s work. Hearing about CAFOD really inspires people to get involved.

How we can help you

Whatever you choose to do, you'll have the full support of CAFOD staff and other volunteers.

You'll have the opportunity to attend training sessions covering a range of topics including 'Speaking for CAFOD' training for those interested in speaking to groups.

CAFOD can also provide you with a great range of materials for your parish or school.

We can supply:

• Worship resources such as liturgies, vigils, Advent and Carol services
• Display materials, posters, prayer cards, slide sets and commentaries, Christmas cards
• Envelopes and collection buckets for fundraising
• Sponsorship forms for events such as Rich/Poor suppers, the Great North Run or the Marathon
• Materials for promoting legacies to CAFOD
• Ideas for holding CAFOD evenings for supporters to hear a visiting speaker - such as one of CAFOD’s overseas partners or a volunteer or staff member
• Briefing documents and updates as well as action devices for campaigning to address the underlying causes of poverty as well as it’s symptoms

Overall, volunteers play an essential role in nurturing the growth of understanding of CAFOD’s work in the Catholic community of each diocese.

If you want to be part of our volunteer team, or if you simply want more information, please get in touch by contacting your local diocesan office

take action

Advent Appeal 2008 Please send a message of support to kids this Advent at a special school run by a CAFOD partner

Shine a light in the darkness Please sign our petition calling on the world's largest mining company to listen to communities in the Philippines worried about the effect mining will have on their land - plus send a personal message of solidarity to the people of Macambol

Buy a World Gift Browse our new range of alternative gifts that act as two presents in one – something for you to give to friends or a relative, while the real gift changes the life of someone living in poverty