Looking for ways to bump your CV to the top of the pile? Time to spare this Summer? When you join FareShare South West as a Volunteer, you’re helping tackle the climate crisis by stopping food from being wasted, getting vital food supplies to children and families at risk of going hungry, AND gaining valuable work experience, qualifications and skills for work that will get your CV noticed.
When it comes to hiring people who volunteer, the figures are clear – employers love it. A survey by Deloitte found that 82% of hiring managers say they would prefer to take on someone with volunteering experience.
As we get ready to scale up food deliveries ahead of the Summer holidays, we’re recruiting new student volunteers to help rescue top-quality, surplus food and deliver it to more charities, food banks and schools across the South West. With warehouses in Bristol and Plymouth, we’re calling on students in both cities to give some time to help beat holiday hunger, and gain valuable skills, knowledge and experience along the way that will help them get noticed by future employers.
What does it involve?
There are various different volunteer roles at FareShare South West – with something to suit every skillset.
You might choose to help out in the warehouse, working alongside staff and other volunteers to complete that day’s picking lists. You’ll sort and pack all types of food – from boxes of fresh mangoes and avocadoes to crates of tinned soup, to organic milk and yogurt – into individual crates according to each charity’s needs and preferences.
Or you’ll be out on one of the FareShare South West vans, driving food to charities and schools on that day’s delivery schedule. As part of the van crew, you’ll play a critical role in getting food to where it’s needed most. Be a Driver’s Mate – helping navigate, completing essential paperwork and liaising with charities along the route. Or, if you feel confident driving a van (or would like to learn), we’ll train you to join our pool of volunteer van Drivers.
If you’ve an eye for detail and love systems, you might be placed in the office, helping compile and print food orders, delivery routes and ingredient lists that accompany food that’s wrongly labelled (but still in date and good quality).
Whatever role best suits you, you’ll be an integral part of the wider team. You’ll get experience of teamworking, communication and being organised – key requirements for any employer. And if you’d like to max out your volunteer experience, why not give each of the roles a go! There’s no ongoing commitment required – if you’ve got just a couple of weeks to spare before you head off, or you’re around for the whole Summer break, we’ll work with you to find shifts that suit.
Hear what it’s like firsthand
Lulu’s been volunteering with FareShare South West for almost a year. Right now, she’s studying at UWE but gaps in her timetable mean she’s still available one morning per week to help out at our central Bristol warehouse. We caught up with her to find out what she gets out of her time with FareShare South West.
What do you enjoy most about volunteering at FareShare South West?
“One of my favourite parts of volunteering with FareShare South West is the ability to work as part of a large team of very interesting and new people, that I wouldn’t have otherwise had the opportunity to meet. Each week there are new faces and everyone is very chatty and welcoming.”
What has been your highlight of volunteering at FareShare South West?
“Although this is not a singular event, the thing that stands out to me most about volunteering with FareShare South West is the ability to help fight against food waste and food insecurity. As a student, I have been impacted by the cost-of-living crisis, but I know that many people have it worse off than me. So, the fact that I can help to improve people’s lives whilst supporting the environment by volunteering a small portion of my week is very important to me!”
To find out more, or if you’d like someone from the FareShare South West volunteer team to speak at a student event contact Eleanor at volunteer@faresharesouthwest.org.uk ; 0117 456 2348
To find out more about FareShare South West and our volunteering programme or to register your interest, visit www.faresharesouthwest.org.uk/volunteer
