Virtual volunteering is volunteering that you can do remotely, i.e from home. Tasks usually need to be completed by using the internet or over the telephone. We have compiled a list of volunteering opportunities below that you can get involved with it.
Campaigns & International
Action for Happiness: Action for Happiness are a movement of people taking action to create a happier and kinder world, together. They do this by helping people get together regularly (face-to-face where possible) to learn evidence-based skills for happier living, feel a sense of belonging and commit to personal action to create more happiness, both for themselves and others. Volunteer running their six-week online training here.
A Good Thing: Come on board as a community champion: use your communications skills to drive more businesses and charities to sign up. A Good Thing is a not-for-profit set up with one mission: to send less to landfill, and more to a good cause. You’ll be using your connections (friends, family, colleagues, neighbours...), as well as your insights into the local area, to help build the numbers of businesses and charities signing up in your part of the UK.
Amnesty: Amnesty are looking for decoders - a global group of volunteers helping Amnesty International researchers sift through pictures, information and documents using their computers and phones, with an aim to expose human rights violations.
Carbon Copy: Inspired by the findings from Climate Assembly UK in 2020 at the start of this ‘decade of action’, Carbon Copy have gathered 23 awesome community actions into similar categories, adapting the groupings slightly to reflect our focus on collective rather than individual action. Each initiative is an exemplar of big-thinking local action and together they hit all the big themes identified by this citizens’ assembly. This is not a prescriptive list of 23 actions that every community should attempt. Responses to the climate crisis are highly localised because every place is different.
Cancer Research UK: Become a Cancer e-Campaigner and help save lives through political action every day. Volunteers have helped secure additional funding for cancer tests and radiotherapy machines; protected young people from the harms of tobacco through the introduction of plain, standardised cigarette packaging; and put children's obesity on the political agenda.
Manchester Friends of the Earth: Manchester Friends of the Earth is an environmental group, creatively campaigning on local, national and international issues. They are fuelled by volunteer energy and funded by membership subscriptions and donations. They campaign on a wide range of environmental and social issues. Get involved by signing campaigns, taking action and checking out their volunteering page.
Missing People: Thousands of people in the UK are searching for a missing loved one. You can help Missing People be a lifeline when someone disappears by sharing their appeals for missing people online. You can also raise awareness in your local community and encourage businesses and organisations to become Poster Partners.
Red Cross: Help make maps to inform the relief efforts of organisations such as the Red Cross with Missing Maps. Volunteers use satellite images and a drawing tool to mark up buildings, rivers and roads in remote areas that may not have been mapped before. This helps organisations who are first to respond make more informed decisions about disaster relief.
Right to Be: Right To Be's storytelling platform is a safe space where you can share your harassment story, get support, and help others experiencing harassment. In 2016, Right To Be launched HeartMob, a community working to help end online harassment. Right To Be creates a safer space for women, trans people, queer people, and people of colour who are disproportionately targeted by online abuse.
Translators Without Borders: Translators without Borders is a non-profit organisation offering language and translation support for humanitarian and development agencies, and other non-profit organisations on a global scale. You can volunteer with TWB if you are fluent in at least one language other than your native language. They are particularly looking for volunteers who are interested in translating medical texts or translating for crisis response.
United Nations: The United Nations Online Volunteering programme allows organisations and volunteers from around the world to team up to address sustainable development challenges. You get involved in opportunities in fields such as research, project management, translation, technology and much more.
