About Us

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Volunteering Ashford, formerly Ashford & District Volunteer Bureau, is a registered charity established in 1978 to provide information about volunteering to people who are interested in getting involved in their local communities and provide guidance for organisations in good practice in managing and supporting their volunteers. Our services are supplied to the whole of the Ashford Borough and when requested, we are happy to provide our skills and services to a wider community.

Our overall purpose is to promote, develop and support, through partnership, a dynamic and diverse voluntary and community sector.

We firmly believe that volunteering enriches lives, enhances local services and increases cohesion in the community. Volunteers acquire skills, confidence and experience to springboard them to paid employment, a new career or a life change. The organisations where they volunteer benefit from the time, energy and growing expertise of their staff. In addition, the clients served by the organisation benefit from the service being provided.

Volunteering contributes to other people’s quality of life as well as the volunteers. It can provide a sense of purpose and self-worth and offer the chance to develop talents volunteers may not know they possess. It can help to build a sense of belonging within the community and the organisation as volunteers meet and forge bonds with new and stimulating co-workers and clients who use an organisation’s services.