Our volunteers are the heart of our fundraising efforts and the foundation of our charity, helping us stay deeply connected to the communities we serve. There are many reasons why people choose to volunteer with us, just some of which we have examined below.
In Autumn 2023, we held our first ever Volunteer Away Day, welcoming over 150 volunteers. We look forward to our next Away Day in summer 2025 when we will once more celebrate their outstanding contribution. We’d love it if you could be there and join over 650 volunteers in a role to suit you.
Volunteering can be a very sociable activity, and because there are all sorts of volunteer roles to get involved with, you can be sure you’ll meet all sorts of different people too. From helping in one of our charity shops to becoming one of our speakers, or sharing your creativity, there’s a volunteering role to suit your availability, your skills and your personality.
With opportunities to share and develop your skills across all sorts of different areas, volunteering can really help to boost a CV. Interpersonal skills, organisational skills and practical skills, among others, can all be enhanced and built upon through volunteering. Donating your time for free also shows would-be employers that you are willing to stretch yourself, explore new possibilities and that you have good values – all desirable qualities for a prospective employee. Volunteer in one of our charity shops and you can even earn an NVQ in Retail or Customer Service.
Volunteering can be a very rewarding experience. Meeting the public at our events and in our shops can be fun, and working with others towards a common cause is also an enriching experience. There’s a lot of work to do and it’s likely you’ll be kept busy, so it’s a great way to focus your energy, employ your various skills, or develop new skills.
We value each person who donates their time and skills to the charity. As a volunteer your contribution to Devon Air Ambulance helps us to make a meaningful difference to the lives of people in Devon.
We are an independent charity, which means we don’t receive Government funding. Therefore, we rely on real people, like our volunteers, to support us. We exist to minimise suffering by attending incidents that land ambulances can’t reach and when time is critical.
Therefore, we ensure every penny we receive from our fundraisers and donors goes to where it is most needed, which is why volunteers who donate their time in support of this effort can help us to make a life-changing difference. Several of our volunteers are former Devon Air Ambulance patients themselves, looking to give something back to the service that helped them.
One of the many positive outcomes of donating your time or skills to us is an increase in your confidence and self-esteem, as one of our volunteers describes. You can also expect to experience the ‘warm glow’ of having made such a positive contribution to a charity that anyone in the county might one day need.