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Volunteering Inspiration


Would you like to volunteer for #1MillionHours but need some ideas about where to start? Here are some great examples of volunteers who have done weird and wonderful things in the name of charity...

Cheer Volunteers

London Marathon cheer volunteers

Amy and Charles talk about the "electric" feeling of cheering on London Marathon runners.

Amy and Charles went to the London Marathon with Oxfam to cheer on all the runners passing through the 23rd mile. They have both volunteered as festival stewards in the past, and decided to help out at the London Marathon too.

We’re all feeling amazing because we’re helping to get those people across the finish line, which is what it’s all about today.
Charles

All the cheer volunteers stand at cheer points across the marathon route and their enthusiasm helps to keep the runners going to the finish line.

Time Traveller

Chloe's trip through Time

Chloe volunteers by giving guided tours of an 18th century house in costume as a maid.

Chloe volunteers for The National Trust by giving guided tours around an 18th century house. She brings the history of the house to life by dressing in clothes from the era while guiding people round.

This is not what I thought it was going to be - but it's so fun.
Chloe

She decided to volunteer to help her history studies. At first Chloe thought it’d be quite serious work, but as she told us, it was more fun than she expected and it even helped her get her own radio show…

Giant Crayon

"It's the only costume we had."

Ben dressed up as a giant crayon for Cancer Research UK's free will service.

Ben is a student in Southampton and decided to pledge his time to #1MillionHours after hearing about it on the radio. He dressed up as a Giant Crayon to help to promote Cancer Research UK's free will service.

It makes me feel good about myself because you're obviously doing it for Cancer Research
Ben

He wanted to volunteer because he thought it would help him to get a job in the future, but he never expected it to be so much fun!

Fashion Squad

Jack and Abbie's fashion tips

Jack volunteers as a stylist and Abbie as a model in a Cancer Research UK charity shop.

Jack and Abbie are students in Southampton. They volunteer in a Cancer Research UK shop - Jack as a stylist and Abbie as a model and stylist. They create the window displays and take pictures of the clothes for Twitter and Instagram.

I get to do what I love, what I want to do in life, and I get to have fun with it.
Jack

Soon Abbie will do some live modelling as part of the window displays. Together they have decided on the theme of “Festival” for the summer style of the store.

Garden Heroes

"I'm really good at mowing lawns"

Greg James joins some volunteers from GoodGym who help out in older people's gardens.

GoodGym is a community of runners who get fit by doing good deeds. Greg James met volunteers Jenny and Sascha in North London, and together they ran to Reenie’s house to do some gardening. They cut the grass, weeded the garden and had a little chat with Reenie before running back home.

I’m speaking to people I wouldn’t have met before
Sascha

Jenny and Sascha regularly do group runs where they run to somewhere local and volunteer for a local community organisation.