Oh I'm too busy. I'd love to, but I don't have time. Maybe next year, when I get the chance...

How often do we say that about our work or home life? I know I certainly do!

Feeling like we don't have time is often the thing that holds us back from donating our time and skills to good causes. 

Lots of people think that volunteering means giving up lots of your spare time, but it doesn’t have to. You can do ‘micro-volunteering’, which means volunteering for a smaller amount of time but still making a big difference. You can even volunteer from the comfort of your own home while wearing your pyjamas if you want to!

Here are a few ideas for quick and easy ways you can donate your time and skills, no matter how little time you have:

1 hour a year

If you want to volunteer with other people, why not join one of our fundraising bucket collections in a city centre or at a railway station. You can volunteer for just 1 hour or spend a day raising awareness of Mencap and collecting donations from the public. You just sign up, attend a briefing on the day and get a big thank you afterwards!

1 hour a month

To be a Mencap Visiting Service volunteer you just need to be friendly and reliable and able to visit someone 6 times a year – that’s once every 2 months for as little as an hour or two. We provide training and ongoing support to give you the skills and confidence to be a great befriender to an older adult with a learning disability .

1 hour a week

Our community fundraising team need volunteers to use the internet to find out about their local area and businesses or community groups who might be interested in supporting Mencap. As a research and admin volunteer you only need an hour or two a week and you can volunteer in the evening or while watching TV.

4 hours a week

Volunteer in one of our 25 new Mencap charity shops. You will meet new people and learn new skills such as using a till, preparing stock for the shelves, and visual merchandising. Prefer shopping? Visit one of charity shops and pick up a bargain, or if you’re having a clear out donate your clothes, accessories, books and household items to Mencap and help raise money to support more people with a learning disability. Don’t forget to sign up for Gift Aid so that we raise 25% more at no cost to you!

Still too busy? You can support Mencap in a few seconds by following us on Twitter @mencap_charity or liking us on Facebook (search Mencap) and sharing the things that we post with your friends, family and followers.

However much time you have, and however you decide to support Mencap, thank you. You're amazing.

Search our volunteer vacancies

Visit our volunteering recruitment site to find out about the latest exciting opportunities in your area!

Search for vacancies now!