The kids on the allotment club need volunteers to dig with them. And this is just the tip of the iceberg.

Volunteers have been helping with activities at the Community Centre in the Cutteslowe area for many years. Cutteslowe Community Association is working to provide more chances for people to get involved in their local community. How much a small organisation like the Community Association can do is limited by the amount of administration involved, so someone to help with the administration can help the community get more done and at the same time is a way for a volunteer to get some basic administration experience and add those skills to their CV. Chris Bonfiglioli, Community Development Director, said: “Are you having trouble getting a job because you don’t have any experience and can’t get experience because you can’t find a job? There are ways to avoid this Catch 22 situation. One of those is getting experience by volunteering; another is by going on courses which take you in the direction you want to go in. Volunteering can be a big step towards doing what you want with your life.”

There are so many different types of volunteering opportunity, such as fundraising. This is a challenge for a small organisation and volunteering in a role like this is a chance to learn how fundraising works from the ground up. There are Woodcraft groups all over Oxford but a notable absence in North Oxford, Wolvercote and Cutteslowe. Volunteering to run a new group in the area is an ideal first step towards a career in play work or primary teaching. There is a chance for someone to try out their marketing ideas in a local setting by promoting the exciting events and activities going on at the local Primary School, Community Centre and Children’s centre. The Cutteslowe Community Association supports the Nature Friendly Cutteslowe movement which is working towards more wild flowers, more involvement with the natural surroundings and a better environment for people, flora and fauna.

Opportunities in Cutteslowe also exist in helping the Seniors Group or the Art Club and flexible Volunteering help with delivering newsletters.

The Community Association can also support volunteers by sponsoring them to go on relevant courses — another boost for their CV and job prospects. Contact Chris Bonfiglioli by phone on 311172 or by email communitycentre@cutteslowe.co.uk for more information.

n If you want to contribute to this column contact Sarah Beer at Oxfordshire Community and Voluntary Action (OCVA) by email at voluntaryvoice@ocva.org.uk