Volunteering opportunities in the West Midlands and Staffordshire

Not only is volunteering incredibly rewarding, it is a great way to gain new skills, improve confidence, meet new people and give your CV a boost.

To mark the end of Volunteers' Week, here's our round up of local charitable causes and organisations that are looking for people to donate their time.

The British Heart Foundation shop on Queen Street, Wolverhampton, is always busy and looking for people to lend an extra pair of hands (a great way to gain retail work experience!) BHF is also seeking volunteers to help with fundraising and events. For more information visit www.bhf.org.uk

West Midlands Fire Service is seeking community volunteers to help with their safety education programme at fire station open days and other community events. The service is also in need of Safeside visitor guides to work with children, vulnerable adults and older people. For more information visit www.wmfs.net

Become a volunteer with St Johns Ambulance and receive full first aid training. You will be required to help at events across the region and provide support to patients whilst on NHS support and ambulance transfers. Volunteers must be 18 or over and don't need any previous first aid training. For more information visit www.sja.org.uk

A wide range of volunteering opportunities are available across the Royal Wolverhampton Hospital NHS Trust, from helping out with patient meal times on the wards, carrying out patient surveys, the arts for health scheme and supporting patients with dementia. Volunteers must be 18 or over and a criminal records check will be carried out for those wishing to work with vulnerable adults of children. For more information visit: www.royalwolverhamptonhospitals.nhs.uk

Cat lovers, this one is for you. Cats Protection relies a great deal on generous donations and is seeking for a fundraising volunteer who can help to raise awareness of the organisation. They are looking for someone confident with dealing with the public and handling money. This is a very flexible role and provides a great opportunity to meet new people whilst developing new skills. For more information visit wolverhampton.cats.org.uk

St Anthony's is based in Wombourne and its prime focus is assisting people with physical disabilities to achieve their goals in life. They are currently looking for 'Buddys' – someone residents can sit and chat too or just relax and watch a DVD with. This is a fun opportunity to meet new people and help to build a better world for disabled people living in the area. For more information visit www.lcdisability.org

Bilston Craft Gallery is looking for a volunteer gallery assistants to help maintain its visitor services. The ideal person will be outgoing and friendly with good communication skills and a keen interest in the gallery's contemporary and historic exhibits. For more information visit www.do-it.org

Do you enjoy gardening?Action on Hearing are looking for green-fingered volunteers to maintain their garden, with the long-term aim of developing Lysways Garden in Walsall into a sensory garden. Volunteers will be able to learn a range of new gardening skills and make a huge people to people who are deaf or hard of hearing. For more information visit www.actiononhearingloss.org.uk.

If you love film, video, photography and new media there's nowhere better to donate your time than the Lighthouse Media Centre in Wolverhampton. The centre is dedicated to highlighting the importance of media to the cultural and social life of Wolverhampton. Volunteers stewards get free tickets to all events they work at, while the centre also needs ambassadors to promote its work around Wolverhampton. For more information visit light-house.co.uk.

Volunteers are an important and valued part of Walsall Library Service. They are currently looking for IT Buddys to help members of the public use the myguide website and other internet resources. Volunteers should be familiar with the internet and MS word and be able to communicate well. This opportunity is mainly daytime and can include weekends. For more information visit cms.walsall.gov.uk.

By Beth Motherwell