Volunteering That Suits You: Finding a Role That Uses Your Skills and Lifts Your Spirit

How to choose a volunteering role that matches your skills, interests and time — from charity shops and befriending to trustee boards and skilled roles — and how to make it rewarding.

By The CRONE editors · 19 October 2026 · 7 minute read

Many women reach their fifties and sixties with a wealth of experience: careers, family life, community work, practical skills, professional expertise and hard-won wisdom. As working hours reduce or children become independent, there is often more time — and a desire to use it meaningfully. Volunteering offers a wonderful way to do that: helping others, supporting causes you care about, meeting people and learning new things.

Yet not every volunteering role is a good fit. The right one leaves you energised and fulfilled; the wrong one can feel like an unpaid job you dread. This guide helps you think about what you want from volunteering, explores the many types of role available, and offers tips for making the experience rewarding for you and the organisation.

Why volunteer?

People volunteer for many reasons:

To make a difference to individuals, communities or causes.
To use skills and experience built over a lifetime.
To learn something new or try a different kind of work.
To meet people and build friendships.
To bring structure to the week, especially after retirement.
To stay active, physically and mentally.
To give back to organisations that helped them or their families.

Many volunteers also describe a sense of purpose and wellbeing from their work, and volunteering is often associated with feeling more connected to the community.

Start with yourself

Before looking at opportunities, spend some time thinking about what you want.

What do you care about?

Think about causes close to your heart: children and young people, older people, health, animals, the environment, arts and culture, education, poverty, homelessness, refugees, faith communities, sport, local heritage. Volunteering for a cause you care about makes it more meaningful.

What skills do you want to use — or learn?

Professional skills: finance, law, marketing, management, teaching, healthcare, IT, writing, design.
Practical skills: cooking, gardening, sewing, DIY, driving.
People skills: listening, mentoring, organising, welcoming.

Some people want to use their professional expertise; others prefer to do something completely different from their former work.

How much time do you have?

Be realistic. Options range from a single day each year to several days a week. It is better to commit to less and enjoy it than to overcommit and burn out.

How do you like to work?

With people or behind the scenes?
Indoors or outdoors?
Regular commitment or occasional events?
Alone, in a team or leading others?
In person or remotely?

Types of volunteering

Working directly with people

Befriending: visiting or phoning isolated older people.
Mentoring: supporting young people, new parents, entrepreneurs or people returning to work.
Reading and homework help in schools and libraries.
Helplines and listening services, after training.
Hospital and hospice volunteering: welcoming visitors, refreshment trolleys, companionship.
Supporting refugees with language practice and settling in.

Practical and community roles

Charity shops: sorting donations, serving customers, arranging displays.
Food banks and community kitchens: sorting food, packing parcels, cooking.
Community gardens and conservation: planting, maintaining green spaces, wildlife surveys.
Driving: taking people to medical appointments or delivering meals.
Events: helping at fun runs, festivals and fundraising events.
Repair cafés: fixing items and teaching repair skills.

Arts, heritage and culture

Museum and gallery guides.
Historic house and garden volunteers.
Theatre front-of-house.
Archives and local history projects.

Animals

Animal shelters: caring for animals, walking dogs, fostering.
Wildlife rescue.

Skilled and leadership roles

Trustee or board member: helping govern a charity, using experience in finance, law, management or strategy. Many charities actively seek trustees with diverse experience.
School governor or similar roles.
Professional pro bono work: offering legal, financial, marketing or IT expertise.
Committee roles in clubs and community groups.

Remote volunteering

Telephone befriending.
Online mentoring and tutoring.
Transcription and research projects.
Writing, design and social media support.

Finding opportunities

Local volunteer centres or volunteering platforms list opportunities in your area.
Charity websites often have volunteering pages.
Libraries, community centres and places of worship display notices.
Ask friends who already volunteer.
Approach organisations directly — many welcome enquiries even if they are not advertising.

Questions to ask before committing

What exactly will I be doing?
How much time is expected, and how flexible is it?
What training and support are provided?
Who will I report to?
Are expenses, such as travel, reimbursed?
Are background checks required? (Common for roles with children or vulnerable adults.)
Can I try the role before committing?

Good organisations will be happy to answer these questions.

Making volunteering rewarding

Start small. Try a role for a few weeks before taking on more.
Be reliable. Organisations depend on volunteers turning up when expected.
Take the training. It helps you do the role well and safely.
Ask for support if something is difficult.
Get to know fellow volunteers: shared work creates friendships.
Reflect regularly. Is the role still meeting your needs and theirs?
Set boundaries. It is fine to say no to extra requests. Volunteering should enrich your life, not overwhelm it.

Stories of how volunteering can look

Every volunteer's path is different. A former accountant might become treasurer of a small local charity, using lifelong skills for a few hours a month and finding real satisfaction in helping a cause she believes in run smoothly. A retired nurse might train as a hospice befriender, sitting with patients and families and offering calm companionship. A keen gardener might join a conservation group, spending Saturday mornings planting hedgerows and clearing ponds with a sociable team, coming home muddy and happy. Someone who has always loved reading might help children practise their reading at the local primary school, watching their confidence grow week by week. A woman who has moved to a new town might start by sorting donations in a charity shop, and within months find she has a whole new circle of friends.

These are illustrations rather than prescriptions, but they show how varied volunteering can be — and how often it brings unexpected rewards. Many volunteers say they gain at least as much as they give: new skills, friendships, confidence, and a sense that their time and experience matter.

Looking after yourself as a volunteer

Some roles, particularly those involving people in difficult circumstances, can be emotionally demanding. Good organisations provide training, supervision and someone to talk to. Make use of that support, take breaks, and pay attention to how you feel. If a role starts to affect your sleep, mood or health, talk to your coordinator about adjusting it. Looking after your own wellbeing is what allows you to keep giving over the long term.

Recognising your contribution

Volunteering experience is valuable. Keep a note of the roles you have held, training you have completed and skills you have developed. It can be useful if you later decide to take on a different role, apply for paid work, or become a trustee. Many organisations are happy to provide references for long-standing volunteers.

When it does not work out

Sometimes a role is not right: the tasks are not what you expected, the atmosphere is uncomfortable, or your circumstances change. It is perfectly acceptable to leave. Give reasonable notice and explain politely. There are countless other opportunities, and finding the right fit can take a couple of tries.

Volunteering with family and friends

Many women enjoy volunteering alongside a partner, friend or grandchild. Family volunteering days, charity walks and community clean-ups are wonderful shared experiences that combine time together with doing good.

Micro-volunteering and one-off help

If regular commitments do not suit you, there are many ways to help in short bursts. You might knit blankets or hats for a hospital or charity at home, take part in an annual litter pick or tree-planting day, help at a single fundraising event, sign up for occasional neighbourhood help such as shopping for a housebound neighbour, or contribute to online citizen-science projects from your armchair. These small acts add up, and they are a good way to try out causes before committing to a regular role.

Volunteering abroad

Some people combine travel with volunteering. Research carefully: choose reputable organisations, make sure your contribution genuinely helps local communities, and be wary of programmes that charge high fees for short placements. Skills-based roles, conservation projects and roles with long-standing local partners are often more meaningful.

A simple plan to get started

List the causes you care about.
List the skills you want to use or learn.
Decide how much time you can give.
Search for opportunities locally and online.
Contact two or three organisations and ask questions.
Try a role for a few weeks.
Reflect, adjust and enjoy.

The bottom line

Volunteering can bring purpose, connection and joy at any stage of life. By choosing a cause you care about, a role that suits your skills and personality, and a commitment that fits your life, you can make a real difference while enriching your own days. Start small, be reliable, ask questions and keep the experience enjoyable — and you may find that giving your time is one of the most rewarding things you do.