Press Release

A-day – thousands of ways to make the grade

Tuesday, August 12 2008

Today's the day for 18-year olds all over England and Wales waiting for A level results. But what of those who didn't get the grades or want something more on their CV’s before tackling university? The Charity Commission, the charity regulator, says volunteering could be the key to giving yourself added value – after all, 73% of employers would choose an employee with volunteering experience over one without.*

The 190,000 different charities in England and Wales alone offer a huge range of voluntary roles – from media to marketing, fundraising to finance, sports promotion to social welfare and trusteeship itself– providing thousands of opportunities to anyone with the commitment and drive to gain new experience.

There are plenty of organisations out there to put you in touch with the roles you want. Organisations such as v – the volunteer charity specifically aimed at the under 25's, TimeBank, Volunteering England and Volunteering Wales.

Student Faizaan Ahmed has just taken his A levels, "I'm actually helping to run the charity the Halimah Trust, raising money for a school in Pakistan. I'm the Chair of the trustees which means I'm directly involved in helping make decisions about the charity. I really love this role; just because I'm young doesn't mean I can't make a real difference – I'd recommend volunteering for a charity to any young person."

Rosie Chapman, the Commission's Director of Policy, said: "“If you're thinking about a gap year or keen to try something different, why not volunteer? It can give you great experience and really help you on your way to finding your dream job. We know employers value volunteering experience; seizing these opportunities can be the first step to improving your future chances - as well as the lives of others. Use the register on our website to find out more."