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Half term periods can feel a little overwhelming if you're not sure what to do being out of routine. However, with schools closed and many workplaces a little quieter, half term offers a flexible window to get involved in meaningful one-off or short term volunteering activities. Whether you have a few hours or a few days, there are plenty of ways to make a difference in your community. These can be formalised opportunities, like those listed on the GoVolHerts website, or informal volunteering that you organise yorself. Here are some inspiring ideas to consider: Support a Local Food Bank Food banks often experience increased demand during school holidays, when families who rely on free school meals need extra support. Volunteers are typically needed to: Sort and organise donations Pack food parcels Assist with distribution Help with stock checks Collect items from supermarkets Drop off parcels to those in need Even a single shift can make a real impact. It’s hands-on, practical, and deeply rewarding. Help at Community Clean-Up Events Half term is a great time to get outdoors. Many local councils and community groups organise litter picks or park clean-ups during school breaks. You can: Join an organised clean-up event Gather a group of friends or colleagues and start your own Focus on parks, riversides, city/town centres, streets Not only does this improve the local environment, but it’s also a fantastic activity to involve children in, teaching them about sustainability and community pride. And if you can't find one to get involved in, one not organise one yourself! Volunteer with Youth Programmes With children out of school, youth clubs and community centres often run holiday activities and need extra support. You could help with: Arts and crafts sessions Sports activities Reading support Mentoring programmes SEN provisions This is particularly impactful if you enjoy working with young people and want to help create a safe, engaging space for them during the break. Visit Care Homes Loneliness can increase during holiday periods, where family members may be away and not able to visit as often. Care homes and community elderly support groups often welcome volunteers to spend time with residents. Simple activities include: Playing board games or hosting bingo Reading aloud Hosting craft sessions Having a friendly chat Going for a walk Sometimes, your time and presence are the most valuable gifts you can offer. Support Local Charities with Admin or Digital Skills Not all volunteering is front-facing. Many charities need short-term help with: Social media support Website updates Photography Event planning Data entry or admin tasks Collecting donation pots Leaflet drops Accountancy Bid-writing If you have professional skills in marketing, finance, IT, or communications, half term is a perfect opportunity to offer pro bono support. Get Involved in Animal Welfare A great one for families to get involved! Animal shelters and rescue centres often need volunteers for: Dog walking Cleaning and maintenance Assisting with adoption days Fundraising support Feeding times For animal lovers, this can be an especially fulfilling way to spend time during the break, as well as offering valuable work experience for those wishing to pursue a career in animal sciences or care. Organise a Fundraising Challenge If structured volunteering isn’t possible, consider organising your own mini fundraising challenge over half term. Ideas include: A sponsored walk, run, swim or other activity A bake sale A community quiz night An online fundraising campaign This is a great way to involve friends, family, or even colleagues in supporting a cause close to your heart. Volunteering isn’t just about helping others, it benefits you too. It's a great way to create a routine as well as boost your mood and mental wellbeing, connect with people and strengthen your CV/experience if you are looking for work or a career change. And by getting involved in one off or short term volunteering like during half term, it allows you to try something new without committing long-term. If you’re not sure where to begin, why not check out our one-off and short term opportunities by changing the 'Type' on this page to fit your availability. This half term, consider swapping just a small portion of your downtime for something that gives back. You might be surprised at how much of a difference you can make even in just a few hours.

People of all genders can feel disconnected at different stages of life. Whether due to work, family changes, health challenges or social circumstances. But research and lived experience show that many men experience barriers to forming and maintaining close social connections, often because of cultural expectations around independence and emotional self-reliance, even more so as they get older. One survey found that around 27% of men report feeling lonely frequently or always and that men are often less likely than women to seek support when they feel isolated or struggling emotionally. Although loneliness affects all people, this highlights how social norms can make it harder for men - and anyone socialised to downplay emotional needs - to reach out and build connection. How does this connect with volunteering? Volunteering isn’t just about giving time: it’s a structured way to meet people, develop friendships, feel valued and contribute to something bigger than ourselves. That sense of purpose and social contact can dramatically reduce feelings of isolation. It creates social opportunities embedded in action rather than in direct emotional disclosure. Taking part in a shared activity can make opening up and forming bonds much easier. And the benefits go both ways: recent UK data shows that volunteering isn’t just meaningful for volunteers, it’s vital for communities too . Many community services rely on volunteers to support people’s wellbeing and day-to-day lives. One great example of this work in action are the Community Transport services run across the county by voluntary and community organisations. They bring volunteers together to provide friendly transport services for people who find it hard to or cannot access public transport, particularly older people and those with health needs. But beyond the practical help of getting someone to a medical appointment or social group, these volunteer drivers often become one of few points of human interaction each week, offering moments of conversation, laughter and connection. North Herts & Stevenage Centre for Voluntary Service (NHCVS) runs one such scheme and they will be hosting a special online talk on Thursday 26th February , called Transport for Connection , which explores how community transport can help combat loneliness and strengthen social bonds for both passengers and volunteers alike. If you’re thinking about managing your own loneliness or want more connection, there are many ways to get involved depending on your interests and availability: Volunteer Driver – Offer journeys to people who need friendly support getting around; a perfect fit if you enjoy driving and meeting new people. Event Support – Help organise or run local community events, from talking to attendees to assisting with set up and running. Befriending and support roles – Be a regular friendly face for someone who’d appreciate companionship or help with errands. Online or remote volunteering — If getting out regularly is tricky, many organisations offer digital volunteering opportunities, including mentoring, monitoring helplines, admin support or if you're particularly experienced, a trustee role. People of all genders need community, care and connection, and volunteering is one of the most accessible routes to build those things, especially for people who might not naturally seek out new social spaces. If you’ve ever wondered whether volunteering could be right for you, maybe as a way to meet people, learn new skills, or simply make a difference — there’s likely a role out there that fits you . Have a look at our current opportunities to see what matches your interests or skills - Volunteer in your community | GoVolHerts

This February we're celebrating, as GoVolHerts turns four! And just in time for our anniversary, earlier this month we hit 10,000 registered volunteers and 600 registered organisations , an incredible milestone for our Hertfordshire volunteering community! GoVolHerts itself has built on the earlier success of #TeamHertsVolunteering and we are extremely proud to continue going from strength to strength. Thank you to everyone who's been part of our ongoing development. In this last year we've seen a wider range of opportunities than ever, more volunteers and organisations proactively using the volunteer pool to find connections and a nearly six-fold increase in volunteering applications since GoVolHerts launched! We average around 10,000 visitors a month and receive ever more enquiries. One thing we pride ourselves on at GoVolHerts is that we're not only facilitating a connecting place for organisations and passionate, committed potential volunteers, but with volunteering being our passion, we go much further - to support you, celebrate the unique contribution of volunteers, raise awareness of the benefits of volunteering, showcase the amazing work of local non-profit organisations and the impact it has and help people to get involved in a wide range of opportunities that meet their interests and circumstances. Whilst it is incredible that we have so many of you registered with the site, numbers are not what matter most to us. It's the overall impact of potential for volunteer support for Hertfordshire charities and community groups and their service users. Increasing the number of volunteers means organisations can potentially involve more volunteers from different backgrounds, ages, skills and experiences. With our platform that matches interests and flexibility with relevant positions, it's even easier to connect the two. So whether a charity needs digital support, event help, befriending, admin support, trustees, transport, club management or occasional hands-on assistance, we hope to have something for everyone. To ensure that we go from strength to strength and remain a place that supports both organisations and volunteers, we would love to hear your feedback and experience of the GoVolHerts platform. If you have 5 minutes to spare, you can share your feedback here or if you have additional feedback please do email us [email protected] Thank you so much to every volunteer who has given their time, every charity on a mission and every group that has joined our network. Here's to four more years, and beyond!