Take action. Volunteer!
At Action 21 we encourage local people to take action and be part of the process of change toward a sustainable society.
Volunteering is a great way to meet new people and make a difference. Also people who are looking to return to work, or change career can gain new skills and qualifications and build up confidence through volunteering.
Action 21 could not succeed without the commitment and enthusiasm of our volunteers and we believe that helping them realise their potential benefits all concerned.
Read about some of our volunteering opportunities below and also have a look at some of our volunteers and see why they volunteer.
Click here to download our latest edition of Volunteer Voice, the volunteers' newsletter.
Re-Use Shops
Would you like to be part of a fun team of volunteers saving useful things from ending up in landfill? You can help out in either of our shops at the Recycle Warehouse in Leamington or the Re-Useful Centre in Sydenham. We also have workshops for testing electrical items, repairing bicycles and selling rarer items on ebay and Amazon. .JPG "Recycle Warehouse Volunteers")
- Shop Assistant
- Portable Appliance Tester
- Bicycle Mechanic
- Online Sales Volunteer
- Removals Assistant
- Book Volunteer
Food and allotment projects
There are tonnes of opportunities to get involved with Action 21's Community Food Projects which are all about growing, cooking and eating healthy food. There are also lots of nature site resotrations or garden blitzes to get involved in as a Garden Gang volunteer. 
- Allotment volunteer
- Garden gang volunteer
- Lillington fresh food co-op
- Sydenham fresh food co-op
- Warwick fresh food co-op
- Community lunch volunteer in Lillington
Green Champions
Our Green Champions are our advocates in the community for greener living, communicating to people about what they can do locally to live their lives more sustainably. Green Champion projects cover one of our five themes of waste, food, education, transport and energy, and range from working in schools to engaging with community groups or creating an ethical consumer map..jpg "Bike volunteer")
Communications and PR
Have you got the skills or talent to help us communicate with our volunteers, members and the general public?
- Newsletter designer
- Article writer
- Photographer
- Community liaison volunteer
- Social networking websites volunteer
- IT Support volunteer
- Website editor (coming soon)
Energy
If you're interested in energy efficiency or renewable energy, you might want to get involved in one of these projects:
- Solar 300 Challenge (solar thermal installations) - as a Green Champion or Admin Assistant
- Sydenham Community Insulation Project
- Green Champions
Office
We're involved in lots of projects where additional administrative support would be really useful. Do you want to improve your skills and gain confidence whilst working to support a worthwhile cause? We can work with you to match your interests and areas of experience with one of our projects.
- Office volunteer
- Minute taker (coming soon)
Education
If you enjoy working with children you might like to get involved in planning and helping to run a school eco-day or Dr Bike session with our Education Officer.
Directors
Our board of directors plays a significant role in the strategic direction of Action 21. They have an overall responsibility for Action 21's statutory and contractual legal and financial duties, management arrangements and promoting good practice based on company law and formal guidance. Being a company director, a respected, recognised and responsible role, is an excellent route for you to apply your skills and gain more experience at a strategic level.
Click on the link below to find out more about what the role requires and also about the procedure for joining the board.
One off volunteering
There are tonnes of events and one-day projects to get your teeth into. Opportunities range from helping to recycle the waste from a local festival to being a group leader at a children's sustainability event; helping out on a community garden work-party and many, many more...
Our online diary is the best place to find out about upcoming projects and events that you can get involved in. You can also check out the links below or have a look at our one-off volunteering page.
- Recycling steward
- Information stall assistant
- Activities assistant
- 2010 & Beyond group leader
- Children's food events (coming soon)
- Garden Gang projects (coming soon)
What commitment do you have to make?
We want you volunteer at times that suit you whilst making the best use of the skills and experience you have. So, give us a call on 01926 453030 and talk to us about what you would like to do.
Equally the length of volunteer placement varies dramatically. Some volunteers, both in shops and theme groups, stay with us for many years. Others only have a short amount of time to offer and move on to other things.
What do we offer?
- Training: induction, in-house courses, formal qualifications (eg Portable Appliance Testing Certificate)
- Supervision on a regular basis
- Social and team building events
- To reimburse your travel costs - for volunteers using public transport or cycle to get to us on the day when you volunteer
- References for future employers