Jobs

Volunteering

Volunteering can be an excellent way of gaining skills and experience in order to progress into your chosen career.  In the arts, it is often essential to have volunteering experience as competition is high for jobs.

ABO Volunteer Register

The ABO volunteer register is an email alert service notifying subscribers of volunteering positions that are available with ABO members.  When members alert the ABO to forthcoming vacancies, details are emailed to those on the volunteer register.  The number and type of positions vary, but can be anything from a short term placement through to a longer internship or training position.  To apply for any position, you will need to contact the advertising organisation directly.

To join the ABO's Volunteer Register send an email with "Volunteer Register" in the subject line, providing your name, email address and current place of study (if applicable) to: info@abo.org.uk.

Most current vacancies are also listed on the ABO website. Go to Jobs to view current advertisements.

When volunteering you should remember the following:

• Being a volunteer does not affect your entitlement to government benefits.
• To receive Job Seekers Allowance, you can do as much voluntary work as you want as long as you continue to actively seek work.
• An employer can reasonably be asked to provide expenses to reimburse volunteers who are out of pocket.  As long as this is for actual amounts and a record of receipts is kept it should not affect your benefit status.
  

Resources

There are a variety of useful sources of information about volunteering and employment law. 

The ABO is a member of Voluntary Arts Network (http://www.voluntaryarts.org/) and the National Council for Voluntary Organisations (http://www.ncvo-vol.org.uk/) which both have information and a variety of links on volunteering. 

Another useful website is Volunteering England (http://www.volunteering.org.uk/).

Volunteering while on benefits? - click here