COMMUNITY First has launched a new Volunteer Wessex website with a “local feel” to give organisations and volunteers across East Hampshire the chance to advertise for help and find opportunities where they live.

The charity helps other organisations find, recruit and support volunteers, but they also offer the same support and guidance to potential volunteers.

Tom Belshaw, development manager for Community First, said: “We’re really proud to launch this new site which is the result of lots of work behind the scenes with volunteers and local community groups. We know that there are lots of people who want to volunteer and plenty of willing helpers, but it’s getting the information in one easy-to-access place. The new site does this.

“Volunteer Wessex helps groups to promote their activities and services locally and it gives volunteers more control of the information they want to share by creating a sort of online volunteering CV.

“We will grow the site over the next few months, making it the local one stop shop for volunteering.”

Tim Houghton, chief executive of Community First, added: “Volunteering is at the heart of a vibrant and successful community. Lots of people find their own ways of giving time but many people ask us for help and our easy-to-use online service will make it much easier for people to find new opportunities and get into a volunteering role quickly.

“We are really keen to attract younger volunteers as well as those who might volunteer their time and expertise relevant to their work. There are some fantastic opportunities to help people and organisations right on your doorstep and we hope to see a big upsurge in numbers of volunteers coming forward.”

To see the website, visit volunteerwessex.org. For more details about volunteering or volunteer recruitment, call 0300 500 8085 or e-mail [email protected].