It feels good to help someone out, but more than that, you can get a huge amount in return. From gaining valuable work experience, building friendships to bringing the local community together and helping you feel safer, there are many rewards.

A lot of us help out or volunteer our time without even realising. When did you last give your time to help a friend or neighbour for instance? Volunteering doesn’t have to be a huge commitment, helping out at your local school or community centre can fit around your free time.

So why not lend a hand and find out how helping others can help you? We are lucky that in Southampton we have a fantastic tradition of volunteering but we appreciate that it’s not always easy to know where to go for advice, support or opportunities. We have links across the city to a host of organisations and voluntary opportunities.

So, what do you have in mind? Below we’ve listed some of the things you could do to get started and where to go next to get involved:

• Gain work experience

• Build community spirit

• Support a good cause

• Get help in return

• Make friends and meet people

• Share my skills and knowledge