BY JACK WELCH

THROUGHOUT the year, there are many days, weeks and even months to mark many worthwhile causes and highlighted for good reasons.

One of those areas which always deserves such recognition is volunteering – which is almost impossible to classify these days, given the variety of opportunities available.

For many communities, volunteering is no longer just a niche activity with the National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO) estimating 15.2 million people across the UK has taken part in at least one unpaid activity within a month.

It is an impressive total and a figure which should rightfully rise in the future.

The Volunteer’s Week festivities, now past its 30th anniversary, serves as a reminder for all organisations and companies the contributions volunteers bring on board, as well as those individuals themselves who should be recognised for their work in communities.

Dorset itself is no exception to this, with the county’s Volunteer Centre recording over 2,000 opportunities available for the taking.

Now with the economic climate, groups are depending on the goodwill and support of people for their time to adopt roles for the greater benefit of their communities.

I have been extremely fortunate in my time as an active volunteer for over five years now, where there have been changes and many wonderful options for young people to find locally and beyond.

For those cynical about its powers still, there are a wealth of ways to be involved and positions which can make a real difference to people’s lives.