vde.org.uk

TWO former council workers have set up their own company to help people find volunteering opportunities.
Chris Bushby and Pete Read founded Discover Volunteering to give residents of Lincolnshire, Rutland and Peterborough support and advice on volunteering.
The pair were previously part of Lincolnshire County Council’s three-man volunteer advisor team and toured the county’s schools and colleges helping young people aged 16 to 25 get volunteering experience in their communities.
While the website is an important part of the company, Chris and Pete will spend much of their time meeting with potential volunteers to find out their interests and find an opportunity that suits them.
They are also meeting businesses to get sponsorship for volunteering schemes and community events. The pair are keen to hear from as many groups and businesses as possible so they can offer the widest range of volunteering experiences available.
Chris, 43, who lives in Thrapston, Northamptonshire, said: “We wanted to carry on the work we were doing because we loved doing it.
“We took the gamble to set up a not-for-profit company to see if we could carry on. It is no different to what we used to do but now we have to attract local businesses to support the community projects and the schemes we are doing with volunteers.”