Become an MV
I Want to Become an MV
Millennium Volunteers (MV) is a programme that has been running since 1998 and in Wales it has helped over 14,500 young people across the country achieve recognition for volunteering in over a 1,000 different organisations. MV also runs in Scotland and Northern Ireland and in England the ‘V’ initiative uses the same key principles as MV.
So what exactly does it involve?
MVs are volunteers who make a commitment to do voluntary work over the course of a year, which will benefit their local community. Volunteer Centres across Wales have specialist advisors who can help you find something challenging and interesting and something that you will enjoy. You can volunteer in several places at a time or move between placements during your 200 hours.
There is a certificate to mark the first 50 and 100 hours of volunteering and MVs who complete 200 hours of volunteering will receive an Award of Excellence signed by the First Minister.
Volunteer Now!
There are two ways to find a volunteer placement:
1. Contact a local Youth Volunteer Advisor, there is one in every county in Wales.
2. Search the large online database of volunteer opportunities.
Remember, there are over 1,000 organisations in Wales who have worked with MVs, so there is likely to be something for you out there!
Why should you become an MV?
It’s a fun and rewarding way to spend some of your spare time. It opens your eyes to other things that are going around you. It can challenge you, your perceptions of other people, your knowledge and skills and can really help you develop in so many ways. You can make new friends and volunteering can be great to talk about to your other friends. It can even help you to think about what you may want to do in later life and try out different things to see if you enjoy them.
It also looks good on your CV or if you are trying to get into College or University. In a survey by Reed Employment agency 94% of employers asked said they would hire someone with volunteering on their CV over someone without, so you should always include your experiences when applying for jobs! Some Colleges and Universities offer MV already and so will be very familiar with it if you put it on your application form.
Below are some examples of the paperwork involved – it really is not much and it should help you reflect on your experience as a volunteer too. There are also some stories from other volunteers about what happened to them.
There has never been a better time to volunteer!
Do I get paid to join the programme?
The ethos of the programme is volunteering so you do not receive a payment for taking part. However you will be reimbursed your expenses, such as travel to and from your placement, some childcare costs and in some cases lunch and refreshments. Although you do not earn money from volunteering, the aim is that you will never be financially worse off from doing it.
Answer even more of your questions by looking at our FAQ
Download examples of some of the MV forms:
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