Volunteer work is, in relation to other countries, very popular in the Netherlands. In 2010, approximately one in five of the Dutch population was active as a volunteer for an average of five hours per week. Volunteer work leads to better social cohesion and is generally more common among people with higher education. There has also been an increase in popularity among young people.
Volunteer work in the Netherlands
There are approximately 5.5 million volunteers active in the Netherlands. This means that there are approximately 5.5 million people who do unpaid and non-compulsory work for others or for society as a whole. The work of a volunteer is important in general or for a specific part of society. In principle, volunteer work should not replace paid work. Someone cannot be incapacitated for work, but still perform volunteer work.
Areas of volunteer work
- Sports (largest sector with more than one million volunteers): Such as organizing sports events – Johan Cruyff Foundation .
- Education: As a social internship or teaching abroad – Projects-Abroad .
- Welfare: Such as organizing activities for the elderly, guidance on the return to society of psychiatric patients, buddy projects -maatjesgezocht.nl .
- Care: Coffee and tea services in recreation rooms, meal delivery, bus driver on outings, guidance to church for people in a care institution, holidays with patients – the Red Cross
Volunteer work can be found via the municipality’s vacancy bank, but there are also often volunteer centers in your own area. For more specific choices, you can contact the organization itself directly.
Volunteer work abroad
In addition to carrying out volunteer work in our own country, it is also possible to go to a developing country and provide assistance there under an organization. Organizations send people to another country for a certain period of time to work on building the economy and other ways to support the people there.
Nowadays there are many organizations and projects in countries in Africa, Asia, South America, but also in Eastern Europe that offer young people from the age of 16 the opportunity to contribute. Even without experience, people are accepted as volunteers. There are projects that focus on teaching young children, that deal with the construction of classrooms, the installation of water supplies, there are organizations that focus on setting up sports programs for children in poor areas, etc.
Advantages and disadvantages of volunteering
Benefits of volunteering
- Nice experience
- Feeling of being useful in society
- Better self-perception
- Development of yourself and discovery of your own qualities
- New contacts/broader network
- Good for your CV
- Do something for someone else
- Daily activities
- More freedom
- Feeling of being needed
Disadvantages of volunteer work
- Unpaid
- Takes time
- Responsibility (although less than with paid work)
- Chances are that you will exceed your own limits because you have more freedom
Forms of volunteer work
Popular volunteer work among young people
- Related to a sport and a sports club
- Related to school and education, and associated experience
- Aimed at future employers and jobs
Popular volunteer work among the elderly
- Guidance on senior travel
- Guidance on walks for seniors
- Visiting the elderly
- Visiting disabled people, playing games with disabled people
- Related to church and community center