• Volunteer – noun – 'a person who does something, especially helping other people, willingly and without being forced or paid to do it' - noun - 'one who undertakes a service of his / her own free will'

This is how one dictionary defines what a volunteer is. In the simplest terms, to volunteer is to give your time to do something for another person without payment; but in reality, it's much more than that.

There are currently 1,286,000 people actively volunteering in Wales (WCVA 'Wales Voluntary Sector Almanac' 2003), that's more than 50% of the population, and whilst the drive to help others is a huge part of their motivation, there are many other reasons to get involved.

Volunteering is a dynamic force in society - by taking part you're showing that you are a proactive, positive person, that you care about the world you live in, and that you recognise the need to actively play a role in changing society.

What's more, it's a great way to meet new people, gain work experience and qualifications, build your CV, keep your skills alive and have fun - for free!

• To browse through the hundreds of opportunities listed in the Bureau, visit the Volunteering Wales site - simply choose your geographical area, and then your area of interest and it will show you all the options that are available!

• To arrange a time to visit the Bureau and have a chat with our guidance worker about what the right volunteering option is for you, call David Bater on: 01792 544000.

• SCVS also has several partnership projects where you can get involved as a volunteer, including Involve Volunteering Project - a partnership between SCVS and Social services, and The Mental Health Volunteering Project a partnership between SCVS and Swansea NHS Trust.

• Click on the links to the left for some great reasons to find out more and get involved!