Volunteering offers plenty of opportunities, across various sectors, with different target groups, and with flexible hours. And it is desperately needed; voluntary organisations are in urgent need of extra help. 

• You contribute to society; you do something meaningful to help others;
• You build up practical experience, in terms of the tasks you perform and/or experience with the target groups;
• You can put your knowledge and skills into practice and also develop yourself personally and professionally;
• It's a good way to get your bearings in the labour market and/or to obtain a better overview of the work environment and your own career wishes;
• It's a good way to meet new people and expand your network;
• You build up your cv!
• Employers usually place high value on the skills you have built up in a voluntary capacity, because they believe it is not only paid employment that contributes to your skill set: voluntary work also has an important place in your development as a young professional.

BplusC (Bibliotheek plus Centrum voor kunst en cultuur) is much more than you might think! You can study there or borrow books, but you can also practise your Dutch for free, take computer lessons, get help with applying for benefits, make music together in a relaxed setting, and much, much more. Everyone is welcome, whether you’re a member or not. In short, it’s an organisation where you can meet lots of different residents and visitors to Leiden and Leiderdorp, and where you can really contribute to our community in a way that suits you.

Every Sunday, BuurtBuik Leiden prepares a three-course lunch using food salvaged from supermarkets in Leiden. With over 100 volunteers, we do this every week for 60 guests. In this way, we strengthen social cohesion, offer a helping hand to those in need and prevent food waste.

Careibu is a social organisation that connects students with lonely older people and vulnerable children. As a volunteer, you offer personal attention, companionship and support to people who really benefit from it.
Through this voluntary work, you help to reduce loneliness and increase independence. At the same time, as a student, you gain valuable practical experience, develop your social skills and make a positive impact on society. In this way, not only does the person receiving support benefit, but you also gain a meaningful experience.

@Ease offers a listening ear to young people aged between 12 and 25. Our volunteers talk to young people, giving them the chance to share their stories in a relaxed and accessible way – all completely free of charge and anonymously.

Energy for Refugees (EfR) is a student-led Dutch NGO whose mission is to use sustainable technologies to alleviate the energy shortage in refugee communities and thereby make a measurable impact on their lives.

We aim to help solve the energy problem that enables sustainable development. We strive to reduce dependence on public bodies and make the places where refugees live more self-sufficient, whilst working closely with refugee-led organisations to ensure that these energy systems continue to serve communities for as long as possible.

At GoodShift, we believe there’s a different way to give. Simpler, more enjoyable and with greater impact. Together with charities, we’re building a sustainable giving model that suits today’s donors.

GoodShift is the donation platform that makes giving fun, simple and flexible again. With our app, you can choose from over 100 recognised charities. You decide how you want to give: as a one-off, monthly or together with friends and family. And you can always see the impact of your donations.

Humanitas volunteers help people to (re)gain their sense of self-reliance. We’re here for everyone, regardless of age, background or beliefs. We’re by your side, offering a listening ear, practical help, valuable advice and personal contact. In this way, we provide support that really makes a difference.
You can come to us for Home-Start, Home Administration, Supervised Visitation, a Divorce Buddy and Bereavement Support. Together, we’ll look at what you need and how we can help you further.

Please feel free to pop in to get to know us. We’d be happy to tell you what we can do for you or someone close to you.

Incluzio is committed to a society in which everyone can participate. We support residents in building their independence, expanding their social networks and actively participating in the local community.
Volunteers play a key role in this: they help to bring people together and strengthen the community. By organising activities together and encouraging social interaction, we are building an inclusive society in which everyone matters.

Stichting BAKboord is the only voluntary organisation in the Netherlands that focuses exclusively on job placement for people who have had dealings with the law.

Stichting Jeugd en Samenleving Rijnland (JES) operates on the belief that children and young people have equal rights to opportunities, both in education and in society. JES aims to expand these opportunities by offering supportive, supplementary and enriching programmes for children and young people aged 0–18 and their parents. JES also connects parents and children with relevant local services in the neighbourhood.

In the Netherlands, the gap between different groups of people is widening. Talent is distributed fairly, but opportunities are still too often determined by where you grow up, your background or who you happen to know. Many children grow up in their own bubble and have little contact with people outside their own world.

Stichting Move wants to change that. Through our projects, we bring children, young people and students together to learn from one another, discover their talents and make a difference in their neighbourhood. In this way, we expand opportunities, reduce inequalities and foster greater understanding within society.

Stichting Stilgeweest is a charity dedicated to supporting young people who have lost a loved one to suicide. This grieving process can feel incredibly lonely.
Our aim is to break the taboo surrounding the subject and ensure that suicide and its impact become topics that young people feel comfortable discussing. Only then can we break through the loneliness. Through our online platform and knowledge base, as well as our accessible events, we ensure that the subject of suicide becomes more approachable and that young people can connect with one another. Sharing a loss is so much easier than bearing it alone – that is what we are committed to.

STAD (Stichting Talent and Dreams) is a youth project agency with branches in eight Dutch cities. We support young people in setting up and running creative, innovative and social projects. These include recycling raves, queer club nights, panna tournaments, student wellbeing initiatives, poetry festivals and much more. Our aim? To work with young people to make cities more enjoyable and to help them grow!

Stichting Voedselbank Leiden helps people who do not have enough money to put a full meal on the table every day. We collect food and make it available free of charge to households that are temporarily unable to meet their basic needs.
In the Leiden region, over 500 households make use of the food bank; this amounts to around 1,300 people, more than a third of whom are children under the age of 18.

We work in partnership with businesses, organisations, local authorities and members of the public. Suppliers and members of the public donate surplus food that they can no longer use or sell. In this way, together we help to tackle poverty and combat food waste.
The Leiden Food Bank relies on 125 unpaid volunteers and depends on third parties (in the form of cash, in-kind contributions and goods) to achieve our objectives.

Stichting Voor Elkaar Leiden connects people in need of help with dedicated volunteers. 
Through our four programmes – HipHelpt, JobHulpMaatje, SchuldHulpMaatje and the annual Sinterklaas campaign – we support residents of Leiden and the surrounding area with a range of needs. These range from practical help and social support to guidance into work, assistance with financial worries and providing a well-stocked Sinterklaas sack for families on a tight budget.
Through HipHelpt, we connect people seeking help who lack a support network or sufficient financial resources with volunteers who offer practical help and social support. Through SchuldHulpMaatje, we help people to prevent and resolve financial worries and debts. In this way, we ensure that people are not left to cope on their own.

UNICEF Student Team Leiden is a voluntary organisation dedicated to promoting children’s rights at Leiden University.

In partnership with UNICEF Netherlands, we raise money for emergency aid during humanitarian crises through fundraising campaigns and various events.

Volunteer The Hague is an online platform which shares volunteer work vacancies related to causes such as social inclusion, education, elderly care, sustainability, culture, and community development. These volunteer roles are suitable for internationals who speak no Dutch. We organise 2 yearly volunteer job fairs during which you can meet local non-profits in person. We collaborate with our sister organisation Den Haag Doet which offers volunteer roles for Dutch speakers in The Hague.

To prepare for your visit to the Student & Societal Market, you could, amongst other things, do the following:

• Take a look at the programme and the organisations that will be present at the fair.
• Decide what you want to do and who you’d like to speak to.
• Make a list of questions you’d like to ask.

During the fair:

• Meet organisations, speakers and other contacts.
• Ask the questions you’ve prepared, as well as any that come to mind on the spot.
• Be (pro)active.
• Talk to other participants too. It’s great fun!

After visiting the fair:

• Make a note of which organisations and people you spoke to, and what you did (or didn’t) like and what stood out to you.
• Reflect on what you learnt during the event, both in terms of content and skills.
• If appropriate, invite any contacts you’ve made to connect on LinkedIn with a personal message.
  (Make sure your LinkedIn profile is up to date).