mySociety

Like many charities, we rely on volunteers – and by ‘rely’, we mean ‘would be completely lost without’. Many of our sites simply would not run without their help.

It’s very easy to get involved. mySociety volunteers work from home, at times that suit them. Volunteering can be something that you do as a one-off, or can become a regular longterm commitment.

So, read on if you have an interest in helping us achieve the aims of our websites, whether that’s increasing access to Freedom of Information, or making public transport better, or helping people improve their own communities. Our projects are many and varied – and so are the kinds of skills that support them.

Volunteering for specific websites

Volunteering for WhatDoTheyKnow         Volunteering for TheyWorkForYou

Volunteering for FixMyTransport               Volunteering for Pledgebank

Other ways to help

Volunteering coding and development skills

Small acts that can make a big difference

A little bit about why

“Through my involvement I have met some incredibly talented and inspiring people.” John Cross, WhatDoTheyKnow volunteer

Why do people volunteer for mySociety? Well, in most cases, because they’re interested in what we do, or because they want to help us in our aims.

That warm, fuzzy feeling goes a long way, but there are some other benefits, too:

• Volunteers have grassroots access to our sites. If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like behind the scenes of a large, complex, public-facing website, now you can find out – and if you have ambitions to do something similar yourself, the experience you’ll pick up will be invaluable.
• Many of our sites are still in active development. When we introduce new features or policies, we do so in consultation with our volunteers. So you’ll be shaping the future of the site you work on.
• Like most volunteering activities, a stint with mySociety really boosts a CV.
• mySociety is full of interesting people. You’ll be in on our regular pub meets, social activities and perhaps our annual retreats.

What to do now

• Join our low-traffic email discussion list for people who are involved in mySociety. It’s well worth asking questions there – there are over 500 people to help answer them. Basically, it’s where the mySociety community hangs out.
• Contact us, and arrange a phone call, or to meet up – we have staff and volunteers scattered all over the UK, and indeed the world!
• Drop us a tweet.

We look forward to hearing from you soon.