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Volunteer work

There are many great opportunities both for those who only have a few hours available and for those who have the opportunity to put more time into volunteering.

Volunteering is a great way to get to know people and become more involved in your local community. It can also be an opportunity to practice your Danish.  

You can contribute during cultural activities or help at the local sports club. Many volunteer workers also engage in social, health and humanitarian work.

Different types of volunteering

Roughly speaking you can divide volunteering into social and cultural activities. 

Volunteer at cultural activities or events

Within the cultural field you can for instance help at the local sports club, join the volunteer crew at larger events or lend a hand at a theater show.  The tasks can include anything from accounting to painting or creative contributions. The sky is the limit. 

Volunteer work in within culture and events

Join the cultural life

You can be inspired for volunteer activities in cultural life here

Volunteer

Help out at events

You can be inspired for volunteer activities at events here

Volunteer at events

Social volunteering

Within the field of social volunteering, you can for instance be a voluntary visitor for elderly citizens, help out at a drop-in centers for socially vulnerable people or at the local patients' associations. The voluntary contributions support the existing public support system. 

Find Social volunteer activities through the organisation Vindrosen

Want to help others?

Vindrosen is an Umbrella organization, and they have a great overview of options for social volunteering, and they will be happy to support you in finding the right match for social volunteering.

You will find Vindrosen here

Volunteering, if you are on public support benefits

Hvis du vil hjælpe andre, mens du selv får hjælp

If you are on financial public support such as sick leave benefit or unemployment funds or if you are in the process of family reunification there might be rules defining what type of volunteering, you can do. Ask your unemployment fund or SIRI.

Or read more in this guide (in Danish)

About volunteer work in Denmark

Denmark has a strong tradition for volunteer organizations, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark estimates that 35 per cent of the Danes over 16 years do volunteer work. In Denmark you will find around 100.000 volunteer organizations, and in Esbjerg Municipality you have a wide selection of all sorts of volunteer work. 

Historically there has been a focus in Denmark on the necessity of volunteer work for the benefit of the greater society. But the many organizations have also been part of the democratic project. The volunteer work, negotiations within the organizations and their advocacy in relation to the government and administration have been a way for people to “practice democracy”.