If you'd like to help other people this Christmas, or just want an excuse to get away from the cold turkey and old Bond films, volunteering could be the answer.

It's not always easy to find opportunities – most charities close over Christmas – but many organisations dealing with homeless or isolated people, or selling charity Christmas cards, do need extra help over the festive period.

If you can't find anything suitable below, try contacting your local Volunteer Centre for more information.

Organisations looking for extra help at Christmas include:

Nationwide:

• Shelter and Cardaid – help sell Christmas cards from their network of shops;
• The Salvation Army  – volunteer with their homeless service or to visit people who are alone at Christmas.

Local opportunities on do-it.org.uk:

• Food Stop (Folkestone) – prepare food for the Food Stop mobile 'soup kitchen';
• Age Concern (Northampton) - helpers and drivers;
• Salvation Army (Tavistock) - Christmas Eve and Christmas Day helpers;
• Crisis Open Christmas (London) – a wide range of opportunities to help homeless people;
• Food preparation and distribution (London) – help Nightwatch distribute food to homeless people;
• Nightshelter helpers (Winchester) - overnight helpers and evening cooks particularly needed.

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