Volunteering can introduce you to interesting new people, teach you useful skills and bring its rewards in the form of accomplishments and job satisfaction. But it can have its frustrations too. Here are my top tips for surviving:

1. Don’t take to heart things your “customers” say. A few people have no regard for the fact that you have given up your time to support them and they will treat you as a paid servant. Rise above their comments!

2. Don’t get sucked in and do more than you planned. Do the role you agreed and politely decline requests to do more. Learn to say “NO”!

3. Be patient. Sometimes things move frustratingly slowly in the world of volunteering. People are fitting their voluntary roles in around their lives. Just hang on in there and it will all happen one day – soon!

Do you have a tip of your own?