It pays off to work for free and gather rich rewards; Deborah

JACQUIE Dryden loves her job. It's interesting, dynamic and she's well paid by a blue chip Scottish company. She designs websites for Standard Life, one of Scotland's biggest companies. Her work is used for the product literature of Standard Life Investments. But she also has a conscience and she has given up her free time to help the Cyrenians, a charity which benefits the homeless in Scotland. She is also using her expertise to help the charity get on the net.

Scots with careers are being encouraged to brush up their CVs and do their bit for the community - by taking up voluntary work.

Helping a local charity or community group can offer real opportunities to develop new, marketable job skills. And there are plenty of ways to get involved in a range of organisations across the country. But for Dryden it is more than just improving her skills. She has a genuine desire to help, working alongside other volunteers at Norton Park Centre, Albion Road, Edinburgh. Nearly 30 charities are based in the centre tucked in behind the Hibernian Football Club stand. Dryden hopes to have the Cyrenians' website ready in two or three months, and it will give the latest information of projects and plans. Liz Burns, the director of Volunteer Development Scotland, says: "In some cases voluntary work can help someone get new qualifications, such as an SVQ. It can even help people acquire the skills that will land them a new job." VDS is promoting its own Volunteer Hotline during Volunteers Week which ends tomorrow. The freephone number (0800 72 70 70) will be manned for the next week, allowing people to request information packs on volunteering opportunities in their areas. People can also write to VDS's offices at 72 Murray Place in Stirling. Allan Hogarth, the head of public affairs for the CBI in Scotland, says that voluntary experience can complement academic qualifications. "There's an increasing awareness of the importance of an individual's overall life experience and not just traditional work experience. "Voluntary work provides an ideal foundation for career development." Government agencies charged with promoting business agree. Forth Valley Enterprise is one of the local enterprise companies working to help firms across Scotland. A spokesman said: "There's a growing realisation that skills available to individuals through volunteering are exactly the type of skills that can make them good employees." Some companies, like BP, actively encourage employees to volunteer. The company's Helping Hands scheme, for instance, gives grants to charities and community groups involving BP staff who have given up their time voluntarily. The petrochemical giant also runs a Matched Giving Scheme. Members of staff can raise money for charities and have it matched by the company, up to a maximum of #1,000 per employee in any one year. A BP spokeswoman said: "We're delighted to support the voluntary activities of our employees and realise the benefits it brings both to staff and the community." Standard Life is another firm which supports community involvement. The financial services giant is a key sponsor of Volunteers Week in Scotland - and encourages its staff to get involved. Sally Crighton, the community involvement manager at Standard Life, said: "Volunteering can help people develop their skills, and that can bring benefits to employers as well as the community. Hundreds of people in this company have committed their time to a whole range of activities, using their professional skills to directly support charities and local schools. "Volunteering can help shape any person's career path and provide an individual with the confidence to take on additional responsibilities at work. I'd encourage anybody to get involved." Volunteers Week organisers stress that there are hundreds of ways to volunteer. Literally any form of unpaid work can be classed as volunteering. A group of workers from Standard Life created a Cinderella "palace" for a party for children with cancer. Crighton said: "For anybody interested in volunteering, I'd suggest they just do it. You can volunteer for as long or as little as you want. And there are plenty of ways to help out. Whatever you do, you'll get a real sense of achievement and there will be benefits all round.

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