As another year ends and we approach the festive season, many of us feel a desire to put something back into the community. We make resolutions about setting aside a little time for those less fortunate than ourselves. But then reality strikes, the demands of work and family life get in the way, and - like the intended weekly gym visit - the plan comes to nothing.

Working part-time is not always an option, but there is a way you can shoe-horn a little volunteering into that busy schedule of yours, without letting your job suffer - and plenty of others have already tested the theory. TimeBank is a high profile UK campaign connecting and inspiring people to give time. Since it was launched in February 2000, around 60,000 individuals have registered as volunteers with TimeBank.

Traditionally, voluntary work has been thought of as a philanthropic activity, all about helping the needy. This is, of course, still true. But TimeBank has a 'mutual' approach to volunteering - whereby all participants benefit from the voluntary activity: you get more out than you put in.

There are thousands of volunteering opportunities available. Whether you fancy helping schoolchildren with their reading, providing marketing support for a local sports club, or mentoring young people, TimeBank can help you find the volunteering opportunity that is right for you by matching you with your local volunteer bureau to find something that can fit into your weekly schedule.

London-based Research Assistant Sally Jameson had wanted to give something back but didn't want to let her job suffer. She approached TimeBank and they put her in touch with the charity Volunteer Reading Help. Sally has now committed to a year of weekly, two-hour reading sessions with two primary school youngsters. 'It gives me a big sense of achievement,' she enthuses. 'I always feel great when I leave the school. I can see a difference in the children already. Initially, one lad would skulk down the corridor behind me; now he runs to greet me.'

Sally, who is also PA to a board director, has been careful about communicating with her bosses. 'They were really supportive,' she says. 'To cause minimum disruption, I emailed the whole company to let them know exactly what I was doing, and everyone has been great at working around it,' she says. 'I make up time wherever possible, and if you're organised - which PAs are - you plan ahead.'

For Fiona Daniel, volunteering was a means to escape the rigour of her job. 'I'd been a legal secretary for three and a half years, but I got so bored at work,' says Fiona, 'I looked for voluntary work because although it is not paid I was keen to gain valuable experience to help me change my career.'

As she loves talking to people, Fiona became a volunteer interviewer for a south London Volunteer Bureau. She interviews potential volunteers and finds out what they are interested in, what their skills are, and how much time and experience they have, before advising them on suitable volunteering opportunities. Fiona feels that she has gained a great deal from volunteering, and that her life has changed as a result. 'I love my volunteering. The work is really varied.'

Not only has Fiona thoroughly enjoyed her volunteering experience, she has gained confidence in her abilities that she never thought she had. 'I had always been told that I didn't have the skills to be an adviser, but my volunteering has given me these skills. It has given me the experience to match my legal qualifications and I am now thinking of changing my career to become a legal adviser.'

More and more employers are looking for evidence of voluntary work when recruiting. A survey of 200 of the UK's leading businesses by TimeBank found that 73% of employers would employ a candidate with volunteering experience over one who has none. And more and more companies are looking kindly on these activities, allowing time to staff to explore these avenues.

If you would like to put your time to good use by registering as a volunteer, or would simply like to know more about TimeBank, log onto www.timebank.org.uk or call 0845 601 4008. For those of you in the United States who would like to volunteer, try www.volunteermatch.con, www.voa.org, or www.servenet.org