I was working as a volunteer at my local children’s hospice[收容所]， helping around the house and the hospice shop. This made me realise I wanted to find out about other volunteering opportunities and how to get involved with non-profit organisations and charities[慈善团体].
　　I checked out do-it.org.uk—a database full of volunteering opportunities， and that’s where I found my first link to virtual[虚拟的] volunteering.
　　我曾在本地一家儿童收容所当志愿者，在它的宿舍和义卖商店帮忙。这使我意识到，我想了解其他的志愿工作机会，以及如何参与到非营利组织和慈善机构当中。
　　我查询了一个有很多志愿者工作机会的数据库——do-it.org.uk。就是在这里，我找到了当网络志愿者的第一个链接。
　　 What Is Virtual Volunteering？ 什么是网络志愿服务
　　Virtual volunteering， also called online volunteering， means completing tasks for charities and organisations through the Internet. Virtual volunteering is a great way to get involved， take action， and generally “give back” online， and the best bit is that you can do it all from home！
　　“Virtual” doesn’t mean that it’s not real， just that you don’t need to be in any particular place to volunteer. For some people， it can make life a lot easier to volunteer online in their spare time. Virtual volunteering can also enable you to reach beyond your local area and even support people and projects overseas.
　　虚拟志愿服务也叫网络志愿服务，是指通过互联网为慈善机构和组织完成任务。网络志愿服务是身体力行参与志愿服务，以及在网上回馈他人的绝佳方式，其中最好的一点是：你可以足不出户就做到这一切！
　　“虚拟”并不意味着不真实，而是指你不需要在特定的场所才能做志愿者。可以在闲暇时间通过网络做志愿者，这大大方便了一些人的生活。网络志愿服务还可以让你超越自己所在的地区，把援手伸向境外需要帮助的人和项目。
　　 My Role 我的角色
　　I work as a virtual volunteering advisor helping to get more people involved in volunteering both online and face-to-face. I work with an organisation called Changemakers and we aim to get young people involved in virtual volunteering.
　　I can work within my own time from home. I write articles， gather information about youth groups and search for virtual volunteering opportunities offered by other charities.
　　Although I work at home， I’m not alone！ There are quite a few of us virtual volunteering advisors and every so often we host meetings over the phone and online to see how everyone is getting on.
　　我作为网络志愿顾问的职责是帮助更多的人参与线上和线下的志愿工作。我服务于一个叫“改变制造者”的组织，我们的目标是让年轻人参与到网络志愿服务中来。
　　我可以在家里根据自己的时间工作。我写文章，收集青年团体的相关信息，以及搜索其他慈善机构提供的网络志愿服务机会。
　　虽然在家工作，但我并不孤单！我们有不少做志愿顾问的人，经常要用电话和网络开会，看看大家相处得怎样。


　　 Developing New Skills 培养新技能
　　Getting involved has given me the chance to develop many skills including podcasting[播客]， vodcasting[影视播客] and filmmaking. In my role， I need to use my knowledge of the internet and IT to use these technologies. Media sites like MySpace and Facebook help me to get the virtual volunteering message across to people. I’ve also delivered[提供] workshops[讨论会] to increase awareness[意识] about getting involved as a volunteer online.
　　The best thing about being a virtual volunteer is that it’s a whole new concept and I’m one of the first to do it. It’s great to get new ideas off the ground and build up the idea of virtual volunteering in the public eye. It’s also been great to find out about different charities while I’ve been gathering virtual volunteering opportunities.
　　参加网络志愿工作给了我发展多种技能的可能性，如播客、影视播客和摄制影片的技巧。在这个岗位上，我需要运用相关的知识来使用互联网和信息技术。我借助聚友和脸谱等媒体网站传播网络志愿工作的信息。我还组织过讨论会，以提高人们参与网络志愿服务的意识。
　　做网络志愿者最吸引人的一点是：它还是一个全新的概念，而我是最早做这件事的人之一。让新的构想离地腾飞，在公众眼中树立网络志愿服务的概念，真是一件很有意义的事。此外，在收集网络志愿工作机会的同时，我也查询到不同慈善机构的信息，让我受益匪浅。
　　网络志愿者（英文叫online volunteer、cyber volunteer、virtual volunteer等）是指通过网络，与某个组织联系并贡献自己的时间。网络志愿者可以为他人提供建议、咨询，也可以为非营利组织提供远程管理服务，如翻译文件、校对书籍、设计徽标、协调网络讨论组及管理其他网络志愿者等。网络志愿者还可以做一些高科技的联络工作，从网上做一些远程调度。