Volunteering is a great way for internationals to immerse themselves in the local community, meet new friends, and even enhance their job prospects. They know this only too well at International House Copenhagen, where on May 3 the Volunteers Fair took place, providing 21 different organisations with the platform to present themselves and recruit new volunteers.

Among the organisations present was International Copenhageners, whose representative Marianne Van der Voorn spoke about the benefits of volunteering in Denmark.

Hundreds attended to find out more about the opportunities from speakers that included Phillip Loeken from Germany, who volunteered at the Copenhagen Photo Festival, and Stephanie Clemente from New York, who had great fun while giving her support to the Roskilde Festival.

“When you come from abroad you live in an international bubble,” Scott Allison from Scotland, who worked at Omstilling Nu, told those in attendance. “But with volunteering, it is much easier to integrate with Danish people.”

There was a wide choice of organisations to volunteer at, including culture houses, environmental bodies, childcare organisations, sport clubs and libraries.

Cornelius from Romania (right), who has lived in Copenhagen for several years, is a volunteer at WeFood, the first food surplus supermarket in Denmark, which has plans to open two more branches following a successful opening of its first store in March.