Josie Ensor learns about a service in Hertsmere that pairs volunteers with the organisations that need them the most

There are many misconceptions about voluntary work, from the image of bespectacled octogenarians behind charity shop counters to grannies donating a dozen strawberry jam variations to church fêtes.

But volunteering in Hertsmere has a different face for the 21st Century.

Hertsmere Community Voluntary Support Service, based in Allum Lane, Elstree, works closely with Hertsmere Volunteer Centre to recruit volunteers, match them with placements and then offer support during the volunteers' work.

The service's development manager, Jason Roth-Witty, and Heather Perham, a former volunteer who now helps run the service, talk of the wide-ranging demographics of their volunteers and the breadth of work they offer.

More than 300 volunteers from the service include sixth-formers wanting to experience a work environment, housewives who have spare time to offer, and retired people who want to give something back to the community.

Mr Roth-Witty says: "We tailor your placement to your needs."

This is why the list of options is so exhaustive: gay and bisexual rights placements, legal aid, drug counselling, disaster relief, and opportunities to work in museums and other cultural sectors. By matching people to appropriate jobs, the service is able to get the most out of each volunteer.

Mrs Perham describes the system as being "mutually beneficial", offering support to those who volunteer their services alongside those on the receiving end who reap the rewards.

A number of volunteers undergo training during their placements, meaning they take new skills away with them that can be applied in the future. Mr Roth-Witty, 36, says: "It is not just about helping the people in need, but helping the volunteers themselves."

For Mrs Perham, a 52- year-old mother-of-two who began volunteering as an administrative worker, the service has a dual purpose.

She says: "It is good to be able to leave the house, meet new people in a different environment, feel like you are doing something worthwhile. You feel like you are giving back and contributing to society rather just sitting at home, and I suppose it gives you more confidence. There are a lot of ways to do that, but for me this is the right way."

The Volunteer Support Centre, also based in Allum Lane, has many university graduates on its books who are deciding which of many career paths to pursue.

"Trying them out with us is a great way to find out," Mr Roth-Witty says.

He has plenty of volunteering experience, having worked with disabled residents for 13 years and as a counsellor for recovering drug addicts for seven years. He also played a crucial role in a needle exchange programme.

"Getting someone off drugs was so rewarding as you are with them step-by-step, seeing them out of it," he says.

He believes volunteer work is suitable for anyone, regardless of their age or background.

The support service runs with little or no core funding, and so it is with determination and clever use of resources that it is able to provide invaluable service to both the recipients of their volunteer work and the volunteers themselves.

For more information about becoming a volunteer, visit hertsmerecvs.org