Can you do volunteer work while here....

....on a visitor visa? I've been talking with my boyfriend about the big work visa dilemma. We've decided that I should probably come over on a standard visitor visa and stay for the six month period.
His (and my) worry is that I will just become bored. I have been working since I was a kid, and can't imagine sitting home and being a bum all day long. So I was thinking about trying to do some volunteer work.
I will be moving to Manchester, and while doing some online research found a few different volunteer organizations, but didn't know if I could volunteer.
Has anyone else ever done this sort of thing? Any help would be much appreciated!!
Thanks!

I don't think you can as it is akin to obtaining job skills... maybe someone else on here can confirm?

When I was there this time last year, I faced the same thing.  Sean worked a 9-5 job, which left me many hours at home by myself.  I spent the first few months going into town nearly on a daily basis, but did eventually get bored.  I looked into volunteering and even spoke to a woman with a local organization via e-mail.  I asked her the same question, and truthfully she didn't know.  

For a lot of volunteer work in the states, they require you be fingerprinted.  I'm not sure if this is a similar practice in England.

Anyway, she agreed I could do charity work for her but I never got as far as that.  I found out the place was out of town and I was unable to get there relying solely on public transport.  

I'm afraid I can't answer your question with any degree of certainty, but my advice would be to call and ask the agency you're hoping to work with.  

I don't see how it's breaking any laws as you're not being imbursed for any work with them.  I'm doing a search online to see if I can find a definite answer for you (and myself, since I've wondered the same for over a year now).  Hopefully I'll find something conclusive, if so.. I'll post it

Here we go.... it's a bit tricky.

This excerpt is taken directly from http://www.volunteering.org.uk/volunteer/accepting.htm

it reads as follows:

Volunteers from non-EU countries
People from outside the European Economic Area are not allowed to take up work, paid or unpaid (which includes volunteering) without a work permit. Given that work permits are only issued where a genuine vacancy exists and where particular qualifications or skills are required that are in short supply from the British and EEA labour force, there is little chance of obtaining a work permit solely to volunteer.

However, the Home Office has allowed a concession to allow people from outside the EEA to volunteer if they meet the following criteria:


the activity is purely voluntary and does not involve taking up a salaried post or permanent position of any kind within the charitable organisation or entering into any arrangement that is likely to constitute a contract of employment; and
the activity is either for a charitable organisation listed in Home Office guidance or a registered charity whose work meets the criteria set out in this instruction; and
the activity is unpaid, or is not likely to be subject to payment of the National Minimum Wage (see note below) and directed towards a worthy cause; and
it is closely related to the aims of the organisation; and
it is fieldwork involving direct assistance to those the charitable organisation has been established to help; and
the passenger intends to leave the United Kingdom at the end of their stay.

Terinth,
You are excellent with research! I looked for a few hours yesterday and couldn't find anything one way or another. This sounds pretty promising. Of course, we still have to figure out where we are actually going to live before I go out and find an organization.
Thanks so much for your help!!

The entry stamp in your passport states no 'paid or unpaid' work. I clarified years ago with the HOme office......and sadly, that includes volunteer work

*side note- any charity that deals with children requires a police check before you are an official volunteer (kind of a mute point since the police checks don't check US records)*

I called the work permits UK office to find out if I would need a work permit for a voluntary teaching assistant position, and they said "no".

Hope this helps