How do I fill out the opportunity template?

Each row in your spreadsheet is one volunteering opportunity. Please ensure you complete all columns marked as "required". We have a short video that explains how to fill out the spreadsheet below.

Key fields explained

Column	Required?	What it means	Tips
Platform ID	Do not edit this field	GoVo will assign an ID when the opportunity is uploaded.	Do not enter or edit this field.
Charity ID	✔️	Your unique reference for this opportunity	E.g. ''CharityName123"
Title	✔️	Short name for your opportunity	E.g. “Walk Leader – Cardiff”
Description	✔️	What volunteers will do and why it matters	Use headings or bullet points to keep it clear following our Markdown guidance
Impact		What difference this volunteering opportunity will make	Use headings or bullet points to keep it clear following our Markdown guidance
Skills Required		Skills needed for this opportunity	E.g. "Ability to use excel"
Public Transport Directions		How to get to the location if applicable by public transport	E.g. bus, train
Driving Directions		How to get to the location if applicable by car	E.g. directions and parking details
Commitment	✔️	How often the role happens	Must be exactly: One-off, Ongoing, or Self-managed
Opportunity Type	✔️	Use "Remote" or "In Person"	Choose "Remote" for virtual opportunities or "In-person" for face to face opportunities
Location Type	✔️	Choose "Full Address", "UK wide", "County" or "Postcode"	Full Address needs first line of the address and the full postcode. UK wide no location fields required County requires a county selection from the county dropdown. Postcode requires only the full postcode. This will be displayed at the centre of the postcode on the map.
First Line of Address	✔️ if location type is "Full Address"	Type in the first line of the address	E.g. "12 High Street" Do not enter this unless using Full Address.
Postcode	✔️ if location type is "Full Address" or "Postcode"	Type in Postcode	E.g "BS1 2PE" Do not enter this for County or UK wide
County	✔️ if location type is "County"	Choose the county for this opportunity	Select from the drop down provided
Minimum Age	Optional	Youngest age eligible to apply	Numbers only — e.g. “18”
Is Driving Required	Optional	Whether driving is needed	Yes or No - if it is not a yes/no answer, give details in description
Is ID required	Optional	Whether this role requires an ID check	Select yes or no from the dropdown
Application Method	✔️	How you’d like volunteers to apply for this opportunity	Email – applications go to your inbox. Webpage – volunteers apply via an external page
Application URL	✔️if application method is "Webpage"	Enter the webpage for the opportunity	E.g. https://webpage.com
Application Email	✔️if application method is "Email"	Enter the email address for the opportunity	E.g. name@name.com
Status	✔️	Whether the role is live on the site	Use “Published” or “Unpublished” only
Day of Week	Optional	Choose from Drop Down	E.g. "Monday"
Start Date	Optional	Only for date-specific roles	Format: YYYY-MM-DD (e.g. 2025-09-15)
Start Time	Optional	Only if there’s a set shift or session time	Format: 24 hour clock HH:MM (e.g. 09:30)
End Date	Optional	Only for date-specific roles	Format: 24 hour clock YYYY-MM-DD (e.g. 2025-09-15)
End Time	Optional	Only if there’s a set shift or session time	Format: 24 hour clock HH:MM (e.g. 13:30)
Hours Required	Optional	Number of hours support is required	E.g. 2
Created and Updated columns	Do not enter	GoVo will fill these in when uploaded

Special scenarios to be aware of

Covering multiple areas

If your service spans several counties or boroughs (e.g. across London), you’ll need to add a separate row for each location. Each row represents one opportunity, even if the role description is the same.
Restricting by distance

Some charities may want to limit how far volunteers travel (e.g. within 5 miles). The platform doesn’t currently allow you to set distance rules. Instead, use Full Address so postcode search can narrow results, and explain any limits in your description.
Charities with custom boundaries

If your organisation uses boundaries that don’t match counties or boroughs (e.g. NHS Trust areas), pick the closest option (usually County), and clarify the specific boundary in your description.

Example 1: One-off event, full address provided

What’s required for a one-off event with a full address

Commitment → must be set to One-off
Location Type → must be Full Address (requires First Line of Address + Postcode)
Day of Week → include the relevant day (e.g. Sunday)
Start Date & End Date → add the date of the event (YYYY-MM-DD)
Start Time & End Time → add the timings for the event (HH:MM)
Hours Required → optional but recommended, to show volunteers how long they’ll be needed

Charity ID	Title	Description	Commitment	Opportunity Type	Location Type	First Line of Address	Postcode	County	Minimum Age	Status	Day of Week	Start Date	Start Time	End Date	End Time	Hours
EXT123	Event Support Bristol	Support our fundraising 10k run by helping...	One-off	In Person	Full Address	15 High Street	BS1 2BQ	Bristol	18	Published	Sunday	2025-09-15	08:30	2025-09-15	14:00	6

Example 2: Ongoing weekly role, county-based

What’s required for an ongoing opportunity with county location

Commitment → must be set to Ongoing
Location Type → must be County (requires County dropdown selection)
Day of Week → include the regular day (e.g. Wednesday)
Time Commitment → optional but useful to give a sense of the weekly hours

Charity ID	Title	Description	Commitment	Opportunity Type	Location Type	County	Min Age	Status	Day of Week	Time Commitment
EXT456	Befriender – Kent	Visit older people at home....	Ongoing	In Person	County	Kent	16	Published	Wed	2

Example 3: Flexible remote role, UK-wide

What’s required for a self-managed remote opportunity

Commitment → must be set to Self-managed
Opportunity Type → must be Remote
Location Type → must be UK wide (no address or county needed)
Hours Required → optional but helpful to guide volunteers on expectations

Charity ID	Title	Description	Commitment	Opportunity Type	Location Type	Status	Hours
EXT789	Social Media Volunteer	Help us create and schedule posts....	Self-managed	Remote	UK wide	Published	3

Using basic formatting in your descriptions

You can use simple markdown to make your opportunity descriptions easier to read, we've made a short guide to help you with this How do I use markdown to format my volunteer opportunities?

Need support with uploading your opportunities?

Not sure how to upload your opportunities? Read our guide: How do I upload my opportunities?