Volunteer Roles

Our charity shops rely on generous donations made by the public to raise crucial funds for Marie Curie. From clothes, homeware and books, to CDs and DVDs, we sell a wide variety of products.

We are looking for volunteers to help us sort through all these donations, pick out the best items and prepare and sell them to our customers. Without the help of our dedicated volunteers we could not provide our customers with high quality items at affordable prices.  This allows us to raise funds so our nurses can continue to provide care to terminally ill people and support for their families.

We are looking for one/two trustees to join our diverse Board of Governors (the “ Board”) here at International Students House (ISH).

What will you be doing?

ISH is looking for three trustees to join the Board of Governors (the “ Board”).  We are looking for individuals who have experience in the private, public, or charitable sector and who can bring their entrepreneurial, management, and governance skills to assist the charity in delivering its mission.  This is an exciting time to join the Board of a dynamic and friendly organisation.

What are we looking for?

• Willingness and ability to understand and accept their responsibilities and liabilities as trustees and to act in the best interests of ISH.
• Ability to think creatively and strategically, exercise good, independent judgment and work effectively as a board member.
• Effective communication skills and willingness to participate actively in discussion.
• Financially astute with an understanding of charity financial management.
• A strong personal commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion.
• Enthusiasm for our mission and vision.
• Willingness to lead according to our values.
• Understanding of other cultures and issues faced by international students in the UK.

What difference will you make?

The statutory duties of a trustee are to:

• Work with fellow Board members and SMT in setting the Charity’s strategic aims, ensuring that the necessary financial and other resources are in place for ISH to meet its objectives and review performance management.
• Provide leadership to the Charity within a framework of prudent and effective controls, which enable risks to be assessed and managed.
• Comply with its governing document, charity law, company law and all other relevant law, legislation and/or regulations;

• Pursue its objectives as defined in its governing document;
• Use its resources exclusively in pursuance of its objectives, and in doing so fulfils its purpose for the benefit of the public;
• Maintain proper systems, procedures and controls and that they are kept under regular review.
• Safeguard the good name and values of the ISH; and
• Appoint the CEO and monitor their performance

Before you apply

Please apply with covering letter setting out how your skills and experience match the requirements of the role, no later than 2nd February 2024.

Marine litter is one of the biggest threats facing the global marine environment, not only does it look unpleasant but the build up of plastics in our seas causes death of marine creatures that ingest it as well as disruption to the delicate food chains that everything (including us) rely on.

As part of the Yorkshire Wildlife Trusts’ Living Seas awareness and research work we are keen to raise the profile of the marine litter issue and encourage people to take direct action to combat it.

We currently run regular beach cleans at some of our flagship sites such as Spurn NNR, Flamborough, Bridlington and Filey and these events are an important part of our awareness programme and have not only helped to rid the sites of litter but have also enabled us to engage with people from all ages and from across the county. However, along the 45 miles of  Yorkshire’s coastline there are countless other sites which we do not currently have the capacity to cover. Our long-term goal is to have a network of coordinators to cover as many sites as possible and through these coordinators organise at least quarterly cleans of each site with members of the public.

If you are interested in empowering communities to clean up our oceans and want to find out more, please visit our website to find out more!

About Smart Works

Smart Works is a dynamic, high profile and fast-growing UK charity that dresses, coaches and empowers unemployed women for success at their job interview. After visiting Smart Works, 69% of clients secure a job within a month. 

The Smart Works service is delivered in 11 centres across the UK. Over the past ten years, Smart Works has helped over 35,000 women. It is our mission that any woman who needs our service should be able to find her way to a Smart Works centre. More information about who we are can be found on our website.

About the opportunity

Our wardrobe is at the heart of our dressing service, where we create that magic mirror moment and ensure our clients receive a consistently professional, boutique dressing experience. Our clothing is generously donated from the public, corporate organisations and our retail partners such as Burberry, Hobbs, Whistles, John Lewis, M&S and more

At Smart Works we strive to deliver a ‘best in class’ experience, ensuring every client receives a high-quality outfit and outstanding dressing experience. This is why we are recruiting for a new team of wardrobe volunteers to maintain our wardrobe space for our clients and dressing team.

We also have an exciting calendar of fundraising events including our signature fashion sales and annual Fashion & Fizz events, where our wardrobe volunteers are responsible for curating amazing rails for our supporters to buy from and in turn raise vital funds for our service.

This opportunity would be perfect for anyone who has a passion for clothes and sees fashion as a force for good. Our wardrobe volunteers should have a meticulous eye for detail and a passion for organisation, as they will be involved in all things sorting and quality control.

We will be recruiting three to four wardrobe volunteers in Newcastle, who will be joining a busy and bustling community consisting of 5 staff members and over 40 volunteers.

Key Tasks

• Working as a team to create successful sorting systems.
• Sorting our incoming clothing donations for client wardrobe and sales.
• Rotating our wardrobe items seasonally and as new items come in.
• Maintaining our rails through steaming and sorting.
• Curating/pricing our fashion sale stock with our events calendar in mind.
• Administrative support with stock takes and inventories.
• Support with our fashion sale events.

Skills you should have

• Great attention to detail.
• Strong organisational skills.
• Work well as a part of the wider wardrobe and volunteer team.
• An awareness of fashion brands is desirable but not essential.
• Passionate about our mission and fashion as a force for good, evidenced in your written application.

Benefits of volunteering

• Making an impactful and positive difference to the lives of our clients. 
• Gaining work experience in the charity sector. 
• Using your knowledge and skills for good. 
• Meeting people from a range of backgrounds and making new friends. 
• Access monthly UK wide virtual volunteer forums to meet individuals across the charity.

How to apply

To apply, please submit a CV (no more than two pages) and a one-page cover letter via our recruitment portal here and we will be in touch May-June 2024 if your application is of interest.

Your application should be addressed to Smart Works Newcastle and your cover letter should include why you would like to become a Wardrobe Volunteer. 

There will be a short webinar on the opportunity held on Wednesday 10th April at 12:30pm. Please register to attend the webinar here. This will be a chance to hear first-hand from the Smart Works Newcastle Centre Manager about this opportunity.

*Please note this is a rolling recruitment advert, which means we will interview as people apply for the position and therefore may close the advert earlier than planned if we have find an appointable candidate. If you are interested in this position, please submit application as soon as possible. 

We are looking for individuals with professional or lived experience of working with children. Our volunteer playworkers are passionate about play and providing a welcoming and safe space for all children.

About the Role

As a volunteer play worker, you will work in partnership with the Specialist Family Support Worker in the planning and delivery of play sessions. Most children will be between the ages of 2-5 years.

Play sessions will be child-centered and age-appropriate, and will include arts and crafts, sensory play and free play with toys/resources in the refuge. Working with the Specialist Family Support Worker, you will be able to respond to the individual needs of the children and adapt sessions as needed. You will record your observations on each child at the end of the session and reflect on how the sessions went with Specialist Family Support Worker.

You will be supported by the Specialist Family Support Worker in monthly supervisions. This is a space to discuss your volunteering role, what is going well for you and areas of support you need.

We are looking for volunteers to support one session per week, either:

• Wednesday 10am – 1pm (Islington)
• Friday 12pm – 3pm (Enfield)  

You will be expected to participate in setting up and in the evaluation of the session. You may also be asked your availability to attend additional sessions and trips to be held over school half terms.

Who are we looking for?

We are looking volunteers who have:

• Professional and/or lived experience of working with children
• Understanding of the impact of domestic abuse on children and young people
• A strengths-focused approach to working with challenging behaviour
• Knowledge of Safeguarding Children and Child Protection Procedures, or who are willing to learn
• Commitment to attend Safeguarding, Health and Safety, and Equality and Diversity training with Solace Women’s Aid
• Ability to communicate effectively with children aged 0-5, parents and staff
• Basic knowledge of child development
• Organisation and time management skills

Although not essential, we would welcome applications from volunteers who have a formal qualification in working with children, young people and families, or who have knowledge of trauma-informed approaches to working with children and young people.

What can you gain from this opportunity?

Volunteers will gain:

• Experience of facilitating play sessions for children in recovery from domestic abuse
• An insight into the experiences of children in recovery from domestic abuse.
• Experience in working in partnership with Specialist Family Support Workers in the planning, delivery and evaluation of play sessions in a refuge/community setting.
• Opportunity to attend training and social events with other Solace Women’s Aid volunteers.
• Trauma-Informed Practice training from the Specialist Family Support Worker team.
• Being part of a supportive team who aim to build on the strengths and skills of all our members.

We offer great volunteer induction training, where you will be fully supported to understand, and carry put every aspect of the role. Training includes CPD accredited courses, and the opportunity to apply to complete the level 3 Understanding Domestic Abuse Award (DAPA), which is recognized by the Home Office.

Men Who Talk is a UK registered charity, running twice monthly online peer-to-peer support groups for men aged 18+ across the UK. The groups take places between 7:00 - 8:30pm during week nights.

Our groups are supportive spaces for men aged 18+ to come and talk openly about what's on their mind. All groups are free to attend and follow the evidence based model of peer support. 

Volunteers are required to be online from 6:45pm to 8:45pm, and are required to facilitate around 1 group per month. Volunteers are asked to commit to an a minimum of 6 months of volunteering in the initial stage. 

All groups are facilitated by 2 facilitators, and follow a semi-structured pattern.

We are looking for passionate men with some experience of groups facilitating or working in mental health settings to come join us as facilitators. Experience in using online platforms such as zoom is essential. 

A degree in psychology is preferred but not an essential requirement.

Why Join MWT? 

Men Who Talk is an exciting, fast growing charity, creating new spaces for men to talk openly about what's on their mind. 

We have a diverse team full of talented and passionate individuals who are committed to changing the face of mens mental health across the UK. 

As well as the opportunity to join the organisation at an exciting stage of it's development, volunteers also have the opportunity to develop their own skills and have regular chances to feed into the creative and strategic development of the organisation. 

PLEASE NOTE: We are only able to accept applications from individuals who already have the right to live and work in the UK. 

Do you have experience writing grant applications from the National Lottery Community Fund (previously The Big Lottery Fund) Awards for All, Reaching Communities, Partnerships, #iwil Fund, The UK Fund, and the Climate Action Fund in the UK, Heritage Fund and Arts Council? You will be responsible for the overall administration and management support of the Lottery-funded projects and actively contribute to preparing new Lottery project proposals.

Duties and Responsibilities

Proposal Writing

• Mapping of the Lottery Funding
• Conducting research, analysis and documentation.
• Design the Lottery Fund and projects.
• Partnership recruitment for the Lottery funding applications.
• Writing the Lottery fund projects including budgeting, deliverables, and planning.
• Submission of the Lottery Fund project application forms.

Required Skills and Experience

• Extensive knowledge and understanding of the Lottery Fund policy and decisions about health, education, climate change, social issues, human rights, democracy, technology, environment, territorial cooperation etc.
• Responsibility, consistency, and adherence to strict deadlines.
• Proven track record in drafting, writing, and implementing Lottery-funded projects, for at least 2 years experience in writing lottery grant applications.
• Intercultural awareness and sensitivity.
• Ability to multi-task, prioritise and work on own initiative.
• A drive to achieve quality in all aspects of the role

• Fluency in office software, email, web-based applications, and databases.
• Command of social media.

Are you passionate about supporting young people to access education? Learning English is a priority for the young people that we work with, but it can be difficult to find out where and when classes are happening. With limited English, the application process can also be very difficult to navigate. We are looking for a committed volunteer to work alongside the Education Lead to support young people to access English/ ESOL classes in and around Brighton. This will involve working directly with young people to help them to fill in application forms as well as keeping up to date about the classes that are happening and communicating with local colleges and training providers.

Time commitment: Every Thursday 1.30pm - 7.30pm (6 hours per week) 

Mid April - End of July 2024 (with opportunity to extend)

Location: BMECP centre, 10a Fleet Street, Brighton, BN1 4ZE

Deadline to apply: Midnight Sunday 10th March 2024

Interview: Tuesday 19th March 2024

Start date: Thursday 4th April or Thursday 11th April 2024 (TBC)

Role description:

• Support young people with college applications
• Maintain up to date information about ESOL courses in Brighton and Hove
• Attend Brighton ESOL network meetings (2-3 times a year)
• Meet regularly with the Education Lead
• Keep a diary of college open days and other events
• Attend Learning Space (Thursdays 5:30 - 7:30pm)

Skills/ qualities:

• Excellent communication skills
• Good at building relationships with ‘partner’ organisations
• Collaborative working style
• Dedication and reliability
• Experience of working with young people from refugee/ marginalised backgrounds
• Experience of working with people whose first language is not English
• Good at building relationships with young people
• Experience of teaching ESOL and/or working in further education is desirable 
• An understanding of some of the barriers and challenges experienced by young people from refugee backgrounds

Finance Volunteer

We’re the MS Society – a community of people living with MS, scientists, campaigners, listeners, organisers, ambassadors and fundraisers. Our volunteers are a key part of achieving our goals and their support is vital. Join us.

About this opportunity
We are looking to recruit a Finance Volunteer for our Ballymoney Group. As a Finance Volunteer, you would be joining a coordinating team of volunteers to plan and deliver services and activities to support people locally.

You will maintain and approve income and expenditure records and explain financial information clearly to other group members. You would ensure our financial requirements and policies are followed, and that money is spent in a cost effective manner.

This is a great opportunity to gain experience with a large charity, develop your existing skills and learn new ones. We need you to get involved and help make positive changes to the lives of people affected by MS.

About you
You’ll have an interest in the MS Society and the work that we do, as well as the enthusiasm to represent both us and our values locally. You will understand the needs of people affected by MS in your area and be sympathetic to the needs and motivations of volunteers. You’ll be comfortable with figures, preferably with an accounting or business background.

The MS Society is committed to promoting diversity. We can only offer roles to over 18s.

Could you help prevent loneliness and isolation for people living with BPD and become a befriender?

• Do you have 1-2 hours a week to give to a service user suffering from BPD and feeling isolated or lonely?
• Can you offer support, through a listening ear and be a positive influence in a service users life to help build self-esteem and confidence?
• Will you enable our service users to benefit from knowing someone is there to listen, be a friend, and check in on their wellbeing?

If you can answer ‘yes’ to these questions, then we would love to hear from you!

Key responsibilities

Your role will include, but is not restricted to the following tasks:

• Carry out weekly checks with the service users you are supporting, this may be over the telephone or via Teams.
• Engage the service user and help empower them
• Help service users to rediscover social skills and confidence by building up and maintaining a close relationship
• Keep accurate records of calls and sessions
• Report any concerns to the Volunteer Coordinator

Skills required

No qualifications or volunteering experience is required, but the following skills are essential:

• Be aged over 18
• Must have lived in UK for 2+ years
• A non-judgemental approach
• Good listening and communication skills
• Empathetic and compassionate
• Reliable and trustworthy
• Respect confidentiality
• Be able to work on own initiative
• Ability to build effective working relationships with service users
• A DBS check and 2 references are required for this role

What we offer

• a comprehensive induction program
• training on safeguarding, confidentiality, health and safety and other training relevant to the role
• ongoing support and supervision
• the chance to meet other volunteers and take part in volunteer events
• reimbursement of pre-agreed expenses

Do you want to be inspired by the impact of education? Do you have the skills to lead an established board of governors? A school in Aylesbury is looking for a skilled volunteer to drive school improvement by becoming a chair of governors.

What will you be doing?

Governing bodies are responsible for the strategic management of a school and will make decisions about a wide range of issues

The core responsibilities involved are:

· Ensuring accountability

· Providing support and challenge to the schools senior leadership team

· Monitoring and evaluating the school’s progress

· Budgetary allocation and control

· Shaping plans for school improvement and overseeing their implementation

· Setting the school’s aims and values

· Appointing senior members of staff including the Head Teacher

A school governing body is made up of representatives from the school, the parents, and the local community.

What are we looking for?

This vacancy is for a Special School (ages 11-19).  The school is looking to find a Chair of Governors who is a great communicator who will quickly form solid relationships with the Headteacher and other governors.  The current chair is the safeguarding lead so it would be absolutely ideal if the new chair also has some of this experience.  If you have chairing experience in capacity but don’t have a safeguarding background, please do still apply.

You must be over 18, but you don’t need to be a parent or have children of school age. Often, it’s the outside perspective you can bring that a school needs. Professional experience in areas such as safe guarding, change management, and leadership skills are all useful to a school. Soft skills such as communication and problem solving are also great additions.

What difference will you make?

Governors make decisions that affect schools for years to come. Chair of Governors work in partnership with Head Teachers and the Senior Management Team to help deliver the best possible education, and help children realise their expectations and aspirations.

Our recent impact survey found that our volunteers bring £9.9 million worth of value to schools each year, and 9/10 volunteers would recommend being a governor to a friend.

As a chair of governors, you will be encouraged to visit the school to gain an understanding of the culture and ethos and to get the most out of the role. You’ll also have the opportunity to meet children, parents, and teachers, and see the impact of your work first-hand.

What's in it for the volunteer?

Volunteering as a chair of governors is a challenging but rewarding role. As part of the governing board, you’ll:

· Have support from the vice chair(s) and the clerk, to ensure the effective functioning of the board by keeping it focused on its core functions. You will also encourage the board to work together as an effective team, building its skills, knowledge and experience.

· help schools overcome challenges to ensure a bright future for children in your community

· work collaboratively with people from different backgrounds, challenging your own perspective and broadening your network

· gain experience outside of your job description and skills you can bring back to work

Before you apply

You will need to complete an application form and will have an interview with the school. DBS checks will be taken up.

About Governors for Schools

Objectives

Governors for Schools exists to improve educational standards so that children and young people have the chance to realise their full potential.

We believe the key to improving school performance is effective governance. By finding, nurturing and supporting a committed network of governors we help to drive systematic change in how schools operate. We have been connecting schools across England for over 20 years, and expanded our service into Wales in 2020, with skilled and committed volunteers, supported by our business and university partnerships.

We are looking for volunteers to join our cheer squad, and support everyone who is taking part in 2024 RideLondon-Essex to stop MS. 

As part of our cheer squad, you'll be based at our cheer point in East London. You will help to create a great atmosphere to give our cyclists the boost they need to cross the finish line! 

This role is only required on Sunday 26 May 2024 for one day. There are no specific skills required, just your enthusiasm! We will provide an MS Society t-shirt and cheering materials on the day to help you make lots of noise.

The Paristamen Charity is a small grant-making charity. Most of our grants provide unrestricted support a wide range of small charities across Scotland.  We typically award £50k - £60k grants/year, though this is likely to increase slightly in the coming years.

We are seeking someone with broad experience in the voluntary sector to join us as a trustee - this would be a great opportunity for a fundraiser who wishes to get some experience from the other side of the table - assessing applications and making decisions as a grant-maker.

We operate with a small board of four trustees - one of the existing trustees is now stepping down and we are thus looking to appoint a new trustee for three years 2024-27.  Trustee meeting take place three times a year in Dunbar or Edinburgh.

Our objects include the advancement of the Christian faith so some experience of the church sector would be helpful.  However, this is only one aspect - the majority of our grants are awarded to a broad range of charities working in fields such as poverty, homelessness, health, prisoners and refugees.

Do you want to be inspired by the impact of education? Do you have the skills to lead an established board of governors? A school in Gosforth, Newcastle is looking for a skilled volunteer to drive school improvement by becoming a chair of governors.

What will you be doing?

Governing bodies are responsible for the strategic management of a school and will make decisions about a wide range of issues

The core responsibilities involved are:

· Ensuring accountability

· Providing support and challenge to the schools senior leadership team

· Monitoring and evaluating the school’s progress

· Budgetary allocation and control

· Shaping plans for school improvement and overseeing their implementation

· Setting the school’s aims and values

· Appointing senior members of staff including the Head Teacher

A school governing body is made up of representatives from the school, the parents, and the local community.

What are we looking for?

This vacancy is for a First School (ages 3-9).  The school is looking to find a Chair of Governors who is a great communicator who will quickly form solid relationships with the Headteacher and other governors.  You’ll have an interest in Primary Education although you don’t necessarily need to have been a governor before or worked in education.  You will have an appreciation though of how your skill set can contribute to the wider governing board.  You need to be confident to lead and challenge but have a genuine interest in the wellbeing of the SLT and staff in the school.

You must be over 18, but you don’t need to be a parent or have children of school age. Often, it’s the outside perspective you can bring that a school needs. Professional experience in areas such as safe guarding, change management, and leadership skills are all useful to a school. Soft skills such as communication and problem solving are also great additions.

What difference will you make?

Governors make decisions that affect schools for years to come. Chair of Governors work in partnership with Head Teachers and the Senior Management Team to help deliver the best possible education, and help children realise their expectations and aspirations.

Our recent impact survey found that our volunteers bring £9.9 million worth of value to schools each year, and 9/10 volunteers would recommend being a governor to a friend.

As a chair of governors, you will be encouraged to visit the school to gain an understanding of the culture and ethos and to get the most out of the role. You’ll also have the opportunity to meet children, parents, and teachers, and see the impact of your work first-hand.

What's in it for the volunteer?

Volunteering as a chair of governors is a challenging but rewarding role. As part of the governing board, you’ll:

· Have support from the vice chair(s) and the clerk, to ensure the effective functioning of the board by keeping it focused on its core functions. You will also encourage the board to work together as an effective team, building its skills, knowledge and experience.

· help schools overcome challenges to ensure a bright future for children in your community

· work collaboratively with people from different backgrounds, challenging your own perspective and broadening your network

· gain experience outside of your job description and skills you can bring back to work

Before you apply

You will need to complete an application form and will have an interview with the school. DBS checks will be taken up.

About Governors for Schools

Objectives

Governors for Schools exists to improve educational standards so that children and young people have the chance to realise their full potential.

We believe the key to improving school performance is effective governance. By finding, nurturing and supporting a committed network of governors we help to drive systematic change in how schools operate. We have been connecting schools across England for over 20 years, and expanded our service into Wales in 2020, with skilled and committed volunteers, supported by our business and university partnerships.