Activity Centre Volunteer Volunteer Roles

Many people struggle to enjoy cycling, and some families often find the cost of adapted bikes mean that they cannot share fun times together.

Parkride is a fun and flexible inclusive cycling project using a range of adapted and standard bikes that provides anyone, regardless of age, ability or need, with the opportunity to enjoy the great outdoors through cycling.

We require a volunteer van driver to help us deliver our custom-made bikes and trikes to locations such as parks and community centers around the West Midlands.

We’ve got the van; we just need you!

What would I be doing?

· You will be a vital link between us and the families we support, helping us to get the team and bikes to where they’re needed for arranged sessions.

· You’ll be the friendly face of Parkride, interacting with the families and ensuring the bikes are kept safe and secure whilst the team are out riding.

· Working with staff to load/unload the van before and after sessions.

What do I need?

· Minimum age 25

· Experience of driving a large van with a suitable driving licence

· A full and clean driving licence (held for a minimum of 5 years)

· Some lifting will be required and so a basic level of fitness is needed.

· Being approachable and friendly with good communication skills

· Accepting of others who might be different to you and the ability to work as part of a diverse team

· A willingness to learn and work within guidelines set out by Midland Mencap

· Honesty, integrity and trustworthy

· Good time management skills, reliability

· An enhanced DBS check will be required by all successful applicants.

When and where do you need me?

· The van is based at our head office in Woodgate Valley – B32 3BZ.

· We have several parkride sessions running throughout the week including evenings and weekends. Sessions vary from 2-4 hours (plus travel).

· We run sessions throughout the Midlands, including Birmingham (all areas), Dudley, Sandwell, Coventry, and Sutton Coldfield. You can choose which sessions you wish to attend.

· All sessions are weather dependent; however, we only cancel sessions in extreme weather. We would advise having a warm waterproof coat and suitable shoes.

What’s in it for me?

As one of our valued volunteers, Midland Mencap will offer you:

· The opportunity to make a difference to the lives of people with learning disabilities and their family carers

· Improved physical and mental wellbeing from keeping active

· An induction and settling in period

· Any training and development that is needed

· The chance to develop your skills and gain experience

· The opportunity to meet new people and be part of a diverse team

· Support within your role

· Agreed out-of-pocket travel expenses

· Lots of appreciation for your amazing contribution

Carers Trust Hillingdon is the leading charity in the London Borough of Hillingdon and we are looking for enthusiastic and caring individuals to provide a warm and friendly welcome to all our visitors and support the staff in a variety of administrative tasks.

Our vision is to be recognised as the gateway to a better life for all unpaid carers in Hillingdon.

Main purpose of volunteering role

To provide a warm and friendly welcome to all our visitors and support the staff  with a variety of administrative tasks.

Availability

The role is required on Mondays and/or Wednesdays, 10am – 4pm.

Location

Based at Carers Trust Hillingdon offices on Uxbridge High Street, UB8 1JT.

Key responsibilities

· Work on your own in the Advice Centre welcoming visitors

· Be patient and empathetic to any visitors and call for an appropriate staff member to deal with the concern

· Answer incoming calls and transferring to appropriate member of staff

· Make calls on behalf of the staff, inviting carers to activities etc.

· Various administrative tasks such as photocopying and inputting data

· Input data onto charity log

· Help support outreach activity

· Help support fund raising activities

Specialist skills/training/knowledge

· Good communication and interpersonal skills to be able to talk to clients

· Good telephone and computer skills

· Show high standards of professional behaviour and appearance

· Be able to reach the venue via public transport or own transport (expenses will be paid)

Global Social Club (GSC) is the UK’s first Youth Club of Sanctuary. It’s a space of welcome for young people aged 14-25 from around the city and around the world.  GSC is centred on fun, friendship, creativity & celebrating diversity. It’s a warm and inclusive space for young people to connect and share experiences. 

We are looking for people who are happy to lend a hand and who are …

• Aged 23 and above.  
• Able to connect with young people with warmth and ease, forming positive relationships.
• Willing to participate fully in GSC sessions including games & activities.
   

We are striving to develop a team that is more representative of the young people we work with. This means we particularly welcome applications from people with lived experiences of racism, migration, forced displacement or being a refugee. 

Fundraising Volunteer - Events

We're looking for friendly and enthusiastic people to support us at fundraising events throughout the UK.

Blesma, The Limbless Veterans is the national charity and membership association for limbless serving and ex-service men and women and their dependants.

We help all wounded servicemen and women who have lost limbs, the use of limbs or eyes, to rebuild their lives by providing rehabilitation activities and welfare support.

We are looking for Volunteers to help the Fundraising Team at in person fundraising and awareness raising events throughout the UK. We’re a small and friendly team, operating at a regional and national level. We organise Blesma events and collections, attend third party events and support fundraisers doing their own events.

By volunteering with us, you will have the opportunity to gain first-hand experience of volunteering for a charity and will contribute to our work supporting injured veterans and their families.

Location: Multiple, throughout UK

We look forward to hearing from you.

Thank you for your interest in Blesma, The Limbless Veterans

The Island Lead Volunteer is a key volunteer leadership role within Scouting with responsibility for providing outstanding management and support for the groups within the County. The primary focus for the Island Lead Volunteer is to ensure that Scouting is able to reach every young person in Jersey; open to all regardless of faith, colour or social background, because we believe Scouting has the ability to change lives.

This is achieved by leading the team of Group Lead Volunteers, and other Island appointments as well as working with the Growth and Communities Team (employed staff) to provide enough places to meet the demand for Scouting, and by ensuring that every youth member has access to a high-quality balanced programme that is challenging, relevant and rewarding.

As our Island Lead Volunteer, you'll get the opportunity to lead Jersey through transformation and develop working in teams, and look at extending the reach of scouting to all parts of the county and for all those who want to become involved. You will be able to really develop and hone your leadership skills by managing teams of remote volunteers across the breadth of Jersey.

Leading and managing volunteers provides so much more opportunity and experiences than with employees, and the skills you can gain by doing this really can be a great asset for your professional life as well as in Scouts. The issues and challenges that you find ways to tackle will stretch you as an individual and as a leader, and you’ll find yourself discovering new things that you are capable of achieving, all within a supportive environment.

If you get a kick out of seeing things happen, achieving success and making a positive impact to a wide audience then the Island Lead Volunteer role definitely provides all of that. 

ABOUT THE ROLE

As part of our Community Support team, you will play a key role in ensuring the fulfilment of our users' needs by sharing information about our services, projects, and activities; this takes place in person, through our digital channels and helpline. Additionally, you will be responsible for keeping up to date information about other services and partner organisations. The primary challenge faced by the Latin American community is the language barrier, which hinders their comprehension of the UK system and their entitlements. Taking part in the Community Interpreting service, you will support service users in navigating these obstacles, enabling them to establish a more integrated life in the UK. This is an exciting opportunity for anyone who wants to better understand the challenges faced by the Latin American community in London; use their language skills in a positive and impactful way; and develop valuable administrative and customer service skills in a multicultural, fast-paced organisation.

MAIN TASKS AND RESPONSIBILITIES

● Connecting service users to our services, projects and activities in person or by answering phone calls and emails

● Supporting users with general enquiries, referring them to relevant services within our organisation as well as signposting and referring to external services

● Registering users on our database and keeping accurate records of services offered

● Monitoring internal calendars and appointments

● Sharing useful, up-to-date information with users as instructed by other team members

● Ensuring internal communications, flyers and handouts are up to date

● Interpreting calls for service users and supporting with non-official translations

● Supporting community members with basic application forms

● Liaising with staff in other departments and with external contacts

PERSON SPECIFICATION

● Good verbal and written communication skills in English and Spanish and/or Portuguese

● Ability to work effectively as a member of a team and with a diverse population of service users, staff and partners

● A caring, sensitive and non-judgemental approach

● Ability to cope with stressful and emotionally challenging issues

● Professionalism to handle sensitive and confidential information

● Excellent organisational skills, attention to detail and ability to multitask

● Ability to set their own work priorities, take initiatives and work with minimal supervision

*This particular service has an emphasis on empowering female clients and working to improve the experiences of the women that the team work with, which means that we are only looking for volunteers who are female or female identifying. 

In this role, you will be supporting us with all or some of the following tasks:  Accompanying clients to attend appointments at the job centre, GP and other services  Accompanying clients on outings to the library, and other local community activities.  Supporting clients to access services over the phone and online  Supporting clients in a range of practical ways under the guidance of the Housing First worker.  Adhering to St Mungo’s Policies and Procedures at all times.  Promoting St Mungo’s work in an appropriate manner.  Actively promoting equality, diversity and inclusion among staff, fellow volunteers and clients.

Ref: V226 | Communication Service Supporter | East Midlands

We’re looking for three volunteers over the age of 18 years old, based in various locations:

- Tuesdays - Somercotes Community Centre, Nottingham Road Somercotes - Derbyshire, DE55 4LY

-Wednesdays - Erewash Voluntary Action Aid, Granville Ave, Long Eaton, Nottingham NG10 4HD

-Thursdays - The Parish of All Saints Church, Mickleover, Derby DE3 0DL

You’ll be volunteering one afternoon every two weeks in blocks of 6 sessions.  Depending on venue chosen, may be Tuesday/Wednesday or Thursday.

We are looking for communication service supporters to assist stroke survivors in developing their communication skills on a one-to-one basis in their homes or out in their local community so that they can access activities and services.

The volunteers will:

· Be an effective communication service supporter you need great listening skills and be able to support people in an empathetic and non-judgemental way.

· Be willing to learn and use the technique, called ‘supported conversation’, that is used to support people with communication difficulties.

If you are someone who enjoys conversation, meeting new people and likes to try new things, then this role might be a good one for you.

A Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check is required for this role.

Interested in this role?

Find out more by downloading the role desciption for the Communication service supporter role.

If you are interested in this role, please complete our application form on our website.

About Us

Stroke Association. Rebuilding lives after stroke.

When stroke strikes, part of your brain shuts down. And so does a part of you. That’s because a stroke happens in the brain, the control centre for who we are and what we can do. It happens every five minutes in the UK and changes lives instantly. Recovery is tough, but with the right specialist support and a ton of courage and determination, the brain can adapt.

We believe everyone deserves to live the best life they can after stroke. And it’s a team effort to get there.

We provide specialist support, fund critical research and campaign to make sure people affected by stroke get the very best care and support to rebuild their lives.

We’re working to improve the diversity of our team.  Because we know that individuality leads to a richer experience for our people and better support for those affected by stroke. 

We strongly encourage people from all backgrounds to apply. And we’re particularly looking to increase the number of applications from those with lived experience of stroke and those from under-represented communities. 

Every five minutes, stroke destroys lives. Help us rebuild them and join our team.

To help us deliver our strategy and make a real difference, we are looking to recruit talented people to a number of new roles.

If you would like to support stroke survivors to rebuild their lives, we want to hear from you!

Cats Protection is the UK’s leading feline welfare charity and our vision is a world where every cat is treated with kindness and an understanding of its needs. Cats are at the centre of everything we do and our objectives are: homing, neutering and educating people about cats and their care. We help thousands of cats across the UK each year thanks to our network of dedicated volunteers, staff and supporters.

A bit about this role

If you enjoy driving and would love to use those skills to help our cats, this could be the role for you. Our transport volunteers provide vital assistance to our teams and volunteer groups in the local area by transporting equipment, litter, food– and even cats! They have the essential role of connecting our network of volunteers, sites, vets and supporters.

Without the passionate and committed teams of volunteers across Cats Protection, we wouldn’t be able to help the thousands of cats and kittens each year that rely on us for help.

What can you expect to be doing?

• Arranging and transporting equipment, litter and cat food
• Transporting cats to and from vets, foster homes and centres
• Transporting equipment to and from events

A bit more information about this role and the team

As part of this role you will be using own car to transport donations and cats. Mileage will be re-imbursed.

What are the benefits to you and the cats?

You will develop new skills, expand your knowledge and make a significant contribution to improving the lives of cats and kittens by providing transport assistance to local volunteer groups and teams. You will meet new people, make new friends and be part of a dedicated team of volunteers.

We’re looking for someone with

• Good organisation and time management skills
• Knowledge of the local community
• A current driver’s licence
• Either access to a vehicle or happy to drive a Cats Protection van (subject to availabilty)
• The ability to carry out some heavy lifting

Time expectation

Our transport volunteers usually spend two to four hours per week in this role, which is flexible and can be shared by more than one volunteer if needed.

Support, guidance and keeping you safe

At Cats Protection we believe our volunteers should be happy and confident in their roles. We provide support and guidance from our National Cat Centre and through our regional and local volunteer groups and teams. We offer engaging online and face-to-face training, expenses and have policies and processes to help volunteers get the most out of their time with us.

The wellbeing of our people is important and at Cats Protection we are committed to safeguarding children, adults at risk and all those that we come into contact with as part of our activities.

Due to Trustee retirement, Braintree Area Foodbank is looking for a new volunteer Finance Trustee. You will be part of Braintree Area Foodbank's board of Trustees, which provides governance and leadership over a Charity that provided over 12,000 meals last year. Braintree Area Foodbank has grown significantly in recent years, with new, exciting projects on the horizon. The Charity is looking for a candidate from a financial background, with experience of planning, preparing and monitoring budgets with expertise in the preparation of annual accounts. Support is available from a volunteer Treasurer along with additional support and guidance from the Board. If you are looking for a new volunteering role in a fast moving environment that directly supports those in poverty and makes a real difference then this could be the role for you.

Brief outline of Braintree Area Foodbank: 

Braintree Area Foodbank started in 2012. We are a part of the Trussell Trust network of food banks and distribute food and other essentials to people in crisis food poverty. We operate over a wide area around Braintree, with distribution centres in Braintree itself, Great Notley, Sible Hedingham, Halstead and Witham, supported by home deliveries where required. We work with a wide range of frontline referral agencies, voluntary and statutory, which are issued with vouchers to enable them to refer clients to the foodbank, having assessed their needs. Clients then visit one of our centres where they are met with light refreshments and a listening ear. Additionally, in order to try to mitigate the underlying cause of the crisis, our centres have information on a wide range of organisations to which clients may be signposted by one our volunteers.

Key duties and responsibilities: 

• Review timesheets, run payroll including the maintenance of this system. Set up payments for travel and remuneration. This includes managing the Inland Revenue system and the pension scheme.
• Monitor and manage our online finance management system, including updating our internal cash flow report.
• Provide supporting financial information for grant applications. Including monitoring and maintaining records for related expenditure for grants received for inclusion in donor reports.
• Review Charity savings including the investigation for new or renewable investments, with the completion of paperwork as necessary.
• Prepare and present the annual budget for the Board of Trustees agreement.
• Complete the SOFA, balance sheet and notes for inclusion in the TAR. This will include liasing with Trustees to support a Trustee commentary to sufficiently explain financial data.
• Obtaining the acceptance of the TAR from Trustees and organise and attend meetings with the Independent Examiner.

A full job description and person specification can be found attached to this advert. 

Do you enjoy networking and meeting new people? Are you passionate about volunteering and supporting the serving community? If so, we would love to hear from you. You don’t need a military background, just the ability to get on with people, and a good level of IT skills.

What is a Serving Community Team Volunteering Coordinator?

There is a SSAFA presence throughout the serving community, both in the UK and overseas. In many areas, SSAFA have Serving Community Teams which offer financial, practical, and emotional support to serving personnel and their families. Each team is formed of a group of trained volunteers who make this possible.

A Volunteering Coordinator is a key role within the Team, supporting with local recruitment, induction, and celebration of volunteers and volunteering. They ensure volunteers are welcomed and supported. This role also has voting rights for the grant giving process.

What difference will you make?

Volunteers are the lifeblood of SSAFA. We have been involving volunteers in supporting the Armed Forces community for more than 130 years. Our beneficiaries come from all backgrounds and age groups and the number of people contacting us for help rises each year. To continue providing help when it’s needed most, SSAFA must maintain a diverse and committed network of volunteers who are skilled, supported and valued.

What will you be doing?

Although every SSAFA Serving Community Team has different needs, below are the main activities of a Volunteering Coordinator:

• Keeping track and keeping in touch: Maintaining accurate and up-to-date lists of volunteer details, ensuring volunteers complete training, checking in with volunteers about their experience and passing on feedback.
• Monitoring and planning: Working alongside the Chair to monitor volunteer numbers and develop plans to recruit new volunteers as required.
• Creating local links: Taking opportunities to advertise and promote volunteering opportunities locally, including linking with local volunteer centres and community groups. Liaising with the Engagement and Events Coordinator and SSAFA’s Marketing and Communications team for support with branding and publicity materials.
• Welcoming and supporting: Working in partnership with SSAFA Central Office teams to coordinate local volunteer recruitment and induction, supporting new volunteers through these steps. Ensuring every volunteer has access to supervision and support, signposting to support from SSAFA Central Office teams as required.
• Celebrating and saying thank you: Seeking opportunities to celebrate volunteering, engaging in local initiatives and finding ways to say thank you to volunteers for all their efforts.
• Partnership working: building positive relationships and working together with national and regional employees, who are available to offer you support.
• Being a volunteering champion: working with the Regional Operations Support Manager to promote volunteering best practice across the Team and ensure volunteers have the best possible experience with SSAFA.

What about training and support?

• Instructor led training alongside like-minded volunteers will guide you through everything you need to know about volunteering good practice and volunteer management.
• Online, e-learning, training modules to complete at home, so you are up to date on how to keep people and their personal information safe.
• Local induction and support.
• Access to a range of e-learning courses as well as local opportunities to keep your knowledge and skills up to date.
• Support from SSAFA volunteering and operations staff.
• Regular meetings and events to learn and share information.
• Reimbursement of out-of-pocket expenses.
• Volunteers will be covered by SSAFA's Public Liability insurance while carrying out their role.

What can you gain from this volunteering role?

• Use your skills, knowledge and life experience to benefit others.
• Give back to the Armed Forces community.
• Become part of the SSAFA community and build networks across the serving community and local area.
• Experience, training, and skills that you can highlight on your CV and in job interviews.
• Better physical and mental health – studies show that volunteers live longer and experience lower levels of stress and depression!

What are we looking for?

• Friendly and approachable people with good written and verbal communication skills.
• Some experience of coordinating people is desirable but not essential.
• Empathy regarding the needs and challenges of the serving community
• Good IT skills e.g., ability to use email and Excel – you will receive your own SSAFA email address.
• Understanding of the importance of confidentiality and boundaries.
• A willingness to adhere to all relevant organisational policies and procedures.
• A belief in the impact of volunteering.

Depending on the needs of the team, this role would suit someone who would like to volunteer a few hours each week.

We welcome volunteers of all backgrounds, abilities, races, sexual orientations, socio-economic backgrounds, and faiths and none. SSAFA are committed to making reasonable adjustments to support volunteers with disabilities to have access to the same opportunities and experiences as volunteers who do not.

Please note this is a volunteer role and does not form part of any contract of employment.

Minimum Age: 18

Are references required? Yes. Two-character references from people who know you well (not family members).

Is a criminal record check required? No

We work to make SSAFA as safe as possible for everyone. Part of this involves volunteers attending an informal interview, providing two suitable references, and completing relevant training for your role.

About the Project

We received a grant from the Sandwell Council Better Mental Health Strategy Grant Scheme.  The project is designed to comprehensively address the participants' mental health and well-being needs through a multifaceted and person-centred approach. First and foremost, a series of evidence-based workshops and therapeutic sessions will be organised, focusing on teaching coping strategies, stress management techniques, and mindfulness practices. These sessions will equip participants with practical tools to navigate daily challenges, reduce anxiety, and enhance emotional resilience. Additionally, art therapy and expressive activities within the drama sessions will provide creative outlets for individuals to process their emotions, fostering self-expression and a sense of emotional release. Through these workshops, participants will gain valuable skills to manage their mental well-being effectively.

Volunteering Role

Do you want to give something back to your local community?  We have an exciting opportunity to be part of an established community of adults with learning disabilities and/or autism.

All of our participants are unique and individual, and each volunteer position will be tailored to match the interests of participants and you as a volunteer.

Volunteer role requirements

· Reliable and committed to providing excellent support

· Passionate about making a real difference to people’s lives and supporting them to be as independent, safe, healthy and happy as they possibly can be

· Kind and empathetic. You will need a sense of humour, an approachable manner and the resilience to cope with a busy, challenging and passionate opportunity

Skills required

· Commitment to equality and diversity and a genuine desire to help people with learning disabilities and/or autism

· Ability to work as part of a team

· Excellent time management skills

 Training, support and benefits

· As an Options for Life volunteer, you will be given a full induction when you start.

· A staff member will support you throughout your time as a volunteer.

· We will offer you an opportunity to develop your skills and experience for a worthwhile cause.

· We will look to provide further training where possible.

· We will reimburse travel expenses to and from your volunteering and any journeys during activities with us. We will also reimburse you for lunch for up to £5.00 if you volunteer over lunchtime.

Time commitment

We are looking for a volunteer who will commit to at least 4 hours a week between Monday and Friday.

Cecil Gardens is a large service containing ninety-nine apartments, close to the city centre of Hull and easily accessible by public transport. The service supports adults with a wide variety of needs including Over 18s, Mental Health needs, Older People, Learning Disabilities and Autism. Our service users live in self-contained apartments and have access to several communal spaces, including a restaurant, a hairdressers and a spa.

We are currently looking for volunteer befrienders at our Cecil Garden service in Hull, if you have a couple of hours to spare and can commit to volunteering on a regular basis, we’d love to hear from you.

Are you a warm and chatty person, who’s also a good listener? We are looking for befrienders who can help someone gain confidence and engage with the local community. Maybe going for walks, trips to a local café, or, supporting somebody to attend their appointments.

Our volunteer befrienders will also encourage people to connect to our internal community here at our service, which includes a wide variety of activity sessions held in several communal spaces on site. As part of our Wellbeing service we are hoping to build a community amongst our Service Users and you will visit service users in their flats and encourage people to join in our activities and take part in events held here.

As a volunteer with Creative Support we offer training for your role, access to a volunteer supervisor, an induction, a monthly volunteer newsletter, and an online volunteer support network group on Zoom.

We are a passionate, inclusive and anti-racist organisation. We embrace diversity and encourage applicants from all backgrounds and cultures. As a Disability Confident Employer we welcome applications from people with a disability, and as a proud Stonewall Diversity Champion we actively encourage applications from the LGBT+ community.

A bit about this role

At Cats Protection we help thousands of cats every year and the majority of these success stories are thanks to the dedication and effort of our passionate volunteers. Our volunteer champion team leaders support local volunteer groups by leading a team of others that provide recruitment, induction and recognition support to wider volunteer groups and teams. 

What can you expect to be doing?

• Recruiting the volunteer champions team of volunteers
• Allocating tasks and activities to other members of the volunteer champions team
• Identifying ways to involve volunteers
• Providing support, encouragement, and leadership
• Promoting a culture of volunteering best practice
• Encouraging volunteer feedback 

A bit more information about this role and the team

What are the benefits to you and the cats?

You will develop new skills, expand your knowledge and make a significant contribution to improving the lives of cats and kittens by supporting the volunteer champion’s team to recruit, induct and recognise volunteers. You will also meet new people, make new friends and be part of a dedicated team of volunteers.

We’re looking for someone with

• Good written and verbal communication skills
• The ability to use own initiative 
• Willingness to be part of a team
• Good knowledge of IT
• Experience in managing people
• The ability to delegate
• Knowledge and experience of volunteering and volunteer management 

Time expectation 

Our volunteer champion team leaders usually spend 3 to 4 hours per week in this role, which is flexible and can be shared by more than one volunteer if needed. 

Support, guidance and keeping you safe

At Cats Protection we believe our volunteers should be happy and confident in their roles. We provide support and guidance from our National Cat Centre and through our regional and local volunteer groups and teams. We offer engaging online and face-to-face training, expenses and have policies and processes to help volunteers get the most out of their time with us.

The wellbeing of our people is important and at Cats Protection we are committed to safeguarding children, adults at risk and all those that we come into contact with as part of our activities.