Autism volunteer roles

About you:
Are you passionate about supporting young people and families? Do you have a desire to see people flourish and empower change in your community? Have you experienced the care of a friend in difficulties or overcome some hardships and want to give back? If so, being a Family Friend could be the next adventure you embark on this year.

Volunteering activities and commitment:
Our Family Friend volunteers work directly with families by coming alongside parents and children when they need it most, making sure they feel less isolated. This can involve sharing a hot drink to hear about their day; helping a single dad or mum to get out of their home to a local park; or doing an activity with their children that would brighten up their day.

Every family support is unique to you and the family to help them achieve their goals, and always with your agreement. Practically speaking, being a Family Friend is a flexible role that can be fitted in with your other commitments and doesn't have to take up much of your time. 

You will be trained and supported by a local Engagement and Support Coordinator and Family Support Manager who will support you throughout your volunteer recruitment journey and whilst you are volunteering.

Our vision:
Safe Families believes that no one should feel alone. We work with local councils to come alongside isolated and overwhelmed families to create relationship and connection because everyone deserves to belong.

As a Christian Charity, we also believe in the power of the Church community. Does your church have a passion to support, love and welcome newcomers? If so, you can help to be a bridge between your church community and the people you volunteer with. We know this is especially needed at a time when loneliness is an endemic in the UK. 27%
of adults report feeling lonely ‘always, often, or sometimes’, and this can be as impacting on a person’s life as smoking 15 cigarettes a day.  Loneliness steals joy, destroys self-confidence, and limits potential. The cure is community and a sense of belonging. Being a Family Friend is a great way to showcase care and compassion to others.

We look forward to welcoming you as our new Family Friend and celebrating and honouring the milestones in your journey.
 

Barefoot and Free are looking for a creative volunteers who have fresh ideas with the expertise and passion to make them a reality.

What will you be doing?

A wonderful opportunity for vibrant creative individuals to come up with new fundraising ideas and put them into practice.

We would love to hear from anyone who is passionate about fundraising and loves organising events, from cake sales to fun runs. If you feel you are someone who can motivate others, steer new supporters to sign up and support them, to organise their fundraising events and organise our own fundraising charity events then get in touch..... we need your help.

This fundraiser role is an important role, it will help bring in much needed funds to support what we do.

What are we looking for?

We’d love people who are passionate about supporting the families we serve, someone who is creative and can put a plan in action, someone who has had experience in successful fundraising activities, events or online success or individuals that may not have experience but have the drive to succeed in the role. Commitment and professionalism is a must.

What difference will you make?

We are a small charity fighting hard to support our families, as we grow, we need to bring in more funding, could you be the person to support us? Are you creative with vibrant ideas that could work boost our fundraising?

Your support will help us to grow and support more families, our families are extremely important to us, we support amazing children and young people fighting big issues due to neurodiversity or trauma resulting in mental health issues, we work hard as a team to fund staycations so our families can breathe and take a break so they can recuperate to face the challenges they so unfairly face. You will have the chance to make a huge difference to the lives of the vulnerable families we support at Barefoot and Free.

We can’t wait to see what you can do! Please get in touch.

Could you give time to help your local community by becoming one of our Volunteer Drivers assisting the most vulnerable people living near you?

You can make a big difference to people’s lives by volunteering with us here at Community Connexions.

Just for one moment, imagine if you couldn't go shopping, visit loved ones or attend vital health appointments… this is reality for some.

If you drive with us, you can make sure that...

• Mrs Jones makes that all important oncology appointment on time
• Mr Smith gets to his dementia club 
• by taking Mrs Brown to the supermarket, she will have full cupboards for the next week(s)

You’ll be passionate, as we are at Community Connexions, about helping people of all ages across Gloucestershire. The service you will provide means that thousands of people who might otherwise struggle due to physical, mental, social or rural barriers, get where they need to go.

You’ll be joining our group of trained Community Transport Volunteers (& qualified drivers) collecting people from their homes & taking them to a health appointment/social activity or picking them up from a health/day centre and dropping them home.

As a Community Connexions driver, you will be dedicated to providing safe transport that facilitates inclusion and participation, reducing loneliness from social and rural isolation. Your service will be vital for helping people retain their independence. As an example in 2020, our team helped over 90,000 passengers.

With your help we can be even better & reach still more people. Our services are reliable, punctual, safe and fully accessible. We’re inclusive & welcome people from all backgrounds, ethnicities, genders, religions, all walks of life, so come & join us as a volunteer!

Give as little or as much time as you can, some drivers are full-time, some offer a few half days a month. Volunteering with us a great way to help people in your community and it’s also an opportunity for you to meet new people and develop new skills.

We have opportunities in Tewkesbury, Cirencester, Tetbury, Stroud, Gloucester, Cheltenham, Dursley and across Gloucestershire.

We'll ask you to do a DVLA Licence check and we'll get you to complete the Disclosure and Barring Service certification.

We will not see you out of pocket, we'll cover your mileage expenses. We'll give you training and you’ll be part of our team. Our support staff are here to help you all the way.

To apply, please click 'Quick Apply' and you will be asked a few short questions. We will then be in touch to discuss the next steps with you. We’re really looking forward to hearing from you.

Childline Volunteer Counsellor- Someone who wants to make a difference to children’s lives by being there to listen when they feel they have no one else to turn to. As a Childline counsellor, you’ll be there for young people and listen to them as they open up about whatever is worrying them, whether it’s bullying, abuse, self-harm or family relationships – you’ll be there to support them.

What you’ll do

You’ll volunteer in our Leeds Childline base, offering counselling support to children and young people over the phone or through our 1-2-1 online chat. Your supervisor will help you develop and evaluate your counselling skills. After your initial training, you will be able to help young people as well as identify when a child or young person may be at risk, but don’t worry a supervisor will be on hand to give you plenty of support.

What you’ll get

You’ll receive training sessions over 12 weeks to prepare you for the role. When you start your regular shifts, a supervisor will be around all times to support you. Every shift includes a briefing and debriefing alongside other volunteers. Supervisors will also give you regular one-to-one support and group supervisions.

What we’ll need from you

Signing up to be a Childline counsellor is a big commitment and requires lots of training so, we do ask people to stay in the role for a minimum of one year.

We’ll also need to do some routine safeguarding checks, including an enhanced criminal record check and at least two satisfactory references with at least one covering a period of five years or more with no gaps. It’s nothing to worry about, and we can answer any questions you have about this.

Who’s right for the role?

While we think this role is suitable for a whole range of people, we are particularly looking for those with the following qualities and experience.

• Passionate about helping young people and children
• Great communication skills
• Empathetic and perceptive
• able to think on your feet
• works well within a team
• emotional resilience

Why volunteer with us?

Not only will you gain valuable experience throughout your volunteering journey, you’ll also have access to useful resources including a catalogue of online training, discount portal and NSPCC inMind – an online mindfulness resource.

You’ll be fully supported throughout your volunteer journey with us and will have a dedicated key contact should you have any questions along the way.

Community researchers wanted to help East London Waterworks Park ensure our community-owned park is inclusive and welcoming for all.

East London Waterworks Park is a volunteer-led charity that has won a 2024 New London Architecture award and raised £2m towards buying land from the Department for Education to transform the 14-acre Thames Water Depot on Lea Bridge Road on the border of Waltham Forest and Hackney, into a new biodiverse park with natural swimming ponds, forest schools and community spaces. 

We are looking for community researchers specialised to contribute to our community-led working circle who are working on on a listening project to ensure often underrepresented voices in conservation and environmental projects are heard and centred. 

There is opportunity to lead on projects and facilitate the direction of the working circle.

The Inclusivity Circle currently meets monthly on a Wednesday evening on Google Meet and spends voluntary time outside of the meeting completing agreed tasks remotely.

While your experienced research skills are crucial, we also value your ability to engage with the community and build partnerships. Experience in conducting community-based research or working with community organisations is important. A strong understanding of community dynamics and the ability to collaborate effectively will be invaluable in ensuring your research findings are relevant and impactful. Our roles are quite flexible. We hope that people bring radical imagination, peace with nature, and courageous inclusiveness to the role. 

Contribute to the creation of a new biodiverse community-owned park with free access natural swimming ponds. Your research expertise will be vital in shaping our new biodiverse park. By conducting listening research on community needs, and potential park uses, you'll help us create a sustainable and inclusive space. Your findings will inform our design, programming, and outreach efforts, ensuring the park meets the needs of our community and contributes to biodiversity conservation.

This is an exciting opportunity to get involved as a Learning Trustee in an engaging, decision making role in a charity that inspires and empowers young disabled adults to live fulfilling, independent lives – promoting personal development through the arts.

About the Orpheus Centre

The Orpheus Centre is a charity and college which supports young disabled adults aged 18-25 to learn essential life skills, gain formal qualifications and prepare for future employment.

There are currently 66 students with 21 living on site in Godstone, Surrey. Students come from across the UK and all have a love of the arts.

Started by lyricist and musician Sir Richard Stilgoe, the organisation offers learning, care and development opportunities at the college and in the wider community, working with professional artists, businesses and other charities.

The overall aim is to equip the students with the skills they need to live as independently as possible and to pursue their chosen careers.

Our core values are to be Joyful, Bold, Inclusive, Resilient and Determined. These values are the foundations for all our work and are what the organisation stands for.

Why should you apply?

Orpheus is a vibrant Independent Specialist college for young disabled adults who have a passion for the arts and a desire to live independently. Orpheus believes that disabled people should have the same opportunities as their non-disabled peers.

The Board of Trustees are looking for a new Trustee who is passionate about our vision to empower and equip young disabled people with the skills and confidence they need in order to live independent and fulfilling lives in the community.

Time commitment

The time commitment is between 10 and 15 days per annum, including four Board meetings including the AGM (mainly in person), four committee meetings (mainly virtual), one or two awaydays and ad-hoc attendance.

What will you be doing?

The Board of Trustees is responsible for the overall governance and strategic direction of Orpheus, developing the organisation’s aims, objectives and goals in accordance with the governing document and with legal and regulatory guidelines.

The role of the Learning and Care Committee Co-Chair includes but also goes beyond the role of other Trustees. So in addition to your duties as a Trustee, you will take a leadership role in ensuring that the Board fulfils its responsibilities for the governance of the Orpheus Centre in relation to Learning and Care. You will also work closely with the Chief Executive, Principal and Head of Care to support them in achieving the aims of the Orpheus Centre in the areas of Learning and Care, and will act as the channel of communication between the committee and the Board.

You will lead the committee, ensuring that it fulfils its responsibilities for good governance, and will work in partnership with the Principal and Head of Care, helping them to achieve the department’s aims.

Your responsibilities will include:

• providing effective scrutiny, challenge and questioning related to curriculum and learner progress;
• supporting the learning management team with quality activities, including annual trustee learning walks and quarterly deep dive activity;
• ensuring that you undertake a thorough induction programme;
• leading the Learning and Care Committee, including chairing committee meetings effectively;
• monitoring progress in implementing decisions taken at committee meetings and keeping in close touch with the work of the Learning and Care Departments in general – while always respecting the boundary between the respective roles of executives and non-executives; 
• acting as a spokesperson for Orpheus when requested and as appropriate;
• providing a written and oral update of the last committee meeting at each Board meeting;
• assessing and monitoring risks relevant to the Learning and Care functions of the Orpheus Centre;

and

• monitoring and scrutinising performance data within the Learning and Care Departments.

How to apply

If you wish to apply for this position, please supply the following:

• A detailed CV setting out your career history, with responsibilities and achievements.
• A covering letter (maximum two sides) highlighting your suitability for the role and how you meet the person specification. Please note that the covering letter is an important part of your application.
• Contact details of two professional referees together with a brief statement of their relationship to you and over what period of time they have known you; referees will not be contacted without your prior consent.

The Orpheus Centre is proud to be a disability confident employer

We have made a positive commitment to employing disabled people. Reasonable adjustments will be made to the recruitment procedure as required in consultation with the applicant to ensure no-one is disadvantaged because of their disability. If a disabled person is selected for a position, reasonable adjustments will be made to the workplace, including premises and equipment, work duties and practices or policies, as appropriate. All disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for the role as set out in the role profile and person specification will be considered for interview.

As a Disability Confident Employer, we are:

• Challenging attitudes towards disability
• Increasing understanding of disability
• Removing barriers to disabled people and those with long-term health conditions
• Ensuring that disabled people have the opportunities to fulfil their potential and realise their aspiration