Centre fundraising assistant volunteer roles

Volunteering for Sense

Sense is a leading disability charity with extensive knowledge and expertise in delivering personalised, creative and flexible support for disabled people with complex needs. Our tailored approach ensures that every person is empowered to live fully at every stage of life.

Due to the nature of the role, we require all applicants to be aged 16 or over. You must have a UK address to volunteer with Sense.

What your role will involve

You’ll get the opportunity to get involved in a wide range of activities, including:

• Welcoming and assisting customers, providing great customer service, helping create a wonderful shopping experience.
• Receiving donated items from the public, thanking them for their support.
• Sorting, steaming and preparing donations for sale.
• Helping to display stock in eye-catching and exciting ways.
• Keeping the shop floor clean, safe and tidy.
• Talking to customers about Sense and the work we do. 

When you’re ready, we’ll provide you with additional training to:

• Serve customers on the till in a warm and friendly way.
• Put sales through the till, packing them and thanking the customer for shopping with us.
• Talk to customers about Gift Aid and other fundraising initiatives.

If you’re interested in taking on additional responsibilities, you can train to become a Key Volunteer, helping the shop manager by:

• Helping supervise the shop and other volunteers.
• Supporting the shop manager to make sure customers have a great experience.
• Opening and closing the shop when needed.
• Cashing up at the end of the day. 

Will the role suit me? Yes, if you are:

• Passionate about Sense’s work to support disabled people with complex needs.
• Calm, kind and have a friendly personality.
• A team player who enjoys working with others.
• Enthusiastic, motivated and someone with a positive attitude.
• Respectful of others. 

What can Sense offer me as a volunteer?

• Full training with ongoing support and guidance from your team.
• A chance to meet new people.
• A great way to develop new skills and share your existing skills.
• The feeling you get knowing you’re making a difference to the lives of disabled people with complex needs.
• A reference to support future applications for paid or voluntary roles.
• Support from our Mental Health First Aiders, should you need it. 

About Sense

For everyone living with complex disabilities. For everyone who is deafblind. Sense is here to offer personalised support to help people communicate and experience the world. We believe that no one, no matter how complex their disabilities, should be isolated, left out, or unable to fulfil their potential. Our experts offer support that’s tailored to the individual needs of each person, whether that’s at our centres, through our holidays and short breaks, or in people’s own homes. In addition to practical support, we also provide information to families, and campaign for the rights of people with complex disabilities to take part in life.

Volunteers add real value to Sense, bringing their passion, enthusiasm and fresh perspectives to the work that we do. We believe that volunteers enable us to bring people together, and provide opportunities for people with complex disabilities to communicate and experience the world.

We include. We collaborate. We find a way. We challenge. We celebrate.

We are seeking two passionate and affective advocates for the arts to join Nottingham Playhouse’s Board of Trustees.

Awarded Theatre of the Year 2025 in The Stage awards, Nottingham Playhouse is one of the country’s leading producing theatres, creating work that’s bold, thrilling and proudly made in Nottingham. Our wide-reaching participation programmes create life-changing experiences for our community and we also support the next generation of theatre-makers in the East Midlands through our extensive artist development programme.

As a registered charity, all of the funds we raise help to ensure we’re reaching as many people as possible to give them new opportunities and create lasting memories.

We are now seeking two new Trustees to join our Board. To complement the specialisms of our current governance, we are particularly seeking applicants with specialisms in the following areas:

• Legal
• HR
• Accountancy
• Governance
• Theatre producing
• Health and safety
• Business experience
• Property

The Board meets six times a year in Nottingham, and each Trustee also attends at least one subgroup, which meet bimonthly or quarterly. Reasonable expenses for attending Board meetings will be offered. Trustees are also expected to attend press nights for each in-house production and support other Nottingham Playhouse activities and Participation programmes whenever possible.

The attributes we are seeking in potential Trustees include:

• Strategic thinking
• Good independent judgement
• An interest in theatre with an understanding of Nottingham Playhouse’s work
• A commitment to seeing Nottingham Playhouse’s produced work and activities
• A willingness to share your field of expertise and facilitate introductions with wider networks
• A commitment to Equal Opportunities
• A willingness to devote the necessary time and effort required

These are unpaid, non-executive roles and applicants should be passionate and effective advocates for the arts. ​If you are willing and able to commit your time and expertise to proactively support Nottingham Playhouse, we would love to hear from you.

Nottingham Playhouse is committed to a policy of diversity and inclusion, and we welcome applications from potential Trustees who would help to broaden the diversity of our Board. You can be a Trustee provided you are aged 18 or over and training can be given if needed. We strive to be fully accessible and applications from disabled people are particularly welcome to balance our governance.

How to Apply

For more information about the role and Nottingham Playhouse, please download the Trustee Information Pack.

To apply, please send us:

1. A covering letter explaining why this opportunity appeals to you and what experience, skills and knowledge you would bring to Nottingham Playhouse as a Trustee
2. A copy of your CV (please include contact details)
3. A completed Equal Opportunities Monitoring Form

We would like to help you to fully participate in the application process. If you would like information providing in an alternative format, support in completing your application, or you would like an alternative way to make your application, please contact us to discuss a suitable format.

Closing date: Monday 29 September 2025 at 9am
Interviews: Thursday 9 and Friday 10 October 2025 (may be subject to change)