Communication assistant volunteer roles in leer, unity

Volunteering for Sense

Our amazing team of volunteers help us run over 100 shops across England and Wales.  Every donated item that you sort, prepare and sell helps to raise vital funds to support us in our mission to make sure no one, no matter how complex their disabilities, is isolated, left out, or unable to fulfil their potential. Our shops are at the heart of local communities – sharing the work of Sense, and helping to secure support for our life changing work.

What your role will involve

There are a variety of tasks that you can get involved with in the shop, including:

• Welcoming and assisting customers, providing great customer service and a fantastic shopping experience
• Receiving donated goods from members of the public
• Sorting, steaming, tagging and preparing donated goods for sale
• Creating eye catching window and in-shop displays
• Keeping the shop floor well stocked, tidy, clean and organised
• Processing sales and serving on the till
• Promoting Gift Aid and other Sense fundraising initiatives
• Acting as an ambassador for Sense; promoting the shop and Sense in your local community
• Supporting with the recruitment and training of new volunteers
• Following new health and safety measures to ensure the safety of everyone

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

• Motivated and hardworking
• Reliable, flexible and willing to do a variety of shop tasks
• A team player
• Friendly and helpful
• Passionate about customer service and enjoy interacting with people
• Respectful of others and their diversity
• Interested in supporting the work of Sense and want to make a difference to people who have complex disabilities and are deafblind.

What can Sense offer me as a volunteer?

• A full induction and ongoing support and guidance from your Shop Manager to make sure you feel confident in your role
• Support to develop new skills, knowledge and experience, in particular of a retail environment, but also skills such as teamwork, customer service, communication and using your initiative
• A reference for other paid or voluntary work (available on request)
• The opportunity to share your existing skills and experience to benefit others
• The chance to meet new people from a wide range of backgrounds and to join a passionate and committed team
• The opportunity to make an invaluable contribution to Sense by raising vital income and raising the profile of Sense in your local community; changing the lives of those who have complex disabilities and are deafblind
• Access to Sense discounts and advice, including cashback and discounts on hight street brands, as well as 10% off at Sense charity shops.

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.

Join the London Wildlife Trust Youth Board 

Applications now open for 8 new Youth Board members (ages 16–25)

Are you passionate about nature, social justice, and making real change in your community? London Wildlife Trust is looking for enthusiastic, motivated young people from diverse backgrounds to join our Youth Board. The Youth Board consists of 15 motivated young people (aged 16-25) who are passionate about London’s wildlife and ensuring young people’s voices are heard. Over the year we meet every month in person at one of our London Wildlife Trust sites to discuss and plan a range of projects and topics. 

Why join?

• Paid-for residential nature retreat in Norfolk
• Monthly in-person meetings and mentoring from senior leaders
• Create campaigns, curate events, speak in front of new audiences, and more
• Training in leadership, public speaking, careers, and conservation
• Build your network, boost your CV, and inspire others
• All travel and food expenses covered

You do not need experience in nature or conservation — just passion, commitment, and a desire to create change.

Some examples of what we've achieved in 2024/25

• Created an eco-anxiety zine

• Wrote and produced a short film on connecting with nature in London

• Presented at events such as the Wildlife Trusts' Hope Week and House of Lords Maiden Speech

• Take part in interviews for Director vacancies in the Trust

• Meeting with the Deputy Mayor to discuss plans for London

Deadline: Sunday 3rd August at 11:59pm

 Must live in Greater London at least 7 months of the year (see GLA postcodes attached)
 Residential dates: 26–28 September
 Apply in writing, video or voice note 

Let your voice be heard! 

Shout is the UK’s only free, confidential, 24/7 text messaging support service for anyone who is struggling to cope. When people text 'Shout' to 85258, they are connected to a Shout Volunteer for a text conversation. Our volunteers provide a safe space for people to share what's causing them distress, while showing warmth and compassion.

Tasks and Responsibilities

If your application is successful, you’ll be enrolled in a training group. New groups start every two weeks.

Shout Volunteers receive 25 hours of free training in communication, listening, managing and assessing risk, and problem solving. The training is self-paced and done online. You’ll learn how to bring people in distress to a place of calm and practice skills that will be useful to you throughout life.

As we are investing in you throughout your time with us, our hope is that you will complete the training in a timely manner and look at this as a longer term commitment. The experience you gain over time is valuable and our goal is to have volunteers commit to 200 hours on the platform, which can take up to two years to complete, as we ask you to take one 2-4 hour shift per week. 

Our Volunteer Training Support team is here to support you, answer any questions and provide feedback during training and throughout your time with Shout. You’ll be joining an incredibly supportive volunteer community and have access to the resources you need to do your role.

As a volunteer, you’ll be supporting people in distress, so it’s important we see the skills required to do that while you are in training. While most trainees complete the training and go on to volunteer, not everyone will pass the training. If this happens, there are other ways you can still support us.

Selection Criteria

A Shout Volunteer is kind and compassionate, a good listener, and has the ability to remain calm when supporting people in crisis. You will also:

• Understand the difference between being friendly and being a friend

• Be aware of your own mental health and wellbeing

• Be open-minded

• Be supportive

• Be reliable

• Be discreet and able to respect confidentiality at all times

• Be accepting and non-judgemental

• Be passionate about contributing some of your time to a cause such as Shout

• Adopt a growth mindset, and be willing to accept feedback

Requirements

• You must live in the United Kingdom or New Zealand while volunteering. 
• You must be over 18 years of age.
• You will need a reliable internet connection and a private place to take your shift.
• All of your volunteering must be done using a laptop or desktop computer and Google Chrome.

It’s worth spending time thinking about the nature of the role, and whether it’s right for you. We support all texters, regardless of race, religion, sexual identity or issue. You will need to be comfortable addressing topics frequently discussed with texters (suicide, self-harm, depression, etc.) without compromising your own mental health. 

Before you apply, please consider whether either of the following applies to you:

• Have you recently experienced grief, loss or change issue/s? For example; someone close to you has been ill or has died, you’ve lost your job, your relationship has ended.

• Is your current mental health and wellbeing in a place such that the stress and pressure of listening to the challenges of others would bring additional burden to you personally?

Benefits to Volunteers

The role is rewarding and can save lives. Shout Volunteers tell us they gain a sense of pride, satisfaction and purpose from taking conversations. They also tell us that their own wellbeing increases, they learn valuable skills and gain experience they can use at work and in their personal lives.

Volunteering can also be a great addition to your CV. You do not need to have any past experience in mental health to be a Shout Volunteer - we’ll provide you with all the training and support you need to do the role.

Application Process

You will need to create your account and fill in the application using a laptop or desktop computer and in a Google Chrome browser. This is a standard requirement for all of our systems at Shout, from the application through to the platform.

You should leave up to an hour to complete the form. As Shout is a text based service and we do not conduct in person interviews for our volunteer candidates what you write in your application and the strength of your references are how we get to know you. 

We appreciate when candidates take the time to write thoughtful, considered answers. We recommend you review your application with an eye toward things like spelling, grammar and punctuation. While some of our texters will occasionally reach out using more informal text speak, our volunteers respond in full sentences and double check their messages for accuracy before hitting send. 

Your application will be reviewed once we have received responses from both of your references. We ask for a personal reference and a professional reference. The personal reference can be a friend or colleague but the other must be someone who knows you professionally or has supervised you in some way. 

This could be a manager or supervisor from where you work or a teacher or educator from where you study. We recommend you choose references who are able to speak to your ability to fulfil the selection criteria outlined above.

We do not accept references from family members. This includes your partner or their relatives, your children, siblings, aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents or godparents. 

Please allow up to a month for us to review your application and return a decision. 

If your application is approved, you can book your place on training. Training groups usually start every two weeks and spaces are available to book a couple of months ahead. While you are in training and before you are allowed on the platform we will carry out a background check.

Do you have senior clinical service experience and a passion to improve the lives of people with a life-limiting illness and their families?

We are looking for applicants with health care experience at a senior management or board level. As a member of the Board of Trustees this position will support the Executive Board to deliver our organisational strategy and ensure that our Charity has in place appropriate and effective controls to deliver outstanding standards of care and services to all stakeholders.

Key skills and experience for this Trustee role

• Extensive health service experience at leadership level in either primary or secondary care

• Clinical experience in community care with shown ability to enable change management

• Quality standards and requirements of the Care Quality Commission

• Ideally, active in clinical practice

• Safeguarding (adults and children), risk management and data management

• Keen interest in professional education, research and development

• Developments within the field of palliative care

Federation of Scottish Theatre (FST) have an exciting new opportunity to join their Board of Trustees. In a bold step toward broadening our vision and impact, FST recently updated our governing documents to welcome Non-Executive Directors from outside our membership. This change opens the door to fresh ideas, diverse expertise, and valuable insights from beyond the arts—strengthening FST’s leadership and enriching our work. We are particularly interested in candidates with backgrounds in finance, public policy and research, and legal and/or finance. 

FST are actively working to build a Board and staff team that reflects the richness and variety of the communities we serve, believing that diversity fuels creativity and strengthens leadership. We’re looking for curious, and collaborative thinkers—people who bring different perspectives and challenge the status quo. We particularly welcome applications from people of colour, gender-diverse individuals, disabled people, and others whose voices have historically been underrepresented in our sector. This is a space where your voice matters—and will be heard.  

What’s Involved 

The Board of Trustees work on a voluntary basis and meet four times a year. We welcome candidates from all over Scotland and can facilitate online attendance at meetings as required.   

Role of a Trustee:  

1. To play a key role in the development of the FST vision, contributing to the strategic leadership, sound management and proactive development of the organisation.  

1. To ensure that the FST principles of good and proper governance continue to be upheld, and to fulfil duties and responsibilities in line with the organisation’s Memorandum and Articles of Association.  

1. To ensure that FST protects its future through robust policies, risk management, accounting procedures, internal controls and systems and to ensure that these are audited and reviewed in line with all regulatory and legal requirements.  

1. To attend and contribute to Board meetings and the Annual General Meeting.  

1. To work closely with the Chair and all other Trustees and to advise on major issues to the Board as required.  

1. To work constructively with the Chief Executive, and as appropriate with senior management and the wider staff, to ensure that FST delivers on its core vision, mission and business plan.  

Additional information about the responsibilities of being a Trustee can be found on the website of Scottish Charity Regulator - more information in the job pack.

What We’re Looking For 

We are looking to recruit two Co-opted Board members over the coming months.   

Following a recent review of Board membership, we have identified the need for new Trustees and are looking for candidates with skills and experience in each of the following areas:  

• Financial – Strong financial background, ideally with expertise in charity and not-for-profit accounting and experience working with small charities 

• HR/Legal - Senior level experience in HR and/or the legal landscape surrounding employment with knowledge of of best practices in people management, organisational culture, and employment law—particularly within the charity or arts sector 

• Public Policy and Research - Senior experience in public policy and research, ideally within Scotland. For example, you may have worked on developing policy positions, conducting sector-specific research, or creating tools to influence change at a national or local level 

As well as the skills and experience aligned to one of the two candidate opportunities described above, we expect all Board members to embrace the following qualities :  

1. An understanding of (or willingness to learn) the culture sector  

1. Advocacy experience  

1. Sound analytical and problem-solving skills  

1. Ability to communicate effectively with a diverse range of colleagues and stakeholders  

1. An understanding of access, inclusion, diversity and equal opportunities issues  

1. Experience of working effectively as part of a team, project group or committee  

1. Good, independent judgment  

1. An ability to think creatively  

1. Awareness of risk and the need to balance ambition with sustainability  

1. Ability to conduct oneself with integrity, objectivity, and honesty  

Recruitment timeline   

The deadline for applications is 10am on Tuesday 22 July 2025.   

You will receive a response from FST by 6pm on Friday 25 July 2025.   

Interviews will be held from w/c 28 July onwards depending on individual candidates' availability.  

About Us

We care about our community; we care about our people.  Derby County Community Trust has a clear mission.  We harness the power of Derby County Football Club to improve lives and communities through sport, physical activity, health and education.  We help more than 25,000 people per year and our work is recognised and respected at regional and national levels.  Since 2008 we have been dedicated to fostering participation in sports, enhancing health and wellbeing, providing quality education and promoting equality and diversity.

About the Role

We are looking for a new Board Safeguarding Lead to join our award-winning organisation. As the charitable arm of Derby County Football Club, we aim to improve lives and communities through physical activity, sport, health and education. 

Working with over 30,000 participants each year, we have been a registered charity since 2008 - encouraging participation and achievement in sport, improving health and wellbeing, providing and enhancing education and promoting equality and diversity.

The trustee responsible for Safeguarding has delegated responsibility from the Board of Trustees to support the Safeguarding and Compliance Manager to ensure the organisation maintains high standards of safeguarding practices for the welfare and protection of children, young people, and vulnerable adults involved in its activities. 

Duties of the Role

• Policy Oversight: Ensuring the organisation has appropriate safeguarding policies and procedures in place and that they are regularly reviewed and updated to reflect best practices and legal requirements.
• Compliance and Risk Management: Monitoring compliance with safeguarding laws, regulations, and guidelines, and helping manage any safeguarding-related risks that arise within the Trust’s operations.
• Training and Awareness: Supporting the Safeguarding and Compliance Manager to ensure staff and volunteers receive appropriate safeguarding training to understand their responsibilities in protecting individuals at risk.
• Reporting and Accountability: Supporting the Safeguarding and Compliance Manager where required on safeguarding concerns or allegations, ensuring that any issues are reported and addressed appropriately in line with the Trust’s policies.
• Board Oversight: Reporting on safeguarding matters to the board of trustees, ensuring that safeguarding is a key part of organisational governance and decision-making.

The Safeguarding Trustee plays a critical role in promoting a culture of safety and ensuring that DCCT provides a safe environment for all its participants, especially those who are vulnerable. 

Click on Apply

To send a CV and covering A4 letter indicating why you are interested in joining the board and what skills and experiences could make you suitable for the role of Board Safeguarding Lead, to Paul Newman (Head of Community).