Community services volunteers volunteer volunteer roles in Woolwich, greater london

We are a local charity rooted since 2007 in the Hackney community, helping and supporting migrants with their immigration status and access to services. Our long-standing and committed local volunteers work together with a small number of paid staff to deliver our work. We are looking for a Chair to come and help us to help others. We have a new Vice-Chair, an experienced Treasurer and a CEO in post for 18 months so you'll be joining a strong leadership team. We are particularly interested in applicants with lived or learned experience of migration to the UK; and/or previous experience chairing a board of trustees; and/or senior management experience. 

Bright Futures UK is looking for passionate and knowledgeable Key Stage 3 Maths tutors to provide educational support and a fun, safe learning environment for young people living with serious illnesses. 

"Thanks to the tutoring and exam prep I was able to achieve over 85% on all my exams, which resulted in me getting distinction credits on my course." - A-Level maths student

What will you be doing? 

Run tutoring sessions online to support a young person for one hour per week

Offer subject area knowledge and expertise related to

Help to combat social isolation through fun and engaging tutoring sessions. 

Adhere to safeguarding policies and report concerns to the BFUK Team

What are we looking for? 

1. Subject Knowledge: Strong understanding of KS3 Maths concepts and specifications.
2. Teaching Skills: Ability to explain complex ideas in a clear and engaging way.
3. Empathy and Patience: Kind and understanding nature, especially towards those facing health challenges.
4. Reliability: Consistent availability for the agreed-upon time commitment.
5. Adherence to safeguarding policies and report concerns to the BFUK Team

What difference will you make?

1. Academic Progress: Help young people stay on track with their studies despite their health challenges, ensuring they do not fall behind.
2. Confidence Builder: Provide a stable and encouraging presence that helps build the students' confidence and resilience.
3. Future Opportunities: Equip students with the knowledge and skills they need to succeed.

What will you gain?

1. Enhanced DBS will be provided
2. Safeguarding Level One Training
3. Skill Development opportunities
4. Direct experience working with children and young people

You must be a UK resident and be at least 18 years old.

Location 

Remote/Online

Time 

1 Hour per Week 

 Duration: 14 Weeks minimum

As a charity that supports children and young people, we make safeguarding individuals our top priority. For this reason, all volunteers are subject to an enhanced criminal record and disclosures check. We also ask all volunteers to adhere to our Safeguarding, Equality and Confidentiality policies. These are nothing to worry about and if you have any questions, our team are happy to support you.

Cancer support charity The Mulberry Centre is looking for confident speakers based in West London who can act as ambassadors for the charity and speak to corporates, companies, local businesses and organisations to raise awareness of the charity and inspire financial support, sponsorship and donations.

As a homewares volunteer, you'll be behind-the-scenes. Your keen eye for detail, knowledge and passion for particular donations will ensure we can maximise the potential income.

Here's why Oxfam is the perfect opportunity for you:

Be a Second-hand Superhero: In our high street shops, Ecommerce Hubs and Online Shop, people like you help create exciting and inspiring collections – retail therapy with a purpose!

Increase Your Skills: If you have a particular interest, you can build on it to gain valuable retail experience to add to your CV, such as following instructions, customer service, and teamwork.

Find Your Community: Meet like-minded people who share your passion for a fairer world.

Flexibility: We know life gets busy. That's why we offer flexible volunteering options. A few hours a week is all it takes to make a big difference.

Oxfam isn't just another charity shop. We're a movement of passionate individuals working to create a fairer world, and we’d love you to be a part of it!

What happens next?

After you apply, the manager will ask you to come in for an initial chat. This is not an interview, just a chance to get an idea of what you'd like to do in the shop. From there, you can meet the rest of the volunteer team and get involved with whatever area of the shop takes your interest!

Are you looking to get involved in the local community or perhaps have an interest in mental health? Volunteering in our mental health services is a rewarding and varied opportunity for someone who is interested in working in this field. You will support by offering a listening ear and will offer individuals tailored mental health support, alongside our team of trained workers. We are looking for a volunteer to facilitate a Men’s group. The group provides a safe, welcoming place for people to meet, share experiences and support each other’s growth.

What you will be doing

• Facilitate discussions
• Create a supportive environment for men to connect, share experiences, and empower each other
• Prepare hot drinks and snacks
• To negotiate/facilitate conflicts or disagreements that may arise during group meetings.

The skills you need

• Ability to create and maintain a safe environment where participants’ thoughts and feelings are valued, and group members are treated with fairness, equity and respect
• Experience of facilitating groups.
• Strong listening and communication skills

What's in it for you

• Supporting You - You will have a dedicated volunteer supervisor to support you in your role; Quarterly volunteer forums with the central Volunteering team and volunteers across Hestia; References for job applications
• Developing You - You will gain knowledge and insight into issues that impact Domestic Abuse, Modern Slavery and Mental Health; You will have access to our extensive Learning and Development Programme; 40% of our departed volunteers secured a paid role at Hestia last year!
• Valuing You - We hold annual Volunteer Awards and Celebration events; We reimburse travel expenses and up to £5 for lunch for your volunteering; We hold social events and outings for our volunteers to get together and have some fun.

Volunteer Admissions Assistant

You'll be multitasking throughout the day, with a mix of responsibilities including customer service, ticket sales, promoting Gift Aid donations, shop duties, guiding visitors and providing information about the Museum and the collection. If you enjoy a fast-paced environment and love engaging with people, this is the role for you. 

The Volunteer Admissions Assistant role is all about making a lasting impression and creating a memorable visitor experience. You’ll be:

• Welcoming and engaging with visitors, sharing information about the museum and its collection.
• Selling tickets and gift shop items, ensuring smooth transactions and great customer service.
• Collecting data for Gift Aid and marketing purposes, including how visitors found out about us.
• Creating positive experiences to encourage return visits and word-of-mouth recommendations.
• Helping visitors explore the Museum through interpretation, answering questions and distributing trails, accessibility and family activities.
• Maintaining the gift shop, including restocking, counting stock, and setting up attractive displays.
• Conducting online research and building contact lists to support marketing efforts.
• Promoting the Museum locally, raising awareness and encouraging more visitors to discover what we have to offer!

Who we’re looking for:

We’d like to extend an invitation to anyone, particularly members of the local community.  Full training will be provided, we are looking for anyone with:

• Great customer service skills – you will be friendly and confident about approaching visitors of all ages and backgrounds
• Great communication skills – you will be able to clearly explain information about the Museum and ticketing to visitors
• Good computer skills – with training, you will be able to use our ticketing system, email and Microsoft Office
• Good Sales Skills – you will be able to promote ticket sales and gift shop items as well as encouraging Gift Aid donations
• Multitasking skills – with various responsibilities such as selling tickets, guiding visitors, and managing the gift shop, you will be able to juggle tasks efficiently
• A good telephone manner
• Good team working skills

This role offers plenty of variety, and you'll play an important part in making every visitor's experience unforgettable.

Training and support:

All volunteers will first be invited for a training shift.  We have an induction and training process, during which we give volunteers the information they need to enjoy their time with us. Training is mainly 'on the job', supported by an experienced volunteer as well as the manager on duty. Volunteers are given regular feedback and we remain open to suggestions on how we can improve the volunteer experience. The Admissions Assistant receives continued training and development throughout their time with us.

Availability:

We are looking for volunteers who would ideally like to donate 2-4 shifts per month, weekdays or weekends, either as a 10-1.30pm shift, or a 1.30-5pm shift, for a minimum of 3 months. Ideally, you will be able to start immediately, although this is not essential. Travel expenses up to £5 will be paid, with up to an additional £5 for lunch expenses if you are on a full day shift.

Please note: Applicants from some overseas countries are required to have a relevant work permit or student visa to volunteer in the U.K. We’ll need to see this for our records before volunteering can commence.

Become a helping hand that makes a house feel like home again. 

Joining this role means stepping into a vital position of practical support for families who are caring for a child whose life will be short. Many families across Wales face this unimaginable situation while juggling the demands of everyday life - Often without the support network they desperately need. 

As a Practical Support at Home Volunteer, you’ll make a meaningful difference by helping families manage the household tasks that can feel overwhelming during such emotional and exhausting times. 

Your time and care will help bring calm, dignity and relief to families going through the toughest moments of their lives. 

What You Need to Know 

• Age: 18+ 

• Location: Across South & West Wales (in your local area) 

• Commitment: Flexible and can be adjusted to accommodate your personal schedule. The support plans designed for referred families are typically structured to span a period of six weeks 

• Checks: Enhanced DBS check, 2 references and induction/training course required before starting. 

What You’ll be Doing 

• Light household cleaning (dusting, wiping surfaces, hoovering) 

• Tidying, decluttering and organising 

• Laundry support (washing, drying, folding) 

• Basic garden maintenance (if interested/experienced) 

• Running small errands locally 

• Supporting with simple household tasks that reduce the family’s mental load. 

We Are Looking For Volunteers Who: 

• Are kind, empathetic and respectful of families’ privacy 

• Are reliable, flexible and able to commit on a regular basis 

• Follow our policies, procedures & health and safety guidelines 

• Can report any concerns promptly 

• Are friendly, polite and able to maintain appropriate boundaries 

• Can adapt to different situations in the home environment 

• Enjoy making a positive difference to families’ lives. 

• Are respectful of the privacy, preferences and needs of the families you are supporting, 

always maintaining confidentiality. 

At Tŷ Hafan our people values are working together, demonstrating compassion, providing excellent service and taking ownership.  

We expect all colleagues and volunteers to behave with high levels of integrity and to represent our values as a core part of their role. 

Training You Will Receive 

You will receive a full introduction to Tŷ Hafan and your role, including an in‑person induction, core training and additional e‑learning. You’ll be supported by a friendly, experienced team who are available to help with any questions through regular check‑ins. 

Role‑specific and organisation‑wide training will also be provided as needed. 

All volunteers are required to keep their mandatory training up to date to 

continue in their role. 

The benefits of becoming a Practical Support at Home Volunteer 

• Make a positive difference in the lives of children with life-shortening conditions and their families, by helping them to maintain clean spaces for them to enjoy 

• Attend Volunteer Celebration Events throughout the year 

• Meet new people and join a friendly community of volunteers, passionate about helping others 

• Expenses will be provided following discussion about the role. 

This role is purely voluntary, and this arrangement is not meant to be a legally binding one or an employment contract. 

Providing care and support is something we are only able to do because of the kindness and commitment of our wonderful staff, supporters and volunteers. 

About Kith & Kids
We provide activities, opportunities, information, and support for people with a learning disability or autism, their parents, and siblings.
For all our projects and activities we are dependent on volunteers.

Our Employability Project
10am to 3pm, Monday and/or Friday during term-time

Our Employment & Life Skills Project (ELSP) helps adults with learning disabilities or autism to access further education, work experience and visits to mainstream community opportunities. 

What you’ll do
You’ll act as a mentor to the members of the group.  You’ll be helping the group(s) develop a range of life skills, things that many of us take for granted.  These include Maths and English skills, independent living, the use of public transport, social skills and even the sourcing of employment. 

For the people in these groups, these things can be very difficult to develop and achieve without regular support. Through regular support and meetings, members and volunteers develop greater trust, skills, and confidence together.

Come along and get involved!

Requirements

What you need
You do not need experience. Full disability awareness training will be provided before you begin volunteering with us.
The only requirements we ask of you are enthusiasm, energy and to be open-minded.
Minimum age for volunteers is 20.

How much time?
The project runs from 10am to 3pm, Mondays and/or Fridays during term-time.
Everyone gets the most out of the project if you come every week for at least a term as you'll build a close relationship with the members you'll have been supporting and will create the most impact.

What we can offer you
ELSP represents a fantastic opportunity for you to share your knowledge and experience built up through a lifetime to a group that is continuing to develop and achieve their targets.

We’ll reimburse your travel expenses and will provide excellent training and lots of helpful support.

By volunteering on our project you'll also:

• Use and develop your skills: time-management, working within a team, problem-solving and adaptability.
• Learn something new, get involved in fun activities with others.
• Increase your confidence.
• Meet like-minded people and make friends.
• Gain experience for (other) work
• Give something back to the community.
• Do something fun and satisfying in your spare time
• Challenge yourself. 

What about training?
Volunteers must attend training and complete a free DBS check before you begin volunteering.

This is a great opportunity to get to know everyone at Kith & Kids: your fellow volunteers, some of our members you will be working with, and also gives the opportunity to develop some new skills and expand your knowledge in our workshops.

Topics we cover include:

• Autism
• Safeguarding
• Creativity & Participation
• Negotiation & Boundaries
   

When do I need to come?

Volunteers must attend training and complete a DBS check before taking part.

We'll be running face-to-face training in north London starting on the 15th February with lots of other dates to choose from.

In the meantime, we'll be meeting volunteers online from mid-January.

Training will take place in North London – once we have met you online for a chat, we will send you confirmation of our training venue details.

Just sign up and you'll receive details of what to do next.

Are you looking for a meaningful, flexible way to support others? Join the Talking Bubble Project and help tackle loneliness through the power of a simple phone call.

Since the pandemic, many befriending services have wound down—but Talking Bubble remains one of the few projects still offering regular, phone-based companionship to those who need it most. Demand for this kind of support remains high, and we’re actively looking for kind, compassionate English-speaking volunteers to help meet this growing need.

What is the Talking Bubble Project?

☎︎ It’s a phone-based befriending service that connects volunteers with older adults and vulnerable individuals across the UK who are experiencing loneliness and social isolation. By committing just a little time each week, you can offer someone the warmth of conversation and a regular point of connection.

Why Volunteer With Us?

✔ Make a genuine impact on someone's life
✔ Enjoy flexible volunteering hours from the comfort of your home
✔ Receive full training, ongoing support, and a reference upon completion
✔ Boost your sense of purpose and community

What You’ll Need

✅ No experience required—just a kind heart, a listening ear, and a willingness to talk
✅ Volunteers must complete Safeguarding Adults Level 2 training and undergo a DBS check—we cover the cost of both
✅ Must be a UK resident

How to Get Involved

Apply now via the CharityJob website, or contact us directly for more information. Together, we can keep connection alive—one call at a time.

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

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 looking for visual merchandisers to create exciting window and in store displays.

At Oxfam, we're not just selling pre-loved items and unique finds – we're working together to build a radically better world. With your help, we will turn pre-loved treasures into resources that empower communities worldwide.

Here's why Oxfam is the perfect opportunity for you:

Be a Second-hand Superhero: In our high street shops, Ecommerce Hubs and Online Shop, people like you help create exciting and inspiring collections – retail therapy with a purpose!

Increase Your Skills: If you have a particular interest, you can build on it to gain valuable retail experience to add to your CV, such as merchandising, customer service, and teamwork.

Find Your Community: Meet like-minded people who share your passion for a fairer world.

Flexibility: We know life gets busy. That's why we offer flexible volunteering options. A few hours a week is all it takes to make a big difference.

Oxfam isn't just another charity shop. We're a movement of passionate individuals working to create a fairer world, and we’d love you to be a part of it!

What happens next?

After you apply, the manager will ask you to come in for an initial chat. This is not an interview, just a chance to get an idea of what you'd like to do help out. From there, you can meet the rest of the volunteer team and get involved with whatever area of the shop takes your interest!

About Kith & Kids
We provide activities, opportunities, information and support for people with a learning disability or autism, their parents and siblings.
For all our projects and activities we are dependent on volunteers.

Our Summer Camp
Wed 17th - Sun 21st June and/or Wed 1st - Sun 5th July

We are currently looking for energetic and enthusiastic volunteers to join us on our action-packed residential Summer Camp. On the camp you will be supporting one of our members with a disability to have a holiday they won’t forget.

What you'll do

On the camp you and a fellow co-volunteers will support one of our members with a learning disability or autism for the 5 days. You’ll support and encourage them to take part in lots of exciting activities such as campfires, treasure trails, swimming, games nights, day trips to the seaside and much more. You’ll also help our members with their day-to-day routines and preparing our meals.

Not only is it five days full of fun and games for you and our members, but you will also play a vital part in supporting them to develop their social skills in a day-to-day environment and of course, to enjoy a fantastic holiday!

Come along and get involved!

Male volunteers especially welcome (we need more)!!

Requirements

What you need
You do not need experience. Full disability awareness training will be provided before you begin volunteering with us.
The only requirements we ask of you are enthusiasm, energy and to be open-minded.
Minimum age for volunteers is 18.

How much time?
The Camp runs for five days, four nights. The dates are Wed 17th - Sun 21st June and/or Wed 1st - Sun 5th July.

The camp starts and finishes in Tottenham, North London.

We can offer you
We can reimburse your travel expenses for your training days. All meals, transportation and accommodation are provided during the camp.
We'll also provide excellent training before the camp, and lots of helpful support throughout.

By volunteering on our camp, you'll also:

• Use and develop your skills
• Learn something new, get involved in fun activities with others
• Increase your confidence
• Meet new people and make friends
• Gain experience for (other) work
• Give something back to the community
• Do something fun and satisfying in your spare time
• Challenge yourself
   

What about training?
Volunteers must attend in-person training and complete a free DBS check before you begin volunteering.

This is a great opportunity to get to know everyone at Kith & Kids: your fellow volunteers, some of our members you will be working with, and gives the opportunity to develop some new skills and expand your knowledge in our workshops.

Topics we cover include:

• Communication
• Autism
• Supporting emotions
• Safeguarding
• Creativity & Participation
• Epilepsy
   

When do I need to come?
We’ll be meeting individual volunteers online from mid-January.

We'll be running face-to-face training in north London. Training starts from 15th February with other date options.

Training will take place in North London – once we have met you online for a chat, we will send you confirmation of our training venue details. 

Are you committed to supporting the emotional wellbeing of survivors and marginalised communities through culturally informed therapeutic practices? Tell My Truth and Shame the Devil C.I.C. is seeking a skilled Clinical Lead, Cultural & Emotional Therapy Liaison to join our founding volunteer team. This critical role ensures that all clinical and therapeutic support offered to members is safe, effective, culturally responsive, and aligned with the CIC’s survivor-led, values-driven mission.

As Clinical Lead, you will provide professional oversight, guidance, and liaison for all cultural and emotional therapy initiatives within the organisation. You will work closely with membership, engagement, and programme teams to ensure services are trauma-informed, culturally competent, and responsive to the needs of survivors, young people, and marginalised communities. This role blends strategic leadership, operational management, and community-facing support to build safe, transformative, and accessible therapy systems.

Experience Qualification and Requirements

Essential / Highly Valued Experience

• Professional qualification and current registration in Clinical Psychology, Counselling Psychology, Psychotherapy, Counselling, or a closely related discipline (e.g. HCPC, BACP, UKCP, BABCP, or equivalent)
• Demonstrable experience providing trauma-informed therapeutic support, with strong understanding of how trauma, culture, identity, and systemic factors affect emotional wellbeing
• Proven ability to deliver or advise on culturally competent practice with diverse cultural, ethnic, faith-based, and marginalised communities
• Sound knowledge of safeguarding frameworks, risk management, and ethical practice within clinical, voluntary, and community-based settings
• Working understanding of GDPR and data protection principles, particularly relating to confidential health and safeguarding information
• Experience supervising, mentoring, or providing reflective practice to clinical practitioners, facilitators, or volunteers (including non-clinical staff delivering emotional support)
• Ability to assess risk, respond calmly to complex or sensitive situations, and provide clear, proportionate clinical guidance
• Strong organisational skills, balancing strategic oversight with operational input in a volunteer or resource-limited environment
• Excellent communication skills, including the ability to explain clinical concepts to non-clinical audiences and work collaboratively across teams
• Experience working with survivors of abuse, trauma, exploitation, or systemic harm, and/or within grassroots, community-focused, or voluntary sector organisations
• High levels of professional integrity, emotional intelligence, cultural humility, and commitment to inclusive, ethical care

Desirable / Can Be Developed

• Role assumes senior-level competence; scope may evolve with organisational growth

Qualifications

• Current professional qualification and registration with a recognised regulatory body (as listed above)

Main Responsibilities/ Key Duties

• Provide strategic and hands-on clinical oversight to ensure the effective delivery of culturally informed emotional and therapeutic services. Ensure that programmes are safe, ethical, inclusive, and responsive to the diverse needs of members.
• Oversee the planning, delivery, and evaluation of emotional wellbeing and therapeutic services, ensuring that interventions are culturally appropriate, trauma-informed, and aligned with the organisation’s mission and values. This includes supporting programme design, session structures, referral pathways, and evaluation frameworks to promote positive member outcomes.
• Liaise closely with therapists, facilitators, programme leads, and safeguarding officers to ensure consistent alignment with clinical governance, ethical frameworks, safeguarding policies, and professional standards. Provide expert consultation on complex cultural considerations, trauma impacts, emotional safety, and effective engagement strategies, particularly for members from marginalised or under-served communities.
• Support the recruitment, onboarding, training, and supervision of therapy facilitators and volunteers. Advising on role suitability, contributing to training content, offering reflective supervision, and promoting best practice in boundaries, self-care, and ethical decision-making.
• Review and approve therapy protocols, session guidelines, risk assessments, and safeguarding procedures, ensuring they are clinically sound, culturally sensitive, and proportionate to the needs and risks of the service users. Ensure that all therapeutic activity complies with relevant professional regulatory standards, safeguarding legislation, and data protection requirements, including GDPR.
• Monitor member wellbeing outcomes, qualitative feedback, and service impact data to inform continuous improvement, learning, and programme development. This includes identifying trends, risks, or unmet needs and advising on appropriate service adaptations.
• As the primary clinical point of contact, the role holder will provide professional oversight for complex cases, escalations, or member concerns that require clinical judgement, risk management, or safeguarding intervention, working collaboratively with internal teams and external professionals where required.

What This Role Offers You:

• Leadership experience in shaping culturally-informed clinical and therapeutic services.
• Opportunity to influence the wellbeing and recovery of survivors and vulnerable community members.
• Personal and professional growth through working in a values-led, trauma-informed, and survivor-centred environment.
• The satisfaction of building safe, effective, and transformative support systems that align with community needs.

What This Role Is Not For:

• Individuals seeking traditional, hierarchical clinical roles without collaborative or community-facing responsibilities.
• Those unwilling to work within a survivor-centred, anti-capitalist, and culturally responsive framework.
• People expecting rigid structures or hands-off supervision—this role requires active leadership, decision-making, and engagement.

If you are ready to guide, shape, and oversee culturally-informed therapeutic support while making a tangible social impact, we want to hear from you. Apply now and become a key leader in building safe, transformative systems for survivors and communities.

A Final Word

Care is always about people, never just processes.

Trust grows through compassion, professionalism, and accountability.
Confidentiality is part of safeguarding, not an afterthought.
Respect, cultural awareness, and emotional safety are what sustain meaningful therapeutic relationships.

Gift of Friendship Programme Volunteer Befriender  

Background

Age UK Croydon has received a generous donation from The Julia Rausing Trust as part of its wider partnership with Age UK, the national charity, to help fund its crucial friendship services that support older people in the local area.

This ‘Gift of Friendship’ from the Trust aims to help older people experiencing loneliness and isolation. Loneliness often stems from factors like bereavement, living alone and declining health. Loss of mobility or senses can leave many older people feeling disconnected, while financial worries can increase existing feelings of isolation. This can have serious consequences, undermining resilience and increasing risk of physical and mental illness.

Volunteers Befrienders are offering support and company to people who may need that extra confidence to attend a local activity in Croydon. You could accompany someone to a local lunch group or activity or even just going with them to a park for a nice walk. They build relationships in the process, which enable meaningful conversations and help to identify support needs and other services and activities that will help maintain their clients’ mental health. A key aim of the role is to support people with achieving their goals to live a happier life, accompany them, and build their confidence back to get out into the community and feel more independent.

Commitment 

Minimum of 6 months from start of the GoF Befriending match, includes:

· 30-minute informal interview.

· Willing to undertake an enhanced DBS check.

· 1-hour core induction.

· Mandatory training sessions.

· Up to 1-2 hours a week engagement with your befriendee

· Weekly accurate records of interactions with your befriendee

· Regular check-in calls with Befriending Coordinator

Purpose of Role

Staff will assess the client and you will be given their profile and a support plan. Core tasks will include:

· Weekly companionship contact in person.

· Encouraging and accompanying to visits to other social events and activities in the local area e.g., a walk, GP, an IT class.

· Spotting additional needs and identifying services and activities to address these.

· Submitting a weekly report on the contact to include contact type, signposting and any concerns.

Support Provided 

• Full remote training and induction provided.
• We will complete the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) application with you.
• Supervision and direct contact with the Befriending

Co-ordinator/Manager.

· Join and participate in peer support groups and meet other volunteers to share experiences and good practice.

Skills and attributes Required

· Good communication with a friendly approachable manner

· Solution focused.

· Comfortable working alone.

· Good record keeping.

· Good listening skills

· Reliable and committed to do at least 1 visit a week for the committed period.

· Applicants must be over the age of 18.

· Basic IT skills may be required depending on client’s needs.

Benefits

· Learn new skills.

· Enhance career prospects.

· Meet people.

· Make a difference.

· Gain confidence

· Travel expenses and hot drinks reimbursed

· Social and celebration events

· Exclusive invites to join and support community projects