Community support manager volunteer roles in chalk farm, greater london

About the opportunity

We need dedicated volunteers to join our friendly team at our store on Wilton Road in the popular shopping area of Victoria. If you have a passion for fashion (especially second-hand), amazing customer service skills and you are keen to learn new skills, then this opportunity is for you. As a volunteer you will also be involved in receiving, sorting, steaming, and pricing our lovely donations, serving at the till, and using your creativity to create displays around the shop. Training will be provided. As a volunteer, you will be helping to raise money for the Octavia Foundation and support the work we do in the local community.

About Octavia Foundation Shops

We are Octavia. Founded by the Victorian philanthropist Octavia Hill in the 1860s, our work today covers three areas: homes, support, and care. We provide Londoners with quality, affordable housing, allowing many people to remain in the city who otherwise would have been priced out. We empower people, connecting them with opportunities for a better life. And we look after the elderly and vulnerable, with tailored and personalized care. We are for hope, for communities, and for connections. For the common good.

What are we looking for?

We are looking for friendly volunteers who adhere to our values of being reliable, respectful, responsible, and resourceful. You will be a good team member who we can expect to volunteer in our shops for a minimum of 4 hours a week.

Practical Considerations
We do reimburse Travel and Lunch expenses in line with our policy.

Job Type: Volunteer

Benefits:

• Travel Expenses claimable
• Store discount

Flexible language requirement:

• English not required

Schedule:

• Day shift
• Monday to Friday
• Weekend availability
• Weekends only

Work Location: In person

Job description

We need dedicated volunteers to work at our Tooting store. If you have a passion for fashion (especially second-hand), amazing customer service skills and you are keen to learn new skills, then this opportunity is for you. As a volunteer you will also be involved in receiving, sorting, steaming, and pricing our lovely donations, serving at the till, and using your creativity to create displays around the shop. Training will be provided. As a volunteer, you will be helping to raise money for the Octavia Foundation and support the work we do in the local community.

About Octavia Foundation Shops

We are Octavia. Founded by the Victorian philanthropist Octavia Hill in the 1860s, our work today covers three areas: homes, support, and care. We provide Londoners with quality, affordable housing, allowing many people to remain in the city who otherwise would have been priced out. We empower people, connecting them with opportunities for a better life. And we look after the elderly and vulnerable, with tailored and personalized care. We are for hope, for communities, and for connections. For the common good.

What are we looking for?

We are looking for friendly volunteers who adhere to our values of being reliable, respectful, responsible, and resourceful. You will be a good team member who we can expect to volunteer in our shops for a minimum of 4 hours a week.

Practical Considerations
We do reimburse Travel and Lunch expenses in line with our policy.

Job Type: Volunteer

Pay: n/a

Benefits:

• Travel Expenses claimable
• Store discount

Flexible language requirement:

• English not required

Schedule:

• Day shift
• Monday to Friday
• Weekend availability
• Weekends only

Work Location: In person

Job description

We need dedicated volunteers to work at our Kentish Town store. If you have a passion for fashion (especially second-hand), amazing customer service skills and you are keen to learn new skills, then this opportunity is for you. As a volunteer you will also be involved in receiving, sorting, steaming, and pricing our lovely donations, serving at the till, and using your creativity to create displays around the shop. Training will be provided. As a volunteer, you will be helping to raise money for the Octavia Foundation and support the work we do in the local community.

About Octavia Foundation Shops

We are Octavia. Founded by the Victorian philanthropist Octavia Hill in the 1860s, our work today covers three areas: homes, support, and care. We provide Londoners with quality, affordable housing, allowing many people to remain in the city who otherwise would have been priced out. We empower people, connecting them with opportunities for a better life. And we look after the elderly and vulnerable, with tailored and personalized care. We are for hope, for communities, and for connections. For the common good.

What are we looking for?

We are looking for friendly volunteers who adhere to our values of being reliable, respectful, responsible, and resourceful. You will be a good team member who we can expect to volunteer in our shops for a minimum of 4 hours a week.

Practical Considerations
We do reimburse Travel and Lunch expenses in line with our policy.

Job Type: Volunteer

Pay: n/a

Benefits:

• Travel Expenses claimable
• Store discount

Flexible language requirement:

• English not required

Schedule:

• Day shift
• Monday to Friday
• Weekend availability
• Weekends only

Work Location: In person

Job description

We need dedicated volunteers to work at our Finchley Road store. If you have a passion for fashion (especially second-hand), amazing customer service skills and you are keen to learn new skills, then this opportunity is for you. As a volunteer you will also be involved in receiving, sorting, steaming, and pricing our lovely donations, serving at the till, and using your creativity to create displays around the shop. Training will be provided. As a volunteer, you will be helping to raise money for the Octavia Foundation and support the work we do in the local community.

About Octavia Foundation Shops

We are Octavia. Founded by the Victorian philanthropist Octavia Hill in the 1860s, our work today covers three areas: homes, support, and care. We provide Londoners with quality, affordable housing, allowing many people to remain in the city who otherwise would have been priced out. We empower people, connecting them with opportunities for a better life. And we look after the elderly and vulnerable, with tailored and personalized care. We are for hope, for communities, and for connections. For the common good.

What are we looking for?

We are looking for friendly volunteers who adhere to our values of being reliable, respectful, responsible, and resourceful. You will be a good team member who we can expect to volunteer in our shops for a minimum of 4 hours a week.

Practical Considerations
We do reimburse Travel and Lunch expenses in line with our policy.

Job Type: Volunteer

Pay: n/a

Benefits:

• Travel Expenses claimable
• Store discount

Flexible language requirement:

• English not required

Schedule:

• Day shift
• Monday to Friday
• Weekend availability
• Weekends only

Work Location: In person

Who they are

Citizens Advice Richmond is a local charity that has helped the people of Richmond since 1940. They offer generalist advice on any issue and specialist debt advice. Citizens Advice Richmond is a member of the national Citizens Advice service, a network of around 300 local advice centres.

The role: What will you do?

● Complete an induction for your role.

● Maintain an awareness of how the local Citizens Advice is operating.

● Plan the board meetings, including the dates and the agenda, with the Company/Charity Secretary and the Chief Officer.

● Read papers for board meetings and attend six board meetings per year.

● Facilitate the trustee board meetings by leading the meeting, ensuring that agenda items are discussed, enabling all members to contribute their views and take part, and seeking clarification where necessary.

● Ensure that decisions and actions taken at board meetings are carried out.

● Ensure that the board decisions are made within the remit of the Citizens Advice membership agreement, governing documents, and policies.

● Monitor attendance and commitment of all trustees.

● Provide or arrange training or support for trustees if needed.

● With other trustees and the Chief Officer, recruit a trustee board with a diverse range of skills, experience, and knowledge, with an aim to promote trusteeship to underrepresented groups that represent the community.

● Ensure that all trustees receive an induction and the training needed for them to fulfil their role.

● Be proactive in recruiting successors to key positions such as Chair, Treasurer, etc.

● Arrange or provide support and supervision for the Chief Officer, including an annual appraisal.

● Together with the Treasurer, ensure proper management and control of local Citizens Advice finances.

● Together with the Chief Officer, represent the local Citizens Advice in relationships with funders or potential funders, at local events, and in the community.

● Work together with all trustees to ensure that the board can:

♦ Set policy and strategy direction, set targets, and evaluate the performance of Citizens Advice Richmond.

♦ Monitor the financial position of Citizens Advice Richmond, ensuring that it operates within its means and objectives, and ensuring there are clear lines of accountability for day-to-day financial management.

♦ Monitor whether Citizens Advice Richmond complies with its governing document and meets the required standards.

♦ Seek the views of all sections of the community and monitor how well the service meets the needs of the local community.

♦ Ensure the service plans for the recruitment and turnover of staff and volunteers.

♦ Review their own work and how effectively they operate, including action for improvement.

♦ Work on specific projects to further the strategic objectives of Citizens Advice Richmond.

What’s in it for you?

● Make a positive impact for people in your local area by ensuring the local Citizens Advice is sustainable and meeting the needs of the community.

● Meet people and build relationships with trustees, staff, and other volunteers.

● Build on your governance, leadership, and strategy skills.

● Increase your employability.

And they will reimburse expenses too.

What do you need to have?

You’ll need to:

● Understand the type of work undertaken by a local Citizens Advice.

● Understand and accept the responsibilities and liabilities as trustees.

● Be non-judgmental and respect views, values, and cultures that are different from your own.

● Have a good basis of leadership skills.

● Be able to facilitate and lead meetings.

● Have good interpersonal skills.

● Have good listening, verbal, and written communication skills.

● Be able to exercise good independent judgment.

● Have good numeracy skills to understand accounts with the support of the Treasurer.

● Be willing to learn about and follow the Citizens Advice aims, principles, and policies, including confidentiality and data protection.

● Be willing to undertake training in your role.

How much time do you need to give?

You will need up to one day a week for the regular activities, but this will vary. Trustee boards usually meet in the evenings, and you’ll likely need to give 12-15 hours per year to attend these. Sub-committees meet quarterly and a further 4-6 hours per year are required for these.

Valuing inclusion

Their volunteers come from a range of backgrounds, and they particularly welcome applications from disabled people, people with physical or mental health conditions, LGBT+ and non-binary people, and people from Black Asian Minority Ethnic (BAME) communities

Job description

We need dedicated volunteers to work at our Ealing store. If you have a passion for fashion (especially second-hand), amazing customer service skills and you are keen to learn new skills, then this opportunity is for you. As a volunteer you will also be involved in receiving, sorting, steaming, and pricing our lovely donations, serving at the till, and using your creativity to create displays around the shop. Training will be provided. As a volunteer, you will be helping to raise money for the Octavia Foundation and support the work we do in the local community.

About Octavia Foundation Shops

We are Octavia. Founded by the Victorian philanthropist Octavia Hill in the 1860s, our work today covers three areas: homes, support, and care. We provide Londoners with quality, affordable housing, allowing many people to remain in the city who otherwise would have been priced out. We empower people, connecting them with opportunities for a better life. And we look after the elderly and vulnerable, with tailored and personalized care. We are for hope, for communities, and for connections. For the common good.

What are we looking for?

We are looking for friendly volunteers who adhere to our values of being reliable, respectful, responsible, and resourceful. You will be a good team member who we can expect to volunteer in our shops for a minimum of 4 hours a week.

Practical Considerations
We do reimburse Travel and Lunch expenses in line with our policy.

Job Type: Volunteer

Pay: n/a

Benefits:

• Travel Expenses claimable
• Store discount

Flexible language requirement:

• English not required

Schedule:

• Day shift
• Monday to Friday
• Weekend availability
• Weekends only

Work Location: In person

Job description

We need dedicated volunteers to work at our Olympia store. If you have a passion for fashion (especially second-hand), amazing customer service skills and you are keen to learn new skills, then this opportunity is for you. As a volunteer you will also be involved in receiving, sorting, steaming, and pricing our lovely donations, serving at the till, and using your creativity to create displays around the shop. Training will be provided. As a volunteer, you will be helping to raise money for the Octavia Foundation and support the work we do in the local community.

About Octavia Foundation Shops

We are Octavia. Founded by the Victorian philanthropist Octavia Hill in the 1860s, our work today covers three areas: homes, support, and care. We provide Londoners with quality, affordable housing, allowing many people to remain in the city who otherwise would have been priced out. We empower people, connecting them with opportunities for a better life. And we look after the elderly and vulnerable, with tailored and personalized care. We are for hope, for communities, and for connections. For the common good.

What are we looking for?

We are looking for friendly volunteers who adhere to our values of being reliable, respectful, responsible, and resourceful. You will be a good team member who we can expect to volunteer in our shops for a minimum of 4 hours a week.

Practical Considerations
We do reimburse Travel and Lunch expenses in line with our policy.

Job Type: Volunteer

Pay: £0.01-£0.02 per year

Benefits:

• Free or subsidised travel
• Store discount

Flexible language requirement:

• English not required

Schedule:

• Day shift
• Monday to Friday
• Weekend availability
• Weekends only

Work Location: In person

Job description

We need dedicated volunteers to work at our South Kensington store. If you have a passion for fashion (especially second-hand), amazing customer service skills and you are keen to learn new skills, then this opportunity is for you. As a volunteer you will also be involved in receiving, sorting, steaming, and pricing our lovely donations, serving at the till, and using your creativity to create displays around the shop. Training will be provided. As a volunteer, you will be helping to raise money for the Octavia Foundation and support the work we do in the local community.

About Octavia Foundation Shops

We are Octavia. Founded by the Victorian philanthropist Octavia Hill in the 1860s, our work today covers three areas: homes, support, and care. We provide Londoners with quality, affordable housing, allowing many people to remain in the city who otherwise would have been priced out. We empower people, connecting them with opportunities for a better life. And we look after the elderly and vulnerable, with tailored and personalized care. We are for hope, for communities, and for connections. For the common good.

What are we looking for?

We are looking for friendly volunteers who adhere to our values of being reliable, respectful, responsible, and resourceful. You will be a good team member who we can expect to volunteer in our shops for a minimum of 4 hours a week.

Practical Considerations
We do reimburse Travel and Lunch expenses in line with our policy.

Job Type: Volunteer

Pay: n/a

Benefits:

• Travel Expenses claimable
• Store discount

Flexible language requirement:

• English not required

Schedule:

• Day shift
• Monday to Friday
• Weekend availability
• Weekends only

Work Location: In person

Thank you for your interest in joining our board of trustees. Blue Ventures is an award-winning charity working to rebuild coastal fisheries. We are committed to making conservation work for people, demonstrating powerful win-wins for marine biodiversity and coastal livelihoods.

We have a bold ambition: we’re working to create a world where small-scale fishers have bigger catches, better livelihoods and improved food security, and where healthy oceans teem with life for generations to come.

We are a diverse family of conservation and development professionals. Across 13 countries, our 300+ staff put fishers first. We fight for their rights, support them to fulfil their potential, and supply them with everything they need to manage and protect our oceans in ways that benefit people and nature alike. Our decentralised structure keeps us close to the coastal communities we serve and ensures our work is effective and sustainable.

Blue Ventures is going through rapid and sustained growth and is uniquely positioned to drive impact at scale in the marine conservation sector. We seek new board members to help maintain our commitment to strong and inclusive governance. We are truly committed to ensuring diversity and gender equality within our global organisation and board and welcome applications from candidates with lived experience in the countries and communities we serve.

If you believe you have what it takes to succeed in this role and share our values and ambitions, we would love to hear from you. You will find more information about the role in the rest of this pack and on our website, along with further information about our work and our plans for the future.

We look forward to hearing from you!

Sincerely,

Fiona Holmes
Chair, Board of Trustees
 

Location: Global, preferably in locations that intersect with BV’s work in our programmatic countries. (Bristol or London - UK, Madagascar, Indonesia, Kenya, Tanzania, Senegal)

Closing date for applications: 15 May 2025, 12:00 A.M GMT.

Start date: June 2025

Contract duration: 3 - 6 years 

We rebuild tropical fisheries with coastal communities

Blue Ventures is a marine conservation organisation that puts people first. We support coastal fishers in remote and rural communities to rebuild fisheries, restore ocean life and build lasting pathways to prosperity. Our work began two decades ago in Madagascar’s remote coastal communities and is growing globally.

Across a dozen countries, we’re partnering with traditional fishers and community organisations to design, scale, strengthen and sustain fisheries management and conservation at the community level. We bring partners together in networks to advocate for reform and share tools and best practices to support fishing communities across the globe. 

Summary Terms of Reference

We currently have nine trustees on our board and three established subcommittees. One oversees our People and Culture function, one looks after our Finance, Risk, and Audit area, and the other is the Safeguarding Reporting Committee. All three are populated with trustees who are experts in their respective fields.

We are establishing a fourth subcommittee (the programme subcommittee) to address our core mission: supporting coastal communities in rebuilding fisheries and restoring ocean life. Our new trustee will be invited to join one of our subcommittees.

We seek two trustees to join Blue Ventures' Board of Trustees and contribute to the new Programme Committee. This committee provides strategic guidance and oversight of Blue Ventures’ global programme portfolio, helping to ensure its effectiveness, impact, and alignment with our mission to support coastal communities in rebuilding fisheries and restoring ocean life.

The ideal candidate will bring expertise in community-based conservation, small-scale fisheries, environmental governance, and/or international development. As a member of the Programme Committee, you will play a key role in reviewing strategy, assessing performance, monitoring risks, and advising on programme policies. You will act as a thought partner to our executive team and the Board, offering insight, challenge, and support to enable our programmes to grow responsibly, equitably, and with impact.

Job description

We need dedicated volunteers to work at our Fulham Road store. If you have a passion for fashion (especially second-hand), amazing customer service skills and you are keen to learn new skills, then this opportunity is for you. As a volunteer you will also be involved in receiving, sorting, steaming, and pricing our lovely donations, serving at the till, and using your creativity to create displays around the shop. Training will be provided. As a volunteer, you will be helping to raise money for the Octavia Foundation and support the work we do in the local community.

About Octavia Foundation Shops

We are Octavia. Founded by the Victorian philanthropist Octavia Hill in the 1860s, our work today covers three areas: homes, support, and care. We provide Londoners with quality, affordable housing, allowing many people to remain in the city who otherwise would have been priced out. We empower people, connecting them with opportunities for a better life. And we look after the elderly and vulnerable, with tailored and personalized care. We are for hope, for communities, and for connections. For the common good.

What are we looking for?

We are looking for friendly volunteers who adhere to our values of being reliable, respectful, responsible, and resourceful. You will be a good team member who we can expect to volunteer in our shops for a minimum of 4 hours a week.

Practical Considerations
We do reimburse Travel and Lunch expenses in line with our policy.

Job Type: Volunteer

Pay: n/a

Benefits:

• Travel Expenses claimable
• Store discount

Flexible language requirement:

• English not required

Schedule:

• Day shift
• Monday to Friday
• Weekend availability
• Weekends only

Work Location: In person

Perinatal Support Volunteers provide one-to-one support to parents during pregnancy and up to nine months after the birth. These parents either have mental health issues or are at risk of developing them.

Perinatal Support Volunteers visit these families once a week (usually weekdays during working hours) for 2-3 hours, providing emotional support and practical help in the family’s home or local community. Support is aimed at empowering parents and building resilience beyond the support period.

The type of support Perinatal Support Volunteers provide to parents may include:

• An empathetic and non-judgemental listening ear
• Support to prepare for parenthood
• Support to build confidence in parenting skills
• Support to develop a positive relationship with their infant
• Support to establish daily and weekly routines
• Support to take time for self-care
• Support to manage the things that are causing stress
• Support to access relevant services
• Support to access local green spaces
• Support to make connections with other parents

No special qualifications are necessary to become a Perinatal Support Volunteer, but Home-Start volunteers are usually either parents or grandparents themselves, or people with experience of young children and family life. We particularly welcome volunteers with lived experience of perinatal mental health challenges.

By volunteering with us in one of our amazing retail spaces you will be raising essential funds for Oxfam – all whilst learning new skills and meeting some incredible people.

What you will be doing

• Undertaking shop related tasks agreed with the Manager, for example:
• Selecting, sorting, and pricing donated stock.
• Chatting to customers, giving great service on the till.
• Researching valuable and vintage stock.
• Visual merchandising: creating eye-catching window and in-store displays.
• Photographing and listing items for the online shop.

The skills you need

• We ask that you are reliable and on time for your volunteering
• Full training and support is given for this role - no prior experience is required
• Happy to be part of a team and collaborate effectively with others

What's in it for you

• Some lunch and travel costs paid (speak to the Manager first to understand what is covered)
• Access to training and development
• Grow your confidence and meet new people
• Flexible volunteering schedules that fit your lifestyle
• Free confidential support by the Retail Trust
• Possible references for future employers

Are you a parent, grandparent or have experience of caring for children?

Do you have 2-3 hours per week to spare? Use your experience to support a family facing challenging times.

Our Home-Visiting Service supports families who are experiencing difficulties or suffering stress and who have at least one child under the age of five years.

Our aims are:

To increase the confidence and independence of the family by:

Offering support, friendship and practical assistance

Visiting families in their own homes and in their community, where the dignity and identity of each adult and child can be respected and protected

Reassuring parents that difficulties in bringing up children is not unusual and encouraging them to enjoy family life.

Developing a relationship with the family in which time can be shared and understanding can be developed. This approach is flexible to take account of different needs.

Encouraging parents’ strengths and emotional wellbeing – for the ultimate benefit of their children.

Encouraging families to widen their network of relationships, and to effectively use the support and services available within the community.

As a Youth Support Officer, you will play a crucial role in supporting the development of young people in our community programmes. You will provide guidance, mentorship, and assistance to participants, helping them navigate through the Degrees of Opportunity (DOFO) framework, and encourage their personal growth, well-being, and skill development. 

Key Responsibilities 

• Provide one-on-one and group support to youth participants in the Degrees of Opportunity program. 

• Assist in the delivery of personal development, leadership, and skills-building workshops. 

• Foster a positive, inclusive, and supportive environment for all young people involved in the program. 

• Act as a mentor to guide youth participants in setting and achieving personal goals. 

• Monitor and assess youth progress, offering support and feedback as needed. 

• Provide emotional and social support, helping young people manage challenges in a positive manner. 

• Encourage active participation in group activities, team-building exercises, and community projects. 

• Promote well-being and positive mental health practices among youth participants. 

Skills & Qualifications 

• Previous experience working with young people in a support or mentoring role. 

• Strong communication and interpersonal skills. 

• Ability to work effectively in both individual and group settings. 

• Empathy and patience in supporting youth through challenges. 

• Experience with community programs or social services (desirable). 

• A passion for youth development and empowerment. 

• DBS check (desirable). 

Commitment 

• Minimum 15 hours per week, with flexible hours. 

Benefits 

• Gain valuable experience in youth development and support. 

• Develop skills in mentoring, coaching, and program facilitation. 

• Make a positive impact on the lives of young people in the community. 

• Access to professional development and training in youth support. 

• Work within a dynamic and inclusive team of like-minded individuals.