Community volunteer roles in edinburgh

Fundraising events helper

Our vision for volunteering

Volunteering is and always will be at the heart of Cats Protection. It is joyful and inclusive. As a charity, working in partnership, together we transform the lives of cats, people and communities.

The difference you will make to cats and people

As a charity we can continue to help cats and kittens in need thanks to the donations we receive at fundraising events from generous members of the public. Our fundraising event helpers have the exciting and varied role of helping at local fundraising events - such as cakes sales, barn dances, quiz nights – and everything in between

You can expect us to

• make you feel welcome, included and respected in line with our values and behaviours
• support you in having a positive and impactful experience at Cats Protection
• cover agreed out-of-pocket expenses in line with our Expenses Policy
• provide you with access to learning, development and engagement opportunities

What we need from you

You’ll be:

· help set up and/or man stalls at events

· help on collection days like supermarket collections events or street collections

· help at fundraising events such as quiz nights, cake sales and dances

· promoting a professional image of Cats Protection at events

Time expectation

This role is really flexible! You could choose to volunteer at one event for a couple of hours or attend multiple fundraising events.

We’ll keep you up to date with upcoming local events where volunteers are needed. You’ll then be able to choose which events you’d like to volunteer at and how many hours you’d like to give. However much time you can give, your contribution will help raise much needed funds to continue the work of Cats Protection.

You may be just the volunteer we’ve been looking for!

We are committed to building a diverse, compassionate and inclusive organisation where everyone can be themselves and do their best. We are courageous and compassionate in our purpose of helping people see the world through cats’ eyes. Together, we can make a difference. Together, we are all for cats. Join the UK’s leading cat welfare charity and help make a better life for cats, because life is better with cats.

Our Education Team is central to our mission — and we’re looking for passionate volunteers to help us deliver workshops, create educational resources, and raise awareness both online and in person.

About Emerge Worldwide

Emerge Worldwide exists to protect children, young people, and women from sexual exploitation and sex trafficking. Through education, training, and advocacy, we equip communities, schools, and professionals with the knowledge and tools to prevent exploitation and safeguard the most vulnerable.

The Role

As an Education Team Volunteer, you will:

• Deliver training and awareness workshops in schools, youth groups, and community settings.

• Assist in designing engaging resources such as toolkits, handouts, and presentations.

• Support our online education campaigns by creating posts, videos, or articles that raise awareness.

• Help evaluate feedback from workshops and contribute ideas for improving delivery.

Skills & Experience We’re Looking For

You don’t need to be a teacher or safeguarding expert . We’d love to hear from you if you have:

• A passion for protecting children and young people

• Confidence in speaking to groups or willingness to learn

• Creativity in designing educational materials or content

• Good communication and teamwork skills

• Good digital skills (e.g., Word, PowerPoint, Canva)

What You’ll Gain

• Free training on safeguarding, sexual exploitation awareness, and workshop delivery

• Experience in education, advocacy, and youth engagement

• The chance to make a tangible difference in your community

• Opportunities to develop public speaking, content creation, and teamwork skills

• Ongoing support and mentorship from the Emerge Worldwide team

Time Commitment

We are flexible — whether you can give a few hours a month or more, we’ll work with your availability. Most workshops run during school hours, with some evening or online opportunities. Other work can be completed in times convenient for you.

Impact of role:

1. Raising Awareness & Knowledge

• By delivering training sessions and workshops, volunteers will give young people, parents, and professionals the tools to spot the signs of grooming and exploitation early.
• Every workshop increases community understanding.

2. Empowering Communities

• By educating schools, youth groups, and the wider public, volunteers help communities learn how to protect and support vulnerable children and young people.
• They equip people with practical steps for prevention, safeguarding, and reporting.

3. Creating Resources with Lasting Value

• Volunteers help design toolkits, handouts, and digital content that schools, families, and agencies can use long after a session ends.

4. Preventing Exploitation Before It Happens

• Through education and awareness, volunteers help reduce the risk of exploitation in communities by teaching early warning signs, online safety, and where to get help.
• This proactive approach can save lives and protect children from harm.

5. Strengthening the Charity’s Voice & Reach

• By educating online (social media, blogs, campaigns), volunteers help amplify Emerge Worldwide’s message to a much wider audience, influencing policy, practice, and public opinion.

6. Personal & Community Transformation

• Volunteers become role models and advocates, showing children and young people that their lives matter and they have support.

Are you passionate about making a tangible difference in the world? Do you have proven fundraising and leadership skills that you’d like to apply to a cause with real impact? We are seeking a new trustee to join our Board and play a vital role in shaping our future.

As a growing international development charity with a small but committed staff team (1.2 FTE in the UK, 10+ in East Africa), we are looking for trustees who are not only strategic thinkers but also prepared to roll up their sleeves and contribute actively within the boundaries of their role. We are especially keen to hear from individuals with experience in:

• Developing and delivering fundraising strategies
• Building individual giving programmes
• Creating and sustaining corporate partnerships

In this recruitment round, we are specifically seeking someone to Chair our Fundraising Sub-Committee, providing leadership and guidance to help us diversify and strengthen our income.

We’re looking for volunteer fundraising/bid writers to help bring our mission to life.

Reimagining joyful spaces for solo women with invisible disabilities

We’re Seen Sisters - an intersectional feminist collective of solo women with invisible disabilities. We’re working to build joyful, connective spaces for our community, and we’re looking for volunteer fundraising/bid writers to help bring our mission to life.

Visit https://linktr.ee/seensisters and http://bit.ly/44ZMbtF to read more about our values and mission, explore one of our latest projects – a pilot Housing Community Research Report - and browse our FAQs to learn more about who we are.

This is a voluntary role for now, but we're actively seeking funding and would be happy to explore including your role in future bids.

What this volunteer role involves:

• Researching funding opportunities and helping us track them

• Writing funding applications that reflect our mission, values, and deep listening approach

• Prioritising upcoming deadlines with support from the team

• Collaborating with other fundraising partners or members where needed

You might be a good fit if you:

• Are curious, empathetic, and values-aligned

• Can meet us where we’re at and help translate our story into compelling funding language

• Believe in joy, connection, and collective care

• Have experience in grant writing, fundraising or storytelling

• Can commit about 1 day a week (ideally Monday or Thursday – flexible)

A few practicals:

• We work remotely and use a shared Drive

• Allies and those with lived experience are warmly welcomed

• We do regular check-ins on capacity, access and preferences

Fundraising Volunteer

Thank you for your interest to become a Fundraising Volunteer at Cats Protection!

Our vision is a society where every cat has their best possible life because they are protected, cared for and understood by everyone.

We are a movement of people championing the welfare of cats. We lead society in a richer understanding of all cats and care for those that need our help.

Our Purpose is to to help people see the world through cats’ eyes

Our brand new Community Fundraising Hub is here to support you in this role, so there's never been a better time to get involved!

A bit about this role:

As a charity we can help thousands of cats each year thanks to the generous donations from our supporters. Raising funds is a key role in our charity, helping to raise the vital funds needed to help more cats and kittens in need.

As a fundraising volunteer, we will support you every step of the way to ensure your time at Cats Protection is a positive and rewarding one. Whatever time you can give really does make a big difference We have lots of exciting activities to choose from for example attending a fundraising event, fundraising online, promoting fundraising activities on social media, handling administrative tasks, or contributing to the development of new fundraising ideas. Whatever your skill set, this role could be perfect for you!

What can you expect to be doing?

As a flexible role, you have the choice to be involved in the following:

• face-to-face fundraising – organising or helping with fundraising events, attending supermarket collections and monitoring collection boxes.
• online fundraising – assisting with online appeals, increasing social media engagement to maximise funds raised.
• bringing new ideas! We always love to come up with new ideas to raise funds for cats and we’d love to help bring yours to life.
• engaging with your local branch and Fundraising Hub and feeling like an integral part of the team.

What are the benefits to you and the cats?

You will have the opportunity to develop your knowledge though Cats Protection’s learn online system, providing you with the skills to thrive as a fundraiser. You’ll also have the chance to meet new people and be part of a dedicated team of volunteers. Money raised by our volunteers enables us to put cats first. Cats are at the centre of all we do. We care for them, ensure their welfare, and help others to understand and better support them.

We're looking for someone with:

• Sympathetic to cats and our values
• Happy to be part of a team of dedicated volunteers and employees.
• Flexible and adaptable to different events/activities
• Open to new ideas and ways of fundraising

Time expectation

This role is very flexible, often certain times of the year are busier than others. You can choose your level of involvement to suit your schedule.

Support, guidance and keeping you safe

At Cats Protection we believe our volunteers should be happy and confident in their roles. We provide support and guidance from our National Cat Centre and through our regional and local volunteer groups and teams. We offer engaging online and face-to-face training, expenses and have policies and processes to help volunteers get the most out of their time with us.

The well being of our people is important and at Cats Protection we are committed to safeguarding children, adults at risk and all those that we encounter as part of our activities.

Support a startup revolutionizing the nonprofit sector ⭐

Tribu World is revolutionizing the nonprofit sector by addressing the critical challenges of outdated technology, limited resources, and fragmented operations. Many nonprofits struggle with inefficiencies, financial constraints, and lack of centralized spaces to engage stakeholders—barriers that weaken their ability to scale and sustain long-term impact. These challenges not only limit organizational growth but also hinder progress toward global goals such as sustainable communities (SDG 11) and effective partnerships (SDG 17). Tribu was built to change that by making digital transformation accessible, enabling nonprofits to focus more on their mission and less on operational roadblocks.

As an all-in-one SaaS platform, Tribu streamlines operations with tools for membership management, payments, data visualization, and integrated fundraising systems, including crowdfunding campaigns. It enhances stakeholder engagement through community forums, communication spaces, and collaborative project tools. Beyond efficiency, Tribu fuels growth by introducing nonprofits to new revenue streams and fostering inter-organizational collaboration through its “meta community” model. By combining innovation with accessibility, Tribu empowers nonprofits to thrive, build resilience, and drive lasting social impact at scale.

Volunteer in Marketing, Social Media & Membership Engagement.

�� What you’ll do:

• Support our marketing and social media campaigns
• Engage with our growing community of members
• Help us create meaningful interactions and amplify our mission

�� What you’ll gain:

• Hands-on experience in marketing, communications & community building
• The chance to contribute to a purpose-driven startup
• A space to grow your creativity and skills while making a positive impact

If you’re passionate about community, technology, and impact, we’d love to hear from you! ��

Minimum Hours per Week:

2-3 hours per week

Duration:

6+ months

Join the pack. Lend a hand. Change lives. Join your local fundraising group as a volunteer.

Are you looking for a volunteering opportunity where you can meet new people and raise funds that will change lives?  Join a Guide Dogs group near you for fun, fundraising and four-legged friends.

Did you know it costs £102,000 to raise, train, and support a guide dog from birth to retirement.

We have a range of roles from being a group member, to taking on a lead role such as Group Coordinator, Deputy Coordinator, Treasurer, Merchandise Coordinator or Collection Box Coordinator.

Why become a fundraising volunteer:

As well as making a huge difference to people’s lives, volunteering with your local Guide Dogs fundraising group is a great way to spend some of your free time and give back.

• Inspire people to support Guide Dogs and make a difference to someone with sight loss.
• Have fun finding new events and places to volunteer at.
• You’ll meet lots of special dogs – from young puppies in training to incredible guide dogs in partnership.
• You’ll empower others to get involved with Guide Dogs.
• You’ll learn new skills and we’ll provide all the training you need for your role.
• You can take on as much or as little as you want, and you can fit the role around your other commitments.

Who you are:

We appreciate our volunteers’ passion and energy, but we also value your unique skills, perspectives and personalities.

• Inspire others: Do you have lots of ideas that could motivate others? We need more inspirational volunteer leaders and fundraisers who can bring their energy and unique perspective to our local fundraising groups.

• Bring your skills: Could you help organise a calendar of events, take care of ordering merchandise, or count the funds raised by your local team? We need more volunteer treasurers, secretaries, and merchandise coordinators to support our fundraising groups.

• Help take Guide Dogs into your community: Are you well connected or do you love going to new places and meeting new people? We need more volunteer fundraisers to help at our events and spread the word about our work.

Training and pre-agreed expenses available.

Visit our webiste to see what roles are available where you live. 

�� Help us grow a movement – one post, one story, one child at a time.

About Us
Unify Giving India connects donors directly with education opportunities for underprivileged children through trusted local charities. We believe giving should be personal, transparent, and impactful – and we’re building the digital tools to make that happen.

The Role
We’re on the lookout for a Digital Marketing Volunteer to help shape our online presence and grow a vibrant, engaged community of changemakers. You'll have real ownership, creative freedom, and the chance to help us scale something meaningful.

What You’ll Be Doing

• Running our social channels (Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter/X)

• Creating and managing smart, targeted ad campaigns

• Optimising our website content and boosting SEO

• Bringing our mission to life through powerful digital storytelling

• Tracking progress and learning what works – and what doesn’t

What We’re Looking For

• 2+ years of digital marketing experience

• Comfortable across social media and ad platforms

• Great communicator in English (and ideally Hindi too)

• Creative, curious, and detail-oriented

• Genuinely passionate about social impact

What You’ll Get Out of It

• A chance to create real change in Indian communities

• Portfolio-worthy projects and new skills

• A flexible, remote setup (5–10 hours per week)

• A growing global network of purpose-driven people

• Certificate of volunteer service (and lots of gratitude!)

Sound like you?
Drop us a message – we’d love to chat ��

Volunteer Family Mentor – Southend-on-Sea

Organisation: Volunteering Matters
Location: Southend-on-Sea, Essex (and surrounding 3-mile radius)
Commitment: Part-time, flexible – around 1–2 hours per week
Duration: Minimum 6 months
Expenses: Travel and out-of-pocket costs reimbursed
Training: Full training and ongoing support provided

Make a Lasting Impact – One Family at a Time

Are you a good listener with a few hours to spare each week? Do you live in or near Southend-on-Sea? Join the Family Mentors project and support local families facing challenging times.

As a volunteer Family Mentor, you’ll build a trusting relationship with a parent or carer, offering emotional support and practical help. You’ll visit them weekly and walk alongside them as they build resilience and confidence.

No experience is needed – just compassion, reliability, and a commitment to making a difference.

What You’ll Do:

• Visit a local family weekly (in-person)

• Provide emotional and practical support

• Help parents build confidence and access local services

• Be a consistent, friendly presence during tough times

What You’ll Gain:

• Full training and 1:1 support

• Experience working with families and community services

• The satisfaction of helping a local family thrive

• Reimbursement for travel expenses

Who We’re Looking For:

• Aged 18+

• Friendly, patient and non-judgmental

• Able to commit for at least 3 months

• Living in Southend-on-Sea or nearby (within 3 miles)

Fundraising volunteer

Our vision for volunteering

Volunteering is and always will be at the heart of Cats Protection. It is joyful and inclusive. As a charity, working in partnership, together we transform the lives of cats, people and communities.

The difference you will make to cats and people

As a charity we are able to help thousands of cats each year thanks to the generous donations we receive from members of the public. Our fundraising volunteers use their passion for cats and people to raise the vital funds needed to help more cats and kittens in need. As a fundraising volunteer we want to support you to fundraise in whatever way suits you best, whether that’s organising a fundraising event, fundraising online, promoting fundraising activities on social media, completing administration or supporting the development of new fundraising ideas! Whatever your skill set, this could be the role for you! 

You can expect us to

• Make you feel welcome, included and respected in line with our values and behaviours
• Support you in having a positive and impactful experience at Cats Protection
• Cover agreed out-of-pocket expenses in line with our Expenses Policy
• Provide you with access to learning, development and engagement opportunities

What we need from you

This is a really flexible role, you can choose what you’d like to get involved with, for example: 

• face-to-face fundraising. Organising or helping with fundraising events, running supermarket collections and fundraising stands, monitoring collection tins 

• online fundraising. Setting up online appeals and writing impactful cat case studies that maximise donations

• marketing. Spreading the word about our fundraising activities, for example on social media and with the local press  

• completing administration. Processing donations, sorting and recording donated goods, completing Gift Aid paperwork

● championing our work. Getting involved with developing new fundraising ideas and increasing community engagement

● photography. Capturing images of cats in care, cats we are helping, events and all things Cats Protection

Time expectation

This is a flexible role that can fit around your other commitments to suit you. You’ll be part of a team raising vital funds while having fun in the process!

You may be just the volunteer we’ve been looking for!

We are committed to building a diverse, compassionate and inclusive organisation where everyone can be themselves and do their best. We are courageous and compassionate in our purpose of helping people see the world through cats’ eyes. Together, we can make a difference. Together, we are all for cats. Join the UK’s leading cat welfare charity and help make a better life for cats, because life is better with cats

Enjoy a good book?

Passionate about the role which literature plays in our lives? 

Interested in using your skills to support Scottish literature in Edinburgh and internationally?

Excited by the prospect of working with the Board and Executive to shape our strategic direction?

Edinburgh UNESCO City of Literature Trust is looking for two or three individuals to join the Board of Trustees of the world’s first City of Literature as we look to our future after our 20th anniversary.  

You will be joining an organisation at the heart of Edinburgh’s literary community and an international network of UNESCO Cities of Literature. Literary cities are granted the designation if they can boast a proud creative tradition and demonstrate a commitment to placing stories, literature and reading at the heart of civic life.

If you have experience, knowledge, or interest in the following, please get in touch:

· Financial management (including willingness to take on a leadership role as Chair of our Finance, Audit and Risk Committee)

· Accountancy skills

· Publishing

· Bookselling

· Tourism

Any additional experience in the following areas would also be welcomed:

• HR
• Marketing
• Technology
• Governance

We welcome applications from across all ages, communities and backgrounds. We encourage applications from under-represented groups.

The new appointments will be for an initial period of up to three years. The posts are not remunerated but some expenses are covered as per our Board Members’ Expenses Policy.

Time Commitment:

The Board of Trustees meets five times each year.

Meetings are generally 6 -8pm on Mondays in Edinburgh and in a hybrid format

The Finance, Audit and Risk Committee meets quarterly ahead of Board meetings.

There is an annual half-day board planning session.

Outwith Board meetings, there are individual meetings as required and the opportunity to attend events of interest in the sector.

The overall time commitment for the role is estimated at 8 -10 hours per month.

Application Information

Our Trustee Information Pack contains information about the role, requirements and the application process.

To apply please submit your CV and a covering letter (no more than two sides of A4) outlining why this position is of interest and what you believe you can offer.

If you have any questions or you would like an informal chat, please do get in touch with our Director, Dr Harriet MacMillan.

Who are we?

We are Buttons & Bubbles CIC. We are dedicated to increasing inclusion and representation across society for disabled families.

What are we looking for?

We are looking for people who can help us apply and increase our funding. We cannot do our valuable work without funding. This role can be done from home, with no rota system and how much of your time you give up is completely up to you. We truly appreciate whatever time your able to offer.

Who are we looking for?

• May have past experience gaining funding or fundraising in the community sector
• Come from a legal background or training.
• Studying law or similar subjects
• Come from a corporate background
• A willingness to learn is essential, experience isn’t although helpful.

What do we expect?

• Must be willing to undertake our training programme which will be done virtually and at a time to suit you.
• Have a basic DBS check (preferably be on the update system)
• Sign our volunteer contract. (If you disagree with anything in it
• please do discuss it with us and we will be happy to have a
• conversation and make small changes if appropriate).
• A positive attitude to disability and illness. We are happy to answer
• questions on this.

Interested?

Email us and lets chat!

Last year 786,574 people were offered information and support from Victim Support. As a Service Delivery Volunteer you will provide specialist support services for people affected by crime.

Why volunteer with us?

• Make a difference - you will volunteer directly with victims and/or alongside staff.
• Gain skills and experience - you will receive training on how to provide practical and emotional support.
• Join our community - you will be part of a large community of over 1,500 volunteers and staff.
• Beyond your role – attend one or our many events/webinars and join one of our six Equality, Diversity & Inclusion networks.

 Volunteering with Victim Support in Sussex

As a Volunteer in Sussex your role will include:

• Dealing with victims of Multi crime including; Assault, Burglary, Neighbourhood disputes
• Supporting and empowering victims and witnesses of crime
• Liaising with the Police, courts, housing trust and other partner agencies

What do we ask of you?

In order to join us as a Service Delivery Volunteer, you must:

• Be 18 years of age or over.
• Be able to volunteer for at least 3 hours per week, for at least 12 months.
• Undertake training over a 10-week period – this includes five virtual training days as well as completing a workbook and online learning modules.
• Undertake an enhanced DBS check & be part of the DBS update service.
• Be able to provide two satisfactory references.
• Have an active email address that you are comfortable using in order to engage with VS communications.

Expenses

• All Victim Support volunteers are entitled to out-of-pocket expenses incurred whilst volunteering, including travel and lunch.

Diversity Matters

• VS strives to represent the diverse communities we serve and are passionate about creating an environment where all staff and volunteers feel respected and heard. Being a diverse organisation with an inclusive culture is integral to us being able to meet our aim of ensuring that anyone who is a victim of crime gets the support they need.
• VS is also a Disability Confident Employer and we provide a Guaranteed Interview Scheme for candidates that are disabled and meet all essential criteria for a role.
• We are happy to make reasonable adjustments to support you through the application process.

Dive into lasting impact: Fundraise for East London Waterworks Park to create and shape natural swimming ponds, ecological habitats and community gardens

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. 

Do you have experience organising events, or would you like to get some? Our past fundraising activities have included pub quizzes, a photography competition and exhibition, sale of locally made jeans and more. If you’re buzzing with ideas of how to raise money or are keen to get stuck in and help to make some events happen, we would love to hear from you.

The Fundraising Circle currently meets fortnightly on a Thursday evening on Google Meet and spends voluntary time outside of the meeting completing agreed tasks remotely. We understand that people may not have a lot of time to give, so we want to find volunteers who could give us one-off or ongoing strategic advice and support.

East London Waterworks Park is an exciting and ambitious project that offers many rewarding opportunities for our volunteers. You will have a significant impact on the creation of a new biodiverse community-owned park with free access natural swimming ponds and forest schools. 

By leading fundraising projects that explore how diverse professionals (architects, ecologists, web developers, community researchers etc.) collaborate to shape community infrastructure, volunteers will directly contribute to the development of a park that truly reflects the needs and desires of the local community. 

Without funding we won’t be able to make it happen. Your input will help us craft experiences that inspire, educate, and engage our service users, stakeholders, funders, and the general public, ultimately driving support for the park's mission and ensuring its long-term sustainability. So you will be directly contributing to the creation of a new biodiverse community-owned park with free access natural swimming ponds.