Community volunteer roles in st leonards, greater london

Artists Needed!  – Join NICOLA Arts

An artist-led charity shop in the heart of Lambeth - 

Are you a visual artist, painter, textile designer, digital artist, or tailor looking for a creative space to grow and connect?

Nicola Arts is seeking passionate artists to join our vibrant community. As part of our artist-led initiative, you’ll have the chance to:

• Display and sell your artworks in our store
• Upcycle clothes and earn commission on your designs
• Use our exhibition space to showcase your work
• Access studio space for your practice
• Offer tailoring and alterations
• Host creative workshops for the local community

Be part of something inspiring. Collaborate, create, and thrive with Nicola Arts.

Get in touch today and let’s make art happen!

 Based in Lambeth

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

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

This position is open to anyone with a keen interest in Friends of the Earth and our local campaigns in the borough of Camden. We are looking for people interested in environmental and sustainability issues and environmental justice in the Camden community who enjoy writing.

Duties:

The content writer will help with:

• Researching potential article ideas

• Writing and proofreading blog posts

• Collaborating with social media managers to plan and write social media posts

• Attending events and part of our community

Desired attributes: 

• Great writing skills

• Experience in a similar role preferred but not necessary

• Passion for the campaigning group’s mission and a commitment to communicating the impact of the charity's work 

• Ability to work independently and as part of a team

Please send us a message stating clearly why you are interested in volunteering in our group.

Are you curious, organised, and love a good bit of research? We need a volunteer who can help us find new funding opportunities - grant givers  to support education in rural Uganda. NO GRANT WRITING

This hands-on role involves researching potential funding sources and adding information to our Stackby database—no grant writing or event attendance required. It’s a flexible commitment of just 1–2 hours per week. We have been supporting the rural area of Namunyumya for 16 years - see our website for what we have achieved 

Who We’re Looking For:

• Curious, organised, and detail-oriented

• Comfortable using online tools and spreadsheets

• Self-motivated and able to work independently

• Passionate about education and community development -particularly in developing countries

This volunteer role will have a meaningful, direct impact on several areas:

1. Children’s Education: By identifying potential grants, the volunteer helps secure funding for school infrastructure, learning materials, and enrichment programs—directly improving educational opportunities for children in rural Uganda.

2. RedEarth Projects: The research will strengthen the organisation’s ability to plan and expand initiatives, from classrooms and libraries to health and nutrition programs.

3. Community Development: Funding secured through this research can support broader community benefits, such as vocational training for young people, clean water, and health initiatives.

4. Organisational Capacity: Accurate and up-to-date grant research allows RedEarth to make informed decisions and focus its efforts on opportunities with the most impact, increasing efficiency and success in fundraising.

5. Volunteer Impact: Even a small weekly time commitment has a ripple effect—one person’s research could lead to funding that transforms the lives of hundreds of children and their communities.

East London Waterworks Park is looking for illustrators, animators and graphic designers to help campaign in the creation of our new park with natural swimming ponds.

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. 

We are looking for illustrators, animators and graphic designers to contribute to our community-led working circle who are working on coordinating our digital marketing. 

There is opportunity to lead on projects across content creation, social media, film or any other channels of interest, and facilitate the direction of the working circle.

The Comms Circle currently meets fortnightly on a Tuesday evening on Google Meet and spends voluntary time outside of the meeting completing agreed tasks remotely.

While technical skills are essential, we also value your ability to think creatively and strategically. You should have experience in creating engaging visual content for various platforms that will engage stakeholders and decision makers, such as public reports, presentations for decision makers, social media and websites. A strong understanding of storytelling and the ability to communicate complex ideas effectively through visuals will be invaluable. You should be comfortable with community-led processes. Our roles are quite flexible. We hope that people bring radical imagination, peace with nature, and courageous inclusiveness to the role. 

Contribute to the creation of a new biodiverse community-owned park with free access natural swimming ponds.Your creative talents will be invaluable in bringing the park’s biodiversity to life. Through your illustrations, animations, and graphic designs, you’ll help us create visually captivating content that inspires, educates, and engages our community, stakeholders and decision makers. Your work will play a vital role in fostering a strong connection between people and nature, ultimately creating the park’s future.

Victory Afghanistan

�� Remote (must be based outside Afghanistan; UK or Europe preferred for time zone, but open worldwide)

Commitment: 6 hours per week through November 2025 (with the option to continue)

Compensation: Volunteer (unpaid)

About the Role

Victory Afghanistan is a US registered 501c3 charity based in Chicago, led by Afghan women and supported by more than 100 volunteers from 27 countries. We provide free online English education, mentoring and career pathways for over 850 Afghan girls and women who are currently banned from attending school or university.

We are seeking a highly motivated, strategic and entrepreneurial Career Pathways Manager to launch and lead a team focused on developing employment and internship opportunities for our senior students.

After completing our six level English programme and four semester mentoring course, students face three possible pathways:

1. Applying for international university scholarships abroad

2. Completing an online university qualification

3. Finding paid online work or remote internships — this is where you come in

Your role will be to build this pathway from the ground up, supported by a small team of Afghan volunteer project coordinators (each committing up to six hours per week). All are graduates or senior students from our programme.

You Will

• Develop a clear understanding of the online work landscape for Afghan women

• Explore safe and realistic income and internship pathways

• Identify potential partnerships with charities, NGOs, UN affiliates and socially responsible businesses

• Collaborate with Afghan project coordinators and our international leadership team

• Help shape long term systems for students to access paid work or meaningful career building experiences

Who You Are

• A committed professional with a background in charities, NGOs, international development, HR or social entrepreneurship

• Someone with excellent English and strong internet access

• Highly organised, adaptable and able to take initiative with limited resources

• Based outside Afghanistan (UK or Europe preferred for time zone, but open globally)

• A strong communicator with a sense of humour and a practical, solutions focused mindset

• Ready to commit around six hours per week through November 2025 (current semester)

Why Volunteer With Us?

This is a serious volunteer role in the middle of a humanitarian crisis. You will be helping to build something that could genuinely change the trajectory of a young woman’s life.

Victory Afghanistan is not just another charity. We are a global community of more than 100 volunteers from 27 countries, united in our mission to keep education alive for Afghan girls.

Interested?

Please send us a short message introducing yourself, your background, and why you are interested in this role. We will then arrange a conversation to explore fit and expectations.

We are a fast moving team made up of people from across the world. We are passionate, practical and committed to doing the most we can for the girls we serve. If this sounds like you, we would love to hear from you.

Are you passionate about helping people experiencing homelessness or domestic violence in your local area? Want to be part of a growing global team using tech for good?

We’re looking for Charity Liaison Officers (CLOs) across the UK and beyond.

Your role will involve:

• Helping onboard verified individuals to the Unify Giving app via trusted local organisations

• Reaching out to charities and community groups working with people in need

• Supporting profile creation and beneficiary verification

• Being the bridge between our tech and the people it’s designed to help

You don't need charity experience — just:
✅ Good people skills
✅ A passion for social impact
✅ A few hours a week to give
✅ Willingness to work remotely and independently

You’ll join a team that’s already active in multiple cities across the UK and play a key role in shaping our upcoming winter launch.

Web developers and designers wanted to support East London Waterworks Park in continuing to improve its website and digital infrastructure.

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. 

We are looking for web developers and designers to contribute to our community-led working group who are working on coordinating content and infrastructure for the East London Waterworks Park website. 

There is opportunity to lead on projects across web development and UX and web design, and facilitate the direction of the working group.

The Comms Circle currently meets fortnightly on a Tuesday evening on Google Meet and spends voluntary time outside of the meeting completing agreed tasks remotely.

You should be experienced in HTML, PHP, CSS, Javascript and SQL, and or UX and web design. You should be comfortable with community-led processes. Our roles are quite flexible. We hope that people bring radical imagination, peace with nature, and courageous inclusiveness to the role. 

Contribute to the creation of a new biodiverse community-owned park with free access natural swimming ponds. Your skills in web design and development will be crucial in creating a visually engaging and user-friendly online presence that effectively communicates the park's biodiversity and mission. By designing engaging websites and interactive platforms, you'll help us connect with our community, inspire action, and secure the necessary support for the park's future.

Be the Light in Someone’s Darkness!!!

Volunteer with SUNSHINE – A New Charity Combating Loneliness in London

Loneliness isn’t just a feeling—it’s a silent crisis. It creeps into the corners of everyday life, leaving people disconnected, unheard, and unseen. It’s linked to depression, anxiety, physical illness, and even premature death. In London, thousands suffer in silence. But together, we can change that.

We are SUNSHINE, a brand new, 100% volunteer-run grassroots charity on a mission to bring warmth, connection, and hope to those facing loneliness and social isolation. We believe that no one should feel invisible. And right now, we’re building something extraordinary—but we can’t do it without you.

Why SUNSHINE Matters

Loneliness is more than being alone. It’s the ache of not belonging, the weight of silence, the absence of touch, laughter, and love. It affects mental health, physical wellbeing, and the soul of our communities. SUNSHINE exists to change that—through coffee mornings, befriending programmes, digital inclusion, fitness groups, and more. We’re creating spaces where people feel seen, valued, and connected.

But before we can launch these life-changing services, we need a team of passionate volunteers to help us build the foundation.

Charity Trustee - Make a Real Difference

Whether you're a strategic thinker, a creative soul, or a community builder—there’s a place for you in our founding team.

Help shape our vision, ensure good governance, and guide us toward lasting impact. You will support in the set-up, registration and launch of SUNSHINE across London and beyond. You will use your skills, experience, connections and abilities to help SUNSHINE on its journey to spreading it rays of sunshine.

What You’ll Gain

• A chance to be part of something truly meaningful from the ground up.

• The joy of knowing your time and talents are transforming lives.

• A community of like-minded changemakers.

• Experience, purpose, and the satisfaction of building legacy.

Join Us - Be The SUNSHINE

If you’ve ever felt the world needs more kindness, more connection, more light—this is your moment to SHINE with us. SUNSHINE is more than a charity. It’s a community. And it starts with you.

Together, we can turn loneliness into belonging. Together, we can be the sunshine.

SUNSHINE

Fostering Connections. Enhancing Wellbeing. Transforming Lives

Why do we need your help?

Food banks provide three-day emergency food parcels for people in crisis, working in partnership with organisations across the community. Drivers play a fundamental role in the running of the food bank, collecting food donations from a variety of locations such as supermarkets or churches across the local area as well as distributing the sorted donations from the warehouse to the local food bank centres. You will be given all the required training and provided with ongoing support and development opportunities. You will also have a main contact at the food bank throughout your time volunteering with us.

What will you be doing?

• Collecting food donations from collection points such as supermarkets, schools and churches within Brent

• Coordinating with the warehouse manager and supermarket community champions

• Delivering the food donations to the warehouse, located in Willesden

• Transporting sorted food from the warehouse across two food banks within Brent

• Regular loading and unloading of vehicles, helping your driver buddy

• Regular driving across the local area

The skills you need:

• Clean and current driving licence

• Physically strong and capable of carrying heavy boxes of canned foods

• Experienced and confident driver, you will be driving a small van around Brent

• Adaptable and flexible, sometimes we need to change your driving route or times

• Personable and committed, you will be the representatives of Brent Foodbank amongst our supermarket community

• You will need to follow the driving policy of the food bank

• You should enjoy being part of a volunteer team

• Have an eye for detail and be able to solve problems

• If you can’t drive but enjoy being out on the road, you can also be a driver buddy!

What’s in it for you?

• Using your existing skills to make a difference

• Meet new people who share your passion to end poverty in the community

• Make a real difference to the running of your food bank

• The opportunity to serve your local community

You will be given all the required training and provided with ongoing support and development opportunities. You will also have a main contact at the food bank throughout your time volunteering with us. 

We recognise that we have under-represented groups within our team. As part of our commitment to diversity and equality of opportunity we are actively encouraging applications from under-represented groups such as parents or carers who are re-entering volunteering after a career break, people who are LGBTQ+, from Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic (BAME) backgrounds, with a disability, impairment, learning difference or long-term condition.

East London Waterworks Park is looking for illustrators, animators and graphic designers to help campaign in the creation of our new park with natural swimming ponds.

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. 

We are looking for illustrators, animators and graphic designers to contribute to our community-led working circle who are working on coordinating our digital marketing. 

There is opportunity to lead on projects across content creation, social media, film or any other channels of interest, and facilitate the direction of the working circle.

The Comms Circle currently meets fortnightly on a Tuesday evening on Google Meet and spends voluntary time outside of the meeting completing agreed tasks remotely.

While technical skills are essential, we also value your ability to think creatively and strategically. You should have experience in creating engaging visual content for various platforms that will engage stakeholders and decision makers, such as public reports, presentations for decision makers, social media and websites. A strong understanding of storytelling and the ability to communicate complex ideas effectively through visuals will be invaluable. You should be comfortable with community-led processes. Our roles are quite flexible. We hope that people bring radical imagination, peace with nature, and courageous inclusiveness to the role. 

Contribute to the creation of a new biodiverse community-owned park with free access natural swimming ponds.Your creative talents will be invaluable in bringing the park’s biodiversity to life. Through your illustrations, animations, and graphic designs, you’ll help us create visually captivating content that inspires, educates, and engages our community, stakeholders and decision makers. Your work will play a vital role in fostering a strong connection between people and nature, ultimately creating the park’s future.

Use your expertise to shape education, influence communities, and grow as a leader. Roles available at colleges England.

Are you a business leader or corporate professional looking to make a meaningful impact outside the boardroom?

By becoming a volunteer governor at a further education (FE) or sixth form college, you’ll help shape the strategic direction of an organisation that transforms lives through education and skills—while strengthening your own governance experience and leadership credentials.

Why it’s relevant to professionals like you

Further Education colleges train over 1.6 million learners annually, preparing the skilled workforce that keeps our economy moving—from engineers and IT specialists to healthcare professionals and construction experts.

As a college governor, you’ll sit on the board of an FE institution (and registered charity), where your insight into strategy, risk, people, or finance will have a direct impact on how public funds are spent, how performance is measured, and how learners are supported to succeed.

This is an opportunity to:

• Apply your corporate skills in a charitable leadership role
• Gain board-level experience and enhance your CV
• Contribute to local economic growth and social mobility
• Support a vital sector during a time of transformation

What you’ll do

As part of a governing board, you’ll:

• Set strategic direction: Help define the college’s mission and goals
• Hold leadership to account: Monitor finances, performance, and outcomes
• Ensure governance excellence: Make decisions in the best interests of learners and stakeholders
• Act as a charity trustee: Ensure financial sustainability and legal compliance

You’ll also engage with senior leaders and external stakeholders, including local employers, regulators, and community partners.

Who we’re looking for

We welcome professionals from a broad range of sectors, including but not limited to:

• Finance, Audit & Risk
• HR, People & Culture
• Strategy, Transformation & Operations
• Technology, AI & Digital
• Legal, Governance & Compliance
• Marketing, PR & Communications
• Education, Apprenticeships or vocational courses

What matters most is your strategic thinking, commercial awareness, and commitment to helping others succeed.

Prior education experience is not required. Full induction and training are provided, with access to DfE-funded development and peer mentoring where needed.

Time commitment

Expect to give approximately 1–2 days per month, including:

• Attending board and committee meetings (in-person or remote)
• Reading papers and preparing questions
• Participating in training and occasional college visits

The time commitment is manageable alongside a full-time role—and many employers actively support staff to take on governance roles as part of their professional development.

Where you’ll be needed
Some colleges offer remote governance and meetings take place online. This may suit you best, or we may suggest a role where you volunteer on a hybrid basis at a college within a reasonable distance from you. We are recruiting governors for colleges across England, with new opportunities added regularly. 

What’s in it for you?

· Enhance your board-level and governance experience

· Develop strategic oversight and leadership outside your day-to-day role

· Expand your professional network

·Give back in a way that creates long-term, measurable impact

· Gain exposure to the education, charity, and public sectors

Ready to step into a strategic, purpose-driven leadership role?

If you’re ready to bring your corporate insight to the education sector and help shape the future of skills, opportunity, and social mobility—we’d love to hear from you.

Apply now to become a volunteer college governor.

Across the UK, our Regional and Community Development teams work alongside our local groups to play an active role in increasing awareness of and engagement with the MS Society locally.

As our Regional Cultural Connector Volunteer, you’ll help to identify and plan our involvement and support of regional or local activities and events aimed at minority, hidden and culturally specific groups, to provide information for people living with MS as well as help us to engage with those communities to understand their priorities and needs.

We want to show that we’re here to support everyone and to do that we need to reach and connect with people within their own communities. You’ll help us do that with a welcoming and friendly attitude and ability to reach and promote us within your region.

In this role you’ll be able to develop your organisation, communication and team working skills.

About you

Confidence in speaking to new people, networking skills and the ability to influence would be fantastic. We would work to your strengths, however and some training will be available.

The MS Society is committed to promoting diversity. We can only offer roles to over 18s.

Apply

Read the role description

All applicants will be contacted within two weeks of their submission.