Community volunteers volunteer roles in summertown, oxfordshire

We’ve been shaping social change since 1884.

In our 141st year, we are looking for new Trustees to us achieve our vision of a  fairer future for East London and beyond.

Vacancy: Finance Trustee x 2

About Toynbee Hall

Toynbee Hall works alongside people facing poverty and injustice to build a fairer future.

Based in the East End of London since 1884, we provide vital support to individuals through our advice and support services and work in partnership with local communities to tackle unfairness through research and advocacy. We are a place where people come together to work out solutions to the challenges facing us all and to shape systemic change.

As a charity we are governed by our Trustees - a group of volunteers who have responsibility for setting our strategy and ensuring we meet our charitable objectives.

However, with the pandemic's aftermath and the ongoing cost of living crisis, we face unprecedented challenges. The most vulnerable communities are hit hardest, and our role has never been more critical. We are constantly reviewing our own allocation of finite resources to ensure we are clearly and effectively focusing on where we can make the greatest impact. 

We are looking for Trustees with finance experience to join our Board; helping to shape our future plans and strategy.

Over the past five years, Toynbee Hall has undergone a significant renewal, revitalising our historical buildings, creating spaces that not only provide advice and community connections but also generate revenue to support the delivery of our services and research. Like many organisations we face challenges and some difficult decisions over this period but we are energised about the changes we want to see and how we can contribute. We are also keen to collaborate and grow our projects and thus have wider impact.

We have an engaged, diverse and skilled Trustee Board who are working alongside our senior team as we implement our new strategic plan and organisational priorities.

You can find out more about our existing Trustees on our website.

What we are looking for and what we can offer

It is important to us that we attract Trustees from a range of backgrounds. You don’t need to have previous experience of being a trustee, so please don’t let that put you off!

We will offer an induction program and support to take up the position.

We aim to have a trustee board that reflects the local community, so we especially encourage to apply if you live in Tower Hamlets or who have a personal connection with Toynbee Hall, Tower Hamlets or the East End. Our Board is currently diverse in age, gender and ethnicity and we are committed to maintaining that diversity. We particularly want to hear from potential Trustees who are Black or Asian.

The essential responsibilities of a Toynbee Hall Trustee is to ensure that the organisation pursues its charitable objectives and ensure we remain a going concern.

Trustees must be people with independent judgement, with an ability to think strategically and creatively about the challenges and opportunities ahead.

For this role you will have a financial qualification with at least 3 years’ experience in finance / accountancy. Ideally experience in financial decision making. An understanding of charity funding would be an advantage.

Above all you need to have real enthusiasm for our work and for supporting and guiding our Chief Executive and Toynbee Hall’s passionate and committed staff and volunteers so that they remain focused on tackling inequality and poverty in East London and beyond. And in return we are commitment to helping you gain experience in the non-profit sector strategy and decision making.

 The time commitment to be a Trustee

We ask our Board members to attend four evening Board meetings a year, an annual away-day and to be a member of one Committee. Our Committees meet up to three times a year. At the moment our committee meetings tend to be over video, where Board meetings aim to be in person. In person meetings take place at Toynbee Hall’s home in Commercial Street, E1. Board and Committee meetings are held in the evening.

Each Board member serves for a three-year term. This will then be reviewed by the Board with a maximum nine-year term.

Our Board members are also active ambassadors for Toynbee Hall. This means attending and supporting events and taking opportunities to promote and develop the work of Toynbee Hall through networks and contacts.

Next steps and what to expect

We will be accepting applications until midday on 9th June 2025. Interviews will be held with two of our trustees (online) and a second stage with the Chief Operating Officer (in person).

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.

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.

Help us to make a difference tackling loneliness in Oxfordshire.

We are a pioneering charity who have been changing lives for more than 40 years.

If you have experience in fundraising and would like to help us to develop our income generating approach, we would love to hear from you. Your expertise in fundraising will be instrumental in ensuring the financial sustainability and growth of our organisation.

Job description available on the Archway Foundation website (details attached).

If you'd like to discuss the role with the CEO, please call our office to arrange a call or email (details attached).

We actively encourage applications from individuals belonging to underrepresented groups.

“At Nugent, we believe in a world where every person has the opportunity to thrive – regardless of circumstances. That belief has guided us since 1881, and continues to inspire the work we do today”.

Join Us as a Trustee – Make a Real Difference at Nugent

Role: Trustee
Location: Remote with occasional in-person meetings (location-based)
Time Commitment: Approx. 4 board meetings per year + occasional subcommittee work
Type: Voluntary (reasonable expenses reimbursed)

About Us

Nugent are a North West based health and social care charity, based predominantly in the Liverpool City region, offering a diverse range of support for adults and children. Our children’s provisions include residential homes, a secure facility, a step-down home and SEMH School. Our adult’s provisions include dispersed homelessness accommodation, floating support provided in the community and supported living provided at home. We also provide adult residential homes including a specialist acquired brain injury, a home for those living with dementia, and a home supporting Mental Health needs. We also offer adoption support services working in partnership with local authorities across the UK.

To reach communities beyond these provisions we have established an initiative called Our Future Now, which actively engages in a range of fundraising and community-based activities. These efforts support wider unmet needs across the Liverpool City Region and beyond.

The Role

As a Trustee, you will help guide the strategic direction of the charity, ensuring good governance and overseeing the effective use of resources. You will work with fellow trustees and senior staff to support our mission, challenge constructively, and bring your insight and experience to the table.

As an experienced and committed individual, you will provide support to your peers and leadership to the executive team. You will promote a commercially astute culture across the organisation as we continue to make a lasting difference in the lives of the people we support

This role is ideal for you as a conscientious and driven individual who is prepared to support, advise and actively engage in the achievement of the vision

Who We’re Looking For

We welcome applicants from all backgrounds and are particularly interested in individuals with experience in one or more of the following areas:

• Health and social care policy or practice
• Finance, law, or governance
• Lived experience of using health or social care services
• Charity leadership or fundraising
• Equality, diversity, and inclusion

We are committed to having a diverse and representative board. If you are passionate about improving lives and can contribute to strategic thinking and oversight, we would love to hear from you.

How to Apply

Please apply online and attach your current CV. Alternatively send your CV and a short covering statement explaining why you’re interested and what you can bring to the role to the HR team by 6th June 2025

For more information or an informal conversation about the role, contact the HR team

Job description

"We are looking for 3 candidates to join our volunteer enhanced professional development programme and gain real world experience in your chosen field). While we only have 3 vacancies available through this programme, other options are available if your skills match our criteria".

Quilombo UK is looking for Legal Assistant, who would love to join a growing organization. Quilombo UK works with the objective to promote different arts, sports and cultures to encourage an intercultural understanding between different communities and societies; To promote cultural awareness in the community and educate, regardless of nationality or origin, about race diversity and mutual respect; To promote good health and wellbeing; and run a community organisation with a strong focus on individuals, the community and society as a whole.

Quilombo UK is looking to recruit a Legal Assistant who helps organization in various legal matters.

This role offers a great opportunity for the right person who is looking to; gain experience in the Third Sector; develop their skills and management experience; or just simply 'give something back to their community'. The role provides you flexibility and autonomy at work. This will further help you to develop your professional development programme (PDP). Where necessary specific training will also be provided to help you develop and grow your skill set.

Main Responsibilities

• We are looking for an experienced lawyer to assist the organisation in overlooking projects, ensuring they are compliant with relevant and up to date legislation and regulations.
• The legal assistant will be responsible for making sure all contracts, legislations and documents are treated within correct legal standards. They are to make sure that all activities are being performed in line with contracts and the law.
• The Legal Assistant will work closely with the HR department in overlooking the volunteer forms, legislations and documents. They should also assist the different departments within the organisation(Marketing, Funding, HR, Finance) in upholding the legal requirements needed to run the tasks that they do.
• Provide written reports as and when required. To undertake additional duties as required for the role.

General tasks

• Contribute to staff meetings and other internal meetings with views and suggestions etc.

Essential

• Well-organized, proactive and able to deliver tasks efficiently.
• Excellent researching skills
• Reading and report writing skills
• You will need to be an experienced lawyer or have a good legal understanding.
• You will be respectful of the confidentiality of the organisation.
• You will need to help deliver work that adheres to the key objectives of the organisation.
• Able to speak confidently with a variety of stakeholders.
• Good time-management & communication skills.
• To show professionalism at all levels and in all environments
• Strong team player
• Ability to work independently and ask for clarification when needed.

Desirable

• Committed to working with the community with a passion for helping others less fortunate.
• Can work without much supervision

The Professional Development Programme with Quilombo UK runs over a period of 16 weeks, is UNPAID and requires a minimum of 12 hours commitment per week across Monday to Friday.

Upon successful application, our HR team will contact you to arrange an interview. Following a successful interview, we'll initiate the onboarding process by sending you the necessary documents. Once your onboarding and identification documents are received and verified, you'll be invited to a 6-hour HR and System Induction. Subsequently, you'll meet with your Head of Department or Assistant Manager for your First Day.

Job Type: Volunteer

Benefits:

• Work from home

Schedule:

• Day shift
• Monday to Friday

Experience:

• Legal Secretary: 1 year (preferred)

Work Location: Remote

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.

Over past decades, enormous advances have been made in our understanding of MS. Research has got us to a critical point, and we can see a future where nobody needs to worry about their MS getting worse. Our Stop MS Appeal needs to raise £100 million to find treatments for everyone with MS.

Our Stop MS Champions help us reach more people and inspire them to get involved in our Stop MS Appeal by encouraging raising funds and awareness by delivering presentations, attending events and identifying new audiences to speak to. They inspire people to engage with and influence fundraisers and groups, enthuse people and make sure our community’s voice is heard.

As our Lead Stop MS Champion, you’ll motivate your team of Stop MS Champions to help reach more people and inspire them to get involved in our Stop MS Appeal.

By using your ability to motivate and support, you will oversee and lead a team of 5-10 Stop MS Champion volunteers, encouraging them to engage the people they know to raise funds and awareness, and provide reliable information and guidance.

You’ll also network to engage with and influence fundraisers and community groups, enthusing people by delivering presentations at events and finding new audiences to speak to. In this role, as well as developing your leadership, networking, influencing, communication, organisation and presentation skills, you’ll have a chance to be part of something amazing – you could help us stop MS.

Information reviewers

We’re the MS Society – a community of people living with MS, scientists, campaigners, listeners, organisers, ambassadors and fundraisers. Our volunteers are a key part of achieving our goals and their support is vital. Join us.

About this opportunity
If you or a family member has MS,  we need your help in reviewing our information. 

Your ideas, your experiences and your feedback help make sure our info is clear, useful and appropriate for everyone living with MS. 

You’ll have an impact on the info we can provide online and in print.  

This is a great opportunity to get involved with a national charity. We need you to get involved and help make positive changes to the lives of people with MS.

About you
You’ll have MS or personal experience of supporting someone who has MS. You’ll want to share your thoughts on making information work better for people with MS. 

Apply 
- Read through the role description carefully

Fill out the application form

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

Over past decades, enormous advances have been made in our understanding of MS. Research has got us to a critical point, and we can see a future where nobody needs to worry about their MS getting worse. Our Stop MS Appeal needs to raise £100 million to find treatments for everyone with MS.

Our Stop MS Champions help us reach more people and inspire them to get involved in our Stop MS Appeal by encouraging raising funds and awareness by delivering presentations, attending events and identifying new audiences to speak to. They inspire people to engage with and influence fundraisers and groups, enthuse people and make sure our community’s voice is heard.

As our Lead Stop MS Champion, you’ll motivate your team of Stop MS Champions to help reach more people and inspire them to get involved in our Stop MS Appeal.

By using your ability to motivate and support, you will oversee and lead a team of 5-10 Stop MS Champion volunteers, encouraging them to engage the people they know to raise funds and awareness, and provide reliable information and guidance.

You’ll also network to engage with and influence fundraisers and community groups, enthusing people by delivering presentations at events and finding new audiences to speak to. In this role, as well as developing your leadership, networking, influencing, communication, organisation and presentation skills, you’ll have a chance to be part of something amazing – you could help us stop MS.

Franchine Young Ireland

We are an emerging organic brand with a passion for reconnecting people with clean and plant based ingredients. We have a desire to create a brand that means well at every stage, protecting people, animals and our environment.

There is an ‘ugly’ truth inside the Beauty Industry that simply has to change. Single use plastics, toxic ingredients, greenwashing, animal cruelty and a complete disregard for people, animals and our planet for many years. Many people are unaware that most products may contain ingredients known as Endocrine Disruptors, (EDCs). Recent evidence suggests exposure to EDCs is associated with early onset menopause. Marketing messaging continues to focus on unrealistic images of beauty that have resulted in anxiety, low self-esteem, and low self-confidence in many women, as well as affecting the hormonal journey. It’s time to take a stand, to challenge the large corporations and to provide solutions and alternative options for conscious consumers.

Franchine Young Ireland is an emerging organic brand with a passion for pure ingredients, simplified skin care and a desire to protect people, animals and our environment.

Organic, plant based and cruelty free and I believe passionately in taking less from our earth, a minimalist approach to skincare. We believe in doing ‘no harm’ in the complete life cycle of our products – from Field to Face ® we have created a simplistic and effective skincare routine, Mother Nature’s Method®.

I am passionate about health and exposure to unnecessary chemicals and processes within the beauty industry. I seek to create innovative products that simplify, excel in caring for the skin without harming anyone or thing, including our earth, in the process. I look forward to meeting likeminded volunteers that can bring skills and experience in all areas of the business to my growing brand.

Content Creator

Volunteer Role Description (remote, unpaid)

We’re Looking for a Creative Content Creator (Volunteer, 5+ hrs/week) Love skincare, storytelling, and creating beautiful things? Read on…

Hi my name is Fran and I am the founder of a small Irish skincare brand doing things differently — organic ingredients, multi-use products, no fluff. Our focus is on women’s wellness, simple routines, and sustainability. We’re part of the We Make Change community and are looking for a content creator who gets what we’re about and wants to help us grow.

What we need help with: • Creating scroll-stopping content for Instagram (reels, graphics, carousels) • Making visuals that match our vibe (Canva is our go-to) • Sharing our brand story in a way that feels real and relatable • Editing short video clips for reels/stories • Suggesting fun, fresh content ideas we may not have thought of yet

You’ll love this if you: • Are confident creating content and know your way around Canva or similar tools • Have a good eye for style and know what works on Instagram • Can write short, engaging captions that sound like a human (not a robot) • Are passionate about natural skincare, holistic living, or women’s health • Want to be part of something meaningful and ethical

Time: Around 5 hours a week — flexible and remote.

We’re friendly, creative, and open to your ideas. You’ll be joining a brand with a clear purpose, working directly with the founder and a small team of We Make Change volunteers, and making a genuine difference to a small business with big values.

⸻

Interested? Apply and let us know a bit about you. We can’t wait to hear from you!

Weekly Time Commitment

4-6 hours per week

Duration of Volunteer Role (remote)

6+ months

The Feminist Shop

The ethos behind is to explore and fuel feminism from different angles: education (content), ethical shop, community creation and more! We give back to the cause through information, profit sharing, supporting companies with the same values in the process, and taking care of the ethics.

All the products are not only ethically produced but conceived to be wearable activism: statement makers & conversation starters.

It has, since its conception evolved and now it is now also focused on the work of Virginia, the founder, as author, consultant and trainer on topics related with gender equality.

We want a more equal world for everyone (#NoPressure). Fight the stigma around the word feminism, educate about the importance of gender equality, empower people to challenge gender stereotypes and become part of the solution.

We want to be is the brand that helps people no matter where they are in their journey, and we do it in many different ways!

• Ethical products that are conversation starters and statement makers
• We sell (and recommend) over 300 books! whatever you are curious about it we probably have a book about it!
• Virginia has written 2 children's books (one about gender stereotypes and one about consent) and a parenting book.
• Training, consulting, public speaking… something bespoke for your organisation (school, business, community…)

We couldn't be here without some help! The shop is not profitable yet but we still donate a % of the revenue and care deeply about creating something we are proud of. We want to be able to have a team one day and grow the project but at the moment we need to scale and get there. We want your help to get us there (and then hopefully join us!) and hope you learn a lot on the way, try your ideas, build connections and skills and feel part of something that makes a difference.

Feminist Book Designer

Volunteer Role Description (remote, unpaid)

Looking for a volunteer (or possibility to create a small group) to design:

• The cover of a book with the feminist essays I write in my substack.
• The layout (including internal illustrations) to make it a nicer gift, more special and creative.

Weekly Time Commitment

2-3 hours per week

Duration of Volunteer Role (remote)

3-5 months

This is an exciting time in our growth as we look to grow our governance systems, build on our successes and ensure we are a radical, dynamic organisation rooted in our anti-racist and anti-oppressive values.  We are looking for a new Chair for our Trustee board, to join us and help lead and shape the future of the organisation. 

Shape the future of student advocacy and social change by joining the NUS UK Board as a Lay Director.

We’re looking for an independent director to help steer our strategy, governance, and accountability. This is an ideal opportunity for someone with experience in campaigning, communications, legal affairs, or non-profit leadership who’s passionate about supporting one of the UK’s most impactful student-led organisations.

Who We’re Looking For

We want to attract the broadest possible range of talent. Whether or not you’ve previously held a board or committee role, if you bring relevant expertise, lived experience, or a fresh perspective, we’d love to hear from you.

We’re particularly interested in candidates with backgrounds in:

• Financial oversight, audit, or risk management

• Human resources, recruitment, or EDI expertise

• Legal, strategic, or governance experience

• Communications, campaigning, or public affairs knowledge

• Experience in the charity, education, or membership sectors

• A collaborative and values-driven mindset

We are committed to equality of opportunity and especially welcome applications from black, Asian, and minority ethnic candidates, who are currently under-represented as Directors of NUS UK and within the sector more broadly.

Why Volunteer With Us?

• Help shape the student movement and the future of education

• Influence decisions that impact millions of students

• Work alongside experienced, passionate, and values-led colleagues

• Develop your leadership and governance skills

• Make a meaningful contribution to social change

You’ll receive a full induction, ongoing support, and all reasonable expenses covered—including travel and accommodation when needed.

How to Apply

To apply, please send your CV (or a link to your LinkedIn profile) and a short covering letter (max 1 page) outlining your motivation and what you would bring to the role.

Apply by: Thursday 3 July 2025, 12 noon.

If you’d like an informal chat about the role before applying, we’d love to hear from you.