Cooking and kitchen volunteer volunteer roles

Support young people to develop practical cooking and baking skills through fun, engaging, and educational sessions. Volunteers will assist staff with preparing activities, encouraging participation, promoting kitchen safety, and helping young people build confidence through food preparation and cooking.

Develop practical life skills and independence Encourage healthy eating and wellbeing Build confidence through achievement and creativity Create opportunities for social interaction and teamwork

The skills you'll need

• Interest in cooking, baking, or food preparation
• Good communication skills
• Positive and patient approach
• Ability to support and encourage learning
• Teamwork and reliability
• Commitment to food hygiene and safety procedures

Vault Youth Zone is accessible by local bus and train services.

Local public parking may be available. Full directions will be provided upon successful application.

We are seeking a dedicated and friendly person with a passion for cooking to cook a healthy community meal for our lunch service on Tuesdays and/or Fridays.

The community kitchen chef volunteers will play a vital role in supporting Mind in Camden’s wider group services, including the Healthy Minds Community Programme and Phoenix Recovery Service. We support adults (18+) living in Camden who may be experiencing mental health challenges, isolation, or social exclusion.

A key part of our services is providing healthy home cooked meals for our community members twice a week (Tuesdays and Fridays). As a Community Kitchen Chef volunteer, you will gain valuable frontline experience cooking a community meal for adults with a range of mental health needs. You will work collaboratively with other volunteer chefs to design healthy menus that are guided by suggestions and requests from our community members.  You will be challenged to create delicious meals using a limited budget and minimising food waste.

*Please note we require a minimum of 6 months commitment to your volunteering role.

Community Café Volunteers

The Bridge Community Hut, N15 6SE

Love cooking? Enjoy meeting people?

Join our friendly community café team!

We are looking for enthusiastic and reliable volunteers to help create a welcoming space where local residents can enjoy good food and great company.

�� Open 3 days per week (including Saturdays), 10:00am – 4:00pm

What you’ll do

• Help prepare simple, nutritious meals
• Serve food and drinks with a smile
• Keep the kitchen and café clean and organised

 What we’re looking for

• Friendly, positive, and team-oriented
• Interest in cooking or community work
• Willingness to learn (no experience needed!)

 What you’ll gain

• Valuable café and teamwork experience
• New skills (with training available)
• A pathway into employment
• Meet new people and be part of your community 

How to apply 

To apply, please email or post your CV

Community Café Volunteers

The Bridge Community Hut, N15 6SE

Love cooking? Enjoy meeting people?

Join our friendly community café team!

We are looking for enthusiastic and reliable volunteers to help create a welcoming space where local residents can enjoy good food and great company.

🕒 Open 3 days per week (including Saturdays), 10:00am – 4:00pm

What you’ll do

• Help prepare simple, nutritious meals
• Serve food and drinks with a smile
• Keep the kitchen and café clean and organised

 What we’re looking for

• Friendly, positive, and team-oriented
• Interest in cooking or community work
• Willingness to learn (no experience needed!)

 What you’ll gain

• Valuable café and teamwork experience
• New skills (with training available)
• A pathway into employment
• Meet new people and be part of your community 

How to apply 

To apply, please email or post your CV

Stepping Stones Learning and Leisure is a small, friendly charity based in Southwark, providing inclusive activities for adults with learning disabilities. We believe everyone should have the chance to express themselves, connect with others, and take part in activities that bring joy, confidence, and new skills.

We’re currently looking for an enthusiastic and proactive Cook and Eat Volunteer to support our weekly Thursday sessions (10.30-13.30), held at St Faith’s Centre, Red Post Hill, SE24 9JQ (close to North Dulwich and Herne Hill stations).

About The Role

This role is ideal for someone who loves to get stuck in. You’ll support our tutor in delivering inclusive and fun cooking sessions for a small group of adults with learning disabilities. Every class will be an opportunity to create tasty snacks and dishes in a dynamic and supportive environment. With your help, we aim to provide our learners with a sense of pride and satisfaction at having made something delicious, whilst learning invaluable skills along the way.

As a Cook and Eat Volunteer at Stepping Stones, you will:

• Assist the tutor in running weekly cooking classes
• Encourage and support learners
• Help with setting up and closing down the kitchen workspace
• Maintain high standards of hygiene
• Offer 1:1 or group support where needed to help participants engage
• Help build a warm, inclusive atmosphere where everyone feels safe to express themselves

What You’ll Gain

Volunteering with us is a chance to:

• Contribute to a creative and meaningful community project
• Build relationships with and support learners to learn new skills and grow in confidence
• Experience working with adults with learning disabilities in a supportive setting
• Develop skills in teamwork, adaptability, communication, and creative problem-solving
• Have a place in a welcoming and friendly team of tutors, staff and volunteers
• Receive appropriate training and guidance from an experienced team

What We’re Looking For

You don’t need to be a chef to volunteer in this role! At Stepping Stones we value:

• Good communication and a warm, encouraging approach
• Enthusiasm, patience, and a willingness to get involved
• A non-judgemental and inclusive mindset
• Reliability and commitment
• Flexibility and adaptability

Prior to volunteering, we ask all volunteers to:

• Attend an in-person session with the Stepping Stones team and learners
• Provide two references
• Complete a DBS check (we will arrange this)
• Commit to volunteering one session per week for 3 x 10 week terms throughout the year. For continuity for our service users, we ask that you commit to volunteering with us for one year.

How to Apply

Please submit your CV and respond to the following questions (these will come up when you hit 'Apply Now')

• Why would you like to volunteer with Stepping Stones?
• What are the strongest attributes and values you feel you'll bring to this role? 

Volunteer with halow!

Make a difference, have fun, and be part of our community

Our volunteers play a vital role in helping halow’s young people enjoy new experiences, build friendships, and take part in activities they love.

As a Gardening Volunteer, you’ll support our kitchen allotment, helping to plan, grow, and care for a variety of vegetables, fruits, flowers, and plants. The produce grown can be used in our cooking sessions or shared with local community groups. Although our offices are based in Guildford, we welcome volunteers from various places, as opportunities for their support arise all over Surrey. They are not expected to come to us with any previous experience; all we ask for is commitment and a willingness to work with our young people.

Who can volunteer?

No previous experience is needed,we’re looking for people who are enthusiastic, reliable, and willing to support our young people. Although our office is based in Guildford, volunteering opportunities are available across Surrey

Why volunteer for halow?

Our volunteers enjoy the fun of our events and can gain valuable work experience whilst enjoying giving something back to the community, taking on new challenges and sharing their skills to help others. Other benefits include:

• To try something new
• To have fun
• To give something back to the community
• To do something that you feel is important to you
• To meet new people
• To gain valuable work experience
• To take on new challenges
• To share your skills in order to help others
• To build confidence

Join us and help create meaningful experiences and memories for young people across Surrey.

Help our registered charity with retreats or community events!

We are a registered charity, housed in a beautiful English medieval manor with an ancient courtyard and a magnificent timbered Great Hall, dating from the 13th century. It is situated in extensive grounds where deer roam freely and where squirrels run up and down trees.

We are recruiting volunteers to join and to help us run activities. In exchange of your work, we offer free board, including 3 meals a day. We hold retreats, workshops, and run a weekly community cafe intended to create an exchange between the Abbey charity and the local community. 
As a volunteer, you will play a crucial role in creating a welcoming and comfortable environment for our guests and visitors and you will greatly benefit from the interactions with our retreat visitors who come from all ways of life. 

You will have your own unique room in this ancient building BUT DEPENDING ON THE ACTIVITIES (usually during a retreat) YOU CAN BE ASKED TO SHARE A ROOM WITH ANOTHER VOLUNTEER — always around the same age and gender, and usually for no more than 3 or 4 nights. The rooms are not en-suite but there are showers and toilets nearby. The food provided is vegetarian.

PLEASE NOTE THAT YOUR STAY IS SUBJECT TO A ONE WEEK TRIAL. It is something to keep in mind before applying. This rule applies to us as well as to you: the first week is an opportunity for both sides to make sure that the arrangement is a good fit.

For UK nationals or people with the settled status, you can stay at the Abbey for up to 3 months. 

We expect volunteers to help 25 hours per week. You must be able to help flexibly, both independently and as part of a group, and without us having to chase you. Please note that we are expecting from our volunteers to help with whatever is needed rather than what they want to do. We expect volunteers to be responsible, proactive, mature and respectful. 

Most of the help is very straight forward and does not require special skills: we mainly need help to keep the place clean and tidy and to welcome guests and visitors. We are particularly interested in volunteers with housekeeping and hospitality experience, customer service skills, or volunteers able to help for different tasks as gardening, cooking, cleaning, DIY and so on. If you have a prior interest in mindfulness and/or meditation, we would be very interested if you would like to share your practice.

Your days off may not be the same from one week to another and you don't necessarily have consecutive days off. You will always work on Saturdays as we are running our weekly cafe and you may also sometimes work on Sundays depending on our activities, but you will have time off each week. The Abbey Manager and the Housekeeping & Volunteers Coordinator are  very cautious about providing the best balance possible between your work and your free time. Each Monday, you will have your weekly schedule.

After induction and training we like to get our volunteers straight into action. After training you would typically be expected to:
- Assist with cleaning, ironing and preparing the Abbey for our guests
- Give a hand in the kitchen and serve food to our guests and clients
- Welcome guests and visitors.

Please note that you will be sharing a house with a small group of people (usually between 5 and 6), mainly international volunteers, and we expect you to be part of the Abbey life (e.g. you don't take your meals on your own in your room). You will be living, eating and working among other people with different temperaments, cultures and personalities. The Abbey is not the place for you if you don’t enjoy socializing and if you don't wish to be part of a group. Of course, you will have plenty of time for quiet and solitude each day and there will be time for your own work, besides the Abbey tasks, if you are a digital nomad. And on your days off, you do your own things and live your life :)

Our house is a quiet and peaceful place, well suited for rest, reflection and respectful communication. It isn't a place for late night parties, illegal drugs and a city lifestyle — but if you like being surrounded by nature and meeting new people from different cultures as well as living and working together in a friendly and beautiful environment, then this is the place to be. You will have a lot of freedom, autonomy and time for yourself as long as the work is done and the house rules are respected.

Activity Leader

Challenge Adventure Group (“CAG” for short and the operating name of CAG Trust) is a voluntary youth organisation for Knowle, Dorridge and beyond aimed at boys aged 10 and above.

As our name suggests, we provide challenging, adventurous and fun activities and the D of E Award for young people in their leisure time. Taking part in fun experiential activities enables members to develop their physical and mental skills and capacities and reach their full potential of becoming positive, active and happy citizens.

Summary

CAG was formed in 2009 and became a charity, CAG Trust, in 2019. Our activity leaders are at the centre of what we do - their good nature, leadership and passion for outdoor activities are what we pass on to the next generation. It is a role with a lot of responsibility and a huge amount of reward and satisfaction.

You will be part of a team of enthusiastic and passionate leaders who help to run CAG meeting nights on Tuesdays in term time.  You will help run both indoor and outdoor team building activities for our all male members and this can include going on night walks, building fires, cooking on fires, trying out some bush craft, going on bike rides, trying indoor climbing, having a go at scuba diving in swimming pools, playing team building games, entering cake competitions, attempting bushtucker trials, putting up tents, learning navigation skills, keeping fit by doing bleep tests, going karting, having a crack at skiing at Ackers Trust, eating curry at Christmas and much, much more.

You can also join us on our weekend trips away to faraway places such as the Lakes, Snowdonia, the Peaks and even to snowier, colder climes on our legendary ski trip.

Description

The Building Manager will play a crucial role in ensuring the smooth functioning, safety, and pleasant environment of Challenge Adventure Group’s premises at Bickenhill Church Hall. This position involves overseeing general building maintenance, coordinating with service providers, and supporting health and safety initiatives to provide a safe and professional space for our members and volunteer staff. This role is essential in upholding the quality of our physical environment, which underpins the service we provide.

Responsibilities:

Conduct regular visual inspections of the premises to identify any maintenance needs, repairs, or health and safety concerns;

Liaise with the Group Leader regarding identified issues and coordinate with external contractors (e.g., plumbers, electricians, general maintenance) for necessary repairs or services;

Oversee the general cleanliness and upkeep of the premises, liaising with cleaning staff and addressing any immediate concerns;

Manage external contracts related to building operations, such as utilities ensuring continuity and addressing any issues;

Ensure adequate stock levels and provision of general consumables for Cag's use of kitchen, toilets etc and manage ordering as required;

Act as a designated Fire Marshal and/or First Aider for the premises, undertaking relevant training and fulfilling associated duties;

Support delegated Health and Safety activities, including regular checks and reporting, to ensure compliance with relevant policies (e.g., Fire Safety, Health and Safety); Raise any immediate health and safety concerns or risks to the attention of the Group Leader;

Serve as a key point of contact for building-related matters, liaising effectively with contract providers and the landlord;

Facilitate access for maintenance personnel or service providers when required; Provide regular updates to the Group Leader on building status, ongoing issues, and completed tasks;

Maintain an organised system for tracking maintenance requests, contractor visits, and health and safety checks;

Contribute to establishing and maintaining a sustainability and recycling program for the premises.

We are looking for a volunteer who ideally should have / be:

• Commitment to CAG and its ethos.

• Enthusiasm and a positive attitude to work is essential.

• Ability to work on own initiative but also as part of a team.

• A proactive attitude.

Making a difference - what impact will the opportunity have?

Your input is key to the day to day running of CAG as well as securing its future.  You will have a big impact because this role is essential to ensuring that CAG members have a safe and secure environment to carry out their activities when they are on site.

What's in it for the volunteer? 

You would become part of our small, friendly team and you have the opportunity to use your time, skills and experience to make a real difference to CAG and the community in which we operate.  Additionally we can offer you:

• The chance to be part of a charity at an exciting time in its development.

• The opportunity to make a difference to young people’s lives through outdoor trips, activities and adventures.

• Expenses, so you are not out of pocket.

About the location

Where will the volunteer be working?

• The role requires a degree of physical presence to conduct inspections and liaise with on-site personnel.

Travel Limit

The candidate should also be available for occasional face to face Leader meetings.

When will the volunteer be working?

Volunteer availability

• As required 

Estimate of time commitment

• Minimum 2 hours / week - the candidate will be able to offer further time as they wish

Details

The volunteering could be long term. 

Successful applicants will require an enhanced DBS and two references.

The Role

As a Flyer Distributor you will play a crucial role in helping to raise awareness about our services and events within the Enfield community. You will be responsible for disseminating promotional materials such as flyers, brochures, and event announcements to various locations within the Enfield area.

• Distribute promotional materials provided by Age UK Enfield to designated locations across the Enfield area. This may include community centers, libraries, local businesses, healthcare facilities, and other relevant locations.
• Engage with members of the public in a friendly and courteous manner while distributing flyers. Answer any questions they may have about Age UK Enfield's services and provide basic information about upcoming events or initiatives.
• Keep accurate records of the locations visited and the quantity of promotional materials distributed. Report back to the supervisor on to provide updates on distribution progress.
• Act as an ambassador for Age UK Enfield by promoting the organisation's mission, values, and services to the community. Help to increase brand recognition and visibility within the local area.

General Key Skills:

• Ability to work independently without constant supervision.
• Comfortable with walking and standing for long periods in various weather conditions.
• Maintaining professionalism and addressing public inquiries effectively.
• Reliable attendance and punctuality, with a strong sense of responsibility.

Time Commitment

2-4 hours Between 10 am - 2 pm (there are other volunteer opportunities available)

Requirements

A DBS Enhanced check will be required. Training to be provided around safeguarding.

Other Information

Please note: It is a unpaid position however travel costs and other volunteering expenses will be covered.

Inclusive Boards is delighted to support University of Birmingham Guild of Students in their search for their next Chair of Trustees. 

The Guild of Students plays a key and pivotal role in the student experience at Birmingham, offering a range of services and activities which not only help to attract students to the University, but which also contribute to a vibrant student experience, as well as supporting the wider sense of community and belonging.

The breadth of the Guild’s service and activity portfolio is comparable with other large students’ unions in the Russell Group and as an organisation the Guild is well regarded within the sector. As leaders in the field, the Guild has paved the way in key areas such as representation, student groups and societies, social opportunities, events and activities.

About the Chair opportunity

This is a brilliant opportunity to join an award-winning, multifaceted, and complex charity as our next Chair of Trustees. The Trustee Board is collectively responsible for overseeing the affairs of the Guild and ensuring that the Guild works for and with its membership in all that it does.  The Chair’s role is to steward this at the highest level. They act as a role model for the Board, maintaining the highest standards of good governance, with a focus on strategy, risk, and long-term sustainability.

They must ensure a culture of inclusion, trust, and openness where all Trustees contribute their views and expertise, and champion student democracy. The Chair will work closely with the President and Chief Executive Officer, supporting them to achieve the aims and objectives of the Guild’s strategy and vision, and ensure the Guild meets the needs of its diverse student membership.

We are in the final year of the Guild’s 2022-27 strategy (aligned to the University’s priorities under its strategic framework, ‘Birmingham 2030’), making this a formative time as we look beyond 2027, in a challenging time for the Higher Education sector. We are seeking skilled leadership to continue to support us to deliver excellence and are, therefore, looking for an experienced non-executive, with demonstrable experience of supporting organisations at Board level.

The Guild values applications from a wide range of backgrounds that are reflective of the full diversity of Birmingham’s community, in particular from Black, Asian, and minoritised ethnicities as we seek to continually enhance diversity within our governance structures.

We would encourage candidates with current or previous experience in charities or the public sector, with experience of chairing meetings and of non-executive leadership, to apply. A connection to the Guild or University and/or to the West Midlands area is also beneficial, but not essential. Full details are outlined in the role description and person specification.