Domestic abuse volunteer roles

Could you inspire children from across Hestia’s domestic abuse refuges to get active? We are recruiting for a qualified Sport’s coach to support us over the summer holidays! During the school summer holidays, Hestia runs a six-week Summer Play Scheme providing activities and outings for mothers and their children across our refuges. Funded through generous donations from the public, the Summer Play Scheme provides women and children with a safe and supportive space to reconnect by having fun and sharing happy memories together as family.

What you will be doing

• To develop positive relationships with the children and women, maintain professional boundaries and keep accurate records.
• Keep a record of attendees, provide feedback and report any concerns to the staff team
• Coordinate a weekly timetable of sports and active games to engage children
• General knowledge about wellbeing and how sport affects physical and mental health
• Support the children to maintain their physical health through exercise
• Support the children to learn/play and work as a team
• Plan activities or sports in collaboration with the children

The skills you need

• Understanding of Domestic abuse and its impact on children and women
• Good interpersonal and communication skills and ability to work with people from different backgrounds
• Able to maintain strict confidentiality
• Ability to provide a supportive, and inclusive atmosphere that encourages learning and participation.
• Calm and patient approach
• A skilled and qualified sports coach/fitness instructor working with children

What's in it for you

• Supporting You - You will have a dedicated volunteer supervisor to support you in your role; Quarterly volunteer forums with the central Volunteering team and volunteers across Hestia; References for job applications
• Developing You - You will gain knowledge and insight into issues that impact Domestic Abuse, Modern Slavery and Mental Health; You will have access to our extensive Learning and Development Programme; 40% of our departed volunteers secured a paid role at Hestia last year!
• Valuing You - We hold annual Volunteer Awards and Celebration events; We reimburse travel expenses and up to £5 for lunch for your volunteering; We hold social events and outings for our volunteers to get together and have some fun

Do you enjoy singing and listening to all genres of music? We have an exciting opportunity to facilitate a singing and music group in our domestic abuse refuges over the summer holidays! You will be supporting our women and children to get involved and have some fun! During the school summer holidays, Hestia runs a six-week Summer Play Scheme providing activities and outings for mothers and their children across our refuges. Funded through generous donations from the public, the Summer Play Scheme provides women and children with a safe and supportive space to reconnect by having fun and sharing happy memories together as family.

What you will be doing

• To develop positive relationships with the children and women, maintain professional boundaries and keep accurate records.
• Facilitate a weekly singing and music group
• Provide opportunities for the group to collaborate on agreed themes/ songs for future groups
• Coordinate and plan group sessions
• Inspire and motivate people to attend and get involved in the group
• Keep a record of attendees, provide feedback, and report any concerns to the staff team
• To use a range of skills and tools to make sessions interesting and fun for a range of ages.

The skills you need

• Understanding of Domestic abuse and its impact on children and women
• Good interpersonal and communication skills and ability to work with people from different backgrounds
• Able to maintain strict confidentiality
• Calm and patient approach
• Ability to provide a supportive, and inclusive atmosphere that encourages learning and participation
• Experience in music in either a professional, educational or personal level

What's in it for you

• Supporting You - You will have a dedicated volunteer supervisor to support you in your role; Quarterly volunteer forums with the central Volunteering team and volunteers across Hestia; References for job applications
• Developing You - You will gain knowledge and insight into issues that impact Domestic Abuse, Modern Slavery and Mental Health; You will have access to our extensive Learning and Development Programme; 40% of our departed volunteers secured a paid role at Hestia last year!
• Valuing You - We hold annual Volunteer Awards and Celebration events; We reimburse travel expenses and up to £5 for lunch for your volunteering; We hold social events and outings for our volunteers to get together and have some fun

Do you have a passion for supporting women and children who have experienced domestic abuse? This is a rewarding opportunity to facilitate weekly story reading sessions with the children in our refuges over the summer holidays! During the school summer holidays, Hestia runs a six-week Summer Play Scheme providing activities and outings for mothers and their children across our refuges. Funded through generous donations from the public, the Summer Play Scheme provides women and children with a safe and supportive space to reconnect by having fun and sharing happy memories together as family.

What you will be doing

• To develop positive relationships with the children and women, maintain professional boundaries and keep accurate records.
• Facilitating weekly story reading sessions for children
• Provide opportunities for the group to collaborate on books for future sessions

The skills you need

• Understanding of Domestic abuse and its impact on children and women
• Good interpersonal and communication skills and ability to work with people from different backgrounds
• Able to maintain strict confidentiality
• Calm and patient approach

What's in it for you

• Supporting You - You will have a dedicated volunteer supervisor to support you in your role; Quarterly volunteer forums with the central Volunteering team and volunteers across Hestia; References for job applications
• Developing You - You will gain knowledge and insight into issues that impact Domestic Abuse, Modern Slavery and Mental Health; You will have access to our extensive Learning and Development Programme; 40% of our departed volunteers secured a paid role at Hestia last year!
• Valuing You - We hold annual Volunteer Awards and Celebration events; We reimburse travel expenses and up to £5 for lunch for your volunteering; We hold social events and outings for our volunteers to get together and have some fun

Do you enjoy singing and listening to all genres of music? We have an exciting opportunity to facilitate a singing and music group in our domestic abuse refuges over the summer holidays! You will be supporting our women and children to get involved and have some fun! During the school summer holidays, Hestia runs a six-week Summer Play Scheme providing activities and outings for mothers and their children across our refuges. Funded through generous donations from the public, the Summer Play Scheme provides women and children with a safe and supportive space to reconnect by having fun and sharing happy memories together as family.

What you will be doing

• To develop positive relationships with the children and women, maintain professional boundaries and keep accurate records.
• Facilitate a weekly singing and music group
• Provide opportunities for the group to collaborate on agreed themes/ songs for future groups
• Coordinate and plan group sessions
• Inspire and motivate people to attend and get involved in the group
• Keep a record of attendees, provide feedback, and report any concerns to the staff team
• To use a range of skills and tools to make sessions interesting and fun for a range of ages.

The skills you need

• Understanding of Domestic abuse and its impact on children and women
• Good interpersonal and communication skills and ability to work with people from different backgrounds
• Able to maintain strict confidentiality
• Calm and patient approach
• Ability to provide a supportive, and inclusive atmosphere that encourages learning and participation
• Experience in music in either a professional, educational or personal level

What's in it for you

• Supporting You - You will have a dedicated volunteer supervisor to support you in your role; Quarterly volunteer forums with the central Volunteering team and volunteers across Hestia; References for job applications
• Developing You - You will gain knowledge and insight into issues that impact Domestic Abuse, Modern Slavery and Mental Health; You will have access to our extensive Learning and Development Programme; 40% of our departed volunteers secured a paid role at Hestia last year!
• Valuing You - We hold annual Volunteer Awards and Celebration events; We reimburse travel expenses and up to £5 for lunch for your volunteering; We hold social events and outings for our volunteers to get together and have some fun

Are you passionate and committed to supporting children and women who have fled domestic abuse? We are recruiting for volunteers to support our Children and Family Workers to get creative and involved in providing daily activities and outings for the children within our refuges during the summer holidays.

What you will be doing

• To help with the day to day running of the Children & Family Service throughout the summer holidays
• To assist organising and facilitating activities and outings with the Children and Family Worker
• To use a range of skills and tools to make sessions interesting and fun for a range of ages
• To create timetables, posters, maps and instructions for residents
• To offer general admin help: typing, taking meeting minutes, filing and scanning documents
• To develop positive relationships with the children and women
• Support with administrative tasks including attendance and feedback
• To gather ideas, suggestions from families, plan, collaborate and create a timetable of activities and sessions. To involve women and children in the planning and designing of the timetable
• To support in providing or purchasing resources for activities

The skills you need

• Experience working with children/childcare/play-work experience - gained formally or informally
• Willingness to learn about domestic abuse and its impact on children and women
• Able to maintain strict confidentiality
• Ability to provide a supportive, and inclusive atmosphere that encourages learning and participation
• Good interpersonal and communication skills and ability to work with people from different backgrounds.

What's in it for you

• Supporting You - You will have a dedicated volunteer supervisor to support you in your role; Quarterly volunteer forums with the central Volunteering team and volunteers across Hestia; References for job applications
• Developing You - You will gain knowledge and insight into issues that impact Domestic Abuse, Modern Slavery and Mental Health; You will have access to our extensive Learning and Development Programme; 40% of our departed volunteers secured a paid role at Hestia last year!
• Valuing You - We hold annual Volunteer Awards and Celebration events; We reimburse travel expenses and up to £5 for lunch for your volunteering; We hold social events and outings for our volunteers to get together and have some fun

Are you passionate and committed to supporting children and women who have fled domestic abuse? We are recruiting for volunteers to support our Children and Family Workers to get creative and involved in providing daily activities and outings for the children within our refuges during the summer holidays.

What you will be doing

• To help with the day to day running of the Children & Family Service throughout the summer holidays
• To assist organising and facilitating activities and outings with the Children and Family Worker
• To use a range of skills and tools to make sessions interesting and fun for a range of ages
• To create timetables, posters, maps and instructions for residents
• To offer general admin help: typing, taking meeting minutes, filing and scanning documents
• To develop positive relationships with the children and women
• Support with administrative tasks including attendance and feedback
• To gather ideas, suggestions from families, plan, collaborate and create a timetable of activities and sessions. To involve women and children in the planning and designing of the timetable
• To support in providing or purchasing resources for activities

The skills you need

• Experience working with children/childcare/play-work experience - gained formally or informally
• Willingness to learn about domestic abuse and its impact on children and women
• Able to maintain strict confidentiality
• Ability to provide a supportive, and inclusive atmosphere that encourages learning and participation
• Good interpersonal and communication skills and ability to work with people from different backgrounds.

What's in it for you

• Supporting You - You will have a dedicated volunteer supervisor to support you in your role; Quarterly volunteer forums with the central Volunteering team and volunteers across Hestia; References for job applications
• Developing You - You will gain knowledge and insight into issues that impact Domestic Abuse, Modern Slavery and Mental Health; You will have access to our extensive Learning and Development Programme; 40% of our departed volunteers secured a paid role at Hestia last year!
• Valuing You - We hold annual Volunteer Awards and Celebration events; We reimburse travel expenses and up to £5 for lunch for your volunteering; We hold social events and outings for our volunteers to get together and have some fun

Are you passionate and committed to supporting children and women who have fled domestic abuse? We are recruiting for volunteers to support our Children and Family Workers to get creative and involved in providing daily activities and outings for the children within our refuges during the summer holidays.

What you will be doing

• To help with the day to day running of the Children & Family Service throughout the summer holidays
• To assist organising and facilitating activities and outings with the Children and Family Worker
• To use a range of skills and tools to make sessions interesting and fun for a range of ages
• To create timetables, posters, maps and instructions for residents
• To offer general admin help: typing, taking meeting minutes, filing and scanning documents
• To develop positive relationships with the children and women
• Support with administrative tasks including attendance and feedback
• To gather ideas, suggestions from families, plan, collaborate and create a timetable of activities and sessions. To involve women and children in the planning and designing of the timetable
• To support in providing or purchasing resources for activities

The skills you need

• Experience working with children/childcare/play-work experience - gained formally or informally
• Willingness to learn about domestic abuse and its impact on children and women
• Able to maintain strict confidentiality
• Ability to provide a supportive, and inclusive atmosphere that encourages learning and participation
• Good interpersonal and communication skills and ability to work with people from different backgrounds.

What's in it for you

• Supporting You - You will have a dedicated volunteer supervisor to support you in your role; Quarterly volunteer forums with the central Volunteering team and volunteers across Hestia; References for job applications
• Developing You - You will gain knowledge and insight into issues that impact Domestic Abuse, Modern Slavery and Mental Health; You will have access to our extensive Learning and Development Programme; 40% of our departed volunteers secured a paid role at Hestia last year!
• Valuing You - We hold annual Volunteer Awards and Celebration events; We reimburse travel expenses and up to £5 for lunch for your volunteering; We hold social events and outings for our volunteers to get together and have some fun

Do you have a passion for supporting women and children who have experienced domestic abuse? This is a rewarding opportunity to facilitate weekly story reading sessions with the children in our refuges over the summer holidays! During the school summer holidays, Hestia runs a six-week Summer Play Scheme providing activities and outings for mothers and their children across our refuges. Funded through generous donations from the public, the Summer Play Scheme provides women and children with a safe and supportive space to reconnect by having fun and sharing happy memories together as family.

What you will be doing

• To develop positive relationships with the children and women, maintain professional boundaries and keep accurate records.
• Facilitating weekly story reading sessions for children
• Provide opportunities for the group to collaborate on books for future sessions

The skills you need

• Understanding of Domestic abuse and its impact on children and women
• Good interpersonal and communication skills and ability to work with people from different backgrounds
• Able to maintain strict confidentiality
• Calm and patient approach

What's in it for you

• Supporting You - You will have a dedicated volunteer supervisor to support you in your role; Quarterly volunteer forums with the central Volunteering team and volunteers across Hestia; References for job applications
• Developing You - You will gain knowledge and insight into issues that impact Domestic Abuse, Modern Slavery and Mental Health; You will have access to our extensive Learning and Development Programme; 40% of our departed volunteers secured a paid role at Hestia last year!
• Valuing You - We hold annual Volunteer Awards and Celebration events; We reimburse travel expenses and up to £5 for lunch for your volunteering; We hold social events and outings for our volunteers to get together and have some fun

Do you enjoy singing and listening to all genres of music? We have an exciting opportunity to facilitate a singing and music group in our domestic abuse refuges over the summer holidays! You will be supporting our women and children to get involved and have some fun! During the school summer holidays, Hestia runs a six-week Summer Play Scheme providing activities and outings for mothers and their children across our refuges. Funded through generous donations from the public, the Summer Play Scheme provides women and children with a safe and supportive space to reconnect by having fun and sharing happy memories together as family.

What you will be doing

• To develop positive relationships with the children and women, maintain professional boundaries and keep accurate records.
• Facilitate a weekly singing and music group
• Provide opportunities for the group to collaborate on agreed themes/ songs for future groups
• Coordinate and plan group sessions
• Inspire and motivate people to attend and get involved in the group
• Keep a record of attendees, provide feedback, and report any concerns to the staff team
• To use a range of skills and tools to make sessions interesting and fun for a range of ages.

The skills you need

• Understanding of Domestic abuse and its impact on children and women
• Good interpersonal and communication skills and ability to work with people from different backgrounds
• Able to maintain strict confidentiality
• Calm and patient approach
• Ability to provide a supportive, and inclusive atmosphere that encourages learning and participation
• Experience in music in either a professional, educational or personal level

What's in it for you

• Supporting You - You will have a dedicated volunteer supervisor to support you in your role; Quarterly volunteer forums with the central Volunteering team and volunteers across Hestia; References for job applications
• Developing You - You will gain knowledge and insight into issues that impact Domestic Abuse, Modern Slavery and Mental Health; You will have access to our extensive Learning and Development Programme; 40% of our departed volunteers secured a paid role at Hestia last year!
• Valuing You - We hold annual Volunteer Awards and Celebration events; We reimburse travel expenses and up to £5 for lunch for your volunteering; We hold social events and outings for our volunteers to get together and have some fun

Are you passionate and committed to supporting children and women who have fled domestic abuse? We are recruiting for volunteers to support our Children and Family Workers to get creative and involved in providing daily activities and outings for the children within our refuges during the summer holidays.

What you will be doing

• To help with the day to day running of the Children & Family Service throughout the summer holidays
• To assist organising and facilitating activities and outings with the Children and Family Worker
• To use a range of skills and tools to make sessions interesting and fun for a range of ages
• To create timetables, posters, maps and instructions for residents
• To offer general admin help: typing, taking meeting minutes, filing and scanning documents
• To develop positive relationships with the children and women
• Support with administrative tasks including attendance and feedback
• To gather ideas, suggestions from families, plan, collaborate and create a timetable of activities and sessions. To involve women and children in the planning and designing of the timetable
• To support in providing or purchasing resources for activities

The skills you need

• Experience working with children/childcare/play-work experience - gained formally or informally
• Willingness to learn about domestic abuse and its impact on children and women
• Able to maintain strict confidentiality
• Ability to provide a supportive, and inclusive atmosphere that encourages learning and participation
• Good interpersonal and communication skills and ability to work with people from different backgrounds.

What's in it for you

• Supporting You - You will have a dedicated volunteer supervisor to support you in your role; Quarterly volunteer forums with the central Volunteering team and volunteers across Hestia; References for job applications
• Developing You - You will gain knowledge and insight into issues that impact Domestic Abuse, Modern Slavery and Mental Health; You will have access to our extensive Learning and Development Programme; 40% of our departed volunteers secured a paid role at Hestia last year!
• Valuing You - We hold annual Volunteer Awards and Celebration events; We reimburse travel expenses and up to £5 for lunch for your volunteering; We hold social events and outings for our volunteers to get together and have some fun

Do you have a passion for supporting women and children who have experienced domestic abuse? This is a rewarding opportunity to facilitate weekly story reading sessions with the children in our refuges over the summer holidays! During the school summer holidays, Hestia runs a six-week Summer Play Scheme providing activities and outings for mothers and their children across our refuges. Funded through generous donations from the public, the Summer Play Scheme provides women and children with a safe and supportive space to reconnect by having fun and sharing happy memories together as family.

What you will be doing

• To develop positive relationships with the children and women, maintain professional boundaries and keep accurate records.
• Facilitating weekly story reading sessions for children
• Provide opportunities for the group to collaborate on books for future sessions

The skills you need

• Understanding of Domestic abuse and its impact on children and women
• Good interpersonal and communication skills and ability to work with people from different backgrounds
• Able to maintain strict confidentiality
• Calm and patient approach

What's in it for you

• Supporting You - You will have a dedicated volunteer supervisor to support you in your role; Quarterly volunteer forums with the central Volunteering team and volunteers across Hestia; References for job applications
• Developing You - You will gain knowledge and insight into issues that impact Domestic Abuse, Modern Slavery and Mental Health; You will have access to our extensive Learning and Development Programme; 40% of our departed volunteers secured a paid role at Hestia last year!
• Valuing You - We hold annual Volunteer Awards and Celebration events; We reimburse travel expenses and up to £5 for lunch for your volunteering; We hold social events and outings for our volunteers to get together and have some fun

Could you inspire children from across Hestia’s domestic abuse refuges to get active? We are recruiting for a qualified Sport’s coach to support us over the summer holidays! During the school summer holidays, Hestia runs a six-week Summer Play Scheme providing activities and outings for mothers and their children across our refuges. Funded through generous donations from the public, the Summer Play Scheme provides women and children with a safe and supportive space to reconnect by having fun and sharing happy memories together as family.

What you will be doing

• To develop positive relationships with the children and women, maintain professional boundaries and keep accurate records.
• Keep a record of attendees, provide feedback and report any concerns to the staff team
• Coordinate a weekly timetable of sports and active games to engage children
• General knowledge about wellbeing and how sport affects physical and mental health
• Support the children to maintain their physical health through exercise
• Support the children to learn/play and work as a team
• Plan activities or sports in collaboration with the children

The skills you need

• Understanding of Domestic abuse and its impact on children and women
• Good interpersonal and communication skills and ability to work with people from different backgrounds
• Able to maintain strict confidentiality
• Ability to provide a supportive, and inclusive atmosphere that encourages learning and participation.
• Calm and patient approach
• A skilled and qualified sports coach/fitness instructor working with children

What's in it for you

• Supporting You - You will have a dedicated volunteer supervisor to support you in your role; Quarterly volunteer forums with the central Volunteering team and volunteers across Hestia; References for job applications
• Developing You - You will gain knowledge and insight into issues that impact Domestic Abuse, Modern Slavery and Mental Health; You will have access to our extensive Learning and Development Programme; 40% of our departed volunteers secured a paid role at Hestia last year!
• Valuing You - We hold annual Volunteer Awards and Celebration events; We reimburse travel expenses and up to £5 for lunch for your volunteering; We hold social events and outings for our volunteers to get together and have some fun

We are looking for committed and compassionate female trustees to join our board and help drive our mission forward, whether you bring professional expertise or or lived experience of abuse.

Who we are

We are an East Sussex based charity and member of Women’s Aid, dedicated to supporting women who have experienced domestic abuse, sexual violence, or other forms of gender-based harm. We provide trauma-informed services, advocacy, and practical support to help women rebuild their lives in safety and dignity. Our charity upholds the principle that survivors deserve access to single-sex spaces, in line with the Equality Act 2010.

The role

Seeking Female Trustees for Lotus, an East Sussex Abuse Charity

Role: Trustee (Voluntary)

Location: East Sussex (Meetings are held in person in Newhaven, with remote access available, and fully remote meetings as needed.)

Time Commitment: Approx. 4–6 board meetings per year, plus occasional involvement in projects or events. Meetings are currently held on weekday mornings to help accommodate women with childcare responsibilities, ensuring greater inclusivity.

​We welcome applications from women who share our commitment to empowering survivors and protecting women-only spaces.

Who We’re Looking For

We welcome applications from women with a range of backgrounds, particularly those with experience in:

• Safeguarding and domestic abuse/VAWG services
• Fundraising and grant applications
• Finance, HR, or charity governance
• Legal expertise (especially in family law, housing, or safeguarding)
• Communications, PR, or digital marketing
• Survivor advocacy and lived experience

You don’t need prior trustee experience – we provide training and mentoring to support your development in the role. If you have a passion for supporting survivors and want to influence real change, we’d love to hear from you.

What You’ll Gain

• The opportunity to make a real impact in the lives of women and girls
• Experience in charity leadership and governance
• A supportive and empowering team of women working towards a common goal
• Training and development to help you thrive in the role

Commitment & Accessibility

We recognise that many women have caring responsibilities or other commitments, so we ensure our meetings are flexible, with remote participation available. We are committed to creating an inclusive and diverse board that reflects the communities we serve.

Are you a qualified Yoga Instructor who would enjoy facilitating weekly sessions in our domestic abuse refuges over the summer holidays? During the school summer holidays, Hestia runs a six-week Summer Play Scheme providing activities and outings for mothers and their children across our refuges. Funded through generous donations from the public, the Summer Play Scheme provides women and children with a safe and supportive space to reconnect by having fun and sharing happy memories together as family.

What you will be doing

• To develop positive relationships with the children and women, maintain professional boundaries and keep accurate records.
• Keep a record of attendees, provide feedback and report any concerns to the staff team
• Design session plans enabling all group members to increase fitness, suppleness and help them relax
• Teach the group yoga postures and breathing techniques which allow a range of mixed ages and abilities to participate
• Inspire and motivate people to attend and get involved in the group activities where possible and encourage the group to help design future sessions

The skills you need

• Understanding of Domestic abuse and its impact on children and women
• Good interpersonal and communication skills and ability to work with people from different backgrounds
• Able to maintain strict confidentiality
• Skilled and qualified Yoga Instructor
• Ability to provide a supportive and inclusive atmosphere that encourages learning and participation

What's in it for you

• Supporting You - You will have a dedicated volunteer supervisor to support you in your role; Quarterly volunteer forums with the central Volunteering team and volunteers across Hestia; References for job applications
• Developing You - You will gain knowledge and insight into issues that impact Domestic Abuse, Modern Slavery and Mental Health; You will have access to our extensive Learning and Development Programme; 40% of our departed volunteers secured a paid role at Hestia last year!
• Valuing You - We hold annual Volunteer Awards and Celebration events; We reimburse travel expenses and up to £5 for lunch for your volunteering; We hold social events and outings for our volunteers to get together and have some fun