Early years volunteer volunteer roles
Chair of Trustees - Voluntary Role
Aid Box Community (ABC)
We are looking to appoint someone with leadership qualities and high motivation, initially
to join us as a trustee in June and then to take on the position of Chair in November. In
close co-operation with our dedicated team of trustees and inspirational director, you will
be guiding our charity through the next phase of our journey. This is a very exciting
opportunity to play an important role in the development of Aid Box’s strategy over the
next 5 years and to oversee the deepening of our charity’s impact on our community,
made possible by our recent move into our new home.
About Aid Box Community
We are a charity based in Bristol and for nearly nine years have been providing vital support, supplies and sanctuary to men women and children seeking asylum in this city. You are welcome to come and have a look at the work we do by visiting, by prior arrangement, our Welcome Hub and Free Shop.
What are our trustees responsible for?
We are all jointly responsible for:
- The overall management of our charity.
- Setting and monitoring Aid Box’s strategic direction and ensuring it is financially sound.
- Ensuring the charity carries out the purposes set out in our constitution for the benefit of our community and in line with the Charity Commission’s guidance.
Main duties and responsibilities as a Chair:
- leading our charity’s strategic direction in close collaboration with the board and our director.
- Chairing quarterly trustee meetings as well as our HR sub committee meetings.
- Representing trustees in contacts with other charities and organisations.
This role is for you if:
- You have leadership experience (formal or informal), either within or outside the charity sector.
- You have specialist skills that may benefit Aid Box Community. Motivated by ABC’s vision, mission and values, in particular upholding the basic human rights of refugees and asylum seekers.
- Teamwork and communication skills with ability to listen and build a consensus.
- Living in or near Bristol . You would like to join a fantastic community of staff, volunteers and service user
This role is for you if:Our Commitment to You:
We will provide practical support, principally through our deputy chair, along with a full induction programme including the legal framework and other key areas such as safeguarding. During your time with Aid Box, you will be able to join training workshops relevant to your role as a trustee, along with the opportunity to be involved in a range of charity activities.
See our website for more information about our charity (where you can also find our Impact Report 24/25): Our Financial Statements for year ended 31 March 2025 filed with the Charity Commission:
Want to know more?
If you would also like to have an initial informal chat, please email our Chair, Richard Annandale or Susan Qazi the Charity Administrator.
Safeguarding Statement
ABC is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of its service users and vulnerable adults and expects all staff, trustees and volunteers to share this commitment.
ABC operates Safeguarding Policies for the purpose of protecting Young People and Vulnerable Adults. All staff and trustee members are required to undergo Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service DBS checks.
Statement on Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
ABC aims to be an anti-discriminatory organisation committed to the promotion of quality and diversity and, in line with the Equality Act 2010. We particularly welcome applications from under-represented groups and those with lived experience.
Our Mission is to provide a warm welcome to people seeking asylum in Bristol and to offer the support they need.



The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
An invitation to join us at Young Devon as our next…
Trustee (Job Ref 25-85)
Are you passionate about supporting young people in Devon?
Young Devon is here to change the odds in favour of the thousands of young people who ask for help each year with their homelessness, mental health and education. We believe developing good quality relationships can be transformational in young people’s lives.
We are seeking committed and passionate people to support the leadership of a complex organisation. An understanding of governance in a Charity or non-executive setting isn’t essential but will help.
You will be able to demonstrate good judgement combined with excellent strategic and communication skills. As a creative thinker and being able to recognise a range of perspectives you will be able to support fellow Trustees to ensure the Charity is well governed and focused on meeting the needs of young people.
You can download the Candidate Information Pack from our website.
This is a voluntary position but one which we hope will be very rewarding. We aim to appoint to an initial 3-year term with the possibility to extend to a second thereafter. Reasonable and proper expenses will be reimbursed. An enhanced DBS check is required for this position.
Closing date for applications: 12 noon on Tuesday 31st March 2026
Young Devon is a youth work charity (1057949) passionate about creating an inclusive workplace and embracing diversity. We are committed to Safeguarding children, young people and vulnerable groups and all applicants who will or could have unsupervised access to these groups will complete the required checks through the Disclosure and Barring Service
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as applications come in. They're ready to hire as soon as they find the right person. Don't miss your opportunity, apply now!
Are you interested in joining Acorn’s board of trustees?
We’re looking for someone who wants to make a real difference. If you’re passionate about social impact and excited by the idea of helping to shape the future of a vibrant, friendly charitable social enterprise, we’d love to hear from you.
Who are Acorn Early Years?
Acorn Early Years is a charitable social enterprise providing high‑quality childcare and early education across day nurseries, forest schools, out‑of‑school clubs, and specialist early years catering and training services. We are continuing to grow, despite the challenges facing the early years sector, and now operate 18 nurseries with just over 500 employees.
What are we looking for?
We’re seeking an enthusiastic individual to join our welcoming team of voluntary trustees. We are committed to building a Board that reflects the diversity of the communities we serve, and we warmly encourage applications from people of all backgrounds, identities, and lived experiences.
We are particularly keen to hear from candidates with finance, property, charity law and compliance, or local government expertise. You’ll bring:
- Strong communication and leadership skills
- A commitment to our values and mission
- Experience from any professional or personal context — previous trustee experience is desirable but not essential. We will support you to grow confidently into the role.
Our commitment to inclusion and support:
We want volunteering with us to be accessible to everyone. To support this, we:
- Reimburse all reasonable volunteer expenses, including travel to meetings
- Offer flexibility around meeting times where possible
- Provide accessibility support or adjustments as needed
- Foster a culture where every trustee’s voice is valued and respected
What does the role involve?
Being a trustee is an unpaid voluntary role, usually lasting at least three years. You will attend five Board meetings each year in Milton Keynes, and you may also choose to join one of our specialist trustee committees.
To find out more about the duties of a charity trustee, please see ‘The essential trustee (CC3)’ on the Gov. website.
What difference will you make?
Our trustees play a very important role in our organisation, shaping and supporting our current work and the future direction and development of the organisation. As a trustee you will be joining the Trustee Board which has been making an impact since our charity was established in 2012.
How to apply:
To find out more, please see our Trustee Application Pack via our website - 'Work With Us/Become a Trustee' page.
If you would like an informal conversation about the role, please contact Santa Svike, Governance Lead, by visiting our website ('Work With Us/Become a Trustee' page)
To apply, please send your CV and a covering letter to the same email address.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as applications come in. They're ready to hire as soon as they find the right person. Don't miss your opportunity, apply now!
The AFRIL Experts by Experience Volunteer will support our monthly Members’ Forum, helping create a welcoming and supportive environment for participants. This role is key in enabling engagement in the forum and workshops, where members can contribute their perspectives and experiences to help shape AFRIL services and ensure they meet actual rather than perceived needs.
This volunteer role will involve supervising the crèche area so parents can fully engage in workshops, and assisting with hall setup and refreshments. This role offers a hands-on opportunity to support meaningful engagement, observe co-production in practice, and gain insight into the challenges and needs of refugees and asylum seekers in our community.
Successful volunteer candidates will be supported with expert training and an enhanced DBS certificate.
We support asylum seekers, refugees and vulnerable migrants to lift themselves out of poverty and rebuild their lives in the heart of our community.



The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as applications come in. They're ready to hire as soon as they find the right person. Don't miss your opportunity, apply now!
Perinatal Support Volunteers provide one-to-one support to parents during pregnancy and up to nine months after the birth. These parents either have mental health issues or are at risk of developing them.
Perinatal Support Volunteers visit these families once a week (usually weekdays during working hours) for 2-3 hours, providing emotional support and practical help in the family’s home or local community. Support is aimed at empowering parents and building resilience beyond the support period.
The type of support Perinatal Support Volunteers provide to parents may include:
- An empathetic and non-judgemental listening ear
- Support to prepare for parenthood
- Support to build confidence in parenting skills
- Support to develop a positive relationship with their infant
- Support to establish daily and weekly routines
- Support to take time for self-care
- Support to manage the things that are causing stress
- Support to access relevant services
- Support to access local green spaces
- Support to make connections with other parents
No special qualifications are necessary to become a Perinatal Support Volunteer, but Home-Start volunteers are usually either parents or grandparents themselves, or people with experience of young children and family life. We particularly welcome volunteers with lived experience of perinatal mental health challenges.
Home-Start Croydon is a voluntary organisation committed to helping local families through emotional & practical support.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Havering Young People’s Mentoring Service provides support, advice and guidance to young people aged 10-18, encouraging them to make positive choices and achieve their goals.
Mentors are matched with a young person and meet with them on a weekly basis, for a period of up to 6 months. During this time, a strong relationship is built through a variety of activities and trips, including a monthly group meeting with other volunteers and young people engaged in the Service.
In order to become a mentor, potential volunteers will be required to attend a two day training programme before being accepted onto the programme. Volunteers will need to be over 18 years old and be willing to undergo an enhanced DBS check plus provide references.
This role includes:
- Attending an initial matching meeting with a young person
- Committing to 6 months of mentoring with a young person
- Meeting a young person once a week for around 2 hours
- Providing brief recording following meetings to the Volunteer Team
- Working with a young person to review their goals and plan for mentoring
- Accompanying a young person to monthly group meetings
- Acting in the best interests of a young person
Skills and experience required::
- Confident and able to communicate well with young people from a range of different backgrounds
- Can engage with staff and partners to promote the aims and quality of the Early Help Service, and comply with relevant policies and procedures
- Commitment to act in the best interests of young people and comply with jointly-agreed plans
- Experience of working with children or young people, in any capacity
- Willing to undertake training where necessary
- Enthusiasm and commitment towards child development and keeping children safe
Please note that you must be based in the UK to undertake this role.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as applications come in. They're ready to hire as soon as they find the right person. Don't miss your opportunity, apply now!
Are you a parent, grandparent or have experience of caring for children?
Do you have 2-3 hours per week to spare? Use your experience to support a family facing challenging times.
Our Home-Visiting Service supports families who are experiencing difficulties or suffering stress and who have at least one child under the age of five years.
Our aims are:
To increase the confidence and independence of the family by:
Offering support, friendship and practical assistance
Visiting families in their own homes and in their community, where the dignity and identity of each adult and child can be respected and protected
Reassuring parents that difficulties in bringing up children is not unusual and encouraging them to enjoy family life.
Developing a relationship with the family in which time can be shared and understanding can be developed. This approach is flexible to take account of different needs.
Encouraging parents’ strengths and emotional wellbeing – for the ultimate benefit of their children.
Encouraging families to widen their network of relationships, and to effectively use the support and services available within the community.
Home-Start Croydon is a voluntary organisation committed to helping local families through emotional & practical support.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as applications come in. They're ready to hire as soon as they find the right person. Don't miss your opportunity, apply now!
Learn to Love to Read offers one-to-one support to children who find learning to read challenging, in schools and online via Zoom.Our In-school volunteers are asked to commit 90 minutes, one afternoon a week, usually between 1-3 pm.
Our virtual volunteers are asked to commit 30-60 minutes, one afternoon a week, usually between 4-6 pm.
Full training and ongoing support is provided for all volunteers to provide them with a framework which supports children's reading skills, while also building their self-esteem, confidence and love of reading. Our volunteers support the same children each week, providing 20 minutes of one-to-one support for the whole academic year. This ensures a consistent and rewarding experience for both the volunteer and the children.
In Wandsworth, post-COVID, 20% of Key Stage 1 and 25% of Key Stage 2 children did not reach the expected standard of reading in summer 2025. Low literacy is linked to poverty and social exclusion, limiting options in life. Early literacy intervention is crucial to break this cycle. School closures due to COVID-19 have been tough for children from disadvantaged families.
Please note we only work with schools in the London borough of Wandsworth and all our volunteers need to live in or within easy reach of that borough.
In line with Safer Recruitment, all applicants are asked to complete an application form, provide references, take part in a face-to-face interview and ID check, and attend online training which includes safeguarding. All volunteers must have an enhanced DBS check which we arrange on your behalf. You will also be required to obtain checks from any country in which you've lived for more than three months from the age of 16 in line with Wandsworth's guidance. Once you have registered, we’ll send you a link to the application form.
Learn to Love to Read is committed to working without bias and offering equal opportunities for our volunteers. We are committed to valuing diversity and working inclusively across all our activities. Our aim is that everyone is treated with dignity and respect.
Every child a reader - supporting children's literacy in the London Borough of Wandsworth
Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as applications come in. They're ready to hire as soon as they find the right person. Don't miss your opportunity, apply now!
Position: Volunteer Urban Ranger
Responsible to: Urban Ranger
Location: Various outdoor spaces across BD3, BD4 and BD5
Hours: Anything from two hours here and there, to two days a week.
Expenses: Travel expenses will be reimbursed for bus tickets, train tickets or car mileage
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At Better Place Bradford, our mission is to identify and oversee improvements to local parks and outdoor spaces with the aim of providing a healthier and happier environment for babies, young children and families. We work across larger parks, pocket parks, community centres, streets and green spaces across BD3, BD4 and BD5.
We are seeking an enthusiastic, passionate, and highly motivated individual, who is looking to gain some practical landscape maintenance experience.
As a Volunteer Urban Ranger, you’ll play a vital role in maintaining the upkeep of our sites, regularly checking that each site is safe, inviting, and free from rubbish — noting any issues that arise.
Duties include: Litter clearance, sweeping sand back into the sand pits, weeding, planting, watering plants, affixing signs, checking in on the Little Free Library boxes, strimming, raking leaves, supporting at event days, promoting responsible use and enjoyment of our sites.
This role is for you if you;
- Enjoy being outdoors (in all weather)
- Are not afraid of physical work
- Want to make a difference in your local area
- Are comfortable getting to sites across BD3/BD4/BD5
- Enjoy interacting with members of the public
- Want to gain practical landscape maintenance experience
- Are looking for an intro into the environmental / conservation / ranger sectors
Volunteers must be in the UK already.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as applications come in. They're ready to hire as soon as they find the right person. Don't miss your opportunity, apply now!
Are you passionate about changing the way we treat animals? Do you want to help reduce environmental damage? Do you want to inspire people to enjoy healthy vegan food that both looks good and tastes great?
The Vegan Society aims to make veganism more accessible. We help people to adopt a vegan lifestyle by supporting individuals, policy- and decision-makers, caterers, manufacturers, healthcare professionals and the media.
Why do we need you?
We are seeking a volunteer to support the curation and coordination of The Vegan Campout 2026 Family Area line-up. The role will focus on identifying, researching and contacting vegan entertainers and activity providers who work with children with the aim of securing at least 10 volunteer-led sessions across the weekend.
What does the role involve?
The volunteer will research online and across social media platforms to identify suitable individuals or organisations, including children’s entertainers, artists, musicians, performers, storytellers, sports instructors, craft facilitators and creative practitioners. Activities should cater for both extroverted and introverted children and may include sessions such as Zumba, mask making, painting, creative writing, music workshops, movement sessions or storytelling. The theme of the activity does not need to be explicitly vegan, but all facilitators must be vegan and all materials used must be vegan.
The volunteer will make initial contact with potential contributors, clearly explaining that this is an unpaid opportunity in exchange for free weekend tickets to Vegan Campout 2026. Each facilitator would deliver one hour of engaging activity for children during the festival.
The volunteer will collect essential information from confirmed facilitators, including business details for promotion, confirmation of DBS status, safeguarding information and a short description of their proposed session. Our Education Officer, Laura Diamond will provide the volunteer with the information capture form to send to confirmed facilitators, ensuring all required personal and safeguarding details are collected consistently.
The target outcome is a minimum of five confirmed acts for Saturday and five for Sunday, totalling at least 10 contributors secured by the end of April 2026. As a thank you for their contribution, the volunteer undertaking this role will also receive a free weekend ticket to Vegan Campout 2026.
What training and support is available?
Laura will provide tasks, offer guidance, review proposed facilitators and give feedback. We will plan a check-in meeting once a fortnight to review progress, discuss leads and agree next steps. Additional communication via email can take place as needed.
What skills would be useful in doing this role?
-
competent online research skills
-
experience of working in events useful but not essential
-
strong written and verbal communication skills
-
competent using Microsoft Office
-
the ability to work independently
What does my availability need to be?
Volunteer hours can be flexible across the week depending on the volunteer’s availability. The role is task-focused rather than time-bound, though consistent weekly engagement will be needed to secure the required number of acts within the timeframe. The role does not need to take place strictly during working hours. Some flexibility at the beginning would be helpful to allow occasional meetings within standard working hours. Once the volunteer is confident and working independently, most tasks can be completed outside of standard working hours.
Who does this role report to?
Laura Diamond, Education Officer, will support the volunteer.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Please note: this role would be based in our Bristol region and would potentially cover HMP Guys Marsh, HMP The Verne and HMP Portland.
Do you want to join an organisation committed to addressing low literacy and numeracy?
Volunteers are essential to Shannon Trust and bring their energy, ideas and skills to train mentors in prisons, support learners in the community and enhance our business support team.
We are looking for volunteers to provide training and support to our mentors in prison. There may be some additional preparation and/ or administrative tasks in between volunteering days at the prison.
Our prison volunteers nurture the growth of the Shannon Trust in their prison. They help unlock the power of reading by delivering training sessions for prison mentors and offering ongoing advice, guidance and support through mentor meetings.
Volunteer recruitment dates
The closing date for applications to attend our next round of training is 26 April 2026. In some circumstances, volunteer vacancies may close early. Successful applicants will be sent interview questions in advance with notice to prepare. We will respond to all applications. Successful applicants will be invited to an interview between 27 April and 8 May 2026. This is an opportunity for you to meet our regional team, to find out more about you and for us to share more information about the volunteering role.
Training:
You'll be given high quality training to prepare you for volunteering with Shannon Trust. This takes place over 4 training sessions and via our online training portal. We ask that volunteers aim to complete the training in one course as this means that you will be ready to start actively volunteering. The next training sessions for volunteering for people applying to be a prison based volunteer will take place as follows.
Please check that you can attend all of the training the dates prior to applying:
-
27 May 2026, 10am – 1pm (via Zoom)
-
3 June 2026, 10am – 1pm (via Zoom)
-
10 June 2026, 10am – 1pm (via Zoom)
-
1 July 2026, 10am-4pm (in person session, London)
You’ll also receive the opportunity to attend ongoing training sessions and peer support meetings during your time as a volunteer to build your skills and experience.
Why we want you
Shannon Trust’s vision is of a future where everyone can experience the positive impact of learning. As a prison volunteer your role will be at the heart of our organisation as you support our mentors in prisons. This will include delivering training to new mentors and supporting existing mentors to develop and deliver our Turning Pages and Count Me In programmes. You will be volunteering alongside Shannon Trust facilitators and / or frontline prison staff to empower mentors and ensure no one is left out of learning.
What you will be doing
- Delivering initial, and ongoing, training to mentors in prisons
- Supporting and encouraging the Shannon Trust facilitator and mentors to attract new learners and expand the reach of the Shannon Trust programme
- Arranging and leading mentor meetings to develop mentors’ skills, share good practice and to provide support to mentors to find solutions to concerns
- Supporting facilitators to engage prison staff and people in prison to set-up, maintain and develop the Shannon Trust reading and numeracy programmes across the whole prison, and contributing to progress planning for how to progress and achieve this
- Using your skills to build positive relationships with frontline prison staff, people in prison and other organisations
- Training and supporting mentors to collect and submit data and learner feedback
- Supporting with the planning of, and attendance at, celebration events
- Collecting and sharing good news stories and feedback
- Attending area meetings and sharing good practice with other volunteers
- Engaging with quarterly reviews to receive support and discuss progress
- Acting as an ambassador for Shannon Trust in all that you do, sharing the vision and values of the charity throughout your volunteering
The skills you need
- A commitment to providing non-judgemental support to people in prison
- Able to give a regular, reliable commitment for ideally two years and have flexibility to visit the prison at times required
- Strong communication skills and are able to use these to inspire others
- Able to deliver engaging training and identify training and support needs for mentors
- Able to manage own time and prioritise
- Able to keep up to date with Shannon Trust news and communications and share relevant information with the wider prison team
- Able to use IT
What's in it for you
- Developing and growing your understanding of the HMPPS structure and prison system
- Reasonable, out of pocket, volunteering expenses are
- You will receive induction training and ongoing training to support and develop you in your role
- All volunteers receive ongoing support and quarterly reviews to enable you to gain the most from your volunteering experience
- We recognise and are grateful for the added value that volunteers bring to our organisation
- We provide flexible volunteering opportunities, subject to the requirements of your role
Disclaimer
In some circumstances, volunteer vacancies may close early.
Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as applications come in. They're ready to hire as soon as they find the right person. Don't miss your opportunity, apply now!
We are looking for people keen, happy to contribute to new ideas, with drive and confidence to be involved in evening on site meetings 6 times a year to support our non profit charity organisation. We oversee the running of a long establish afterschool and holiday club.
Supporting Families With Safe, Fun afterschool and holiday childcare in North Finchley A Place Where Kids Can Play, Explore, and Make Friends



Do you want to join an organisation committed to addressing low literacy and numeracy?
Volunteers are essential to Shannon Trust and bring their energy, ideas and skills to train mentors in prisons, support learners in the community and enhance our business support team.
We are looking for volunteers to provide training and support to our mentors in prison. There may be some additional preparation and/ or administrative tasks in between volunteering days at the prison.
Our prison volunteers nurture the growth of the Shannon Trust in their prison. They help unlock the power of reading by delivering training sessions for prison mentors and offering ongoing advice, guidance and support through mentor meetings.
Volunteer recruitment dates
The closing date for applications to attend our next round of training is 26 April 2026. In some circumstances, volunteer vacancies may close early. Successful applicants will be sent interview questions in advance with notice to prepare. We will respond to all applications. Successful applicants will be invited to an interview between 27 April and 8 May 2026. This is an opportunity for you to meet our regional team, to find out more about you and for us to share more information about the volunteering role.
Training:
You'll be given high quality training to prepare you for volunteering with Shannon Trust. This takes place over 4 training sessions and via our online training portal. We ask that volunteers aim to complete the training in one course as this means that you will be ready to start actively volunteering. The next training sessions for volunteering for people applying to be a prison based volunteer will take place as follows.
Please check that you can attend all of the training the dates prior to applying:
-
27 May 2026, 10am – 1pm (via Zoom)
-
3 June 2026, 10am – 1pm (via Zoom)
-
10 June 2026, 10am – 1pm (via Zoom)
-
1 July 2026, 10am-4pm (in person session, London)
You’ll also receive the opportunity to attend ongoing training sessions and peer support meetings during your time as a volunteer to build your skills and experience.
Why we want you
Shannon Trust’s vision is of a future where everyone can experience the positive impact of learning. As a prison volunteer your role will be at the heart of our organisation as you support our mentors in prisons. This will include delivering training to new mentors and supporting existing mentors to develop and deliver our Turning Pages and Count Me In programmes. You will be volunteering alongside Shannon Trust facilitators and / or frontline prison staff to empower mentors and ensure no one is left out of learning.
What you will be doing
- Delivering initial, and ongoing, training to mentors in prisons
- Supporting and encouraging the Shannon Trust facilitator and mentors to attract new learners and expand the reach of the Shannon Trust programme
- Arranging and leading mentor meetings to develop mentors’ skills, share good practice and to provide support to mentors to find solutions to concerns
- Supporting facilitators to engage prison staff and people in prison to set-up, maintain and develop the Shannon Trust reading and numeracy programmes across the whole prison, and contributing to progress planning for how to progress and achieve this
- Using your skills to build positive relationships with frontline prison staff, people in prison and other organisations
- Training and supporting mentors to collect and submit data and learner feedback
- Supporting with the planning of, and attendance at, celebration events
- Collecting and sharing good news stories and feedback
- Attending area meetings and sharing good practice with other volunteers
- Engaging with quarterly reviews to receive support and discuss progress
- Acting as an ambassador for Shannon Trust in all that you do, sharing the vision and values of the charity throughout your volunteering
The skills you need
- A commitment to providing non-judgemental support to people in prison
- Able to give a regular, reliable commitment for ideally two years and have flexibility to visit the prison at times required
- Strong communication skills and are able to use these to inspire others
- Able to deliver engaging training and identify training and support needs for mentors
- Able to manage own time and prioritise
- Able to keep up to date with Shannon Trust news and communications and share relevant information with the wider prison team
- Able to use IT
What's in it for you
- Developing and growing your understanding of the HMPPS structure and prison system
- Reasonable, out of pocket, volunteering expenses are
- You will receive induction training and ongoing training to support and develop you in your role
- All volunteers receive ongoing support and quarterly reviews to enable you to gain the most from your volunteering experience
- We recognise and are grateful for the added value that volunteers bring to our organisation
- We provide flexible volunteering opportunities, subject to the requirements of your role
Disclaimer
In some circumstances, volunteer vacancies may close early.
Do you want to join an organisation committed to addressing low literacy and numeracy?
Volunteers are essential to Shannon Trust and bring their energy, ideas and skills to train mentors in prisons, support learners in the community and enhance our business support team.
We are looking for volunteers to provide training and support to our mentors in prison. There may be some additional preparation and/ or administrative tasks in between volunteering days at the prison.
Our prison volunteers nurture the growth of the Shannon Trust in their prison. They help unlock the power of reading by delivering training sessions for prison mentors and offering ongoing advice, guidance and support through mentor meetings.
Volunteer recruitment dates
The closing date for applications to attend our next round of training is 26 April 2026. In some circumstances, volunteer vacancies may close early. Successful applicants will be sent interview questions in advance with notice to prepare. We will respond to all applications. Successful applicants will be invited to an interview between 27 April and 8 May 2026. This is an opportunity for you to meet our regional team, to find out more about you and for us to share more information about the volunteering role.
Training:
You'll be given high quality training to prepare you for volunteering with Shannon Trust. This takes place over 4 training sessions and via our online training portal. We ask that volunteers aim to complete the training in one course as this means that you will be ready to start actively volunteering. The next training sessions for volunteering for people applying to be a prison based volunteer will take place as follows.
Please check that you can attend all of the training the dates prior to applying:
-
27 May 2026, 10am – 1pm (via Zoom)
-
3 June 2026, 10am – 1pm (via Zoom)
-
10 June 2026, 10am – 1pm (via Zoom)
-
1 July 2026, 10am-4pm (in person session, London)
You’ll also receive the opportunity to attend ongoing training sessions and peer support meetings during your time as a volunteer to build your skills and experience.
Why we want you
Shannon Trust’s vision is of a future where everyone can experience the positive impact of learning. As a prison volunteer your role will be at the heart of our organisation as you support our mentors in prisons. This will include delivering training to new mentors and supporting existing mentors to develop and deliver our Turning Pages and Count Me In programmes. You will be volunteering alongside Shannon Trust facilitators and / or frontline prison staff to empower mentors and ensure no one is left out of learning.
What you will be doing
- Delivering initial, and ongoing, training to mentors in prisons
- Supporting and encouraging the Shannon Trust facilitator and mentors to attract new learners and expand the reach of the Shannon Trust programme
- Arranging and leading mentor meetings to develop mentors’ skills, share good practice and to provide support to mentors to find solutions to concerns
- Supporting facilitators to engage prison staff and people in prison to set-up, maintain and develop the Shannon Trust reading and numeracy programmes across the whole prison, and contributing to progress planning for how to progress and achieve this
- Using your skills to build positive relationships with frontline prison staff, people in prison and other organisations
- Training and supporting mentors to collect and submit data and learner feedback
- Supporting with the planning of, and attendance at, celebration events
- Collecting and sharing good news stories and feedback
- Attending area meetings and sharing good practice with other volunteers
- Engaging with quarterly reviews to receive support and discuss progress
- Acting as an ambassador for Shannon Trust in all that you do, sharing the vision and values of the charity throughout your volunteering
The skills you need
- A commitment to providing non-judgemental support to people in prison
- Able to give a regular, reliable commitment for ideally two years and have flexibility to visit the prison at times required
- Strong communication skills and are able to use these to inspire others
- Able to deliver engaging training and identify training and support needs for mentors
- Able to manage own time and prioritise
- Able to keep up to date with Shannon Trust news and communications and share relevant information with the wider prison team
- Able to use IT
What's in it for you
- Developing and growing your understanding of the HMPPS structure and prison system
- Reasonable, out of pocket, volunteering expenses are
- You will receive induction training and ongoing training to support and develop you in your role
- All volunteers receive ongoing support and quarterly reviews to enable you to gain the most from your volunteering experience
- We recognise and are grateful for the added value that volunteers bring to our organisation
- We provide flexible volunteering opportunities, subject to the requirements of your role
Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as applications come in. They're ready to hire as soon as they find the right person. Don't miss your opportunity, apply now!
Do you want to support a local school in enhancing its outcomes for its students? Do you want to develop your board level experience? Have you got a passion for making a difference in your communities?
As a school governor, you’ll operate at board-level and develop strategic leadership skills and assist in making decisions on a wide range of topics; all while collaboratively improving education within your local community.
We’re currently recruiting volunteers for schools in Spalding to strengthen their governing boards and enhance outcomes of pupils within your communities. If you feel, you want to make a difference within your community, read on for more details about the role of a governor and how to apply.
Governors make decisions that affect schools and their pupils for years to come; our recent impact survey found that our volunteers bring £9.9 million worth of value to schools each year, and 9/10 volunteers would recommend being a governor to a friend. Becoming a governor gives you ample opportunity for personal and professional development, including exposure to finance and budgeting, safeguarding, HR, strategic planning, and more.
As a governor, you can visit the school to gain an understanding of the culture and ethos and to get the most out of the role as well as have the opportunity to meet children, parents, and teachers, and see the impact of your work first-hand. Governors act as a ‘critical friend’ to their head teacher ensuring accountability and helping to monitor and evaluate the schools progress, budget and staffing. You’ll also help to shape and implement future plans and guide the schools aims, ethos and values.
You don’t need to be a parent or have any specific skills to become a governor as long as you’re over 18 and happy to have a DBS check, you can apply! Professional skills such as HR, finance, law or project management are useful but governing boards are often needing softer skills such as leadership, communication and problem solving alongside a fresh perspective and lived experience within their communities. As a governor, you’ll be supported by the Chair, head teacher and the rest of the governing team.
This vacancy is for a primary school looking to find a governor to sit on their board with experience of SEND and Safeguarding. The school is a small friendly village school set in an old building and embraces the natural environment to ensure the children have a strong relationship with their communities.
If you’re interested in becoming a school governor, fill out the short application form on our website.
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