Education volunteer roles

At St John Ambulance we are looking to embed ourselves within our communities, delivering support which is tailored to the needs of those communities whilst providing a positive experience for our Volunteers.

We need leaders who are passionate about making a difference in their communities, who care about helping and developing others, who will lead and inspire a volunteer movement across a geographical area to deliver Community First Aid, Community Education and Community Fundraising as well as develop our offering for young people. Through leading a team of Volunteer leaders, you will drive excellence in delivery, develop an inclusive and diverse volunteering experience for new and current volunteers, and help navigate through change to build a bigger and better St John Ambulance.

As a member of our network leadership team, you’ll get a huge sense of satisfaction and pride through supporting a team and our volunteers to deliver our essential services. It’s great for you, great for your community and great for our nation.

We will make sure you will have access to a proper induction to volunteering with SJA and the training you need for the role you take on. We will also provide you with a supportive environment while you are volunteering with us. Information about our volunteer roles are included in the role descriptions. What you can expect from SJA, and what we expect from those who volunteer with us, is included in the volunteer charter.

Volunteers would be expected to attend training for the role both online and in person, to attend regularly network weekly meetings to enable them to keep their skills up to date.

If you are successful you will need to undertake relevant training for the role, details of which will be discussed after you have been appointed.

• Closing date for these opportunities is: 20th October 2025
• If you are interested in this role, then please contact Shirley Cox

To apply for this opportunity please follow the link below:

�� Help us grow a movement – one post, one story, one child at a time.

About Us
Unify Giving India connects donors directly with education opportunities for underprivileged children through trusted local charities. We believe giving should be personal, transparent, and impactful – and we’re building the digital tools to make that happen.

The Role
We’re on the lookout for a Digital Marketing Volunteer to help shape our online presence and grow a vibrant, engaged community of changemakers. You'll have real ownership, creative freedom, and the chance to help us scale something meaningful.

What You’ll Be Doing

• Running our social channels (Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter/X)

• Creating and managing smart, targeted ad campaigns

• Optimising our website content and boosting SEO

• Bringing our mission to life through powerful digital storytelling

• Tracking progress and learning what works – and what doesn’t

What We’re Looking For

• 2+ years of digital marketing experience

• Comfortable across social media and ad platforms

• Great communicator in English (and ideally Hindi too)

• Creative, curious, and detail-oriented

• Genuinely passionate about social impact

What You’ll Get Out of It

• A chance to create real change in Indian communities

• Portfolio-worthy projects and new skills

• A flexible, remote setup (5–10 hours per week)

• A growing global network of purpose-driven people

• Certificate of volunteer service (and lots of gratitude!)

Sound like you?
Drop us a message – we’d love to chat ��

Support Gunnersbury Museum to become a thriving resource for its local communities by joining their Board of Trustees.

Applications close at 9 a.m. Monday 13th October.

Location: Gunnersbury Estate, London

Time commitment: c. 1 day a month 

Gunnersbury Museum & Park Development Trust is seeking five new Trustees to help shape the future of one of West London’s most significant heritage and green spaces.

This recruitment follows a recent governance review and comes at a pivotal time for the Trust, as it builds momentum across heritage conservation, cultural programming, community engagement and environmental sustainability.

Gunnersbury is a unique estate, comprising 72 hectares of parkland, 21 listed buildings including a Regency-era mansion, and a museum that reflects the diverse histories of West London. With a growing programme of exhibitions, education, events and large-scale music festivals, it plays a vital role as both a cultural destination and a community asset.

The Trust is looking for individuals with insight, expertise and a strong commitment to its mission. Candidates with experience in heritage, sustainability, fundraising, events, or community leadership are particularly encouraged to apply.

Applications are especially welcomed from those with strong local connections and from individuals who can help the Board reflect the diversity of the communities Gunnersbury serves.

You do not need previous board experience; we will provide induction and ongoing support.

Please click 'Redirect to recruiter’ to be redirected to the Peridot Partners website, where you can find full details of the candidate profile and register your interest to apply.

Applications for this role close at 9 a.m. Monday 13th October.

At St John Ambulance, we are looking to develop our volunteering offer and become an even more integral part of our communities through delivering community first aid and education. 

We need people who have a passion for helping others, care about their communities and want to make a difference. Through volunteering as an Emergency Responder, you’ll get a huge sense of satisfaction and pride delivering essential first aid and lifesaving clinical care at community and major events in your areas, including at sporting events, concerts, community festivals.

We will make sure you will have access to a proper induction to volunteering with SJA and the training you need for the role you take on. We will also provide you with a supportive environment while you are volunteering with us. Information about our volunteer roles are included in the role descriptions. What you can expect from SJA, and what we expect from those who volunteer with us, is included in the volunteer charter.

There is an expectation to regularly attend training meetings at one of our Network Units. Locations, days and times will be discussed at interview stage.

Candidates will be invited to attend an informal interview at Wharf Street in Wolverhampton where they will have the opportunity to learn more about the role as well as opportunities within St John Ambulance. If successful you will also required to complete relevant role training which includes both in person practical (4 days) and mandatory online eLearning.

There will be quarterly welcome events taking place at Wharf Street Wolverhampton where the successful candidates will meet the leaders for the Wolverhampton Networks. During the induction they will learn more about the organisation, how to access resources and select their preferred network to join - this will be predominantly based on the meeting night of the network. Welcome Event Dates 1 - Saturday 11th October 2 - TBC 3 - TBC 4 - TBC

Training for the role will include up to 4 days of practical in-class training, ongoing assessment and mandatory online eLearning.

Closing date for these opportunities is: 30/08/2026

To apply for this opportunity please follow the link below:

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

East London Waterworks Park is a volunteer-led charity that has won a 2024 New London Architecture award and raised £2m towards buying land from the Department for Education to transform the 14-acre Thames Water Depot on Lea Bridge Road on the border of Waltham Forest and Hackney, into a new biodiverse park with natural swimming ponds, forest schools and community spaces. 

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

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

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

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

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

Do you have professional writing skills and would like to use them to support our work? 

What will you be doing?

Willowbrook Farm Charity is looking for a dedicated and skilled Volunteer Bid Writer to support our Operational Director in identifying and applying for grant funding. This is a unique opportunity to use your writing and research skills to directly contribute to building inclusive, nature-based educational opportunities for communities across the UK.

You will work closely with the Operational Director to help:

• Draft and edit funding applications
• Interpret and respond to funder criteria
• Summarise key information within character or word limits
• Help shape compelling, values-driven narratives for our projects
• Join short weekly remote check-ins 

What are we looking for?

• 3+ years of experience with writing, copywriting, research or similar qualification.
• Excellent written English (grammar, clarity, tone)
• Ability to understand and match funders’ priorities
• Skilled at summarising and restructuring complex content
• Experience in bid writing, copywriting, research, or professional writing (or willing to learn how to use your professional writing skills in this area)
• Self-motivated, organised, and collaborative
• Commitment of at least 2–3 hours per week 
• UK-based only (but remote role, so open to any applicants in the UK)

Please note: We do not provide references for volunteers who have been with us for less than four months.

What difference will you make?

What You'll Gain

• Make a real impact: Help raise vital funds to support inclusive environmental education, accessible farming experiences, and biodiversity-focused projects
• Join a passionate and values-led team committed to sustainability, inclusion, and community
• Gain or build experience in the charity and funding sector
• Flexible, fully remote role that fits around your schedule
• Recognition on our website and/or in reports (if desired)

This role is ideal for professional writers, researchers, copywriters, or anyone with strong communication skills looking to use their talents for social good.

Before you apply

Please, check our website first to understand our work and send your application with a CV and cover letter. Applications without a cover letter will, unfortunately, not be considered. Thank you! 

East London Waterworks Park is looking for volunteers to lead social media and content creation for communications and campaigning for our community-owned park.

East London Waterworks Park is a volunteer-led charity that has won a 2024 New London Architecture award and raised £2m towards buying land from the Department for Education to transform the 14-acre Thames Water Depot on Lea Bridge Road on the border of Waltham Forest and Hackney, into a new biodiverse park with natural swimming ponds, forest schools and community spaces. 

We are looking for social media and content creator leads to participate in our community-led working group who are promoting public awareness and support of the project. 

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

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

You will be at the forefront of our digital strategy to create a huge new biodiverse park and natural swimming ponds. We’re looking for creative and strategic thinkers who can craft compelling narratives and visually stunning content. You should have a deep understanding of social media platforms and analytics tools to measure and optimize our campaigns. Your ability to build and engage with online communities is crucial, as is your skill in managing media relations. We value individuals who are passionate about our mission and can bring fresh perspectives and innovative ideas to the role. You will be comfortable with community-led processes. Our roles are quite flexible. We hope that people bring radical imagination, peace with nature, and courageous inclusiveness to the role. 

Contribute to the creation of a new biodiverse community-owned park with free access natural swimming ponds. Your strategic content creation will be instrumental in fostering a strong connection between our community, the park, and its biodiversity. Your input will help us craft compelling narratives that inspire, educate, and engage our service users, stakeholders, funders, and the general public, ultimately driving support for the park's mission and ensuring its long-term sustainability.

The Position

We are looking for a Grants Officer who can coordinate our grants team and support diverse tasks that include research, ideation and writing of proposals. In this role you’ll be a key contributor to the continued existence of Second Tree, a small, grassroots NGO that is dependent on grants to survive.

To do this successfully, you will employ meticulous time-management and organization skills, as juggling multiple tasks with competing deadlines is common in this role. You’ll also be able to work efficiently independently, managing your own time and tasks; and in a team, overseeing project timelines and ensuring deadlines are met.

You’ll have demonstrable writing experience and the ability to communicate professionally in English. You will also have experience researching and/or writing grants, producing content that is compelling and that will help Second Tree secure new funding streams. Finally, you’ll have an adaptable and flexible attitude, knowing that problem-solving and meeting tight deadlines are inevitable aspects of this role.

The role will include:

• Researching and identifying new grant opportunities on a weekly basis;
• Summarizing relevant grant opportunities and suggest how to best respond and comply with them;
• Researching information and data necessary for grants and grant reporting;
• Managing the organization of proposals and other documents created by the grants team;
• Supporting the development of outlines, timelines, staffing and budgets for grants according to funding guidelines;
• Supporting grants team with proposal writing;
• Creating timelines and coordinating team to ensure deadlines are met;
• Maintaining necessary records, files, reports, databases, and resource materials for Grants team;
• Working with the wider Second Tree team to ensure that all project proposals align with organisational, and program strategies;
• Establishing and maintain connections with funding bodies;
• Performing other duties as assigned;

Skills Required:

• Ability to professionally communicate in English (verbally and in writing);
• Ability to compile and maintain a variety of documents needed for the research, monitoring, development and submission of a proposal;
• Ability to read, comprehend, interpret, summarise and follow proposal guidelines;
• Ability to conduct thorough, high-quality, independent research;
• Ability to work both independently and as part of a team;
• Ability to manage and prioritize projects effectively to meet team and proposal deadlines;
• Ability to work to tight deadlines with flexibility and problem-solving attitude;
• Ability to hold team members accountable to tight deadlines

Skills Desired:

• Working knowledge of project management techniques such as LFA;
• Ability to facilitate meetings and coordinate the work of teams;
• Knowledge of and experience with grant-giving bodies and other external funding sources (e.g. European Commission);

What We Offer:

• Accommodation in a shared house.
• Transportation to/from work.
• After completion of a three-month trial, if you commit long-term, small monthly expenses refund.

We believe that a good proposal must embody the spirit of the organization and the cause it is asking funding for. In order for this to happen, the successful candidate will be encouraged to join us on the ground and immerse themselves in our work. In addition to coordinating the grant team (not a full time position), your participation could take on many forms, from support in the education programs to the delivery of workshops and expeditions with the Youth Scouts – we look forward to hearing your ideas on how best to apply your skills in this context. By coming here, you would gain first-hand experience of the situation on the ground, working in a grassroots organization with a small but dedicated team. This immersion will give you a solid sense of our work, our mission and our approach – which would facilitate your ability to attract supporters.

We have two volunteer houses that can host up to nine people where long-term volunteers are accommodated. Some volunteers choose to rent their own accommodation. In certain periods of the year, demand is extremely high, and the volunteer houses might be full. If you have the means to pay for your own accommodation, please let us know. We would still be happy to host you if space is available. However, in a situation where the volunteer houses are full, this would allow us to offer a volunteering opportunity to someone that cannot afford to pay rent.

We encourage applicants to join us in person, but if this is not possible we will consider remote applications for this role.

NOTE: If you require a visa to stay in Greece for the minimum ten-week commitment, please know that as a Greek NGO, we are unable to sponsor your visa.

How to apply

Please send the following to Giovanni Fontana: volunteers @ secondtree .org 

1) Your CV

2) Your cover letter

3) Copy of your qualifications (If applicable)

In your mail, please:

4) Put “Fundraising Officer” as the subject line

5) Specify the dates you would be available to volunteer (starting date and length)

6) At the end of the email, copy-paste the link of the ad you are responding to

If the application includes all of these we will get back to you in a maximum of 48hs.

About Kith & Kids
We provide activities, opportunities, information, and support for people with a learning disability or autism, their parents, and siblings.
For all our projects and activities we are dependent on volunteers.

Our Employability Project
10am to 3pm, Monday and/or Friday during term-time

Our Employment & Life Skills Project (ELSP) helps adults with learning disabilities or autism to access further education, work experience and visits to mainstream community opportunities. 

What you’ll do
You’ll act as a mentor to the members of the group.  You’ll be helping the group(s) develop a range of life skills, things that many of us take for granted.  These include Maths and English skills, independent living, the use of public transport, social skills and even the sourcing of employment. 

For the people in these groups, these things can be very difficult to develop and achieve without regular support. Through regular support and meetings, members and volunteers develop greater trust, skills, and confidence together.

Come along and get involved!

Requirements

What you need
You do not need experience. Full disability awareness training will be provided before you begin volunteering with us.
The only requirements we ask of you are enthusiasm, energy and to be open-minded.
Minimum age for volunteers is 20.

How much time?
The project runs from 10am to 3pm, Mondays and/or Fridays during term-time.
Everyone gets the most out of the project if you come every week for at least a term as you'll build a close relationship with the members you'll have been supporting and will create the most impact.

What we can offer you
ELSP represents a fantastic opportunity for you to share your knowledge and experience built up through a lifetime to a group that is continuing to develop and achieve their targets.

We’ll reimburse your travel expenses and will provide excellent training and lots of helpful support.

By volunteering on our project you'll also:

• Use and develop your skills: time-management, working within a team, problem-solving and adaptability.
• Learn something new, get involved in fun activities with others.
• Increase your confidence.
• Meet like-minded people and make friends.
• Gain experience for (other) work
• Give something back to the community.
• Do something fun and satisfying in your spare time
• Challenge yourself. 

What about training?
Volunteers must attend training and complete a free DBS check before you begin volunteering.

This is a great opportunity to get to know everyone at Kith & Kids: your fellow volunteers, some of our members you will be working with, and also gives the opportunity to develop some new skills and expand your knowledge in our workshops.

Topics we cover include:

• Autism
• Safeguarding
• Creativity & Participation
• Negotiation & Boundaries
   

When do I need to come?

Volunteers must attend training and complete a DBS check before taking part.

We'll be running face-to-face training in north London starting on the 20th September with lots of other dates to choose from.

In the meantime, we'll be meeting volunteers online from mid-Sept.

Training will take place in North London – once we have met you online for a chat, we will send you confirmation of our training venue details.

At present we are working towards being fully operational, over the next year Living Reasons will be looking to expand its reach.

The role

As a Volunteer Outreach Coordinator with Living Reasons, you will play a key role in connecting people and communities with our mission. This remote role focuses on finding creative and innovative ways to engage new supporters, build partnerships with local businesses, and strengthen community links. Working primarily online, with opportunities to connect in your local area, you will help raise awareness of our work, communicate our message, and develop meaningful relationships that support the growth of the charity. By fostering engagement and exploring new ideas for community-led projects, you will contribute to building a stronger support network and, where appropriate, generate vital income through donations.

What is the plan?

The person who is starting the charity up is autistic, has ADHD, CPTSD and also multiple physical conditions that effect daily life and is part of the LGBTQ+ community and has faced a lot of issues in life because of these things.

Living Reasons is being created to fix what we think is a challenging situation that is getting harder to achieve every week, month and year in the current economic, political, environmental and societal landscape. It is not easily defined but we hope the charity objects below will help put context to what we want to achieve, what we can say is that below are the issues we are trying to address, how we do this will change as quickly as society does, but the issues we want to tackle are these:

1) Outdated and damaging employment practices

2) Accessibility to services

3) Limited employment, training and education opportunities

4) Lack of support during times of crisis or need

5) Lack of equity and agency for many people in society

6) Institutional discrimination that is not challenged

7) Abuse of the legal system at all levels

8) Abuse of power in government bodies

9) Poor access to healthcare

10)  Unequal treatment of many people in society by large corporations

11)  Assumptions made by wider society based on incorrect, outdated or discriminatory rhetoric that is used in daily life

12)  Outdated company engagement with the public

13)  Lack of support that is not talked about and not being addressed

Our Living Values -

Creativity

1) Imaginative Development (Individual)

2) Instilled Collaboration (Internal)

3) Changing The Status Quo (External)

Prospectivity

1) What Can You Do (Individual)

2) What Can We Do (Internal)

3) What Can They Do (External)

Revolutionary 

1) Inspire With Confidence (Individual)

2) Boundaryless Innovation (Internal)

3) Challenge Traditions (External)

Attentivity

1) Analyse and Redesign (Individual)

2) Rebel and Reform (Internal)

3) Enquire and Reimagine (External)

Level the Playing Field in Development (LPFDev)

Level the Playing Field in Development (LPFDev) is a volunteer-led community challenging harmful narratives and practices in the global development sector through a decolonial lens. By addressing entrenched colonial structures, LPFDev advocates for equity, anti-racism, and decolonisation approaches that move beyond theory into practical solutions. The initiative fosters collective intentionality within the development community, creating safe spaces for open, candid dialogue while promoting more inclusive and just practices. Volunteers are welcomed with openness and creativity, encouraged to contribute their skills, learn collaboratively, and help reshape development into a field rooted in fairness, dignity, and shared global responsibility.

Content Creators (Writers, Videographers, Photographers, Graphic Designers)

Beyond Aid Narratives an initiative created by Level the Playing Field in Development (LPFDev) to shift traditional aid narratives about Africa. The mission of the initiative is to highlight African excellence, innovation, and cultural richness by amplifying authentic African voices and stories rooted in local agency, changing the way the global development sector views Africa and, to ultimately shape programming, communications and fundraising. We foster education and reshape perceptions through compelling storytelling and vibrant visual content.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and deliver engaging content aligned with Beyond Aid Narratives’ pillars
• Produce authentic first-person stories, photo essays, videos, and Reels
• Collaborate with the LPFDev team to maintain consistency with posting schedules, brand style, and community engagement strategies
• Contribute innovative ideas and help grow an engaged audience interested in genuine African narratives

Specific Roles:

1) Writers/Storytellers: Create narrative and educational content, scripts for video storytelling, and compelling social media captions centered on African perspectives

2) Videographers/Editors: Capture and edit dynamic videos for Reels, IGTV, and Stories emphasising real African experiences and achievements

3) Photographers: Provide striking images for galleries, photo essays, and posts highlighting Africa’s beauty and diversity

4) Graphic Designers: Design visually appealing infographics, carousel posts, and educational visuals that simplify complex topics and engage the audience

Skills & Qualifications:

• Strong passion for African development, culture, and positive representation aligned with LPFDev’s vision
• Proven skills and experience in your creative discipline (writing, video, photography, design)
• Ability to work independently, meet deadlines, and collaborate remotely with a diverse team
• Familiarity with Instagram and social media best practices is an advantage
• Commitment to authenticity, respect for African narratives, and cultural sensitivity

What You Will Gain:

• Enrich your portfolio with published work on an impactful storytelling platform backed by LPFDev
• Collaborate with a network of creatives dedicated to inspiring change and educating worldwide audiences about Africa
• Opportunity to contribute meaningfully to a development initiative focused on shifting perceptions and empowering African voices

Minimum Hours per Week

4-6 hours per week

Duration

3-5 months

Who are we looking for?

At present we are working towards being fully operational, over the next year Living Reasons will be looking to expand its reach and part of that journey is to develop an online food bank, allowing people access to a food bank that may not get help through their local council/Job Centre and may only want to use the service online.

People may want to use the online service of a food bank for many reasons, whether due to disability or not. 

The role of Project Co-ordinator role will oversee this project with guidance and input from the trustees, lived experience board members and with the support of other co-ordinators that are relevant to the outreach, funding and running of the service.

You do not necessarily need experience of this kind of role but good attention to detail and task management potential will be key, we can work the rest out together. If you like the idea of this, please get in touch with us and we can arrange an informal chat.

What is the plan?

The person who is starting the charity up is autistic, has ADHD, CPTSD and also multiple physical conditions that effect daily life and is part of the LGBTQ+ community and has faced a lot of issues in life because of these things.

Living Reasons is being created to fix what we think is a challenging situation that is getting harder to achieve every week, month and year in the current economic, political, environmental and societal landscape. It is not easily defined but we hope the charity objects below will help put context to what we want to achieve, what we can say is that below are the issues we are trying to address, how we do this will change as quickly as society does, but the issues we want to tackle are these:

1) Outdated and damaging employment practices

2) Accessibility to services

3) Limited employment, training and education opportunities

4) Lack of support during times of crisis or need

5) Lack of equity and agency for many people in society

6) Institutional discrimination that is not challenged

7) Abuse of the legal system at all levels

8) Abuse of power in government bodies

9) Poor access to healthcare

10)  Unequal treatment of many people in society by large corporations

11)  Assumptions made by wider society based on incorrect, outdated or discriminatory rhetoric that is used in daily life

12)  Outdated company engagement with the public

13)  Lack of support that is not talked about and not being addressed

Our Living Values -

Creativity

1) Imaginative Development (Individual)

2) Instilled Collaboration (Internal)

3) Changing The Status Quo (External)

Prospectivity

1) What Can You Do (Individual)

2) What Can We Do (Internal)

3) What Can They Do (External)

Revolutionary 

1) Inspire With Confidence (Individual)

2) Boundaryless Innovation (Internal)

3) Challenge Traditions (External)

Attentivity

1) Analyse and Redesign (Individual)

2) Rebel and Reform (Internal)

3) Enquire and Reimagine (External)

Become a Trustee at Living Reasons
Help us build a revolutionary new charity from the ground up.

About Us

Living Reasons is a new organisation currently in the process of registering as a charity. We exist to tackle some of the deepest inequalities in society, guided by lived experience and driven by our mission to create lasting, revolutionary change.

Our work focuses on issues such as:

• Outdated and damaging employment practices.

• Poor access to healthcare.

• Inequity, discrimination, and lack of agency across society.

• Barriers in education, training, and support services.

We believe in challenging the status quo, proving that change is possible, and creating solutions shaped by the people who experience barriers every day.

Why Join Now?

This is an exciting time to join Living Reasons as we build the organisation from the ground up. As a trustee, you will:

• Play a key role in shaping strategy, governance, and direction.

• Help embed our Living Values into everything we do: Creativity, Prospectivity, Revolutionary thinking, and Attentivity.

• Ensure our ethos of “Nothing about us, without us” is central to our work.

• Contribute your skills, insight, and experience to create a charity that is bold, ethical, and sustainable.

What We’re Looking For

We want trustees who share our passion for fairness, equity, and innovation. You don’t need prior board experience — what matters most is your commitment to our mission and your willingness to bring your skills and voice to the table.

We particularly welcome applications from people with lived experience of the challenges we exist to tackle, including disability, neurodivergence, long-term health conditions, mental health challenges, or discrimination.

Skills and qualities we are especially interested in include (but are not limited to):

• Governance, charity law, or finance.

• Campaigning and policy.

• Fundraising, income generation, or partnerships.

• HR, employment law, or organisational development.

• Communications, media, or digital innovation.

The Role of Trustee

As a trustee, you will:

• Ensure the charity is well run and compliant with charity law.

• Guide our strategy and oversee delivery of our mission.

• Hold the organisation accountable to our values and ethos.

• Support the team to deliver change effectively.

• Bring challenge, insight, and creativity to board discussions.

This is a voluntary role (reasonable expenses can be covered). Trustees meet around four times a year digitally, with additional input between meetings as needed.

What You’ll Gain

• The chance to be part of a transformative new organisation at its very beginning.

• An opportunity to influence real change in society.

• The experience of working with a passionate, diverse team guided by lived experience.

• A chance to contribute your skills and values to something bold, exciting, and revolutionary.

Role: Welcome volunteer

Team: Tooting Hub – CARAS ESOL (Youth/Adult)

Supervised by: Team Project Coordinator

Location: Tooting Hub site

Activity times: Monday or Wednesday

Time commitment: 2 hour shifts on a rolling basis.

We ask that volunteers commit for a minimum of 4 months

About CARAS:

Community Action for Refugees and Asylum Seekers (CARAS) is a registered charity that has been supporting refugees and asylum-seekers since 2002 empowering them to integrate and engage in the local community.

Arriving as an asylum seeker/refugee can be a disempowering experience. Difficulties with language, accessing services and overcoming prejudice are ever-present. As an organisation we are committed to work alongside refugees to overcome those challenges, and to help them build their lives.

We offer group support and targeted support work. We offer a range of activities including: ESOL classes; social and recreational activities such as youth club, drama, trips, and family activities; educational support for young people; and casework and advocacy support.

Our values are at the centre of all our work:

• Kindness: CARAS will nurture all who are part of our community, helping everyone to develop their skills, talents, and interests.

• Justice: CARAS will strive for social justice following a rights-based approach in all our work and challenging instances when rights are not upheld in wider society.

• Empowerment: CARAS works alongside people, recognising and respecting their skills and strengths and striving together for better outcomes.

• ‘With’ not ‘for’: CARAS will put the voices, opinions, experiences and needs of its beneficiaries at the heart of all that we do.

About the Role:

We are currently recruiting a team of volunteers to join our new Welcome team at Tooting Hub. This is a new role. Welcome volunteers will provide a friendly face to existing community members attending our regular projects. They will also be the important ‘face of CARAS and our welcome at the door’ to people attending projects for the first time, to visitors and to people dropping in unannounced to enquire about CARAS’s service. Volunteers will meet and greet, and ensure all visitors are responded to appropriately and introduced to the relevant member of staff, activity, project, or meeting. There will be an administrative element to the role (updating registers and emailing enquiries to CARAS staff, for example).

Who will you be?

We work hard to ensure our services feel welcoming and inclusive. It is important that this new team is representative of our diverse local and internal CARAS community. Whether you are new to volunteering with CARAS or are a regular volunteer looking to vary your role or a community member wanting to develop some leadership skills or volunteering experience, this might be the exact project for you.

Volunteer Tasks and Responsibilities: 

· Signing up to a shift/s on the Tooting HUB welcome team rota

· Able to be at Tooting Hub in person to complete agreed shifts

· Welcoming staff, volunteers, existing and potential new community members and visitors

· Ensuring all visitors are responded to appropriately and introduced to the relevant member of staff, activity, project, or meeting

· Ensuring everyone completes the onsite register on arrival to comply with safeguarding, health and safety and fire evacuation policies

· Taking agreed initial intake information for new / drop in visitors wanting to attend a taster activity

· Conducting induction tours of the building and introductions to facilities, key staff, and partners

Requirements (all experience can be from paid or voluntary roles): 

Essential: 

· A calm, friendly, kind, and patient approach

· Happy and confident to meet new people and put them at their ease

· Excellent communication skills, especially with people with varying levels of English

· To be non-judgemental and able to engage with people from diverse backgrounds

· Confidence in using one’s own judgement to follow agreed policy

· Good IT admin skills in using Microsoft office, outlook, Google search, online forms etc

· A commitment to confidentiality and data protection

· Punctual and reliable

· To be able to volunteer on Mondays or Wednesdays for a minimum of four months

Desirable:

· Lived experience of seeking sanctuary and/ or the UK immigration system.

· Personal experience of working with people seeking asylum.

· Proficiency in one or more of the following community languages: Albanian, Amharic, Arabic, Bengali, Dari, Farsi, Kurdish, Oromo, Pashto, Russian, Spanish, Somali, Tigrinya, Urdu, or Vietnamese.

We will prioritise applicants with lived experience of the asylum process.

Benefits to Volunteering:

· Learn about issues relating to refugees and people seeking asylum.

· Work as part of a friendly, welcoming team.

· Develop your skills and competencies.

· Be able to access relevant training, including safeguarding training.

· Obtain a reference from us relating to your placement after 3 months’ regular volunteering

· All volunteers must complete an enhanced DBS check for working with young people and attend training with us before starting. *

· You will also receive training and support relevant to your specific role.