Family support volunteer volunteer roles in ilford, greater london

CWV is seeking a Volunteer Bid Writer to help secure funding through grant applications and partnerships. Ideal for those with strong writing and research skills, it offers valuable experience and a chance to make a meaningful impact. 

What will you be doing?

Position Overview:

Children With Voices, a dynamic and community-driven charity committed to supporting vulnerable individuals and families, is seeking a motivated and skilled Volunteer Bid Writer. This role is instrumental in securing funding opportunities, grants, and partnerships to ensure the continuous growth and success of the charity's initiatives.

Responsibilities:

1. Research and Identify Funding Opportunities:

- Conduct thorough research to identify potential funding sources, grants, and partnership opportunities aligned with  Children With Voices' mission and projects.

2. Proposal Development:

- Collaborate with the charity's leadership team to gather information on projects and programs requiring funding.

- Develop compelling and well-articulated grant proposals, ensuring alignment with donor guidelines and requirements.

- Craft persuasive narratives that effectively communicate the impact of Children With Voices' activities.

3. Grant Application Submission:

- Prepare and submit grant applications within specified deadlines, adhering to all application guidelines and requirements.

- Maintain accurate records of submitted proposals, deadlines, and communication with funding bodies.

4. Relationship Building:

- Establish and maintain positive relationships with potential donors, grant-making organisations, and other stakeholders.

- Engage in effective communication to convey the charity's mission and project goals.

5. Collaboration and Coordination:

- Work closely with the fundraising team and project managers to gather necessary information for proposals.

- Collaborate with other team members to ensure the integration of programmatic and financial data in grant applications.

What are we looking for?

Qualifications:

- Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

- Previous experience in grant writing, proposal development, or related fields is desirable.

- Strong research skills to identify relevant funding opportunities.

- Ability to work independently and meet tight deadlines.

- Detail-oriented with strong organisational and project management skills.

- Passion for the mission and values of Children With Voices.

Benefits:

- Opportunity to contribute to a meaningful cause and make a positive impact.

- Gain valuable experience in grant writing and fundraising within a charitable organisation.

- Develop and enhance your skills in communication, research, and project coordination.

- Travel expenses are paid and you will have a healthy meal!

What difference will you make?

As a Volunteer Bid Writer, you will play a crucial role in securing funding that directly supports vulnerable individuals and families, enabling Children With Voices to expand its vital community programs and make a lasting impact.

Before you apply

To apply, please submit your resume and a brief cover letter expressing your interest and relevant experience. Children With Voices values diversity and encourages candidates of all backgrounds and ages to apply.

Provide holistic end-of-life care to people who are suffering of a terminal illness, under the direction of the Palliative Care Nurse Team Leader. By caring for those often isolated, hopeless, and fearful, this position is a living example of God’s love and compassion for the weak, lonely, and marginalised members of society. This position works primarily off-ship; hot and dusty or wet (depending on season) conditions can be expected. Visiting people in their house requires cultural sensitivity.

What You Will Contribute

• Support terminally ill patients and their family members through the grieving process, preparing them for death

• Train and assist family members with wound care for the afflicted person

• Share basic health principles with terminally ill patients and family members in order to improve their health

• Encourage the use of local, affordable materials for wound care and locally available analgesia

• Encourage the family to find ways to be self-supporting and teach them about planning for the future

• Assist in reaching out to local healthcare professionals who care for palliative patients, build meaningful relationships, assess their practical and intellectual needs and assist them in sustainable and culturally appropriate ways, through mentoring and teaching

Our ambition is to continue to develop outstanding services that meet the needs of our community; if you want to be part of our future, we would love to meet you to discuss this further.

Becoming a trustee for Home-Start Southwark (HSS) is an exciting and fulfilling role. The role of a trustee is to ensure that HSS fulfils its duty to its beneficiaries through contributing to the strategic development, effective governance and financial management of the organisation. The board of trustees are both jointly and individually responsible for the overall governance and strategic direction of HSS, its financial health, the integrity of its activities and developing the organisation’s aims, objectives and goals.

We are particularly interested in receiving applications from people with the following skillsets:

• HR
• Legal
• Finance, accountancy, bookkeeping
• Fundraising
• Media and communications

Overall purpose

To support children (the child/ren who have complex medical needs and/or their siblings) in 1:1 sessions through the integration of counselling and play skills

Role responsibilities

Children, who have been assessed by an experienced therapist from the project and with parental consent, will be referred to the Child Therapist who will:

• Make contact with the client’s parent/guardian organising an initial 1:1 meeting with them to talk through the issues their child faces and establish the time, location and frequency of sessions
• Provide support through an integration of counselling and play skills
• Attend monthly group supervision (2 hours)
• Undertake The Maypole Project initial training (20 hours)
• Work to The Maypole Project model of support for children and young people
• Attend a training update session at least once per annum
• Complete client notes and The Maypole Project paperwork as required
• Liaise with their supervisor or the Clinical Supervisor in case of questions/difficulties
• Follow The Maypole Project policies and guidelines at all times whilst volunteering
• Attend service-wide activities including family activity events and fundraising events

For students: Please check whether your course placement requirements would enable you to provide counselling at external venues (clients home, hospitals, hospices etc). This would occur only after a settling in period and with additional training and support provided by The Maypole Project.

Support

Whilst volunteering you will have support from our Family Support Co-ordinator for day to day issues and our Lead Therapist or another qualified counsellor for monthly clinical supervision.

Location

At our offices in Orpington and Greenwich or, after a settling-in period, in local schools, hospitals, hospices and client’s homes.

Time Commitment

Volunteers days and hours are negotiable but, due to the long-term promise of support to our clients, a most valued aspect of our service, we do ask volunteer applicants to be available to volunteer for a minimum of 6 months from acceptance onto the volunteering programme at The Maypole Project. We would ideally like volunteers to aspire to offering 2 years commitment to the role.

Person Specification

Education & qualifications

• Good general education (essential)
• Final year student on counselling or therapies course; including study of child development and child therapies (essential)
• Courses must be accredited by BACP, IATE, BAPT or approved equivalent and require the student to engage in personal therapy across one year (essential)
• Qualified at diploma/degree or masters level in child and young person counselling or play therapy or equivalent (desirable)

Previous experience

• 20+ client hours supporting children and/or young people (essential)
• 20+ face to face client hours supporting children and/or young people (desirable)
• Experience of working with people impacted upon by complex medical needs/loss and bereavement (desirable)
• Working with people from a diversity of backgrounds (desirable)
• Working with diversity of disability in families (desirable)

Skills & knowledge

• Good communication and interpersonal skills with all ages – focusing on children and young people (essential)
• Child and Family centred approach (essential)
• Experience of supporting children and families (desirable)

Attributes

• Self-motivated (essential)
• Able to work flexibly (essential)
• Approachable (essential)
• Discreet, boundaried and able to adhere to confidentiality procedures (essential)
• Commitment to equal opportunities and a non-judgmental attitude (essential)
• Commitment to further training and personal development (essential)

Exemption clause

• 2 years without significant loss (including divorce/diagnosis of chronic illness)

Thanks for your interest in volunteering for The Maypole Project

This role is advertised as part of TPP's Free Giving Back Services. This volunteer advertisement copy has been supplied to TPP and applicants apply direct to the organisation. Please contact the organisation directly if you have any questions about this volunteer role.

About Children With Voices

Children With Voices (CWV) is a grassroots non-profit organisation dedicated to improving the lives of children and families through community-driven programs. We run holiday clubs, healthy lifestyle education, and intervention projects for children aged 5–11 to combat childhood obesity, antisocial behaviour, and gang involvement.

Our goal is early intervention – giving children the tools to lead healthier, safer, and more empowered lives.

The Role – Board Member (Volunteer)

We are seeking passionate, community-minded individuals to join our Board of Trustees. As a board member, you will provide oversight, guidance, and strategic support to help CWV grow its reach and impact. You don’t need previous board experience – just the drive to make a difference and bring your unique skills, networks, or community insight to the table.

Key Responsibilities

•Attend and contribute to quarterly board meetings and occasional strategy sessions.

•Support the development of CWV’s strategic vision and community impact.

•Use your professional expertise or lived experience to inform board decisions (e.g. education, youth work, business, legal, HR, marketing, fundraising, etc.).

•Leverage your personal or professional network to promote CWV’s work and connect us with funding, partnerships, or opportunities.

•Ensure CWV operates in line with its charitable aims, legal obligations, and good governance practices.

•Act as an ambassador for CWV at events, with funders, and across your networks.

What We’re Looking For

We welcome board members from a wide range of backgrounds. You may have experience in:

•Community development or youth services

•Education, social work, or mental health

•Fundraising, business development, or marketing

•Finance, governance, HR, or legal

•Lived experience of the issues CWV addresses

•Or a strong passion for helping children and communities thrive

Commitment

•Time required: 6–10 hours per month (flexible)

•Location: Remote and/or London-based meetings (hybrid)

•Term: Minimum one-year commitment (renewable)

•Training and induction provided

What You’ll Gain

•A chance to help shape the future of a growing, impactful charity

•Experience in governance and leadership within the non-profit sector

•Meaningful connections with like-minded individuals

•Personal fulfilment from empowering children and families

How to Apply

Interested? Please email your CV or a short expression of interest to:

Subject: Board Member Application

Bring your voice to Children With Voices – and help us build healthier, safer, and stronger communities.

Location: Remote (with occasional in-person meetings, if possible)
Time Commitment: Flexible hours + weekly team meeting (Tuesdays at 7:30 PM)

Are you an organised, proactive individual passionate about supporting meaningful community work? We're looking for a Volunteer Project Manager to lead our Jumping Beans Team—a child-focused initiative supporting local families through engaging programmes and activities.

What You’ll Do:

• Lead and manage the Jumping Beans Team to deliver projects on time and effectively

• Coordinate and chair weekly Tuesday evening team meetings

• Track team tasks, monitor project progress, and ensure timelines are met

• Regularly report progress to the leadership team

• Collaborate across departments to align goals and resources

• Occasionally attend in-person meetings (if possible)

Qualifications & Experience:

• Previous project management or team leadership experience (paid or voluntary)

• Strong organisational and time-management skills

• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills

• Creative thinking and problem-solving abilities

• Experience working with or supporting children or families is a plus

Benefits & Impact:

• Play a key role in bringing joy and support to children and families in need

• Gain valuable experience in project leadership and charity operations

• Flexible, remote-friendly volunteering

• Work with a passionate, supportive team and make meaningful contributions

• Build connections with other professionals and community leaders

• Personal and professional development opportunities through mentoring and teamwork

Could you befriend an asylum seeking or refugee young person? HIAS+JCORE is seeking volunteer befrienders for our transformative JUMP project! As a befriender, you'd meet fortnightly with your young person for at least 12 months, and receive full training and an enhanced DBS check. You'll also get ongoing support from our JUMP project staff.

The difference you'd make

The young people JUMP support might benefit from a befriender because they’ve left their families behind and often feel isolated, bewildered and lonely. Some have no one to talk to. Some want to improve their English. Some would like to get to know London better. The impact made by our befrienders is long-lasting and varies depending on both the befriender and young person's interests. 

What do volunteers get out of JUMP?

• A chance to help people in real need
• The opportunity to ‘give back’
• A new friend
• Increased understanding about asylum and refugee issues and policy 

Skills required

• Able to establish good relationships with young people.
• Able to use a non-judgemental, non-directive approach to working with young people.
• Empathy, sensitivity and patience.
• Strong communication and listening skills.
• Reliable in making and keeping commitments, including arrangements to meet up.
• Aware of the needs of young people.
• Sympathy for the difficulties that asylum seeking/refugee children and young people face.
• Willing to enhance own awareness of the issues facing asylum-seeking and refugee children/young people through training.
• Aware of safeguarding and child protection issues, and (i) willing to enhance this through JUMP training, and (ii) willing to follow HIAS+JCORE’s safeguarding policy and procedures.
• Willing to ask for help when uncertain when befriending and to discuss the experience of befriending through regular updates and supervision.

Volunteer requirements

Volunteers will be required to:

• Meet with an unaccompanied asylum seeking or refugee young person fortnightly for at least one year.
• Establish a warm, supportive friendship with the young person within JUMP befriending boundaries.
• Help to build up the young person’s self-esteem and confidence.
• A JUMP befriender will be someone the young person can talk to. They must be prepared to support the young person with a range of possible activities, such as: developing everyday life skills, getting around London, taking part in recreational or educational opportunities, applying for work experience or a job. They should be prepared to offer support with English, and where possible other types of academic work.
• They must make time to travel, if necessary, within London to meet with the young person. While we try to match people who live reasonably close by, this is not always possible, and young people can often have precarious housing situations and move neighbourhoods. It is important to consider the travel time, as well as contact time, potentially involved in befriending.
• A JUMP volunteer should be prepared to enjoy cultural/ sporting activities with the young person, and to take advantage of free entertainment and other opportunities in London.
• They should regularly communicate with the project coordinator after meeting the young person, providing feedback once a month about activities undertaken and to attend supervision face-to-face twice a year.
• They must submit monthly expenses incurred during the activities undertaken with the young person, and immediately alert the JUMP project coordinator or HIAS+JCORE Safeguarding Lead to any safeguarding (child and young person protection) issues.

What is the application process?

After submitting your application, you will be contacted to arrange an informal telephone interview. If all goes well at this stage, we would request two references and get you booked onto a day's training. The training will cover the role of the befriender and offer some more information about the experiences of unaccompanied asylum seeking and refugee young people. Before being paired with a young person we would also request an enhanced DBS check.

Enthusiastic, hands-on volunteers needed to help provide food to the community. A key role, you will work at the main hub of the food bank and help the food service run as smoothly as possible. An exciting opportunity to make a real, immediate impact to those in need of support. 

Hours: Tuesdays and/or Thursdays, 10:00-12:30, 12.30-15:00 or 14:45-17:00. 

Book shifts to suit your own schedule!

Location: St Michaels Church Hall, 37 Bounds Green Rd, London, N22 8SD

About Bounds Green Food Bank: 

Open since June 2020, we serve over 1,500 children and adults in the community. We are committed to improving lives by providing food and essential household items to build a healthy, hunger-free tomorrow. We strive to promote social inclusion by supporting people who find themselves in a crisis situation where they need assistance to feed themselves and their families.

The role: 

• Help with setting up the food service and replenishing goods when needed, including decanting and repacking items.

• Warmly welcome guests, serving them the appropriate number of items depending on their household size and needs.

• Follow food bank policies including Health and Safety procedures e.g. wearing gloves when handling fresh food and lifting boxes safely. 

• Keep the hall tidy throughout the food service e.g. tidying away boxes and neatly restocking items. 

Person specification: 

• Patient and flexible

• A team player 

• Understands and is sensitive to the challenges and difficulties faced by guests accessing the food bank e.g. food and fuel poverty, feelings of shame and embarrassment, language barriers.

Benefits:

• Flexible - book shifts to suit your own schedule!

• Give back to the community - one of the NHS’ 5 Ways to Wellbeing!

• Gain access to free workshops for volunteers and upskill on a range of topics (conflict resolution, mental health first aid, arts and crafts, and more)

• Join free social events for volunteers (such as picnics, walks, games nights and celebration events)

• Gain a sense of community and meet the huge team of volunteers

Asian MS is a national support group that offers tailored and culturally-sensitive services for Asian people with MS, their carers, friends and family. It's aimed at people whose heritage originates from South Asia.

As an Asian MS Community Engagement Volunteer you will the Group's local representative, helping us to find and attend events and reaching out to your local Asian MS community to raise awareness and extend the reach of the Group.

This role is very flexible, but there will be planning time (with your staff contact) and also attending events, meetings with networks and presentations. We would estimate the role taking no longer than 10 hours per month.

You’ll have support from a member of staff as well as a welcome and induction checklist which lists what resources are available to support you in your role.

As part of your role, you may have to complete some mandatory learning. Please refer to your welcome and induction checklist.

About you

Presentation Skills, confidence in speaking to new people, networking skills and the ability to influence would be fantastic. We would work to your strengths, however and some training will be available.

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

Apply

Read the role description

All applicants will be contacted within two weeks of their submission.

Our amazing team of vibrant & diverse volunteers helps us run over 600 shops. Our stores sell lots of great donated & new goods to help raise vital funds to make a real difference to disadvantaged children, young people and families across the UK.

Our retail stores are the face of our charity on the high-street and in local communities. We have loads of amazing stock donated to us every week, and this all needs to be sorted, tagged and put on the shop-floor for sale!

Making sure our shops look fantastic is another task you can get involved with. You may also be required to help out on the till too, but we will show you how that works during your time volunteering with us. We value the contribution of everyone who supports Barnardo’s.

You will be a friendly face of Barnardo’s by volunteering in one of our shops. It would be great if you could volunteer one shift a week (or even more if you want) but we’re always happy to be flexible to work around your availability.

Why we want you

Our amazing team of vibrant & diverse volunteers helps us run over 700 stores. Our stores sell lots of great donated and new goods to help raise vital funds to make a real difference to disadvantaged children, young people and families across the UK.

What you will be doing

• Work on the till processing sales and returns
• Prepare stock, including sorting, steaming and pricing
• Create stylish window displays
• Replenish stock on the shop floor
• Stock-take and other administrative tasks

The skills you need

• Friendly and helpful
• Happy to be part of an amazing team of staff and volunteers
• Enthusiastic about the work of Barnardo’s
• Flexible and willing to do a variety of the shop tasks

What's in it for you

• Have fun and meet new people
• Develop skills for your CV including confidence, teamwork and problem solving
• Make a difference to the lives of children, young people and their families
• Learning and development opportunities through our Volunteer Academy which includes access to Level 2 Qualifications and other accredited courses
• Full training and experience of working in retail as a volunteer

Location:

2 Broadway Parade, Crouch End, Greater London, N8 9DE, United Kingdom

Minimum age: 14 years

Please note: we only accept applications from those residing in the UK

Volunteering for Sense

Our amazing team of volunteers help us run over 100 shops across England and Wales.  Every donated item that you sort, prepare and sell helps to raise vital funds to support us in our mission to make sure no one, no matter how complex their disabilities, is isolated, left out, or unable to fulfil their potential. Our shops are at the heart of local communities – sharing the work of Sense, and helping to secure support for our life changing work.

What your role will involve

There are a variety of tasks that you can get involved with in the shop, including:

• Welcoming and assisting customers, providing great customer service and a fantastic shopping experience
• Receiving donated goods from members of the public
• Sorting, steaming, tagging and preparing donated goods for sale
• Creating eye catching window and in-shop displays
• Keeping the shop floor well stocked, tidy, clean and organised
• Processing sales and serving on the till
• Promoting Gift Aid and other Sense fundraising initiatives
• Acting as an ambassador for Sense; promoting the shop and Sense in your local community
• Supporting with the recruitment and training of new volunteers
• Following new health and safety measures to ensure the safety of everyone

Will the role suit me? Yes, if you are:

• Motivated and hardworking
• Reliable, flexible and willing to do a variety of shop tasks
• A team player
• Friendly and helpful
• Passionate about customer service and enjoy interacting with people
• Respectful of others and their diversity
• Interested in supporting the work of Sense and want to make a difference to people who have complex disabilities and are deafblind.

What can Sense offer me as a volunteer?

• A full induction and ongoing support and guidance from your Shop Manager to make sure you feel confident in your role
• Support to develop new skills, knowledge and experience, in particular of a retail environment, but also skills such as teamwork, customer service, communication and using your initiative
• A reference for other paid or voluntary work (available on request)
• The opportunity to share your existing skills and experience to benefit others
• The chance to meet new people from a wide range of backgrounds and to join a passionate and committed team
• The opportunity to make an invaluable contribution to Sense by raising vital income and raising the profile of Sense in your local community; changing the lives of those who have complex disabilities and are deafblind

About Sense

For everyone living with complex disabilities. For everyone who is deafblind. Sense is here to offer personalised support to help people communicate and experience the world. We believe that no one, no matter how complex their disabilities, should be isolated, left out, or unable to fulfil their potential. Our experts offer support that’s tailored to the individual needs of each person, whether that’s at our centres, through our holidays and short breaks, or in people’s own homes. In addition to practical support, we also provide information to families, and campaign for the rights of people with complex disabilities to take part in life.

Volunteers add real value to Sense, bringing their passion, enthusiasm and fresh perspectives to the work that we do. We believe that volunteers enable us to bring people together, and provide opportunities for people with complex disabilities to communicate and experience the world.

We include. We collaborate. We find a way. We challenge. We celebrate.

Role Title: Advice and Information & Signposting Volunteer

Weekly Hours: Minimum 4 hours per week

Expenses: Expenses are compensated where applicable such as travel

Commitment: At least 3 months

Responsible to: The Service Navigation Lead

Project overview:

Mind in Kingston is a local charity that supports people with mental health issues, and campaigns to raise awareness about mental health in Kingston and surrounding areas. We are affiliated to National Mind but operate independently in the Borough of Kingston upon Thames and surrounding areas.

The Information, Advice, Signposting & Referral Service is designed to provide enquirers with empathic advice, information and/or signposting.

Volunteers are extremely valued within our team and a vital part of our service delivery. We encourage and welcome people with lived experience of mental health issues to apply to volunteer with us; this could be personal experience relating to yourself, a family member or a friend; or in a professional capacity working with people with mental health issues.

We care about everyone’s wellbeing and as an integral member of our team, volunteers receive support to ensure they are trained and skilled up in their roles that they may take further in their career aspirations. They receive regular supervision and development opportunities as well as be part of our volunteer awards programme to recognise and celebrate their achievement and contribution to our community. As team members, volunteers have the opportunity to engage with the board of trustees, staff and other volunteers both professionally and socially.

Main purpose of the role:

· To provide confidential telephone advice and information about local services to service users.

· To provide empathic listening.

· To signpost service users to appropriate services.

· To promote emotional and physical wellbeing to service users.

· To collect data for monitoring purposes.

Tasks will include:

· Phone or email service users to provide advice, information and signposting.

· To research and learn about local services for information.

· To record each interaction with a service user on an enquiry sheet and file these in line with data protection regulations

· To fill in the message book and inform colleagues about messages relevant to them.

· To immediately raise safeguarding concerns and complete safeguarding if necessary.

· To maintain regular contact with your supervisor

· To attend meetings and supervision on a regular basis.

What you will receive in return:

· Training in providing remote support and telephone skills including mental health awareness, and boundaries.

· Training in adult safeguarding and local procedures.

· Training for any other skills as identified by yourself and your supervisor.

· Regular check-in with your supervisor, and monthly clinical and managerial supervision.

· An opportunity to learn new skills and develop existing ones while being a part of a lively and supportive team at Mind in Kingston.

· References upon completing your volunteering with us.

· Reasonable expenses to be paid so you are not left out of pocket.

What we expect from you:

· Commitment for at least three months

· Attend and complete training as directed.

· Adhere to our policies and procedures, particularly confidentiality, data protection, Safeguarding and health and safety.

· Confidence in supporting people with mental health challenges.

· Be able to deal with distressed users in a calm and robust manner.

· Proactive engagement with your supervisor for support.

· Safe handling and return of any equipment issued.

You may on occasion volunteer from home, so a confidential space is essential.

Application Process:

· Two references (one from a professional contact) are required.

· An enhanced DBS check is necessary.

We ask volunteers for two references, one of which must come from a professional connection such as a current or previous employer or a tutor. You will also need to undergo an enhanced DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) check, as you will be working with vulnerable adults.

Who are we?

Switchboard LGBTQIA+ exists to provide members of the LGBTQIA+ community, as well as their friends, family and those supporting them, with a listening service that they can contact via phone, instant message and email between the hours of 10am to 10pm every day.

We are happy to talk to service users about any topic they wish. Topics we often talk to service users about include: sexual health, safer sex, relationships, coming-out, gender identity, transitioning, mental health, experiences of hate crimes, support for meeting other LGBTQIA+ people and making friends, and much more.

However, we want to also be upfront and transparent about the fact that not all of our conversations are positive or constructive. Our volunteers can also be exposed to abuse from the public, manipulative callers, sexual fantasies and safeguarding concerns.

Training for POC volunteers

At Switchboard we are working to ensure that our volunteer membership reflects everyone within the LGBTQIA+ community. We want service users to be able to speak with volunteers who can empathise with their experiences and volunteers to connect with folks from a wide range of different backgrounds, cultures and identities.

To help enable us to do this even more, we have created brand new dedicated training groups for different identities within the LGBTQIA+ community. 

This group training group is specifically set up for people of colour. By joining this group, you'll undertake our Core Acceptance Training programme which equips you with the skills needed to support those contacting us via phone and instant message. Our hope is that this safe space enables you to freely ask questions, put our listening toolkit into practice and discuss approaches to different scenarios in an engaging, enjoyable way.

Who are we looking for?

To ensure we can provide a high quality service to those who contact us, we are looking for volunteers who:

• Simply put, like communicating and chatting with other people (you’re most likely a people-person who feels energised by this type of communication)

• Feel comfortable taking calls and speaking over the phone to people you do not already know

• Are familiar with different instant messaging platforms (such as WhatsApp and other chat tools) and the types of communication they might receive

• Are able to read between the lines to decipher messages

• Are good listeners who let others lead conversations and instead create the space they need

• Are able to ask broad, open questions to keep conversations flowing

• Understand the importance of using the right tone when communicating in writing, and are able to flex their writing style to suit different people

• Have a strong attention to detail, with a particular focus on spelling and grammar

• Are able to evaluate sources of information and identify those that can be trusted, from those that cannot

• Know when to challenge and when to step back

• Have essential digital literacy skills (such as using email tools such as gmail and outlook, search the web for information and copy and paste website URLs)

• Understand and support our mission

• Have an awareness of the challenges facing the LGBTQIA+ community

• Are empathetic in nature

• Agree to uphold our values of being non-directive and non-judgemental

Join us as Dog A.I.D.'s new Honorary Secretary and you would be joining the Board at an exciting time as we have launched the charity’s Strategic Plan with a new CEO supported by a small but strong team, which we will be building further this year. As Honorary Secretary you would be using your skills and experience to support the leadership and strategic direction of our charity as we look to achieve ambitious strategic growth targets over the coming years, becoming a larger, more robust charity with increased profile and reach.

Dog A.I.D. empowers physically disabled people by coaching them to train their own pet dog to become an accredited Assistance Dog. By focusing on the existing pet/owner bond, outcomes for our clients include:

 · increased independence and self-confidence

· improved mental well-being

· reduction in social isolation

· reduced reliance on family members and/or carers.

· increased opportunities, with many of our clients being able to return to work or education, supported by their accredited Assistance Dog.

We are looking for an active and well-organised Secretary who can provide support for our governance functions. You will be required to attend and minute online quarterly Board meetings and other ad-hoc meetings and strategic discussions.