Fundraising advisor volunteer volunteer roles in Birmingham

Help older people claim welfare benefits through home visits, form-filling and friendly support.

About Us

Age UK Buckinghamshire is a local, independent charity and part of the wider Age UK Network. We support older people across the county through vital services including befriending, information and advice, dementia support, practical help at home, and welfare benefits support - helping people stay independent, connected, and supported.

Our work is more important now than ever. Many older people face growing challenges such as the rising cost of living, social isolation, and difficulty accessing support. 

As demand for our services continues to increase, community support is essential to help us reach more people in need. By raising awareness of what we do, we can ensure that older people know where to turn for help, and inspire others to support our work through volunteering, fundraising, and partnership.

What do Welfare Benefits Volunteers do?

Help older people boost their income by becoming a Welfare Benefits Volunteer.

Many older people face financial difficulties because they are not claiming all the welfare benefits they are entitled to. At Age UK Buckinghamshire, we support older people to access the benefits they deserve by offering personalised advice and practical help.

Our trained volunteer advisors visit people in their own homes to guide them through the claims process, completing benefit forms on their behalf and ensuring applications reflect their individual circumstances.

Following full training, you will be matched with clients for one-off home visits, usually lasting one to two hours. Along the way, there’s often time for a friendly chat, and perhaps a cup of tea, while making a real difference to someone’s quality of life.

What skills does a Welfare Benefits Advisor need?

• Empathy and patience with older people
• A professional, friendly and approachable manner
• Attention to detail and good record-keeping skills
• A non-judgemental approach
• Willingness to learn about older people’s benefits

What training do we provide?

Successful applicants complete 2 training sessions covering the needs of older people and welfare benefits.  At the end of this initial training, you will be “buddied” with one or more experienced volunteers, first as an observer and later as an advisor until you have the knowledge and confidence to undertake one-to-one visits.

How much time do we expect you to give?

Once trained, you can commit to as many or as few visits per week as you wish. Each visit takes, on average, about 1 – 2 hours.  There are quarterly meetings that provide support and additional training days from time to time to keep up with new legislation.

What is our commitment to you?

• We will provide initial and ongoing training to help you develop your knowledge and skills.
• We will continue to support you in your role, providing information and advice as necessary.
• We will discuss with you any problems you may have with your role, or any concerns we have.
• We will reimburse reasonable, approved out of pocket expenses.

HELP US LAUNCH MINDSET — AND BUILD A SAFE, COMPLIANT, TRUSTED CHARITY FOR MEN & BOYS IN LONDON

We’re ideally seeking volunteers based in London, but we welcome passionate people from across England who can join virtually and help shape the future of a charity with huge potential.

We’re MINDSET Charity, a bold new start‑up in London on a mission to equip and empower men and boys with the tools they need for better mental health, stronger resilience and long‑term personal growth.

We’re building a stigma‑free movement — a space where men and boys can learn real, practical, non‑clinical skills that help them build better habits, better mindsets and better lives. From 1:1 Life Coaching, to 6‑ and 12‑week self‑improvement programmes, to school workshops for teenage boys, we’re creating something powerful.

And right now, we’re getting ready to launch — and we need a Compliance Officer who can help ensure MINDSET meets all its legal, regulatory and governance requirements as a small start‑up charity.

This role can be either a Trustee or Non‑Trustee position depending on your experience and preference.

YOUR IMPACT WILL BE HUGE

Joining MINDSET at this early stage means you’re not just “doing compliance” — you’re helping build the safe, responsible, legally sound foundation that allows us to operate with confidence and integrity.

Your leadership will directly influence:

• how safe, compliant and well‑governed our charity becomes;

• how smoothly we register and operate as a London charity;

• how strong our policies, procedures and systems are;

• how trusted we become by partners, funders and the community;

• how confidently we can grow, scale and deliver our programmes.

This is your chance to help build a charity from the ground up — shaping its compliance culture, its governance structure and its future.

THE ROLE: COMPLIANCE OFFICER (VOLUNTEER)

1. A detail‑focused guardian.
2. A steady advisor.
3. A champion for safe, responsible charity practice.

As our Compliance Officer, you’ll help build, oversee and maintain the systems that ensure MINDSET meets all its legal and regulatory obligations.

You’ll support the Founder, Leadership Team and Board (if you choose the Trustee route) with clarity, structure and compliance expertise — helping us operate safely, professionally and confidently.

This role is perfect for someone who is organised, responsible, structured and passionate about good governance and safe practice.

WHAT YOU’LL HELP US BUILD

1. Charity Compliance & Governance

• Ensuring we meet Charity Commission requirements.

• Supporting charity registration and ongoing obligations.

• Helping maintain strong governance and responsible decision‑making.

• Keeping compliance at the heart of our operations.

2. Policies, Procedures & Documentation

• Reviewing, updating and organising key policies.

• Ensuring safeguarding, data protection and health & safety compliance.

• Helping build clear, accessible documentation systems.

• Supporting best‑practice standards across the charity.

3. Risk Management & Accountability

• Helping identify and manage organisational risks.

• Supporting safe programme delivery across all activities.

• Ensuring volunteers understand compliance expectations.

• Strengthening accountability and transparency.

4. Operational Compliance Support

• Helping ensure our digital systems meet data protection standards.

• Supporting safe record‑keeping and information management.

• Ensuring compliance across programmes, volunteers and partnerships.

• Helping build systems future teams can rely on.

5. Trustee or Non‑Trustee Pathway

• Trustee Route: Provide compliance oversight at Board level.

• Non‑Trustee Route: Support compliance operationally without governance responsibilities.

• Choose the pathway that best suits your experience and comfort.

WE’RE NOT JUST LOOKING FOR ANYONE

We’re especially interested in people who:

• have experience in compliance, governance, regulation or quality assurance;

• are calm, structured and confident with detail;

• bring clarity, responsibility and strong judgement;

• care deeply about men’s mental health, wellbeing and personal growth;

• want to help build a charity from scratch;

• believe compliance is the foundation of safe, impactful work.

If you’re someone who loves strengthening systems, protecting organisations and building safe foundations — this is your moment.

JOIN TEAM MINDSET

Helping Men & Boys Build Better Lives.

LONDON

As the Guild has grown in the past few years, our risk management, financial controls, and body of policies and procedures have also matured. Following the scheduled departure of two trustees earlier this year, the Guild’s Finance Subcommittee is seeking to welcome an independent member with relevant skills to attend meetings and advise on financial matters to help us make good decisions effectively.

This voluntary role supports trustees and staff by providing independent insight, constructive scrutiny, and professional expertise on financial planning, budgeting, risk, and long-term sustainability. As a guest to Finance Subcommittee meetings, you will review financial information, contribute to discussions, and help ensure resources are used effectively to maximise our charitable impact for students.

The Finance Subcommittee currently consists of two elected Officers, two external Trustees, and may include a student trustee in future. Papers and reports are ordinarily provided by the Guild Director, who is a non-voting guest to Subcommittee meetings. The Subcommittee normally meets four times per year for around two hours.

Students’ Union experience is not essential, but we are seeking a volunteer able to operate within our distinctive context. We are particularly interested in applicants with experience in finance, accounting, audit, charity governance, or business management.