Fundraising volunteer volunteer roles in london, england

Headline: TikTok - Community and Content Officer

Join us at Ickle Pickles, where a small but mighty team makes a significant impact through social media. We run organic campaigns across platforms like Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and X, leveraging CanvaPro to maximise our reach with minimal resources. Now, we're expanding our efforts to TikTok (and possibly BlueSky) to raise awareness about prematurity and connect with new audiences. We need your expertise in resizing, adapting, and manually reposting or scheduling our content on these platforms. To enhance community engagement, your role will also involve monitoring and responding to comments and organising collaborations with our supporters on TikTok.

Explore our TikTok business account (/@icklepicklescharity) to see our initiatives and envision how you can enhance our presence and impact.

Our long-term goal is to become a verified charity on TikTok. Achieving this milestone requires reaching 1,000 followers, allowing us to set up fundraising initiatives on the platform.

Skills Required:

• Proficiency in Canva (training available if needed)

• Experience with TikTok Creative Centre and/or video editing tools like CapCut or Canva

• Strong skills in writing and editing social media captions

• Eagerness to learn and embrace new challenges

What Success Looks Like:

Our TikTok journey begins with just 27 followers. Success means reaching a three-digit follower count, posting scheduled content weekly, and boosting engagement.

What we can offer:

• Remote and flexible working on your terms with a regular catch-up to stay connected

• Opportunity to be part of a small but ambitious charity, where you can use your creative skills to innovate and bring your ideas to life

• Help launch and grow a new social media channel for our charity, making a significant impact with just 4-5 hours per week.

• Receive references, CV-ready experience, and the opportunity to add creative assets to your portfolio.

Why does it matter?

Each year, over 90,000 babies in the UK are born sick or prematurely. Ickle Pickles is the only charity dedicated to helping hospitals raise funds for lifesaving equipment. We work with neonatal units and families affected by neonatal care across the country. By increasing our reach on TikTok, we can support more families, spread awareness of prematurity and ultimately, increase donations to fund life-saving equipment for premature and sick babies. 

We’re looking for a volunteer from August 2025.

We are looking for 3 experienced creative content writers who will enjoy planning, updating and delivering the content for our website, members magazine as well as other digital and print materials. We are looking for 3 skilled professionals who can write compelling and persuasive content, who will help ensure a consistent tone across all our digital and printed communications to promote awareness and engagement.

We deal with a wide range of people and professions, which means that it can be difficult to consistently communicate with everyone effectively. Therefore, a communication and marketing volunteer will help to market our projects, services and the condition more widely than we are currently able to do. This includes creating and helping to distribute marketing materials, creating content for the Burning Nights CRPS Support website and helping us create and develop a communications and marketing strategy.

Key Tasks and Objectives

• Copywriting: Create well-written and compelling copy for use on our website, members magazine, leaflets, one-page/fact sheets, fundraising/promotional materials and in our membership packs
• Case study writing and storytelling: Help communicate our impact via stories and case studies that we can use on our website, in marketing materials, or for our fundraising materials
• Web copywriting: Create and update engaging content for our website that adheres to our brand
• Communication materials review: Review our existing communications materials. Recommend edits that will provide us with consistency in writing style and tone, accurate spelling and grammar, and a clear and engaging voice for our organisation. Evaluate the way we communicate with volunteers, members of the public and helping us to develop better ways of doing this
• Social media snippets - create information and case study snippets for the various social media platforms
• Press Releases and any content that could be used in different channel
• Annual Review/Brochure writing: Create or update copy for a brochure or our annual review, highlighting our impact current and potential stakeholders

It Gets Better UK envisions a world where all LGBTQ+ youth are free to live equally and know their worthiness and power as individuals. We strive to tell the stories of LGBTQ+ people and to provide positive and reassuring messages to LGBTQ+ youth.

The It Gets Better Project was founded in 2010 in America. Since then, affiliated charities have been formed in over 20 different countries. We are now at the exciting stage of continue to grow and develop the UK affiliate having formally launched in October 2018.

Join our network of Regional Ambassadors to help promote It Gets Better UK, to inspire and engage with members of their local LGBTQ+ communities to get involved, and to help fundraise.

We're looking for volunteers UK-wide, particularly across Northern Ireland, Wales, Scotland, and parts of England (North East, North West, and South West). If you are not based in these areas but are interested in the role, you are still welcome to apply as the local role exists across the country. 

What will I be doing? 

We ask Regional Ambassadors to deliver four self-led regional actions per year, and to expect to be asked to be involved in more ad-hoc centrally-led actions and activities as these arise. Key activities include: 

• Raise awareness of It Gets Better UK and our work through talking to members of the LGBTQ+ community in your area, and on social media 

• Look after our information and fundraising stands at local events – most importantly, hosting an It Gets Better UK Pride stall in your local area. Members of the It Gets Better team will support you with sign-up admin and capacity on the day. So far, we're planning to attend Edinburgh Pride!

• Support other members of the It Gets Better UK volunteer team to deliver events in their area by adding capacity where possible, and within a distance that suits you – for example, helping out at a Pride stall run by another Ambassador nearby. 

• Deliver talks to local LGBTQ+ groups, community groups, schools etc about the work of It Gets Better UK and how they could help us achieve our goals 

• Inspire members of the LGBTQ+ community to add their own It Gets Better story to our work 

What skills/experience do I need? 

• Confident public speaker with excellent communication skills 

• Confident in crowds and talking to new people 

• Excellent organisational skills 

• Reliable and professional demeanour 

• A personal and friendly manner 

• Flexibility to be called upon when needed 

• An honest and trustworthy nature 

• A good knowledge of the local LGBTQ+ community 

What is the time commitment? 

This is a flexible role and the times will vary. Taking into account four self-led regional actions per year and ad-hoc centrally-led actions and activities, we recommend expecting to spend at least two hours a week on your role. We ask Regional Ambassadors to try to be available for Pride events over the summer: this means some half/full day activities over the summer period, usually on Saturdays. You’ll be able to sign up for days which suit you. Regional Ambassadors are appointed for up to two years. Regional Ambassadors will have a monthly online meeting with their It Gets Better UK point of contact. 

 
How will I be trained and supported? 

• You will receive a full induction into It Gets Better UK and to your role 

• You will have a named contact who will support you and answer any questions 

• You will join our international and UK networks of volunteers where you can share ideas, ask questions, and support one another 

What can I gain from volunteering with you? 

• The satisfaction that you are helping to inspire and empower LGBTQ+ youth 

• Being part of an international movement 

• The opportunity to use your existing skills as well as develop and learn new ones 

• It Gets Better UK will act as a referee for you after successful completion of your role 

• Reimbursement of any expenses incurred (with prior agreement) 

Where will I be based? 

This role is based within your local area, with some travel at your discretion and with expense reimbursement as pre-agreed.

How do I apply? Please complete our Regional Ambassador form on the website. We’ll then meet online for an introductory conversation, seek 2 references, and conduct a DBS check. Once these steps are completed satisfactorily, we’ll share our resources for you to read. 

About Us
We are a new and powerful Black-led Community Interest Company (CIC) committed to transforming the lives of Black British Caribbean individuals through radical truth-telling, storytelling, cultural healing, and justice. Our flagship platform is a podcast that provides a safe, supportive space for survivors of childhood sexual trauma in the Black British Caribbean community to speak their truth—uncensored, unapologetically, and with purpose.

We aim to remain free at the point of access for our community—no fees, no paywalls. To sustain our mission, we are building a foundation of long-term, strategic grant funding to cover our staffing, outreach, healing programs, podcast production, and more.

We’re now seeking a Strategic Grant Writer to join our founding team and help build the financial engine that drives this vital work.

Role Overview
This is a pivotal volunteer-to-permanent role ideal for someone who is highly experienced in grant writing or fundraising strategy and wants to be part of a revolutionary, culturally rooted mission. You will be responsible for building and implementing a sustainable grants funding strategy to ensure the organisation’s monthly operational costs are continuously covered through grants—from core costs to project funding.

This is not a short-term or one-off bid-writing role. We’re looking for someone who sees themselves as part of our long-term journey. Once funding is secured, this role will transition into a paid, full-time strategic position with competitive salary and creative freedom.

Key Responsibilities

Grant Strategy & Pipeline Development

• Design and implement a rolling grants calendar (monthly/quarterly cycles) to maintain consistent income.

• Research suitable grant opportunities from trusts, foundations, government funds, corporate social responsibility programs, and philanthropic funds.

• Write compelling grant applications that reflect the lived experiences, voice, and mission of the CIC.

• Maintain a master funding tracker including deadlines, submission statuses, and post-award reporting requirements.

Sustainable Income Planning

• Secure multi-year and unrestricted core funding for staff salaries, podcast production, outreach, and operational costs.

• Build a diversified portfolio of income sources to avoid reliance on a single stream.

• Contribute to the CIC’s 12-month and 3-year funding roadmap.

Relationship Management & Reporting

• Develop and maintain strong relationships with funders and stakeholders.

• Draft reports, budgets, and evaluation summaries for successful bids.

• Help develop case studies, impact statements, and community data that support future applications.

Collaboration & Communication

• Work closely with the Founder and Outreach & Partnerships Specialist to ensure funding goals align with service delivery.

• Attend monthly in-person CIC team meetings in London (refreshments and travel covered).

• Communicate progress, needs, and milestones transparently and collaboratively.

 Ideal Candidate

• You are an experienced grant writer or fundraiser with a strong track record of securing five- and six-figure funds from UK-based funders.

• You have a deep understanding of core vs project funding, unrestricted income, and funder priorities in the UK voluntary/charity/CIC space.

• You are familiar with funders such as: National Lottery, Arts Council England, Paul Hamlyn Foundation, Esmée Fairbairn, Tudor Trust, City Bridge Trust, etc.

• You are passionate about racial justice, trauma recovery, and systemic change—and can translate this into compelling narratives.

• You are a self-starter, capable of managing your time, working independently, and contributing to team-wide strategies.

• You are committed to seeing this project through and desire a long-term, principal role in the organisation.

⏰ Role Details

• Location: Remote (with monthly in-person meeting in Greater London)

• Time Commitment: Approx. 2-3 days per week to begin with, flexible hours

• Duration: 3–6 month volunteer phase, with pathway to full-time salaried employment

• Expenses: Travel & refreshments covered for monthly meetings

• Perks:

  • First access to paid leadership role as soon as funding is secured

  • Full credit and recognition across platforms

  • Access to CIC wellness and development programmes

  • CPD, mentoring, and professional endorsement

  • Influence in shaping a national movement of healing and truth-telling

 Why This Role Matters
This is not a fundraising job for a generic cause. It’s a rare opportunity to join a purpose-led cultural movement from the ground up. You will be the architect of a system that makes it possible to heal a generation—without barriers, bureaucracy, or silence.

We’re building something revolutionary. If you want to be part of it, apply today and show us your heart, your vision, and your strategy.

IAPWA (International Aid for the Protection & Welfare of Animals) is a UK-registered animal welfare charity dedicated to creating a better future for animals in need. 

Since our first project based in Borneo in 2009, we have helped over 50,000 animals across the globe. We provide a lifeline to dogs and cats every year in need of veterinary care and support via humane dog and cat population projects. We also provide aid to companion animals, working donkeys, and endangered wildlife.

As a small charity, who has big plans, we can’t do it without the support of volunteers and fundraisers.

That’s where you come in! - Join Our Team and Make a Difference!

Are you passionate about animal welfare and looking for a rewarding way to contribute? Become a key part of our monthly online auctions and help raise vital funds for our cause!

As a Donation Support Officer, you'll play a crucial role in collecting items for our auctions, which take place in our Facebook group each month.

What You'll Do:

• Engage your network: Reach out to friends, family, and colleagues to gather preloved items for auction. You’ll help give things a second life while raising funds for animals in need!

• Connect with your community: Tap into local Freecycle groups, social media, and even your neighborhood to find exciting items to auction.

• Reach out to businesses: Approach local businesses for new, unused donations. It could be products, services, or gift cards that can help boost the auction's success.

• Spread the word: Share the auctions within your network to encourage bidding and excitement around the cause.

Why Volunteer with Us?

• Make a real impact: Every item you help secure means more funds for our charity, which go toward animal care, rescue operations, and rehoming programs.

• Flexible commitment: You can volunteer from the comfort of your own home and set your own pace. We are looking for around 1-3hrs per week and while some tasks may be time sensitive the majority of the role will be flexible. 

• Support & Training: You’ll join a small friendly team and we will provide guidance to help you succeed in your role.

Yoga Stops Traffick is an international campaign to raise awareness of and funds for survivors of human trafficking in India. Every year thousands of yoga practitioners from all corners of the globe roll out their mats to stand in solidarity with young survivors. The funds raised from Yoga Stops Traffick help rescue and rehabilitate survivors of human trafficking, sexual and domestic violence, modern-day slavery, and child marriage.

We are seeking 2 enthusiastic volunteers to support Yoga Stops Traffick 2026. You will join a small but ambitious team with tons of passion, and you will have a real chance to see the impact of your work!

About this volunteer role

This is an administration support role so we will be asking you to carry out administrative tasks such as:

• Copying and pasting templated emails, personalising them and then sending them to yoga studios and teachers. 
• Compiling lists of yoga studios and teachers to contact.
• Updating trackers based on email responses.
• Responding to customer enquiries.

If the volunteer feels confident to, they might also be asked to do some social media, newsletter and website administrative work. And if they have ideas for how to improve the campaign further - they will be welcomed with enthusiasm!

What we offer in return:

• A supportive team to work alongside

• Training and induction from Adventure Ashram

• The opportunity to gain campaign experience at a small charity

• The knowledge you have made a positive difference to people’s lives

Requirements of role:

• Ideally a commitment of approx. 2-6 hours per week

• Equipment you need: Laptop/PC, Internet Access

Why we want you

Local groups across the UK are run by volunteers and offer friendship and support to people living with Parkinson's and their families and friends. Each group has a committee, who work together to plan the groups activities or fundraising - all in line with Parkinson's UK guidelines.

What you will be doing

• Keep up to date about the news and developments of Parkinson's UK more widely, sharing these with the group
• contributing ideas for fundraising, activities and speakers
• sharing experiences with the committee and connecting with the local community
• helping to prepare for and clear up after group meetings
• assisting at fundraising events and any activities arranged by the branch
• taking notes / minutes at meetings and events

The skills you need

• be a good communicator, as you will be working with a wide range of different people
• Honest; you'll know when to ask for help, or when tasks might be seen as less important, and able to share that with Parkinson's UK and your group
• be collaborative and team focused, as you will take part in regular meetings and discussions
• be motivated and reliable, and able to show patience and empathy when dealing with sensitive situations

What's in it for you

• Play a crucial role in the local Parkinson's community, making new friends and building connections
• You'll be part of a pioneering organisation, committed to finding a cure and improving life for everyone affected by Parkinson's - in your local area and beyond
• Gain valuable organisational, administrative and people skills

Disclaimer

It's important that people affected by Parkinson’s can trust us with their personal information. In this role you could be handling personal or sensitive data, so by undertaking this role you'll need to complete our Advanced Data Protection training. Your Parkinson’s UK staff contact can help you do this.

About Remus Horse Sanctuary

We are a charity in Essex that provides lifelong care for rescued horses, ponies, donkeys, and other animals. We promote animal welfare and responsible ownership.

Why Join Us?

Becoming a trustee is a chance to make a real difference. You’ll help guide the charity’s future, support animal welfare, and work with a passionate team.

What Trustees Do

- Ensure the charity serves the public good
- Follow legal and governance rules
- Act in the charity’s best interests
- Help shape strategy and monitor progress
- Represent and promote the charity’s values

Who We’re Looking For

We welcome all backgrounds, especially those with experience in:
- Fundraising (strategy, donor engagement, grants)
- Legal (charity or animal welfare law)
- HR (people management, safeguarding, volunteer coordination)

What You Need

- Strategic leadership experience
- Strong communication skills
- (Bonus) Knowledge of the UK charity sector

Commitment

- 3-year term (renewable up to 6 years)
- 4 board meetings per year (in Essex or online)
- Voluntary role (expenses reimbursed)

Person Spec

Essential

• Experience of guiding and directing an organisation at a strategic level during periods of pressure change and development
• Confident and effective communication skills

Desirable

• An understanding of the UK Charity sector and fundraising processes within this context.

Terms of office

• Trustees are appointed for a three-year term of office, renewal for three further terms to a maximum of six years.
• This is a voluntary position, but reasonable expenses are reimbursed.

Sooty, the nation’s much-loved bear and a true national treasure, has featured on RNIB’s collection boxes for over 50 years. Thanks to generous public support, these iconic boxes have raised more than £13 million in donations.

We’re looking for friendly, reliable volunteers to join our network of Sooty Box collectors. In this flexible role, you’ll help place new boxes and collect and bank donations from Sooty Boxes in local shops, cafés and other businesses in your area. Whether you volunteer on your own, with a friend or as part of a group, you’ll be making a real difference in your community.

You can give as much or as little time as you like and fit the role around your other commitments.

Please note: Volunteers are expected to use their own transport and ideally should have access to a car. Mileage or public transport costs will be reimbursed.

How often will I be needed?

• 1 Hours per Week

Key requirements

• Requires 2 references

Location

Region

• Northern Ireland, North West, North East, Yorkshire and the Humber, East Midlands, Greater London, Wales, South West, West Midlands, East of England, South East, Scotland

Additional location information

• We are particularly looking for volunteers in Ayreshire, Bedfordshire, Berkshire, Cambridgeshire, Cheshire, Devon, Derbyshire, Dorset, Essex, Gloucestershire, Gwynedd, Isle of Wight, Jersey, Kent, Lancashire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Merseyside, Norfolk, Northern Ireland, Nottinghamshire, Somerset, South Humberside, Staffordshire, Suffolk, Warwickshire, West Midlands, West Yorkshire, Wiltshire

Who this opportunity will suit

Minimum age

• You must be at least 18 years old to apply

What skills and experience are needed?

• • Good organisational skills • Trustworthy, enthusiastic and self-motivated • Willing to travel in and around your local area • Comfortable working independently • Able to send and receive emails

This is an exciting opportunity to join a charity at the very start and to make a difference in shaping how we move forward.

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 work with the trustees and the team to create campaigns that are relevant to the charity values, aims, goals and purpose in an engaging way.

The role of Campaigns Co-ordinator will focus on creating campaigns to raise awareness, income and engagement with our supporters, donors and people who engage with the charity.

This role will be key in ensuring that the message of the charity operations is translated to a wide audience, while also aligning with the ethos and charity objectives.

In this role you will work with all other teams in the charity, including funding, research, live experience and social media and communications, to establish, develop and create on brand campaigns.

Living Reasons feels that experience is not as important as passion, drive and creativity, we like to do things differently, so if you feel you could create engaging, far reaching campaigns that speak to wide audiences, please get in touch with us about this role, regardless of experience, we want our volunteers to grow and develop alongside the organisation.

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)

Location: Fully flexible / Remote – open to applicants anywhere in the UK
Time Commitment: Approx. 2 – 4 hours per month

About Us
Unseen Expeditions UK is a newly forming Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) supporting mission-led charities and expedition projects across the UK and internationally. Our flagship initiative, The Unseen Mile, is a 4.5-year journey covering 25,000 miles across 37 countries. Through this and future projects, we aim to inspire, raise awareness for important causes, and share unique storytelling and learning experiences from the field.

We are currently recruiting our initial trustee board to help launch and register the charity.

Role Overview
We are seeking a General Trustee to join our board, support strategic decision-making, and help ensure effective governance. This is a key role in shaping the charity’s early operations, supporting registration, and contributing to the delivery of our mission.

Key Responsibilities

• Attend quarterly trustee meetings (in person or virtually) and participate in board decision-making

• Support governance, strategy, and operational planning for the CIO

• Contribute ideas, experience, and skills to help the charity grow

• Assist with compliance, reporting, and adherence to charity law and CIO regulations

• Support trustee recruitment, induction, and development as needed

Person Specification & Requirements

• Interest in charity governance, mental health, and expedition-led projects

• Willingness to work collaboratively with a small, remote trustee team

• Commitment to the mission and values of Unseen Expeditions and its partnered charities

• Comfortable working remotely and communicating online with a UK-wide board

• UK-based (required for legal trustee responsibilities)

• Approx. 2 - 4 hours per month commitment (more during start-up if possible)

• Basic tools for communication (email, phone, video calls)

What You’ll Gain

• Opportunity to help shape and govern a new, high-profile charity from launch

• Hands-on experience in charity leadership and governance

• Contribution to awareness-raising and adventure-led impact projects

• Recognition for your role in mission-driven initiatives, including The Unseen Mile and future projects

• Flexible, fully remote role within a passionate, purpose-driven team

This is an exciting opportunity to join a charity at the very start and to make a difference in shaping how we move forward.

Who are we looking for?

At present we are working to secure funding that will see us through our first year, and the role of the Social Media and Communications Co-ordinator will play a key role in this.

If you are well versed in social media, have experience or a passion for communicating with wide audiences across pretty much all social media platforms, this is a role for you.

Living Reasons, at the core of what we want to achieve, doesn't just value experience from employment but from personal experience and based on you as a person, everything else comes from the relationships built and trust given to each other and we want to learn from you, just as much as you will learn from us.

You will work with the volunteers and trustees to create engaging content that focuses on the current needs of the charity and in the first 3-6 months will be very much focused and 2 areas - fundraising and communicating the charity message and gaining support for the charity as we establish ourselves. We want to do things differently, so there are no boundaries other than legal requirements and ensuring we stick to the charity values, which, as you will see, are very much about making change and doing things differently.

Living Reasons – What we are planning, who we are and where we are now:

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)

If you think you would enjoy this role, please apply, we want to hear from you!

Sevenoaks Welcomes Refugees (SWR) is a local community based charity fully managed and staffed by volunteers. We started welcoming and supporting refugees arriving in Sevenoaks district from 2017 onwards. Across the district we provide varying levels of support to a little over 50 refugee families, made up of just over 80 adults and 70 children.

Our mission is to ensure that refugees are truly welcomed into Sevenoaks District. We support their journey to social integration and economic independence by working directly with them and others in providing language training, household goods, social activities and supporting access to public services, employment, education and housing.

We are looking for 2 new Trustees to join SWR's warm and welcoming experienced Board of Trustees. Specifically, we are looking for individuals with experience in the following: the Not for Profit sector, Education, Public sector, Strategy & Management, Diplomacy & International Aid.

SWR Trustees are responsible for the full range of Trustee duties including strategic oversight of SWR, financial accountability (we have a dedicated treasurer), planning and monitoring, transparency and accountability, safeguarding and wellbeing of refugees and volunteers, along with oversight of the Volunteer Leadership Team, the operational committee that is responsible for the day-to-day provision of services for refugees and volunteer tasking, training and wellbeing.

In addition to the formal Trustee role, most of our Trustees also undertake management roles to ensure the effective functioning of the charity. Trustees most usually work with, and manage teams of volunteers, on specific functions that include: public outreach; recruitment; safeguarding; fundraising; communications and planning.

Would you like to support people who have served in the Armed Forces? You just need the ability to listen, strong IT skills and good written and spoken English. If you think this could be the role for you, we’d love to hear from you.

What is a Caseworker?

Caseworkers visit clients to work out what type of support they need. You will listen without judgement to assess and provide tailored support to help those serving, who have served and their families to navigate life in and beyond military service. Some examples of support are securing funding for special equipment for someone with a disability, adaptions to a property so an older client can remain at home or funds for a rental deposit. Caseworkers also sign-post clients onto specialist local services for advice on benefits, housing, mental health, debt, finding work etc.

Why do we need you?

We’ve been supporting the Armed Forces community since 1885. Our clients come from all backgrounds and age groups and may have served in WW2 or in a more recent conflict like the Falklands or Afghanistan. We’d love the general public to understand what we do and how they can help us.

There are SSAFA branches throughout the UK and overseas who support local volunteers to deliver services to veterans, serving personnel and their families. Some branches are divided into smaller divisions to ensure the best local service delivery. Each branch has a team of volunteer caseworkers, support volunteers, executive roles, and fundraisers.

Volunteer Caseworkers are the lifeblood of SSAFA, supporting a growing number of people in need of financial, practical, and emotional support. Clients come from all backgrounds and age groups and may have served in WW2 or in a more recent conflict like Iraq or Afghanistan.

When would you be needed and where would you be based?

The essential part of the role is visiting clients, so you will need access to a vehicle or another way to travel to meet clients at home or in a care home setting. As part of your local branch, you might have access to an office, but you can complete the administration part of the role from home as long as you have access to IT equipment and the internet.

What would you be doing?

• Contacting beneficiaries and arranging to meet them at a mutually convenient time.
• Meeting beneficiaries and completing a form to assess their circumstances, using good communication skills, empathy and understanding.
• Sign-posting clients onto local services providing specialist advice.
• Applying for funding on the behalf of the beneficiary through a specific process and system  
• Arranging for the purchase of goods and services
• Keeping the beneficiary informed of their case progress.
• Liaise with the branch and regional office, regarding your availability.
• Keeping up to date with training and SSAFA news so that you are best able to support clients.
• Being a positive ambassador for SSAFA remembering that anyone you meet could be a potential client, volunteer, or fundraiser.
• Volunteering within the standards and values of SSAFA
• Adhering to SSAFAs policies and procedures at all times, including safeguarding, volunteering policy, equality, diversity and inclusion, health and safety, data protection and confidentiality.  

What can you gain from this volunteering role?

• Use your skills, knowledge, and life experience to benefit others.
• Support from your local SSAFA branch and the wider SSAFA community
• Experience, training, and skills that you can highlight on your CV and in job interviews.
• Better physical and mental health – studies show that volunteers live longer and experience lower levels of stress and depression!

What training and support would you receive?

• Role specific training to prepare you for your voluntary role – confidentiality and boundaries, personal safety, caseworker training, and caseworker IT system training. The caseworker training takes 3 days and a further half a day for the other training.
• Mandatory on-line training modules to complete at home, so you are up to date on how to keep clients, their families safe and personal information safe.
• Access to a range additional e-learning courses as well as local opportunities for your personal and professional development.
• Local induction including assigning a person from the team who will be your main point of contact.
• Regular opportunities to meet and share best practice with other caseworkers.
• Range of support from central and regional volunteer operations team.
• Reimbursement of out-of-pocket expenses
• Volunteers will be covered by SSAFAs Public Liability Insurance whilst carrying out the role.

What are we looking for?

• Friendly and approachable with good listening skills, patience, and a positive attitude.
• Good communication skills both written and verbally.
• Respectful and non-judgemental approach with beneficiaries, their family, other agencies and SSAFA colleagues
• Willingness and ability to use IT systems for initial and on-going training and to enter cases on the Casework Management System. Willingness and ability to send and receive emails – you will receive your own SSAFA email address which you will be required to use when exercising your role.
• Ability to make enquires on behalf of beneficiaries by phone, email, letter or by filling in forms.
• Ability to keep within boundaries of the role with regards to friendship or giving advice
• Reliable, prompt and trustworthy.
• Access to public transport or a car to travel to appointments with clients.

We welcome volunteers of all backgrounds, abilities, races, sexual orientations, socio-economic backgrounds, and of all faiths and none. SSAFA are committed to making reasonable adjustments to support volunteers with disabilities, so they have access to the same opportunities and experiences as volunteers who do not.

Minimum Age: 18

Safer Recruitment: SSAFA undertakes a systematic approach and utmost care at every step of the process of volunteer recruitment, selection, and retention to ensure that those recruited are suitable and appropriate. Measures taken at points along this journey work together to make volunteering at SSAFA a positive and safe experience.

References Required: Yes. We will ask for two character references, this can be a former employer or someone that know you well (other than a relative)

Is a criminal record check required? Yes, this is provided by SSAFA at no cost to the potential volunteer. This role requires an enhanced check (including checks against the children and adults barred list)

*A disclosure certificate that contains convictions, cautions, warnings, reprimands, or other information may not automatically mean that you are not able to volunteer. All certificates will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis and, where possible, a modified or alternative role will be offered.