Housing and homelessness volunteer volunteer roles

Position Title: Language Programme Lead
Reporting to: Volunteer Leadership Team - Chair
Organisation: Sevenoaks Welcomes Refugees (SWR)
Location: Sevenoaks Town and surrounding areas within the district council area
Time Commitment: 3 hours per week
Remuneration: Voluntary Position (Expenses Reimbursed)

Organisation Overview
Sevenoaks Welcomes Refugees (SWR) was founded in 2017 and became a registered charity in 2019. Initially focused on supporting Syrian refugees resettling in the Sevenoaks district under the UK Government Resettlement Scheme, SWR’s mission has since expanded to assist 16 refugee families from Syria and Afghanistan, as well as 50 Ukrainian families. In 2023-24, SWR raised over £70,000 to further its work, collaborating closely with local councils and partner organisations to achieve its objectives. With seven trustees, 110 active volunteers, and a supporter base of approximately 750 people, SWR is poised for a new phase of growth.

Role Overview:
As the Language Programme Lead, you will provide leadership in developing and delivering tailored language learning plans for refugees from Syria, Afghanistan, and Ukraine. Your role is crucial in promoting independence and successful integration into society for these individuals and families, aligning with the charity’s strategic objectives.

Key Responsibilities:
● Manage the delivery of language support tailored to the individual needs of each refugee through a team of 30 or so well-motivated language volunteers, usually, but not always operating one to one. This team have delivered at least 8,000 hours of language support since the charity started.
● Be actively involved in the recruitment of new language volunteers as required.
● Oversee necessary training for language volunteers and develop the promotion of best practice across the language programme group.
● Arrange for initial assessments on the arrival of all new families into the area and producing suitable teaching programmes that link with whatever other family support is required and what other stakeholders are providing.
● Work with the Volunteer Leadership Team to provide an effective overall support for our refugee beneficiaries.
● Liaise with key stakeholders such as Kent Adult Education(KAE), and the Kent ESOL Networking Group to maintain good relationships that support the provision of our language programme.

Qualifications
A working knowledge of ESOL and associated exams and qualifications would be beneficial.
Driver’s licence and access to a car would be extremely useful, given the geographical spread of the beneficiaries in the wider Sevenoaks area. This is not a role that can be performed online.

Impact and reward:
The Language Programme Lead will play a critical role in empowering refugees to achieve greater independence and integration within their new communities. You will help our refugee beneficiaries gain the language skills, confidence, and vocational training necessary to navigate daily life, access employment opportunities, and participate fully in society. You will play a big role in transforming the lives of refugees. In some cases of refugees who are illiterate in their own language, this will be genuinely life changing.

About Lived Expert

Lived Expert, founded by Mark Johnson MBE, is a pioneering social enterprise that harnesses the power of lived experience to drive social change. We've led transformative projects across addiction, homelessness, neurodiversity, and the justice system. As we grow our digital presence, we're looking for a creative, organised intern to take the lead on our social media output and help us tell powerful stories to wider audiences.

Role Purpose

As our Social Media Intern, you'll own the day-to-day running of Lived Expert's social media channels — planning content, scheduling posts, and helping build a consistent, impactful online presence. You'll work with the team to develop a content calendar organised around monthly themes (e.g. addiction, housing, abuse, neurodiversity) and create storyboards that bring our work to life across platforms. This is a brilliant opportunity for someone who's passionate about social impact and wants hands-on experience building a social media operation from the ground up.

Key Responsibilities

1. Content Planning & Strategy
   • Develop and maintain a monthly content calendar built around key themes aligned with our work.
   • Create storyboards and content plans that map out messaging, visuals, and posting schedules.
   • Help shape a coherent social media strategy that grows our reach and engagement.
2. Content Creation & Publishing
   • Produce and schedule at least one post per day across all channels (LinkedIn, Instagram, X/Twitter, Facebook, etc.).
   • Write compelling copy, source or create visuals, and adapt content for each platform.
   • Support the production of short-form video, graphics, and story-based content.
3. Platform & Tools Management
   • Use scheduling and management tools (e.g. HubSpot, or similar) to streamline publishing across channels.
   • Help set up and maintain a reliable system for cross-platform posting and Facebook ad campaigns.
   • Track engagement metrics and produce simple performance summaries to guide what's working.
4. Digital Support
   • Assist with email list management, newsletter content, and web updates where needed.
   • Support lightweight automations (e.g. content approval flows, engagement tracking).
   • Create short "how-to" guides so social media processes are transferable to the wider team.
5. Team Collaboration
   • Work closely with the founder and project team to align social content with organisational priorities.
   • Contribute ideas for campaigns, awareness days, and amplifying lived experience voices online.

Person Specification

We're looking for someone who is:

• Social media savvy — you understand how different platforms work and what makes content perform well.
• Creative and organised — able to plan ahead with a content calendar while producing quality posts consistently.
• Comfortable with tools — experienced with (or eager to learn) scheduling platforms, HubSpot, Canva, Google Workspace/Microsoft 365, and basic analytics.
• A clear communicator — able to write concise, engaging copy and document processes.
• Self-motivated and detail-oriented — able to work independently in a remote team and keep things running to schedule.
• Interested in social impact — motivated by amplifying the voices of people with lived experience and helping meaningful work reach more people.

Benefits

• Hands-on experience building a social media presence for a growing, purpose-driven social enterprise.
• Remote work with a flexible schedule.
• Opportunity to shape strategy, not just execute — your ideas will matter here.
• Support and guidance from an experienced team, plus a practical portfolio of real-world social media work.

Application Instructions

Please send us:

• Your CV
• A short cover letter (max 1 page) telling us: 
  • Why you're interested in Lived Expert and this role.
  • Examples of social media work, content creation, or digital tools you've used to build an audience or improve a process (from study, work, volunteering, or personal projects).
  • What you're hoping to learn and contribute during the internship.

We are seeking to appoint a voluntary Trustee for our charity who will also take up the role of Company Secretary.

As Company Secretary, you will:

• Liaise with and support the chair and other trustees in organising meetings and taking minutes.
• Ensure the trustees are aware of their legal and regulatory responsibilities.
• Maintain the register of members, trustees, directors, and secretaries.
• Prepare and file annual returns and other statutory documents with Companies House and the charity regulator.
• Help us maintain compliance with charity regulations and governance standards.

We're looking for someone who is:

• Well-organised.
• An excellent communicator.
• Passionate about our mission.
• Committed to upholding the highest standards of governance

About Maidstone Homeless Care:

Maidstone Homeless Care is a well-established charity supporting homeless and vulnerable people in the Maidstone area . We run an active day centre, busy food bank and a small residential unit supporting homeless people. 

We have one formal evening meeting each month . The role of trustee is a voluntary role and consistent support is available from the trustee group as well as appropriate training.

If you're looking for a rewarding volunteer opportunity where you can use your skills to support a vital cause, we'd love to hear from you.

Position Title: Family Liaison
Reporting to: Volunteer Leadership Team - Family Support Lead
Organisation: Sevenoaks Welcomes Refugees (SWR)
Location: Swanley or able to travel to Swanley
Time Commitment: 1-2 hours per week
Remuneration: Voluntary Position (Expenses Reimbursed)

Organisation Overview
Sevenoaks Welcomes Refugees is a local charity formed in March 2017. We are a small and growing charity, whose volunteers and supporters have come together to welcome and help support the refugees who have fled the fighting and persecution in Syria, Afghanistan and Ukraine, and are now resettling in our community.
Starting with just one refugee family, we have expanded our efforts over the years and are proud to have supported about 50 families as they settle and rebuild their lives in our community.

Purpose of Role:
Would you like to make a crucial difference for the better to the life and welfare of a refugee family as they settle into life in Britain helping them to achieve independence and social integration in their new surroundings? As a Family Liaison, you will be a vital friendly link and mentor for the family to help them navigate through difficulties that they may encounter on their path to independent living in our district. It is a very important and rewarding role.
Key Responsibilities: ● Where the family is new, help them to settle in and pass on requests for help and equipment. ● See over the welfare and requirements of the family which will change incrementally over time. The level of support should gradually diminish as the family becomes more independent. ● Liaise with local government support workers (Refugee Council) as needed while the family is still receiving support from them. ● Liaise with the team around the family - general support, language and education - so that they work together; moderate a Whatsapp group for all volunteers supporting the family, whatever their role. ● Encourage and monitor the family’s path to independence ● Liaise with Education, Language and Employment specialities.
● Keep the Volunteer Leadership Team (VLT) Family Support Lead up to date as needed.
Skills & Qualities Needed

You need to be:
● compassionate, patient, and non-judgmental
● good at communication
● organized with good attention to detail.
● flexible and adaptable to different family needs and cultural backgrounds.
● reasonably IT literate
It would help if you had a background in health, teaching, social services or other service related charities - BUT it is not essential, a practical attitude is needed.

Time and location
The weekly commitment might be 1-2 hours particularly initially, tapering down as the families become more independent. This is not an online job and the family is located in Swanley.

Support & Training Provided As well as general training for SWR volunteers on the essentials such as safeguarding and cultural awareness, we run workshops to find out more about how we can help children in their path through education, language learning and other matters that may be relevant. The VLT will ensure that the Family Liaison has support and backup as required and a mentor will be appointed to help a new Family Liaison in the initial stages of taking up the role.

Connection Support has a range of services providing support to people at risk of homelessness or on the edge of needing social care. We work with people made vulnerable through debt, mental health issues, substance misuse, learning disability, and physical disabilities.

Volunteers play a key role in the provision of vital services to our clients.

Could you prevent loneliness and isolation in your community and become a befriender?

• Do you have 2-3 hours a week to give to a client suffering from loneliness or mental health? (For a mutual agreement of time and locations that meet clients’ needs)
• Can you offer support, through a listening ear and be a positive influence in a client’s life to help build self-esteem and confidence?
• Will you enable our clients to benefit from knowing someone is there to listen, be a friend, and check in on their wellbeing?

If you can answer ‘yes’ to these questions, then we would love to hear from you!

Key responsibilities

Your role will include, but is not restricted to the following tasks:

• Carry out weekly checks with the clients you are supporting. This can be in a variety of settings, e.g., family home, support home, or in the community (via face-to-face meetings, phone or video calls)
• Have fun, take clients on outings, and maybe share a hobby, sport, or an interest
• Collect prescriptions for clients and assist with their weekly shop
• Help clients rediscover social skills and confidence by building up and maintaining a close relationship
• Report any concerns to the Volunteer Coordinator

Skills required

No qualifications or volunteering experience is required; however, the below skills are essential:

• A non-judgemental approach
• Good listening and communication skills
• Reliable and trustworthy
• Respect confidentiality
• Be able to work on own initiative
• Ability to build effective working relationships with clients in a non-patronising way

Connection Support has a range of services providing support to people at risk of homelessness or on the edge of needing social care. We work with people made vulnerable through debt, mental health issues, substance misuse, learning disability, and physical disabilities.

Volunteers play a key role in the provision of vital services to our clients.

Could you prevent loneliness and isolation in your community and become a befriender?

• Do you have 2-3 hours a week to give to a client suffering from loneliness or mental health? (For a mutual agreement of time and locations that meet clients’ needs)
• Can you offer support, through a listening ear and be a positive influence in a client’s life to help build self-esteem and confidence?
• Will you enable our clients to benefit from knowing someone is there to listen, be a friend, and check in on their wellbeing?

If you can answer ‘yes’ to these questions, then we would love to hear from you!

Key responsibilities

Your role will include, but is not restricted to the following tasks:

• Carry out weekly checks with the clients you are supporting. This can be in a variety of settings, e.g., family home, support home, or in the community (via face-to-face meetings, phone or video calls)
• Have fun, take clients on outings, and maybe share a hobby, sport, or an interest
• Collect prescriptions for clients and assist with their weekly shop
• Help clients rediscover social skills and confidence by building up and maintaining a close relationship
• Report any concerns to the Volunteer Coordinator

Skills required

No qualifications or volunteering experience is required; however, the below skills are essential:

• A non-judgemental approach
• Good listening and communication skills
• Reliable and trustworthy
• Respect confidentiality
• Be able to work on own initiative
• Ability to build effective working relationships with clients in a non-patronising way

Unify is building a social impact platform that helps get direct, practical support to people who need it most — with dignity, transparency, and real-world usability at the core.

We’re looking for a Senior Developer / Tech Lead (Volunteer) to guide the build, unblock the team, and help us ship a solid, scalable product. This is a light commitment (2–5 hours per week), but a high-leverage role: you’ll be working closely alongside the founders and our Product Manager.

What you’ll do (2–5 hrs/week)

• Lead engineering direction: keep the build clean, pragmatic, and shippable.

• Review PRs and raise code quality (architecture, security, performance, maintainability).

• Help prioritise technical work with the founders + Product Manager.

• Support and mentor a small volunteer/dev team (light-touch guidance, not heavy management).

• Set up or improve engineering foundations (CI/CD, environments, observability, release process).

• Identify risk early (security, data handling, scalability) and propose solutions.

What we’re building

• A production product with real users and real-world constraints.

• A platform where trust, safety, and reliability matter as much as features.

Tech stack

MERN stack

• MongoDB (database)

• Express.js (backend framework)

• React (frontend)

• Node.js (runtime / API layer)

What we’re looking for

• Senior-level software engineering experience (ideally with leading small teams or acting as tech lead).

• Strong product sense: you can balance “build it right” with “ship it”.

• Comfortable in ambiguous, early-stage environments.

• Solid judgement around security, data handling, and best practices.

• A collaborative communicator who can keep things calm and moving.

Nice to have (not required)

• Experience with marketplaces, payments, identity/verification flows, or credit/voucher systems.

• Experience setting up CI/CD, testing strategy, and deployment pipelines for MERN apps.

• Previous work in startups, charities, civic tech, or social impact.

Why join (and what you’ll get)

• Real ownership and influence — your decisions shape the product.

• Work directly with the founders + Product Manager.

• A mission-led build where shipping matters and the work is tangible.

• Flexibility: async-first, lightweight weekly rhythm.

Time + format

• Volunteer: 2–5 hours per week

• Remote / hybrid (where relevant)

• Async-first with a short weekly check-in

Interested?
Send a short note with your background + links (GitHub/LinkedIn/portfolio) and we’ll set up a quick chat

A Peer Mentor is a volunteer who has experienced similar challenges and experiences as the person they are supporting. Being a peer mentor is seen as a positive and secure way to progress towards education, work, or employment.

Volunteers who take on peer support roles can feel empowered, have a greater confidence and a more positive sense of identity.

Could you provide an authentic voice that our clients can relate to?

· Do you have 1-2 hours a week to support a client

· Can you inspire others, give them hope through self-disclosure and by being an example of recovery?

· Build relationships based on trust, acceptance, understanding and an empathy from a shared lived experience?

· Can we rely on you to tap into your own experiences to help us identify barriers and gaps in our services and how we can be improving and identify good practice?

If you can answer ‘yes’ to these questions, then we would love to hear from you!

Key Responsibilities:

· Inspiring service users by using your own life experiences and by being a positive role model

· Providing a safe sounding space, listen in a non-judgemental way

· Helping to improve wellbeing, confidence, and independence by exploring activities that promote this

· Assist service users to engage with formalised support

· Attend appropriate training and development opportunities as required

Do you want to help the youth of today become the lifesavers of tomorrow? We're on a mission to teach young people across the country how to save lives. It's a chance for them to learn important first aid skills in a fun, friendly, and safe environment. 

St John is one of the largest youth organisations in the country and many of our young volunteers go onto careers in health and/or social care.

Being a youth volunteer helps young people develop skills and confidence that go on to help them with further education and university applications. To do this we need dedicated and enthusiastic youth helpers. Do you have 2 hours in an evening, once a week during school term times to join our fun loving youth team supporting and developing our young inspirational volunteers? No matter what your interests: Crafting, Singing/Dancing, History, Science or caring for people/animals, we welcome you to join us. 

Full training is provided. This is a great opportunity to develop your own skills, knowledge and build on your CV. All whilst having fun, making friends and supporting your community. 

Our Badger programme gives children aged 5-10 years of age the chance to learn first aid, play games and develop a wide range of skills in a safe and supportive environment. We currently have vacancies in the following areas: Monday evenings South Normanton Tuesday evenings Hucknall If you’d like to know more about volunteering or would just like to chat to someone who does, get in touch. 

As a youth helper there is a requirement for you to attend weekly meetings, at least 2 per month, during term time. The Badgers meet on Tuesday evenings at Hucknall. Relevant training for the role will be given.

The closing date for this advert will be 31/05/2026

Interview - dates and time, locations to be advised

Are you passionate about helping older people to live well in later life?  Are you able to give your time, expertise and skills as a Trustee to support our charity in its hugely important mission?

This is a fantastic opportunity to join the board of an impactful and influential charity, supporting older residents in Sutton by providing valuable advice and support services regarding health, finances and wellbeing.

A trustee role can be hugely fulfilling, as well as helping you to develop and utilise strategic leadership skills, and work with a diverse and  dynamic team.

We are looking for trustees who can bring their own unique experience and expertise to support the effective governance of our charity, in particular in areas such as data and digital, commercial experience, and knowledge of the health and care sector. An understanding of charity governance, fundraising or an accountancy qualification would be beneficial.

Who are Age UK Sutton?

Age UK Sutton is a small independent charity dedicated to helping older people in our community to live well in later life. We are a network partner of Age UK, the influential national charity, and benefit from membership of a network of similar independent charities across the UK. We deliver a mixture of social and community activities while influencing strategy in Sutton. We provide vital information, expert advice and practical support. Our work enables older people to make informed decisions on finances, health, care, and wellbeing, and enables greater social connection and independence.

Location: Sutton, South West London (and online meetings)

Time Commitment:

• Quarterly Board meetings, three-hour Board meetings held virtually on Teams (twice a year), and alternately face-to-face meetings
• Quarterly Committee meetings (2-3 hours): Fundraising and Enterprise and / or Quality and / or Finance, Risk and Audit (most trustees are expected to attend 2 of the 3 standing subcommittees)
• Trustees with the capacity to do so also have the opportunity to support occasional projects or short-term working groups, supporting the CEO and wider leadership team.

Duration: A 3-year term (may be extended for two further 3-year terms)

Final closing date: Tuesday 1 April

�� BOARD EXPECTATIONS (Applies to ALL Members)

Every GLF board member plays a direct role in the success and sustainability of the organisation.

�� Core Expectations

• Fundraising Commitment:
  Every board member must actively participate in fundraising campaigns, donor outreach, and sponsorship drives.
  Each member is required to make a personal monthly donation to the organisation (amount optional but meaningful).

• Time Commitment:
  Minimum of 20 hours per month, including board meetings, subcommittee work, fundraising events, and strategic planning.

• Ambassadorship:
  Represent GLF publicly as a visible ambassador at community events, speaking engagements, and networking functions.

• Governance & Accountability:
  Ensure the organisation operates ethically, transparently, and in alignment with its mission and legal obligations.

• Strategic Leadership:
  Contribute skills, knowledge, and professional networks to advance the organisation’s growth, partnerships, and visibility.

• Passion for the Mission:
  Demonstrated commitment to supporting children, teenagers, and single-parent families experiencing hardship.

�� OVERALL BOARD MEMBER BENEFITS

• Prestige: Founding member of a ground-breaking national social enterprise.

• Networking: Exclusive access to philanthropists, public officials, and corporate leaders.

• Leadership Development: Gain board-level governance and strategic experience.

• Impact Legacy: Directly shape programs that provide homes, hope, and opportunity for hundreds of lives.

• Visibility: Public recognition through GLF website, media, and national campaigns.

• Personal Fulfilment: Be part of a purpose-driven organisation changing the narrative for children and families in need.

�� IDEAL CANDIDATE PROFILE (For All Roles)

We are looking for leaders who are:

• Deeply passionate about social impact, youth empowerment, and family stability.

• Professionally experienced (1+ years) in their area of expertise.

• Team players who bring creativity, positivity, and initiative.

• Connected and influential, willing to open doors and amplify GLF’s message.

• Dedicated, committing time, expertise, and monthly donations.

Position: Board of Director - Program & Impact Expert (Unpaid Volunteer Role)

Reports to: Board Chairperson

Location: Hybrid (remote + in-person events as needed)

Purpose: To oversee program design, evaluation, and delivery quality.

Key Responsibilities:

• Guide development of youth and family support programs.

• Ensure alignment between mission, outcomes, and measurable impact.

• Oversee safeguarding and quality assurance standards.

• Provide expertise in social work, education, or community development.

• Mentor staff to maintain high ethical and service standards.

Requirements/Skills:

• Background in social work, education, youth engagement, or nonprofit program management.

• Strong understanding of safeguarding, wellbeing, and inclusion.

• Data-driven mindset with empathy and creativity.

Benefits:

• Direct influence on the lives of vulnerable youth and families.

• Leadership in creating innovative, measurable community impact.

• Recognition as a founding architect of transformative social programs.