Information and advice volunteers volunteer roles in harlow, essex
Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as applications come in. They're ready to hire as soon as they find the right person. Don't miss your opportunity, apply now!
"Be the Change, Fill the Bucket!"
Join us for bucket collections at Tesco stores across Northern Ireland on 27th and 28th June and help make a difference in our community. We are looking for enthusiastic volunteers to be the face of Mencap, inspiring the community to get involved in raising vital funds. As a bucket collection volunteer, you will engage with shoppers, share information about Mencap, and collect donations to support people with learning disabilities. Your friendly interaction and visible presence at store entrances will encourage giving and promote awareness about our mission. Volunteering for bucket collections is a rewarding experience that makes a real impact. Join us and be part of the change!
As a Mencap Volunteer you will be:
- Friendly and Approachable
- Reliable, Kind and Patient
- A good communicator (including listener)
- Willing to volunteer within guidelines and to take direction where necessary
- Accepting of others who might be different to yourself
As a Mencap volunteer you will:
- Make new friends
- Reasonable out-of-pocket expenses in line with our policy e.g. travel
- Full Training and support
- Volunteer alongside our experienced Fundraising team
- A chance to give back your local community
About Mencap
Mencap is the leading learning disability charity in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. We work with people with a learning disability and their families to challenge prejudice and change laws, and we directly support thousands of people to live their lives as they choose.
We have an ambitious vision for the UK to be the best place in the world for people with a learning disability to live happy and healthy lives.
Volunteering with us is YOUR opportunity to help us achieve this, whilst having the chance to develop your skills, meet new people and join a passionate and dedicated team.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Using Anonymous Recruitment
This organisation is using Anonymous Recruitment to reduce bias in the first stages of the hiring process. Submit your application as normal and our system will anonymise it for you. Your personal information will be hidden until the recruiter contacts you.
Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as applications come in. They're ready to hire as soon as they find the right person. Don't miss your opportunity, apply now!
The Great Autistic CIC is Newly-Founded and exists to tackle rising mental health concerns, hypermobility, inadequate support systems, limited awareness and inclusion, educational barriers and community disconnection faced by neurodiverse individuals, particularly those with autism and learning difficulties.
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We believe that every neurodiverse brain has its own superpowers. Our organisation turns challenges into opportunities by offering tailored educational support, creative social activities like art clubs and nature walks, and strong advocacy that gives voice to those with autism. We’re a community built on lived experience and on a mission to help every unique individual shine.
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Are you a creative whiz with a knack for web design? Do you want to make a real difference in your community?
The Great Autistic CIC is looking for a passionate and talented Volunteer Web Designer to join our team! We're a friendly bunch dedicated to supporting the autistic community, and we need your help to make our online presence shine.
What You'll Be Doing:
- Help us create a beautiful and user-friendly website: We want our website to be a welcoming and informative space for everyone.
- Work on exciting projects: You'll get to use your design skills on real projects that make a difference.
- Learn and grow: We're a supportive team, and you'll have the chance to develop your skills and learn new things.
What We're Looking For:
- Someone with a passion for web design: Whether you're a beginner or a pro, we'd love to hear from you!
- A friendly and reliable person: We're looking for someone who's easy to work with and committed to helping out.
- Someone who's kind, honest, and understanding: We value these qualities in all our volunteers.
What You'll Get:
- The chance to build your portfolio: Showcase your skills and experience with real-world projects.
- Connect with a wonderful community: Meet new people and make a difference.
- Feel good about giving back: Your work will help us support autistic individuals and their families.
Interested: please email us!!
and tell us a bit about yourself and why you'd like to volunteer with us!
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as applications come in. They're ready to hire as soon as they find the right person. Don't miss your opportunity, apply now!
Our challenge
The Community Fundraising Team is an integral part of The Charity Fundraising Portfolio, with an income target of £3.6 million in 2024/25 and the team consists of Community Fundraisers based across the UK. Our role is to provide fundraising advice and support to our DIY individual fundraisers, Supporter Groups, Community Organisations and Regional Corporates.
How can you help?
We are recruiting a team of Community Fundraising Volunteers to help us provide our amazing DIY individual fundraisers with the best possible experience when contacting The Charity for information or fundraising advice. We want to be able to engage with our fundraisers and respond to queries efficiently, whilst also spotting further fundraising opportunities
for our expert team of regional Community Fundraisers.
As part of a team of Community Fundraising Admin Volunteers, you’d help us to:
• Manage the Community Fundraising Team inboxes.
• Respond to our Fundraisers by their preferred choice, including phone, email etc.
• Identify opportunities for further engagement by the relevant Regional Community Fundraiser.
• Update our CRM with details of the Fundraiser, their DIY event and any action taken in response to their contact with us.
What impact will you have?
You’ll play a vital role in the Community Fundraising Team, helping us provide the best possible experience to our fundraisers.
We’re looking for...
Someone who is passionate about The Charity and our vision. You’ll also need to be:
• Proficient with IT— including CRM software & MS Outlook
• Confident and friendly with strong written and verbal communication skills
• Able to identify new opportunities to raise awareness and funds
• A good team player who understands the importance of collaboration
The Brain Tumour Charity is committed to promoting diversity and inclusion in all aspects of our organisation. We particularly welcome applications from individuals belonging to minority ethnic groups, LGBTQ+ communities, people
with disabilities, and other underrepresented communities.
What can you gain from volunteering?
• You’ll have the opportunity to utilise your existing skills, while developing and learning new ones to take forward into the future
• You’ll join a friendly, passionate team and develop an understanding of how this team at The Charity operates.
Time commitment
We’d ideally be looking for volunteers to commit to volunteering for one day per week (either one full day or two half days), as ideally we are looking for cover across the full working week. The role is home based.
Practical considerations
You will receive a full induction to The Brain Tumour Charity and specific training for the role, as well as ongoing direction from one of our Senior Community Fundraisers, who will be your key contact. We carry out reference checks for all individuals who will be volunteering with us on a regular basis. Volunteers may be required to complete some internal data protection and disclosure documentation before commencing the role. Volunteers must be over 18. We encourage volunteers to claim for any reasonable expenses that are incurred in the course of their volunteering with the Charity.
Need support with the application process?
We are committed to being inclusive and recognise that there may be a number of ways we could support you through the application process. If there’s any adjustments we can make to help you fully engage in the process, please do get in touch.
The Brain Tumour Charity is the world’s leading brain tumour charity and the largest dedicated funder of research into brain tumours globally.



The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as applications come in. They're ready to hire as soon as they find the right person. Don't miss your opportunity, apply now!
The role: Our scholars are eager to meet graduates and professionals who can support them in achieving their ambitions. Mentors are mainly responsible for providing support and career advice to pupils. Mentors must also be committed to supporting us at our events, which take place in the evenings and on Saturdays throughout the term. These events include our scholar enrichment days, our parent and pupil information sessions and our volunteer social events which are held in London.
Availability: Mentors must be available for approximately 2-3 hours a month to meet with their mentee, and discuss via phone, email or in person. There is a minimum commitment of one year (three terms).
In addition to this, you will need to support a minimum of 2 events throughout the year. Enrichment and skill-building events for our scholars usually take place in the evenings and at weekends, with events ranging from 2-8 hours in length.
Location: Mentoring sessions and events can take place online or in person.
Responsibilities:
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Working collaboratively with parents to give students guidance and advice on how to achieve their aspirations
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Informing pupils of opportunities to them so that they can achieve their aspirations
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Meeting with pupils for one to one mentoring sessions
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Supporting pupils with university, sixth form or job applications
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Monitoring and reporting on each pupils progress
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Giving feedback to parents and programme coordinators
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Working collaboratively with other tutors and mentors
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Supporting at events including:
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Collaborate effectively with other volunteers within the events team
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Assist with setting up and clearing up at events
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Support workshop facilitators with managing groups of young people or parents
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Assist with the coordination of lunch or refreshments for attendees
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Assist the event coordinator with ensuring the health and safety of attendees and overall risk management at events
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Give feedback to the event coordinators and programme managers at the end of each event.
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Person specification:
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Be passionate and committed to tackling educational inequality
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Enjoy working with children and young people
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Be educated to a minimum of degree level or equivalent
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Possess strong communication skills both written and verbal
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Be punctual and organised
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Be able to remain calm under pressure
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Have excellent time management skills
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as applications come in. They're ready to hire as soon as they find the right person. Don't miss your opportunity, apply now!
Befriending Volunteer
You can make a difference…Age UK Wandsworth is a small, local, independent charity that has been working with older people in the area since 1963. We rely on your support to keep serving the older residents with in the Wamdsworth community. We have a dedicated team of experienced staff and a large network of dedicated local volunteers. Our aim is to enable everyone to age well in Wandsworth. We would love your help to be able to continue to support older Wandsworth residents.
Our Be-a-Friend service is one of our longest running services, matching people over 65, who live alone and have limited social contact, with a friendly local volunteer with similar hobbies and interests. The volunteer and their new friend set up a suitable time for them to meet each week for a chat and a cup of tea, which could be during the day, in the evening on the way home from work or even on the weekends . If you would prefer to volunteer from home, you can also be matched with an older person for telephone befriending. For many of our matched pairs, this is the beginning of a firm friendship.
Befriending Plus
Befriending Plus is an extended version of the Be-a-Friend programme, for individulas needing help with life admin and small tasks as well as companionship. For Befriending Plus pairs, time spent together can include helping to use a phone or tablet, helping the client to organise their file, going out for a coffee or popping to the post office together. This support can help older people to stay independent at home for longer, as well as increasing their confidence to do these tasks when the volunteer is not there.
Our mission is to help older people to age well in Wandsworth.


The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as applications come in. They're ready to hire as soon as they find the right person. Don't miss your opportunity, apply now!
About us: GT Scholars is a charitable social enterprise that tackles educational inequality by giving ambitious young people the support, skills and strategies they need to achieve aspirations. We run a wide range of programmes that help young people achieve their academic and career aspirations, particularly those from less-privileged backgrounds.
What makes us different? We run tutoring, mentoring & career insight programmes that help our scholars, aged 11-18, discover their strengths, develop their mindsets and design their own futures.
There are many charitable organisations and social enterprises offering programmes to improve the life chances of young people.
However, our programmes use a unique 3:1 model which means that we’re able to sustainably use our profits to provide additional places on our programmes, to young people from low income homes.
We believe that all young people are gifted and talented, regardless of their background.
Our mission is to empower and develop the next generation of leaders and change-makers and we’re looking for volunteer tutors that are passionate about making a difference in young people’s lives!
If you are an undergraduate or graduate, you could make a difference by joining us as a volunteer tutor. As a volunteer tutor, you’ll need to:
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Have a passion for helping children and young people
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Provide online one-to-one tutoring support for 1 hour week
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Build pupil confidence in Maths.
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Have strong subject knowledge (confident enough to tutor up to GCSE)
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Work collaboratively with other tutors and mentors
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Have a minimum of an undergraduate degree or be working towards this
Volunteer tutoring can be extremely rewarding and volunteers with GT Scholars benefit from:
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A flexible schedule - you can choose online tutoring hours to suit your schedule
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The chance to grow your contacts and meet like-minded volunteers
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The chance to make a real difference in the life of a young person.
Additional information: We’re looking for tutors that can commit to a minimum of 2 academic terms of volunteering.
We will need to conduct reference checks and you will need an Enhanced DBS for this role as you will be working directly with children. We can process this for you or you may submit one if this is less than 3 years old.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as applications come in. They're ready to hire as soon as they find the right person. Don't miss your opportunity, apply now!
About us: GT Scholars is a charitable social enterprise that tackles educational inequality by giving ambitious young people the support, skills and strategies they need to achieve aspirations. We run a wide range of programmes that help young people achieve their academic and career aspirations, particularly those from less-privileged backgrounds.
What makes us different? We run tutoring, mentoring & career insight programmes that help our scholars, aged 11-18, discover their strengths, develop their mindsets and design their own futures.
There are many charitable organisations and social enterprises offering programmes to improve the life chances of young people.
However, our programmes use a unique 3:1 model which means that we’re able to sustainably use our profits to provide additional places on our programmes, to young people from low income homes.
We believe that all young people are gifted and talented, regardless of their background.
Our mission is to empower and develop the next generation of leaders and change-makers and we’re looking for volunteer tutors that are passionate about making a difference in young people’s lives!
If you are an undergraduate or graduate, you could make a difference by joining us as a volunteer tutor. As a volunteer tutor, you’ll need to:
-
Have a passion for helping children and young people
-
Provide online one-to-one tutoring support for 1 hour week
-
Build pupil confidence in Science.
-
Have strong subject knowledge (confident enough to tutor up to GCSE)
-
Work collaboratively with other tutors and mentors
-
Have a minimum of an undergraduate degree or be working towards this
Volunteer tutoring can be extremely rewarding and volunteers with GT Scholars benefit from:
-
A flexible schedule - you can choose online tutoring hours to suit your schedule
-
The chance to grow your contacts and meet like-minded volunteers
-
The chance to make a real difference in the life of a young person.
Additional information: We’re looking for tutors that can commit to a minimum of 2 academic terms of volunteering.
We will need to conduct reference checks and you will need an Enhanced DBS for this role as you will be working directly with children. We can process this for you or you may submit one if this is less than 3 years old.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as applications come in. They're ready to hire as soon as they find the right person. Don't miss your opportunity, apply now!
About us: GT Scholars is a charitable social enterprise that tackles educational inequality by giving ambitious young people the support, skills and strategies they need to achieve aspirations. We run a wide range of programmes that help young people achieve their academic and career aspirations, particularly those from less-privileged backgrounds.
What makes us different? We run tutoring, mentoring & career insight programmes that help our scholars, aged 11-18, discover their strengths, develop their mindsets and design their own futures.
There are many charitable organisations and social enterprises offering programmes to improve the life chances of young people.
However, our programmes use a unique 3:1 model which means that we’re able to sustainably use our profits to provide additional places on our programmes, to young people from low income homes.
We believe that all young people are gifted and talented, regardless of their background.
Our mission is to empower and develop the next generation of leaders and change-makers and we’re looking for volunteer tutors that are passionate about making a difference in young people’s lives!
If you are an undergraduate or graduate, you could make a difference by joining us as a volunteer tutor. As a volunteer tutor, you’ll need to:
-
Have a passion for helping children and young people
-
Provide online one-to-one tutoring support for 1 hour week
-
Build pupil confidence in English.
-
Have strong subject knowledge (confident enough to tutor up to GCSE)
-
Work collaboratively with other tutors and mentors
-
Have a minimum of an undergraduate degree or be working towards this
Volunteer tutoring can be extremely rewarding and volunteers with GT Scholars benefit from:
-
A flexible schedule - you can choose online tutoring hours to suit your schedule
-
The chance to grow your contacts and meet like-minded volunteers
-
The chance to make a real difference in the life of a young person.
Additional information: We’re looking for tutors that can commit to a minimum of 2 academic terms of volunteering.
We will need to conduct reference checks and you will need an Enhanced DBS for this role as you will be working directly with children. We can process this for you or you may submit one if this is less than 3 years old.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as applications come in. They're ready to hire as soon as they find the right person. Don't miss your opportunity, apply now!
The Programmes & Services department keeps our organisation running. Our team work directly with volunteers by offering them support.
Our Programmes & Services department is divided into four roles. Each of these roles reports to our Programmes & Services Manager. Our four roles are:
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People Coordinator
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Volunteer Engagement Coordinator
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Referrals Coordinator
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Training Coordinator
Key tasks and responsibilities
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Track the attendance of all volunteers.
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Maintain friendly relationships with caseworkers.
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Be the first point of contact for queries from volunteers and signpost to the relevant team/person.
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Support the accessibility needs of volunteers attending in person or online.
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Organise socials for the organisation.
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Feedback volunteer experiences to the management team.
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Support the People Coordinator to ensure the smooth onboarding and offboarding of volunteers.
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In person attendance on Saturdays is compulsory but there is no expectation of remote work throughout week.
Using Anonymous Recruitment
This organisation is using Anonymous Recruitment to reduce bias in the first stages of the hiring process. Submit your application as normal and our system will anonymise it for you. Your personal information will be hidden until the recruiter contacts you.
At PAS we believe that everyone has the right to be treated fairly, properly and with respect. Prisoners can be ‘ out of sight, out of mind’, or considered to not be as deserving of good treatment as other people – but not for PAS; our reason for existing is ensuring that prisoners can fully exercise their rights.
It is my privilege to be Chair of Trustees for PAS, I believe that the work we do is fundamental to my belief that we judge our society by the way in which we treat the most vulnerable people. Contrary to popular culture, prisoners are some of the most vulnerable, neglected people in our society, and I am proud to be a part of an organisation that helps to protect them.
My fellow trustees are an impressive group of people, actively engaged with PAS, who energise me whenever I meet with them. However, our numbers have dwindled over the past year, as it can been difficult for people to fit in the demands of being a trustee around their busy lives. We also very sadly lost one of our most long-standing trustees to cancer – he is still sorely missed by us.
If you feel that you could offer your skills and experience, but most importantly your commitment and enthusiasm to our cause, we would be very interested in considering you joining us as a new Trustee.
As a Trustee, you will contribute to the strategic governance of the organisation and the setting and monitoring of overall policy; refine strategic priorities; agree targets and budgets; evaluate organisational performance and help the organisation fundraise.
Meetings take place quarterly in central London in the evening (with some virtual attendance), with additional attendance requested at Awaydays and PAS’s Annual Lecture and debates.
The Board encourages applications from candidates with disabilities or experience of mental health services, as well as black and minority ethnic applicants and ex-prisoners.
PAS does not accept Home Office or Prison Service money as this may affect its independence.
Trustees are volunteers, but travel costs and reasonable expenses will be reimbursed.
The Prisoners’ Advice Service (PAS) is the only independent registered charity dedicated to offering free legal advice and representation to adult prisoners on their rights and prison rules in England and Wales.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as applications come in. They're ready to hire as soon as they find the right person. Don't miss your opportunity, apply now!
Amy’s Place is a partnership between the Amy Winehouse Foundation and Clarion Housing, providing supported living accommodation for young women aged 18-30 in recovery from drugs, alcohol and other addictive behaviors.
An enthusiastic, reliable and compassionate volunteer with good interpersonal skills and a desire to help others. The volunteer must be a fully qualified Dietitian or Nutritional Therapist and have training and/or experience working with individuals with eating disorders.
Activities
- Supporting the nutritional needs of young women with health issues on a limited budget.
- Providing support with meal planning, cooking skills, food safety, and day-to-day problem solving around food and eating.
- Providing wisdom and accurate nutrition education around healthy eating for the individual.
Qualifications/ Experience
- Must be a fully qualified Dietitian or Nutritional Therapist.
- As many of the residents have eating disorders it is essential for the volunteer to have training and/or clinical experience working with individuals with eating disorders.
- Must have professional liability insurance and be a member of a professional body ie. HCPC, BANT
- This role requires us to carry out a check through the Disclosure and Barring Service for the Enhanced DBS
Commitment
This is a flexible opportunity and volunteering times and frequency will vary depending on the volunteer’s availability and the needs of the residents. We recommend weekly one-to-one sessions for a minimum of 3 months.
Support
- Volunteers receive a thorough induction and have access to any relevant in-house and external training
- Reasonable travel and lunch expenses will be reimbursed
- The role is based at the service in East London. The exact address cannot be given until the volunteer starts due to safety and privacy reasons.
Are you an experieniced Nutritionist? Are you able to volunteer a few hours a week?
Yes? We’d love to hear from you.
We're looking for an experienced nutritionist to help us design a catalogue of recipes that help reduce anxiety and in turn improve mental health.
What is knus?
knus is the UK’s first free, confidential, mental health peer support and coaching online chat service. knus offers mental health educational plans, relaxation experiences and live workshops.
What does knus mean? 'hug' in Danish.
Here’s some further information on what’s needed:
Are you over 18 and living in the UK?
You must be over the 18 years of age and live permanently in the UK.
Do you have a laptop?
A laptop and a quiet space to volunteer is essential.
How much time can you give?
A minimum of 2-4 hours per week is required. We are flexible and like to work around you.
Do you like to learn?
We provide training for all volunteers that join us.
If you’re interested head over to our website and we can have a chat or apply here.
Please note - all successful volunteers are required to pay the cost price of £20.60 for an Enhanced DBS check. If you've got a current Enhanced DBS on the update service or in receipt of benefits, this cost will not apply.
You must be a UK resident to apply for this role.
To always be ‘by your side’ when you need mental health peer support.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as applications come in. They're ready to hire as soon as they find the right person. Don't miss your opportunity, apply now!
The Role
As a Flyer Distributor you will play a crucial role in helping to raise awareness about our services and events within the Enfield community. You will be responsible for disseminating promotional materials such as flyers, brochures, and event announcements to various locations within the Enfield area.
- Distribute promotional materials provided by Age UK Enfield to designated locations across the Enfield area. This may include community centers, libraries, local businesses, healthcare facilities, and other relevant locations.
- Engage with members of the public in a friendly and courteous manner while distributing flyers. Answer any questions they may have about Age UK Enfield's services and provide basic information about upcoming events or initiatives.
- Keep accurate records of the locations visited and the quantity of promotional materials distributed. Report back to the supervisor on to provide updates on distribution progress.
- Act as an ambassador for Age UK Enfield by promoting the organisation's mission, values, and services to the community. Help to increase brand recognition and visibility within the local area.
General Key Skills:
- Ability to work independently without constant supervision.
- Comfortable with walking and standing for long periods in various weather conditions.
- Maintaining professionalism and addressing public inquiries effectively.
- Reliable attendance and punctuality, with a strong sense of responsibility.
Time Commitment
2-4 hours Between 10 am - 2 pm (there are other volunteer opportunities available)
Requirements
A DBS Enhanced check will be required. Training to be provided around safeguarding.
Other Information
Please note: It is a unpaid position however travel costs and other volunteering expenses will be covered.
We're a local charity working in the community to support older people, their families and carers. We want everyone to be able to love later life.



Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as applications come in. They're ready to hire as soon as they find the right person. Don't miss your opportunity, apply now!
The Listening Place is a volunteer-led charity aiming to transform how we support people who feel suicidal. Our trained volunteers are part of a team delivering face-to-face, confidential, ongoing support to thousands of people each year. They help create the warm and welcoming environment that encourages people struggling with suicidal thoughts and feelings to talk openly without being judged or given advice.
Helping Volunteers are responsible for welcoming visitors onto our premises, providing a warm and welcoming atmosphere (along with a cup of tea), and supporting our Listening Volunteers to help everything run smoothly.
We are looking for volunteers who have the empathy to greet distressed visitors, the willingness to undertake a variety of admin and other tasks and the resilience to support their team. Our HVs need to be proactive, self-starters and team players with a basic understanding of IT. We ask for a weekly commitment of four hours for a period of at least six months.
We are primarily recruiting Helping Volunteers for our new site near Liverpool Street. We also have limited vacancies available at our other sites in Hammersmith, Pimlico and Kings Cross.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as applications come in. They're ready to hire as soon as they find the right person. Don't miss your opportunity, apply now!
Hackney Migrant Centre (HMC) is seeking to recruit a Vice-Chair to support our work and ensure financial and organisational stability as we implement our newly developed Strategic Plan for 2025-2028.
HMC was established in 2007 to provide advice and support to migrants to help them overcome problems with their immigration status and in accessing services. We welcome all migrants, of any immigration status or nationality. As the environment facing migrants has become ever more challenging, we have expanded the scope of our work. Our staff team has increased from one part-time worker in 2007 to a team of eight people, some part-time, and we now have a budget just under £450,000 a year.
We provide legal advice and casework support on immigration, housing and welfare, working with visitors to resolve the problems forcing them into destitution and homelessness, such as insecure immigration status and lack of access the public funds. We also, in partnership with local organisations and a team of volunteers, provide wellbeing support and regular community building sessions, including advice and support on accessing a GP and dealing with charges for hospital care.
This is an opportunity for someone with previous Board experience to support the Chair to coordinate and lead the Board of Trustees and make an important contribution to the work of this well-respected local charity at a crucial time in its development. We welcome applications from people from a range of backgrounds and experience who would be happy to take up this exciting challenge. We are particularly keen to recruit trustees from the Global Majority, those with lived experience of migration and/or the UK’s hostile immigration environment.
The role of Vice-Chair
The Vice-Chair of the trustee board supports the Chair in fulfilling their responsibilities and provides leadership to the board in the Chair’s absence. This is a developmental role for someone who is interested in transitioning into the Chair role in future, and who can provide additional capacity, insight, and leadership to the organisation as it navigates an increasingly challenging environment for migrants and the voluntary sector.
The Vice-Chair has the general responsibilities of a trustee to ensure the financial sustainability of HMC and that it is carrying out its work for the public benefit in line with its charitable objects. Decisions affecting the running of HMC and its finances will be taken by the board as a whole, either at the board meeting or if urgent via email. The Vice-Chair does not have individual decision-making responsibility or power (but does have a deciding vote at board meetings).
The specific duties of the Vice-Chair include the following:
Trustee meetings
• Support the Chair to agree the agenda (with the secretary and in consultation with the CEO) of trustee board meetings, sub-committees and other meetings where relevant.
• Attend and contribute to all trustee meetings and chair meetings in the absence of the Chair.
• Support the Chair in ensuring that key decisions are discussed and agreed, and that all trustees can participate fully. • Assist with the follow-up of actions and implementation of decisions as agreed with the Chair.
• Support the development and induction of new trustees, and help identify training and support needs.
Communication with staff
• Work closely with the Chair and be available as an additional point of contact for the CEO and staff, particularly when the Chair is unavailable.
• Support the Chair in providing supervision and pastoral support to the CEO, contributing to wellbeing check-ins and performance appraisal processes where appropriate.
• Contribute to the development and oversight of key organisational priorities, including equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI), fundraising, and sustainability.
• Attend staff recruitment or disciplinary panels as needed.
Public role and organisational development
• Support the Chair in representing HMC externally at public events and meetings, and deputise where necessary.
• Assist in the preparation of public communications, statements, and events.
• Act as a signatory for bank accounts and contracts when appropriate, particularly when the Chair is unavailable.
Succession and transition
• The Vice-Chair will be supported to become familiar with the full breadth of the Chair’s responsibilities over time. • They may take on specific duties or projects in agreement with the Chair and board, as part of their development.
• In the event the Chair steps down, the Vice-Chair may act as interim Chair and will be encouraged to apply for the role if appropriate.
The specific duties attached to the Vice-Chair’s role may change and/or be taken on by another trustee by agreement of the board as a whole.
Being a Trustee of Hackney Migrant Centre
The trustees of Hackney Migrant Centre play a vital role in the organisation. They are responsible for ensuring that that its services are maintained and developed for the benefit of its visitors, in line with HMC’s ethos and objectives. HMC staff are responsible for the day-to day running of HMC’s services but trustees work closely with staff in discussing and deciding on policy issues, staffing developments and campaigning, overseeing finance and fundraising to ensure that the organisation is sustainable and in monitoring the impact of HMC’s services. Our trustees are recruited according to our Trustee Recruitment Policy. We welcome trustees from a variety of backgrounds to ensure that a broad range of skills and experience are represented. Trustees are encouraged to gain first-hand experience of the work of HMC but regular volunteering is not a requirement.
For more information, please refer to the Recruitment Pack