Intern volunteer roles in belfast

Intern Position Description

We're seeking twenty-five driven and resourceful Fundraising & Grant Writer Interns (Unpaid) to join and support our mission through strategic fundraising, grant applications, and investment.  This role is ideal for a self-starter who excels in a dynamic sales and marketing environment, striking a balance between independent work and collaboration.  You will play a key role in securing funding opportunities by supporting grant applications, refining pitch materials, and identifying potential funders and investors.

Our internships

Our internships are primarily designed for students and recent graduates seeking practical work experience to enhance their skills and career prospects.  If you are a foreign student, please check with your institution and seek legal advice to ensure compliance with the conditions of your student visa, as we don't give legal advice on student visas.

Duration:

Our internships can vary in length, ranging from six months to a year, with many lasting two years or more. Time commitment is 10-20 hours per week (flexible based on project needs).

Paid vs. Unpaid:

We only offer Unpaid internships due to financial constraints.  If you come from a low-income background or are a care leaver, please get in touch with us to discuss whether we can cover your expenses.

Intern Key Duties and Responsibilities:

Interns work under supervision and don't have full responsibilities.  You will combine studies and work to gain practical experience.

1. Grant & Funding Applications – Assist in searching, writing, editing, and submitting funding and grant proposals to secure funding.
2. Investment Opportunities – Identify and support AHO for investment programmes and funding opportunities.
3. Pitch Deck & Business Plan Enhancement – Edit and refine pitch decks, business plans, and executive summaries to make them funder and investor-ready.
4. Developing and executing marketing strategies involves researching target funders, donors, and investors; analysing market trends; and creating plans to reach potential customers. 
5. Managing marketing campaigns involves overseeing the creation of marketing materials, coordinating promotional activities, and managing budgets. 
6. Creating content involves writing website copy, blog posts, social media updates, and other marketing materials. 
7. Managing social media involves creating and scheduling posts, engaging with followers, and monitoring social media performance. 
8. Investment & Funding Sourcing – Research and identify potential investment funds and donor opportunities for AHO projects and programmes.
9. Content & Proposal Development – Tailor responses for funding applications and update existing materials to align with specific opportunities.
10. Analysing results: This involves tracking key performance indicators (KPIs) and reporting on the effectiveness of marketing campaigns

Training and Personal Development

We will enrol you on the following courses during your time with us:

1. Level 1: Award in Volunteering (Ofqual, Gateway Qualifications accredited)
2. Certificate in Grant Writing for Non-Profits (Training Express, CPD)
3. Graduate Certificate in Grant Writing (London School of International Business)
4. Professional Certificate in Healthcare Grant Writing, London School of Business and Administration
5. Workshops, webinars, and boot camps in fundraising and grant writing as part of your continuous professional development.

Qualifications and Experience

No prior experience in fundraising and grant writing is required, but you must possess the following to be accepted:

1. Qualification: Studying or a recent graduate in any subject at an accredited UK university or college
2. Communication: Excellent verbal and written communication skills are essential for interacting with funders, potential donors, and investors, as well as for creating marketing materials and communicating effectively with stakeholders. 
3. Persuasion and Negotiation: The ability to influence funders, potential donors, and investors and secure deals is crucial. 
4. Creativity: Developing innovative marketing campaigns and content requires a creative approach. 
5. Interpersonal Skills: Building rapport and establishing strong relationships with clients, colleagues, and other stakeholders is vital. 
6. Sales and Marketing Techniques: Understanding and applying various sales and marketing techniques to achieve targets. 
7. Product Knowledge: Having a thorough understanding of the products or services being sold. 
8. Analytical skills: The ability to analyse data and track campaign performance is crucial. 
9. Adaptability: Being able to adjust to changing market conditions and customer needs
10. Organisational skills: Managing multiple tasks and campaigns requires strong organisational skills. 
11. Pitch deck: Crafting compelling business plans and pitch decks
12. Accelerator and Investment: Completing startups for accelerators or investments
13. Copywriting: Strong copywriting and business writing skills with exceptional attention to detail
14. Time Management: Effectively managing their time and workload to meet deadlines. 

This is an excellent opportunity for someone passionate about fundraising, social impact, and business development.  If you're eager to apply your skills to drive meaningful change, we'd love to hear from you!

Position:                Research, Communications and Project Intern

Location:               UK home-based (remote)

Commitment: Flexible hours (voluntary)

About Lived Expert

Lived Expert, founded by Mark Johnson MBE, is a pioneering social enterprise focusing on harnessing the power of lived experience. We've led transformative projects in areas like addiction, homelessness, neurodiversity, and the justice system, and now seek an enthusiastic intern to contribute to our mission.

Role Purpose

As a Research, Communications and Project Intern, you'll play a supportive role in our dynamic team, helping to convey powerful stories and assist in project coordination. This is an excellent opportunity for someone passionate about social change and looking to gain experience in the social enterprise sector.

Key Responsibilities

1. Support Research Tasks: Help in data entry, collection and analysis.
2. Assist in Communications Tasks: Support in creating content for social media, newsletters, and other communication channels.
3. Project Support: Help in coordinating various projects, ensuring smooth operations and effective communication.
4. Consultation Assistance: Aid in gathering and analysing insight from peoples’ lived experience for ongoing projects.
5. Collaborative Work: Work closely with the team to support various initiatives and campaigns.

Person Specification

· A keen interest in social enterprise, research, communications, and project support.

· Strong written and verbal communication skills.

· Ability to work independently and as part of a team.

· Organised and detail-oriented, with a willingness to learn.

Benefits

· Gain valuable experience in communications and project coordination.

· Work remotely with a flexible schedule.

· Opportunity to contribute to impactful projects in a meaningful sector.

· Receive guidance and support from an experienced team.

Starfish is an international development charity aiming to bring life, hope and opportunity to children in South Africa who have been orphaned or made vulnerable through HIV/AIDS and poverty. Starfish are looking for an enthusiastic person who is passionate about international development with good writing skills. The internship will be varied and include: researching trusts and foundations, writing applications, sending out applications & reports, managing progress on a centralised calendar, using your initiative. The Starfish UK London office is fairly small and therefore you will become very much part of the team, being able to experience the operations of a dynamic international charity. This is a great opportunity to gain invaluable experience and enhance your CV. Desired experience - Use of Microsoft packages, organisational skills, good communication skills, research skills and the ability to work well in a team.

This position is for minimum 3 days a week, working from home with potential for supporting events in central London office. 

We are looking for new volunteers from all over Northern Ireland to be Speak out. Stay Safe Volunteers. You would visit primary schools local to you to help us protect a generation of children from abuse and neglect.

In 2022 the NSPCC's Speak out. Stay safe volunteers returned to primary schools. As a Speak out. Stay safe. volunteer, you will visit primary schools to deliver Speak out. Stay safe. workshops that teach children about the different types of abuse and how they can speak out and stay safe. Our Speak out. Stay safe. workshops are age-appropriate and memorable and need an energetic and enthusiastic person to deliver them. You’ll work alongside other Speak out. Stay safe. volunteers to make sure at the end of each session the children feel empowered and know who they can speak out to if they are worried.

If you are interested in volunteering as a Speak out. Stay safe. volunteer and want to find out more about the role, the next step is to attend a Volunteer Information Meeting, which is a fantastic opportunity to:

• Meet with staff as well as volunteers to ask any questions you may have
• Learn more about the application process and your volunteer journey

Our meetings are designed to help you decide whether you want to apply – there's no obligation or expectation that you'll apply if you attend one. At the meeting, you’ll also receive information on other ways you can become a supporter of the NSPCC.

For this role, we can only accept people over the age of 16. 

Interested in getting involved? Volunteer today and join our fight for every childhood

Here at Youth4Youth, we have grown a strong, tight-knit community of individuals who are passionate about making a difference and improving the lives of young people across the UK. Our growing team of volunteers all contribute, significantly, to the impact that we have as a charity on our direct beneficiaries, regardless of the department that they work in of the level of time that they are able to commit. Our services primarily offer a peer-support network to young people right across the UK, allowing them to access a peer mentor who is of a similar age to them and somebody that they feel more comfortable speaking with.

If successful, you will be joining a growing team of diverse, but likeminded individuals, collaborating to increase the reach of the Charity and improve support provisions available to young people. All of our volunteers and employees are remote workers, but that doesn't stop us keeping in touch and maintaining a strong positive culture amongst our whole team.

About the role

This is an exciting opportunity to join the Executive Leadership Team here at Youth4Youth to drive positive change in all things volunteer engagement. As an entirely volunteer run organisation, positive engagement with volunteers is absolutely fundamental in allowing Youth4Youth to achieve its mission. It is so fundamental that one of our overarching strategic goals is to ensure that all volunteers have a positive and meaningful volunteering experience when working with us. The Volunteer Experience Director will play a critical role in setting strategy and executing solutions to improve the overall volunteer experience. 

Responsibilities 

Short term objectives:

• Define the volunteering proposition for the Charity, helping new and existing volunteers to understand the impact of working with Youth4Youth
• Manage a project to understand gaps in volunteer engagement and experience, generating recommendations back to the ELT
• Develop a volunteer experience strategy that improves engagement and the overall volunteering experience of all involved with Youth4Youth

Overall objectives and responsibilities:

• Lead a team of volunteers who are involved in supporting a positive volunteering experience with the charity
• Develop and execute a volunteer experience strategy that seeks to attract, engage and retain high-quality volunteers into all teams across the charity
• Partner effectively with the broader charity leadership team to understand engagement challenges and implement solutions to close engagement gaps
• Report to the CEO and the Board of Trustees on any strategic progress made around improving volunteer engagement

Skills 

• Ability to manage complex projects, including the direct and indirect management and coordination of people resources
• Ability to understand complex problems and articulate solutions in a clear, concise and understandable manner
• Demonstrable blue-sky thinking that encourages the implementation of new solutions that may not have been considered before
• Ability to influence both with and without authority to drive positive and meaningful change at all levels and across all departments

Our mission is to continue to grow towards becoming one of the best charities in the UK. Our aim is to do this by building a diverse team, rich with different backgrounds and perspectives. Therefore, even if you feel you only are a 75% match, we would still love to hear from you. Skills can be learned, but diversity cannot.

Benefits of volunteering with Youth4Youth

We recognise that you will be joining us and giving your time as an 'in-kind' donation, but there must be benefits for you too. When joining our team, you will be open to the following benefits:

• Professional and personal development opportunities in a variety of skill areas through volunteering in real roles. This may be general development or tailored to your specific needs or ambitions
• Becoming a member of a strong network of likeminded individuals, spread across the UK, who you can connect with and collaborate with both within and outside of the Charity
• Access to bespoke discounts, specifically designed for non-profit workers and Youth4Youth volunteers
• Opportunities to truly shape the future of the Charity, having a direct influence over the impact that Youth4Youth has on its direct beneficiaries

The hiring process

Our hiring process typically has two stages 

1. Video or Written Application (when applicable) 
2. Interview with the Volunteering Coordinator for that role

Some roles will have extra stages but we’ll let you know as early as possible if so.

Please let us know if you require any accommodations for the interview process, and we’ll do our best to assist.

Do you want a career in the Charity Sector? Why not take part in our Virtual Career Taster Week!

The British Red Cross is offering a Career Taster week which will give you an insight into the world of work with world’s biggest humanitarian organisation and the charity sector. The week will include workshops, training and a virtual networking event at the end of the week!

Work experience placements give an opportunity to gain experience within different departments and an insight into the work of the British Red Cross.

The placement will run from the 17th November to 21st November 2025, from 10.00 - 13.00 each day. The sessions will be online via teams.

The scheme is predominantly open to young people aged 15- 25 year olds and there are 30 places available.

The week will cover the following:

• Induction to the British Red Cross: You will learn about the history of the movement, our work and fundamental principles as well as gaining First Aid skills.
• Career Development Workshop: In this workshop you will learn about career opportunities, be able to develop your CV and application writing skills as well as learn interview skills.
• Digital Media: You will learn about how to keep yourself safe online and what different annotations me in the social media world.
• International Humanitarian Law: You will learn about humanitarian law and what it means in today’s society.
• Networking Event: You will meet staff members from different teams and learn about their career journeys!

Are you a dog lover with room in your home to look after a dog during evenings and weekends? This could be the perfect role for you!

As a Training Dog Fosterer, you’ll provide a loving temporary home to a dog in training, typically for a period of 12 to 20 weeks, as they begin their journey to become a guide dog. You’ll get to see the progress your furry companion is making in their training and be a vital part of their journey, without the commitment of looking after a dog full time.

What you’ll be doing:

In this rewarding role, your support for a guide dog in training will include:

• Doing the school run for your dog in training! This will typically involve dropping them off and picking them up at an agreed time Monday to Friday at one of our regional centres or community teams, however, some sites may vary. There are some locations where we will be able to collect and return the training dog from your home. 
• Caring for your dog in your home such as feeding, grooming, free running and playing, following the advice of our expert staff.
• Helping your dog keep up with their training by reinforcing the techniques at home from our first-class training programme.
• Making sure your dog is not left alone for more than four hours in a 24-hour period. If you’re planning on going on holiday, let us know at your initial phone call so we can plan alternative cover for your future life changer.

Can I foster a dog?

If you’re hoping to foster a guide dog in training, here’s what we ideally look for:

• Being close to one of our regional centres or community teams so that your dog can get to their training. 
• The agreement of your landlord to have a dog in your home if you rent your home.
• A safe and secure area outside for the dog to go to the toilet.

However, we try to be flexible – for example, you’ll still be able to foster a dog if you live in London, even if you don’t have access to outside space. 

What you’ll get:

• The opportunity to have a lovable canine companion!
• The satisfaction in knowing you’re supporting people with sight loss to live actively, independently, and well.
• The rewarding feeling of seeing your dog learn new training techniques to help them develop into a guide dog.
• An insight into our bespoke world-class training programme so that your dog’s training stays consistent at home, which can also help you train your own dogs or advance in a future career in dog handling.
• The opportunity to be part of the Guide Dogs community, meeting like-minded people in your area.
• A dedicated volunteer manager and fellow peers who will help support you throughout your role.

Training and support

You’ll attend a training workshop to understand the basics of our bespoke training techniques so you can confidently support your dog’s training at home. You’ll also receive ongoing guidance from your volunteer manager. If you have questions about the training requirements, we can answer these at your initial phone call along with any other support or accessibility needs you may have.

Volunteering for Guide Dogs should never leave you out of pocket. We’ll make sure we pay any pre-agreed expenses related to volunteering with us, including veterinary costs, dog food costs and other materials needed for your dog’s training.

Minimum age for volunteer is 18.

We also have a respite fosterer role available in some areas, where a dog would stay with you full time before moving on to the next stage of its journey.

Please check out our website to see what roles are available where you live.

The treasurer is a vital role to the ongoing success of IBP as a not-for-profit community interest company as we push forward to fulfil our goals.

We need someone with the following qualities and skills to join our voluntary management board:

• Financial Literacy: Ability to understand and manage accounts, budgets, and basic financial reporting relevant to IBP’s main operations.
• Attention to Detail: Careful and accurate handling of records, ensuring compliance with legal and regulatory requirements for community interest companies.
• Organisational Skills: Efficient time management and record-keeping abilities, especially important when working voluntarily alongside other commitments.
• Communication: Clear, concise communication to report financial information to the management board, stakeholders, supporters, funders or regulatory bodies.
• Integrity and Trustworthiness: Strong ethical standards, as the role involves handling funds and maintaining the confidence of IBP’s stakeholders and the wider community.

Does this sound like you, or someone you know? Please apply today.

Time commitment: 1-2 days per month

Remuneration: Expenses only

Deadline for applications: 31 October 2025