Early years volunteer jobs

Registered Veterinary Nurse

Contract: Permanent, full time (42 hours Monday-Friday) 

Salary: £27,681 - £30,000 per annum (plus £3,954 London Weighting Allowance)

Location: Hammersmith animal hospital, W6 0RQ 

Closing date:  Sunday 22nd February 2026

Interview dates: W/C 2nd March 2026
 

We’re looking for a friendly, caring Registered Veterinary Nurse to join our close knit team at our Hammersmith Animal Hospital. You’ll be working with a group of dedicated and talented veterinary professionals who genuinely support one another, delivering excellent care to a wide variety of small animals. From routine nursing to emergency work, no two days are the same and there are plenty of opportunities to build confidence, develop new skills and grow in your role.

More about the role

Blue Cross animal hospitals and pet care clinics provide veterinary treatment to sick and injured pets when their owners can’t afford private veterinary fees. Our vet care is available to pets whose owners receive certain means-tested benefits and live within the catchment area of one of our animal hospitals or pet care clinics.   

Our Hammersmith hospital is a compact, quirky site with lots of character which first opened in 1922; we’re very proud of its history. Despite its size, it’s well equipped with digital and dental x-ray, ultrasound and a mini-lab for in-house testing and microscopy, which we actively encourage nurses to get involved to develop these skills. We have separate dog and cat wards, a dedicated room for euthanasia to ensure privacy and dignity and a designated reception team so clinical staff can stay focused on patient care.

You’ll be joining a small, welcoming team where communication really matters. We start each day with short, informal mini-meetings to share updates and we hold monthly whole-team meetings where everyone’s voice is encouraged. We use award-winning clinical guidelines to support practical, evidence-based decision-making, always putting patient welfare first and we value open conversations and shared learning in a safe, non-judgemental environment.

We also understand the emotional demands of veterinary work and the importance of looking after each other. Wellbeing champions and Mental Health First Aiders are based at all our hospitals, helping to create a culture where people feel supported, listened to and able to be themselves. 

Working hours

This is a full-time, permanent role offering a good work–life balance, with weekday hours of 8:30am to 5:00pm. You’ll work Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 8:30am to 5:00pm and Wednesdays from 9:00am to 5:00pm, with a one-hour lunch break. We’re also happy to consider part-time applicants looking to work four days per week, with days discussed at interview. 

Weekend shifts are worked on a rota basis at our Victoria site, averaging around 7–8 weekends per year. 

About you

As a Veterinary Nurse, you will be confident and capable in delivering excellent nursing care for a range of small animals, providing both emergency and routine healthcare. Our Veterinary Nurses work alongside Veterinary Surgeons to promote animal health and welfare through responsible ownership and play a key role in the education of pet owners.  

The ability to work as part of a team and effective communication skills are really important, often you will be the first point of our clients, forming strong bonds with them to ensure improved animal health and welfare.

We’d love to hear from applicants who bring a passion for supporting and developing student veterinary nurses, ideally with some experience of coaching, mentoring or assessing in practice. A good understanding of RCVS training standards and an interest in education, wellbeing and inclusive learning would be a real advantage.

Knowledge, skills, and experience:

• Fully qualified Veterinary Nurse  
• Registered with RCVS  
• Confident in all aspects of veterinary nursing  
• Demonstrable customer service skills

Although not essential, it would be great if you also had: 

• Provision of nursing clinics  
• Laboratory skills  
• Use of computerised records  

How to apply  

Visit our website and the apply button below to complete the online application process before the closing date. We reserve the right to close this vacancy early should we receive an overwhelming response.

Blue Cross benefits

Our people are the most important part of delivering our purpose. If it were not for their amazing efforts and commitment, we would not be able to make the difference that we do today.  

In return, Blue Cross wants to ensure we provide you with the best working environment we can. We want you to be happy working for us and will do everything we can to make sure you are.  

Our generous benefits package includes: 

• Full time equivalent of 38 days holiday rising to 43 with service (including Bank Holidays)  
• Programmes for physical and mental wellbeing support  
• Free access to GP via MetLife- 24/7 GP services, private prescriptions and more for you and your family   
• Health cash plan  
• Unlimited access to an employee assistance programme  
• Pension scheme with enhanced employer contribution   
• Professional fees paid with Continuing Professional Development and personal development support.  
• Life assurance   
• 20% discount on Pet Plan pet insurance   
• Enhanced family friendly policies   
• Recognition scheme   
• Annual volunteer days  
• Charity worker discounts across a variety of retailers 

To read more about the benefits Blue Cross has to offer, please visit the 'why work for us' page on our website.

Learning Disability Community Leader, L'Arche Manchester

ABOUT THE ROLE

Hours of work: 37.5 hours per week (including some evening and weekend working, and regular on-call)

Salary: £47,946 per annum

Reports to: L’Arche UK Regional Leader

Place of work: L’Arche Manchester Community, Manchester M20 4AW. Some travel and overnight stays will be required within the UK

Contract type: Temporary 12-month appointment to cover maternity leave

Closing date: Monday, 2nd March at 12 pm.

Main purpose of the role

The Community Leader is responsible for ensuring that the Community is living the mission of L’Arche, by providing excellent and sustainable care and support services, support for  spirituality, and engaging with our neighbours and the wider community around us.

The Community Leader will:

• Lead the Community by responding to the needs, choices and context of our members while being faithful to the L'Arche UK Vision and Values, the L'Arche International Identity and Mission Statement, and to a co-created Community Mandate and plan;
• Maintain and enhance high-quality, person-centred care, support, and housing for people with learning disabilities, both at home and in our day services in partnership with the Registered Manager, the local and national teams, individual circles of support, and external partners. 
• Ensure the Community’s financial sustainability through robust financial planning and management. This includes setting budgets and controlling spending, maximising housing occupancy, supporting the negotiation of care contracts, growing our day services and spotting fundraising opportunities. 
• Foster a culture that maximises the voice and power for people with learning disabilities, and builds listening and collaboration between Community members. This will include working with an active Community Support Group, Community Gatherings, listening groups, and other forums. 
• Lead and manage a committed and engaged leadership team to achieve objectives, set a positive culture, and support the personal and professional growth of our teams. 
• Cultivate an open, creative, and inclusive spiritual life, inviting everyone in the Community to deepen their connections. 
• Model, advocate for, and embrace the L’Arche ethos of deep, long-term, and mutually transforming relationships between people with and without learning disabilities. Plan and lead a regular calendar of events that build community belonging and help keep people connected. 
• Contribute to the national work programmes of L’Arche UK, as part of the National Council, collaborating with Community Leaders of other L’Arche Communities, to share skills, best practice and resources. 
• Be a visible representative of L’Arche locally in the wider community, with stakeholders like local authorities, professional organisations, schools, faith communities, and L’Arche world wide.

Key essential criteria

• Senior leadership experience in support to adults with learning disabilities (or transferable skills and experience in a closely-related field). 
• Experience leading and managing an organisation or large teams to deliver results, maintain compliance and quality, and to respond to risks and opportunities. 
• Experience leading and developing diverse teams to flourish, individually and together. 
• Good financial planning skills and experience successfully managing a substantial budget. 
• Evidence of the ability to think strategically, and work collaboratively to develop and implement community plans. 
• Experience of living or working alongside people with learning disabilities and/or autistic individuals

This role is subject to an enhanced DBS criminal record check. 

You may have held these job titles in the past: Registered Manager, Service Manager, Head of Care, Senior Operations Lead, Community Director, Head of Community Services, Country or Regional Lead, Learning Disability Services Manager, Head of Mission and Community Life, Health & Social Care Manager, Local Authority Commissioning Lead;

You can find more details about L'Arche and the Manchester community on our website. 

Why join L'Arche?

As well as joining a friendly Community, where you will be well supervised and supported, and benefit from L’Arche’s mentorship programme, these are some other benefits you get by working for us:

• Joining shared meals since cooking and having a meal together is what we are all about
• Enhanced Maternity, Adoption/Surrogacy, Paternity Pay (depending on length of service, details available on request) 
• Enhanced sick pay
• Interest free loans and salary advances available
• Free DBS / PVG checks
• Free Employee Assistance Programme available to everyone
• Up to 5 days paid compassionate leave
• Up to 6 days paid (pro rata) for time off for emergency dependents leave
• Specialist bereavement counselling for employees and their family members
• Life Assurance
• Access to the Bike to Work scheme

Discover what makes L’Arche a rewarding place to work—explore  more of our employee benefits on our website.

A full job description and person specification can be found in the Recruitment Pack.

To apply, please submit your CV and answer the questions from our online application form. 

The closing date is: Monday, 2nd of March at 12 pm.

First interviews (online via Microsoft Teams) are expected to take place during the week beginning the 9th March 2026.

Second round interviews will take on the place week beginning 16th March 2026 and will take place within the Community.

We encourage you not to wait until the closing date to submit your application, as we may begin interviewing strong candidates before then.
We also reserve the right to close the advert early if we receive enough suitable applications.

Please also read our privacy notice for job applicants.

Are you looking for a dynamic and rewarding role working for an organisation with the feminist agenda at the core of its ethos? Then Advance Charity could be the career choice for you!

We are looking for an interventions and women’s centre coordinator to work with our Minerva team on the delivery of a service across Hampshire.

Salary: £23,000 - £27,000 pro-rata

Location: Portsmouth

Hours: 17.5 Hours per week

Contract: Until March 31st, 2027

This post is open to female applicants only as being female is deemed to be a genuine occupational requirement under Schedule 9, Paragraph 1 of the Equality Act 2010.  

Please note: Any offer of employment will be made subject to references, confirmation of the right to work in the UK, and satisfactory enhanced DBS check. This role is also subject to Police Vetting.

About us

Advance is an award-winning and innovative women-only organisation, established in 1998, providing emotional and practical support to women and girls survivors of domestic abuse and supporting women with short-term sentences to reduce offending.  We believe in empowering women and girls to lead safe, non-violent, equal lives so that they can flourish and contribute to the community. 

We are a community-based organisation who lead in best practice approaches to supporting women in their local community. We achieve this by being available to meet and support women in local settings and at our women’s centres, and by working in close partnership with other agencies.

Our values are to listen and support, to empower and respect, collaboration, innovation, and accountability. 

The project:

We are in the process of expanding our service beyond our London footprint to Bedfordshire, Essex, Hampshire, Hertfordshire and Kent, along with Thames Valley, providing one-to-one advocacy and specialist work including workshops and group activities delivered by Advance in partnership with voluntary organisations.

This role plays a critical part in creating, coordinating and delivering the group offering for women accessing our Commissioned Rehabilitative Services (CRS), as well as providing administration support across the region.

In short you will:

• Be the first point of contact for clients coming to the Women’s Centre; offering a warm welcome and trauma informed approach
• Ensure the client waiting area is kept tidy with up-to-date information/leaflets and supplies of refreshments
• Create structured sessions based on CRS support pathways and/or advance’s EDI strategy
• Deliver, facilitate and coordinate direct group delivery and events at the Women’s Centre and regional venues
• Hold a small caseload of women that are accessing the Women’s Centre and/or in the community in line with service delivery need – to include completing initial assessments where required
• Build relationships with external organisations and partners to support the delivery of structured sessions at the Women’s Centre and to signpost women for wrap around support where appropriate
• Assist in researching additional resources and events for service users; both within the Centre and across the region
• Contribute to creating and lead on updating the local Services Directory with details of local organisations, key contacts and details of services on offer, including eligibility criteria
• Assist the Service Manager in managing the smooth running of the Women’s Centre in your region, including managing the group workshops timetable, arranging meetings and booking external venues for client groups or training events
• Support administration for the Hampshire Minerva team
• Assist the Service Manager with the quality assurance and collation of data and information as required, including for funder reports.

About You:

To be successful as the Women’s Centre Coordinator you will need the below experience and skills:

• You are an excellent relationship builder who can warmly work with women
• You will have experience of creating, delivering and facilitating engaging group workshops
• You will bring experience of supporting vulnerable communities and have good working knowledge about safeguarding and risk management and bring an eagerness to learn and develop new skills
• You will deliver an exceptional first point of contact service, and contribute to creating a safe space for women in service

We recognise that women often only apply to roles if they meet 100% of the criteria. We encourage you to demonstrate how your skills and experience would make you an asset to the role, and if you don’t have the exact skills/experience, tell us in your cover letter how you think you might grow and develop in the role.

How to apply:

Please submit your up-to-date CV with a supporting statement. Please note that only applications made via the job advert on the Advance careers page, and those that include a cover letter will be considered. 

• Closing Date for Applications: 5th March 2026
• Interviews will take place on the 12th and 13th of March 2026

*Advance reserves the right to close the advert early, or on the appointment of a candidate.

What we can offer you - Employee Benefits:

• A 35-hour working week
• An exceptional 30 days of paid holiday per year (pro rata for part time), PLUS public holidays on top (that's nearly 40 days paid holiday per year!) 
• Additional days off to celebrate International Women’s Day, and for religious observance and moving home
• Perkbox - an employee discount platform where you can receive free rewards as well as take advantage of savings on clothes, groceries, travel, leisure and more
• Pension scheme
• Enhanced maternity/adoption provision
• Access to our Employee Assistance Programme
• Employee eye-care scheme
• Clinical supervision for front line staff and first line management roles
• Refer a Friend Scheme - £250 for each referral who passes probation
• Organisation wide away days
• Thorough induction and training
• Career development pathways

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Under the Equality Act 2010, we are required to make any reasonable adjustments. If you have a disability as defined under this act and/or have special needs, please contact the talent team and we will aim to make the necessary arrangements to accommodate your needs.

Diversity, Inclusion and Equal Opportunities

We are committed to providing equality of opportunity and actively seek to recruit people from groups underrepresented in our current team. We have policies and processes in place to ensure that all employees are offered an equal opportunity in recruitment and selection, promotion, training, pay and benefits.

Safeguarding

Advance is committed to safeguarding and creating a culture of zero-tolerance of harm and expects all staff, including volunteers to share this commitment. We believe all individuals have the right to live their life free from violence and abuse and the right to feel and be safe.  We have a suite of safeguarding policies, procedures and practice guidance, accessible to all staff, which promotes safeguarding and safer working practices across all our services and activities. When we recruit staff, we follow rigorous safer recruitment practices, this involves carrying out pre-employment checks including references, Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks, and identity checks.  We ensure all staff undertake mandatory safeguarding training relevant to their role and responsibilities, to empower them to be competent and feel confident in recognising and responding appropriately to safeguarding issues and promote wellbeing

Today, 12 children and young people will be diagnosed with cancer. We’ll stop at nothing to make sure they get the right care and support at the right time.

Change lives in a life-changing career 

When a child or young person is diagnosed with cancer, their whole world can feel like it’s falling apart. Independence is taken and confidence is stolen. Stability no longer exists. The future suddenly feels uncertain.

The impact of cancer on young lives is more than medical. That’s why we exist. Our specialist social workers help children and young people with cancer and their families navigate the emotional and practical impact of cancer. We remove barriers, solve problems and prioritise wellbeing. And we stop at nothing to make sure they get the right care and support at the right time.

We challenge the systems and policies that surround children and young people, we highlight gaps and campaign for change. Because we know what a better future could look like. And we know what we need to do to make that future a reality. We need to push harder, reach further and work smarter. And we need the right people on our team to help us get there. People like you.

About the role

We’re looking for a Fundraising Engagement Officer with excellent communication skills and team ethic to join our team of fundraising experts in the Fundraising Events & Engagement Team. This is a role of variety and relationship building, and we are looking for someone who is detail-oriented, dedicated, and versatile.

We’re the innovative, thoughtful, and collaborative Fundraising Events and Engagement Team: DIY, sports, and virtual fundraising specialists. We want our supporters to feel welcomed, engaged, inspired, and motivated. We’re innovative relationship managers, and we’re always using our initiative to seek out possible improvements so that we can adapt, hone our skills and deliver the best possible experience for our supporters. From reporting to copywriting and volunteering to digital innovation, as a team we have a wide range of skills and we’re constantly supporting each other’s development so that we can continue evolving.

A great personality and team ethic are vital in this role as you will maximise income for Young Lives vs Cancer by coaching supporters to reach their fundraising goals, ensuring they have the most positive time possible with every interaction. This role sits within the Mass Participation team, and we need someone with natural customer service skills who is passionate about delivering an outstanding experience to our supporters. We communicate with our supporters in a variety of ways, so we’re looking for someone who can build a relationship via phone, email and social media.

We are a close team who work from the Bristol office 5 days a week, but we offer flexibility and are adaptable to ensure that your personal work/life balance is taken care of. Whether it is finishing early for an appointment, picking up from school or further education, we can help to make it work for you. We would love to discuss your needs more at the interview.

What will I be doing?

No two days are the same at Young Lives vs Cancer. So, summarising your ‘day to day’ isn’t easy. Here are some of the main things you’ll be doing, but you’ll find more details in our Role Details document.

• Maximising income and awareness by building and maintaining strong supporter relationships
• Stewarding our supporters over the phone and via email, among other methods, using a combination of individual and mass communication tools, and providing our supporters with an excellent experience with every interaction
• Proactively and creatively engaging with supporters, using fundraising skills and expertise to guide, coach and inspire our supporters to reach their fundraising goals
• Thanking our supporters promptly and appropriately, to recognise their vital impact on the work of Young Lives vs Cancer
• Identify and resolve common issues to ensure excellent and consistent supporter care, working with the rest of the team and wider fundraising colleagues to seek out opportunities for improvement across our work
• Develop and refine supporter communications to help increase engagement, income and awareness of Young Lives vs Cancer and our need for support
• Taking ownership of team processes and engaging with cross-team projects, to ensure effectiveness, efficiency and consistency

What do I need? 

Diverse perspectives and unique skillsets are at the heart of Young Lives vs Cancer. If you're passionate about making a positive impact and eager to learn, we encourage you to apply, even if you don't meet the criteria and person specification fully. Your potential is what matters most to us, and we’re committed to fostering an inclusive and supportive work environment to help you develop.

The key skills we’re looking for in this role are:

• Natural customer service skills and experience
• Experience in delivering outstanding supporter or customer experiences, and a passion for building strong supporter relationships
• Experience of working well as part of a team
• An excellent, creative and compassionate communicator, both verbally and in writing, with strong listening skills
• Self-motivated and resilient, with excellent time management and prioritisation skills to handle competing deadlines
• Strong attention to detail, with the ability to spot opportunities, improvements and efficiencies, and problem solve
• A passion for fundraising and working for Young Lives vs Cancer

What will I gain?

For people to reach their full potential, they need the right environment. As a member of Team Young Lives, you’ll be made to feel supported, valued and appreciated. Here’s how we do it:

• Flexible working: we’re open to working hours outside of 9 - 5 and we can talk through your flexibility requirements at interview stage
• Wellbeing days: four days a year to do what works for you – from catching up on training to going for a walk
• Generous annual leave allowance
• Great family/caring leave entitlements
• Enhanced pension
• Access to our employee savings scheme

To find out more about our benefits package, have a look on our website.

Our commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging

At Young Lives vs Cancer, we recognise that opportunities for too many people remain a condition of their sex, ethnicity, class, gender identity, disability, sexual orientation – or a combination. This has never been acceptable to us as an organisation. We don’t just accept differences, we value it, celebrate it, nurture it and we thrive because of it.

We’re on a journey to be reflective of the diverse children, young people and families we support. We know we aren’t there yet, and we’re passionately committed to taking actions and making changes to be a truly diverse, inclusive and equitable organisation. This includes taking anti-oppressive action and removing barriers in our recruitment practices. We particularly welcome applications from members of minoritised communities. Our Diversity, Inclusion, Equity and Belonging strategy will tell you more.

Accessibility

We’re committed to providing reasonable adjustments throughout our recruitment process and we’ll always aim to be as accommodating as possible. Please let us know in your application form of any adjustments or access requirements we could make to help you with the application process and interview.

To arrange an informal chat, please contact Miffy Kilby.

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