Volunteer volunteer jobs in Shefford, central bedfordshire

30 hours per week / £30,150 per annum pro rata / fixed term until 31 March 2028 / working four days a week, working pattern to be discussed at interview.

The role involves frequent travel across Surrey to schools and joining colleagues at key meetings, with occasional travel further afield. Therefore, a full UK driving licence and access to a car are essential.

YMCA DownsLink Group is the leading charity for children and young people across Sussex and Surrey. We offer safe homes, mental health support and trusted advice.

We believe that every child and young person has the right to be safe, heard and to shape their own future. We work alongside them to make that happen.

We are here for children and young people, many of whom face multiple challenges and need our support.

Our Values - we do what’s right, we work with heart, and we build real connections – guide us in all our actions.

YMCA WiSE (What is Sexual Exploitation) is our specialist project supporting children and young people across Sussex and Surrey who are affected by, or at risk of, exploitation. Through education, awareness‑raising and empowerment, we help young people understand healthy relationships, recognise harmful behaviours, and build safety and resilience.

Unlike statutory services, WiSE has a youth focussed offer that is voluntary to engage in. Our team understand young people, lived experience and trauma, and how this shapes their understanding of the world.

We have an exciting opportunity to join the WiSE team as an Early Intervention CSE Worker. In this role, you will deliver preventative and early intervention work across Surrey, supporting young people, schools, and professional networks to recognise and respond to the risks of sexual exploitation and harmful sexual behaviours.

Key responsibilities are:

• Deliver a programme of targeted group sessions aimed at preventing sexual exploitation and addressing emerging harmful sexual behaviours (complementing the universal and enhanced RSE offer delivered by the Sex Ed Forum).
• Build professional relationships with Surrey education providers, arranging and delivering group sessions across a range of settings.
• Maintain accurate case notes and monitoring data, contributing to timely reporting for the service and funders.
• Work collaboratively with key partners including Children’s Services, Public Health, Police, LSCB, the Sex Ed Forum, and Community Safety teams.
• Support the development and delivery of awareness‑raising campaigns targeting young people, parents and carers, professionals, and the wider community.
• Work closely with WiSE staff and wider professionals to identify young people at higher risk and refer them to WiSE project workers for specialist intervention.

We recognise the emotional weight of this work and prioritise a reflective, supportive environment for all team members. To ensure you feel supported and able to deliver high‑quality practice, you will receive regular line management supervision focused on wellbeing and supportive weekly team meetings.

If you are enthusiastic about this opportunity but don’t meet every single requirement, we still encourage you to apply. Your skills and experiences may be more transferable than you think, and you could be exactly the person we’re looking for.

Qualifications, experience and knowledge:

• Qualification in Youth Work/Social Work or equivalent, or comparable experience working with vulnerable young people
• Proven experience in safeguarding young children
• Experience providing casework support young people aged 10 to 25 years old
• Group work experience with young people
• Safeguarding children and young people at risk of serious harm
• Delivering and risk assessing outreach work with young people
• Knowledge of risks posed to vulnerable young people through sexual exploitation and harmful sexual behaviour

CLOSING DATE: Sunday 5 April 2026 at midnight. 

PLEASE NOTE: We are unable to provide work permits or visa sponsorship for this role, so applicants must already have the right to live and work in the UK independently.

An inclusive workplace We are committed to policies and practices of equity, diversity, and inclusion and to supporting our people to make sure our culture is consistent with this commitment. 

Accessibility If you require assistance or have questions regarding the application process, please do contact us.

YMCA DLG requires all staff and volunteers to be committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people, and to respond proactively to safeguarding concerns. 

Successful applicants will undergo a thorough background screening process, conducted by an accredited third-party provider. This includes an Enhanced DBS check (with Children’s and Adults’ Barred Lists) as well as comprehensive reference and activity check.

Communications Assistant

• 15 hours per week at £15.00 an hour (Actual salary £11,700 - FTE £27,300)
• Hours may be worked flexibly over a minimum of 3 days a week
• Home based with occasional prearranged in person meetings

The Communications Assistant will provide hands-on support to the Communications Manager in the ideation, creation and delivery of our regular external communications. This includes helping to grow our social media following, creating and scheduling content, sourcing and designing images, providing copywriting support, and responding to comments across our channels. The role will also involve drafting and scheduling newsletters and providing administrative support with our databases.

This is a 15‑hour‑per‑week role, with the potential to grow in the future. Ideally, we are looking for someone who can spread their hours across the week to support consistent content delivery, but we are open to discussing alternative working patterns for the right candidate.

The successful candidate will have experience in a communications, marketing or social media role. They will be proficient in Adobe Illustrator and have basic video editing and/or animation skills. Strong copywriting skills and the ability to adapt tone of voice for different channels are essential, as is confidence using Mailchimp or similar email marketing platforms.

We are a busy remote team, and this role offers plenty of scope to work autonomously and flexibly. You’ll gain experience across a wide range of areas and develop your skills in a supportive, hands‑on environment, with opportunities to contribute to the creative direction of our communications.

Closing date: 19th April 2026

Interviews: 29th April 2026

Full-time role (see operation of 28-hour week below). We are open to considering applications for a part-time role that would require job share.

Home Based Working in the UK (some access to a London office or co-working spaces across the UK available, flexible working policy).

Action for Global Health is a membership network of over 50 organisations working to improve global health. Its vision is a world where everyone can access quality healthcare without financial hardship, achieving true health equity.

AfGH’s strategy, extended to 2029, aims to ensure that stronger commitments from the UK Government help more people worldwide access affordable, high-quality healthcare suited to their needs. The network works by bringing together member organisations, civil society groups, and people with lived experience of health inequality - especially from low- and middle-income countries - to influence UK policy. It acts as a key link between global health civil society and government departments such as the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office and the Department of Health and Social Care, guided by its 10 health-equity principles.

AfGH is an independent network hosted by STOPAIDS, which provides legal, financial, HR, and administrative support.

The Advocacy Manager role helps lead AfGH’s advocacy strategy, working with the Director to coordinate campaigns and policy engagement to advance global health equity. Please download the full job description for more details.

Benefits of working at Action for Global Health (hosted by STOPAIDS)

We offer a number of benefits, including:

• We operate a 28-hour (rather than 35-hour) working week policy with no salary reductions. Staff are able to work reduced hours over 5 days or a 4-day week. We offer flexible working, with non-standard working hours
• We operate a home-based working policy with some access to a London office or co-working spaces across the UK. We also provide a small home working grant and monthly working from home allowance
• A group stakeholder pension scheme with 6% employer contributions
• An individual learning and development budget allocated to staff members each year
• 20 days of annual leave per year (excluding bank holidays), plus 1 day for every year of service (up to 4 years)
• Enhanced maternity and paternity pay for employees with 1 year's service or more

Closing date: 6th April 2026

Please note that should sufficient applications be received we reserve the right to close this advert early.

STOPAIDS is committed to creating a diverse environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive positive consideration for employment without regard to race, colour, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, HIV status, national origin, genetics, disability, or age.

What if your financial insight and partnership could help one of the UK's largest charities direct its resources where they make the greatest difference for people affected by dementia?

About the opportunity

As a Finance Business Partner, you'll work alongside budget holders across Alzheimer's Society, turning complex financial information into clear insights that support better decision-making. In a role where every pound matters in the fight against dementia, you'll help ensure our resources reach the places they can have the most impact, whether that's funding groundbreaking research, delivering vital support services, or campaigning for systemic change.

You'll build trusted relationships with stakeholders across the organisation, providing the financial analysis, challenge and support they need to navigate complexity with confidence. Through coaching and partnership, you'll help budget holders strengthen their own financial capability, so that sound financial thinking becomes part of how the Society operates, not something that sits only within Finance.

You'll be part of our Finance and Assurance directorate, where our vision is to be the Society's single point of truth. Working within the Financial Partnering, Planning and Analysis function, you'll be the dedicated finance partner for our Income and Engagement directorate, connecting Finance with the teams responsible for growing and protecting the Society's income. You'll translate their plans into sound financial frameworks that enable our mission rather than hold it back.

You'll already have or be open to developing a deep understanding of how fundraised, legacy and restricted income flows through the Society, and you'll use that specialism to add real value to the teams responsible for growing and stewarding our income.

About you

You're a finance professional with proven business partnering experience who understands that effective partnering means combining accurate numbers with clear communication, constructive challenge and a genuine interest in helping others see the bigger picture. You're comfortable working across boundaries, building relationships at all levels, and coaching colleagues to develop their financial confidence.

You'll have:

- A relevant professional accounting qualification (ACA, ACCA, CIMA or equivalent), either fully or part qualified, or qualified by experience.
- Experience supporting business teams with budgeting, forecasting and month-end processes, including ensuring appropriate controls are in place and financial performance is communicated effectively and on time.
- A track record of applying analytical skills to provide financial advice that supports strategic decision-making.
- Experience of identifying and collecting feedback and other data to inform quality improvement and to monitor the performance of processes or tools.
- Good communication skills, with the ability to interpret financial information and present it in a way that tells a clear story.
- The confidence to challenge, negotiate and influence, while taking a balanced view that incorporates different perspectives.
- Experience working with ERP systems. Experience with Unit4 would be particularly valuable, though it is not essential.
- The ability to work independently and manage competing priorities, while knowing when to consult and when to ask for support.

It would be particularly valuable if you also bring:

- Experience partnering with income-generating, fundraising, marketing or engagement functions within a non-profit or charity setting.
- An understanding of restricted fund accounting and the financial management of legacy income.

What you'll focus on

- Partnering with budget holders across your assigned directorate to provide analysis, insight and recommendations that support effective, informed decision-making.
- Preparing financial reports, budgets, forecasts and business plans, and modelling financial data to support operational and strategic priorities.
- Supporting and challenging budget holders to identify risks and opportunities early, escalating appropriately and agreeing remedial action where needed.
- Strengthening financial knowledge and confidence across your stakeholder group through coaching, training and a partnership-based approach.
- Working collaboratively across the Finance team to design intuitive reports and analysis that meet the needs of colleagues across the Society.
- Advocating good accounting principles and helping to educate, inform and develop others within your directorate and the wider Finance team.
- Identifying cost saving or optimisation opportunities, working closely with colleagues in Procurement and Sustainability to realise these.
- Supporting Senior Business Partners in identifying key performance metrics and collecting routine feedback from partners across the Society to drive constant quality improvement.

You may also line manage a Finance Business Partnering Assistant, role-modelling a high challenge, high support culture where accountability, performance and development go hand in hand.

Are you ready to be a trusted financial partner, bringing both challenge and practical solutions to the people working to make life better for everyone affected by dementia?

Important Dates:

- Deadline for applications is Sunday 12th April 2026
- Interview invites issued Friday 17th April 2026
- Interviews taking place across W/C 20th April 2026

About Alzheimer's Society

Dementia is the UK's biggest killer. One in three people born in the UK today will develop dementia in their lifetime.

At Alzheimer's Society, we're the UK's leading dementia charity and the only one to tackle all aspects of dementia by giving help and hope to people living with dementia today and in the future. We give vital support to people facing the most frightening times of their lives, while also funding groundbreaking research and campaigning to make dementia the priority it should be.

Together with our supporters, we're working towards a world where dementia no longer devastates lives.

Our values make sure that our focus is clear for the challenges and opportunities ahead and remind us of what we all stand for.

Our commitment to Equity, Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging

We need to ensure the voices around our table better reflect and understand the communities we exist to serve. We strongly encourage individuals to apply who have a disability, impairment or health condition or individuals who identify as Black, Asian or from another minority ethnic background, as these groups are currently under-represented at Alzheimer's Society.  

We want everyone we work with, as a colleague, volunteer, supporter, or someone we support, to feel included and that they belong at Alzheimer's Society. 

Our Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy here along with our internal employee forum and Employee Lived Experience network groups help us promote inclusion and belonging, becoming an engaged and inclusive organisation for all our people. 

Our hiring process

During your recruitment process we want to make sure that you bring your whole self and can be at your best. We are working hard to ensure our recruitment process is as inclusive as possible, so please do inform us of your experience and anything you think we could do better by completing our candidate survey when you apply.  Please also contact Alzheimer's Society Talent Acquisition Team via [email protected] for application support or any adjustments you might need.

To ensure fairness and consistency to select the best candidate for this role, all our applications are anonymised up until an interview has been confirmed. We recognise the benefits of AI, but if you're considering using it to submit your application, we encourage you to reflect on the value it truly adds. AI tools often lack the personal touch and authenticity that set candidates apart. We want to hear your unique perspective, experiences, and skills, so we encourage you to showcase them in your own voice.

We try to avoid closing roles early where possible, however if we receive a high volume of applications, we may close earlier than the advertised closing date. Should this occur, we will aim to provide you with at least 48 hours' notice.

We are committed to safer recruitment and ensuring the welfare of those we work with, due to the nature of some of our roles, we might need to carry out a Criminal Record Check at the relevant level. You can read more information via our Website.

Giving back to you

Our employees work hard every day to make a true difference in people's lives. We are proud to support them with a range of benefits, recognition and many options for working agilely, all contributing to a strong work life balance. We also have various learning programmes to support you in your development and help you grow to realise your potential and shape a career with Alzheimer's Society. 

You can also visit our Working for Us pages, which give you more information about what it's like to be an employee at the Society.

What if you could launch your finance career at one of the UK's leading charities, gaining hands-on experience across financial planning, analysis and business partnering, all while working towards a professional qualification? As part of our Finance & Assurance team, you'll provide the financial insight that drives smarter decisions and helps maximise our impact for people affected by dementia.

About the opportunity

As a Financial Partnering, Planning and Analysis (FPPA) Assistant, you'll join our Finance & Assurance directorate in a developmental, rotational role. Through structured rotations across financial partnering, financial planning and financial analysis, you'll build a broad foundation of skills and experience that few early-career finance roles can offer.

Day to day, you'll support the delivery of financial reports, forecasts and insight, working alongside Finance Business Partners and analysts. You'll help colleagues across the organisation make sense of financial information, turning numbers into clear, actionable stories that support confident decision-making.

This is an entry-level role designed for recent graduates, those with early career experience, and career changers. We're looking for people who are ambitious to grow. The expectation is that successful candidates will undertake relevant training and professional qualifications (such as AAT, CIMA or ACCA), with protected study time, and progress within the finance function over time.

We're looking for someone who exemplifies our values: Determined to make a difference when and where it matters most, a Trusted Expert who believes in working Better Together and demonstrates true Compassion.

About you

You enjoy working with data, solving problems and picking up new skills. You're organised, proactive and just as comfortable working independently as you are collaborating with others. Most importantly, you're motivated to build a career in finance and genuinely curious about how financial insight drives better decisions and outcomes.

You'll have

- 3 x A Levels or equivalent (a degree, apprenticeship or equivalent experience would be advantageous).
- A strong interest in developing a career in finance.
- Good written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to explain information clearly to different audiences.
- Effective organisational skills and attention to detail.
- Confidence working with data, numbers or spreadsheets.
- A proactive mindset and willingness to learn new systems, tools and processes.
- The ability to work collaboratively with colleagues across teams.

Desirable:

- Level 2 AAT qualification (or equivalent).
- Some work experience in a finance function.

What you'll focus on

- Supporting the preparation of financial reports, forecasts and analysis for directorates and teams.
- Assisting with budgeting and forecasting cycles, including data collection and validation.
- Analysing financial data to identify trends, insights and areas for improvement.
- Supporting financial modelling and scenario analysis to inform decision-making.
- Translating financial information into clear, accessible formats for non-finance colleagues.
- Maintaining accurate financial records, files and documentation.
- Contributing to clear, engaging finance communications, including guidance, templates and internal materials.
- Contributing to improvements in financial processes and ways of working.

Important Dates

- Advert closes: Sunday 5th April
- Task issued to shortlisted candidates: Wednesday 16th April
- Interview invitations issued by: Wednesday 23rd April
- Interviews take place: Week commencing 27th April

Please note that this post be subject to a satisfactory Basic Criminal Records Check, from either the Disclosure and Barring Service (England & Wales), Disclosure Scotland Check (Scotland) or AccessNI (Northern Ireland). If you require further information regarding Criminal Records Check, then please contact: [email protected].

About Alzheimer's Society

Dementia is the UK's biggest killer. One in three people born in the UK today will develop dementia in their lifetime.

At Alzheimer's Society, we're the UK's leading dementia charity and the only one to tackle all aspects of dementia by giving help and hope to people living with dementia today and in the future. We give vital support to people facing the most frightening times of their lives, while also funding groundbreaking research and campaigning to make dementia the priority it should be.

Together with our supporters, we're working towards a world where dementia no longer devastates lives.

Our values make sure that our focus is clear for the challenges and opportunities ahead and remind us of what we all stand for.

Our commitment to Equity, Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging

We need to ensure the voices around our table better reflect and understand the communities we exist to serve. We strongly encourage individuals to apply who have a disability, impairment or health condition or individuals who identify as Black, Asian or from another minority ethnic background, as these groups are currently under-represented at Alzheimer's Society.  

We want everyone we work with, as a colleague, volunteer, supporter, or someone we support, to feel included and that they belong at Alzheimer's Society. 

Our Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy here along with our internal employee forum and Employee Lived Experience network groups help us promote inclusion and belonging, becoming an engaged and inclusive organisation for all our people. 

Our hiring process

During your recruitment process we want to make sure that you bring your whole self and can be at your best. We are working hard to ensure our recruitment process is as inclusive as possible, so please do inform us of your experience and anything you think we could do better by completing our candidate survey when you apply.  Please also contact Alzheimer's Society Talent Acquisition Team via [email protected] for application support or any adjustments you might need.

To ensure fairness and consistency to select the best candidate for this role, all our applications are anonymised up until an interview has been confirmed. We recognise the benefits of AI, but if you're considering using it to submit your application, we encourage you to reflect on the value it truly adds. AI tools often lack the personal touch and authenticity that set candidates apart. We want to hear your unique perspective, experiences, and skills, so we encourage you to showcase them in your own voice.

We try to avoid closing roles early where possible, however if we receive a high volume of applications, we may close earlier than the advertised closing date. Should this occur, we will aim to provide you with at least 48 hours' notice.

We are committed to safer recruitment and ensuring the welfare of those we work with, due to the nature of some of our roles, we might need to carry out a Criminal Record Check at the relevant level. You can read more information via our Website.

Giving back to you

Our employees work hard every day to make a true difference in people's lives. We are proud to support them with a range of benefits, recognition and many options for working agilely, all contributing to a strong work life balance. We also have various learning programmes to support you in your development and help you grow to realise your potential and shape a career with Alzheimer's Society. 

You can also visit our Working for Us pages, which give you more information about what it's like to be an employee at the Society.