Learning support volunteers volunteer roles in braintree, essex
Shout is the UK’s only free, confidential, 24/7 text messaging support service for anyone who is struggling to cope. When people text 'Shout' to 85258, they are connected to a Shout Volunteer for a text conversation. Our volunteers provide a safe space for people to share what's causing them distress, while showing warmth and compassion.
Tasks and Responsibilities
If your application is successful, you’ll be enrolled in a training group. New groups start every two weeks.
Shout Volunteers receive 25 hours of free training in communication, listening, managing and assessing risk, and problem solving. The training is self-paced and done online. You’ll learn how to bring people in distress to a place of calm and practice skills that will be useful to you throughout life.
As we are investing in you throughout your time with us, our hope is that you will complete the training in a timely manner and look at this as a longer term commitment. The experience you gain over time is valuable and our goal is to have volunteers commit to 200 hours on the platform, which can take up to two years to complete, as we ask you to take one 2-4 hour shift per week.
Our Volunteer Training Support team is here to support you, answer any questions and provide feedback during training and throughout your time with Shout. You’ll be joining an incredibly supportive volunteer community and have access to the resources you need to do your role.
As a volunteer, you’ll be supporting people in distress, so it’s important we see the skills required to do that while you are in training. While most trainees complete the training and go on to volunteer, not everyone will pass the training. If this happens, there are other ways you can still support us.
Selection Criteria
A Shout Volunteer is kind and compassionate, a good listener, and has the ability to remain calm when supporting people in crisis. You will also:
-
Understand the difference between being friendly and being a friend
-
Be aware of your own mental health and wellbeing
-
Be open-minded
-
Be supportive
-
Be reliable
-
Be discreet and able to respect confidentiality at all times
-
Be accepting and non-judgemental
-
Be passionate about contributing some of your time to a cause such as Shout
-
Adopt a growth mindset, and be willing to accept feedback
Requirements
- You must live in the United Kingdom or New Zealand while volunteering.
- You must be over 18 years of age.
- You will need a reliable internet connection and a private place to take your shift.
- All of your volunteering must be done using a laptop or desktop computer and Google Chrome.
It’s worth spending time thinking about the nature of the role, and whether it’s right for you. We support all texters, regardless of race, religion, sexual identity or issue. You will need to be comfortable addressing topics frequently discussed with texters (suicide, self-harm, depression, etc.) without compromising your own mental health.
Before you apply, please consider whether either of the following applies to you:
-
Have you recently experienced grief, loss or change issue/s? For example; someone close to you has been ill or has died, you’ve lost your job, your relationship has ended.
-
Is your current mental health and wellbeing in a place such that the stress and pressure of listening to the challenges of others would bring additional burden to you personally?
Benefits to Volunteers
The role is rewarding and can save lives. Shout Volunteers tell us they gain a sense of pride, satisfaction and purpose from taking conversations. They also tell us that their own wellbeing increases, they learn valuable skills and gain experience they can use at work and in their personal lives.
Volunteering can also be a great addition to your CV. You do not need to have any past experience in mental health to be a Shout Volunteer - we’ll provide you with all the training and support you need to do the role.
Application Process
You will need to create your account and fill in the application using a laptop or desktop computer and in a Google Chrome browser. This is a standard requirement for all of our systems at Shout, from the application through to the platform.
You should leave up to an hour to complete the form. As Shout is a text based service and we do not conduct in person interviews for our volunteer candidates what you write in your application and the strength of your references are how we get to know you.
We appreciate when candidates take the time to write thoughtful, considered answers. We recommend you review your application with an eye toward things like spelling, grammar and punctuation. While some of our texters will occasionally reach out using more informal text speak, our volunteers respond in full sentences and double check their messages for accuracy before hitting send.
Your application will be reviewed once we have received responses from both of your references. We ask for a personal reference and a professional reference. The personal reference can be a friend or colleague but the other must be someone who knows you professionally or has supervised you in some way.
This could be a manager or supervisor from where you work or a teacher or educator from where you study. We recommend you choose references who are able to speak to your ability to fulfil the selection criteria outlined above.
We do not accept references from family members. This includes your partner or their relatives, your children, siblings, aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents or godparents.
Please allow up to a month for us to review your application and return a decision.
If your application is approved, you can book your place on training. Training groups usually start every two weeks and spaces are available to book a couple of months ahead. While you are in training and before you are allowed on the platform we will carry out a background check.
Shout is the UK’s only free, confidential, 24/7 text messaging support service for anyone who is struggling to cope.
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!
We’re looking for volunteer fundraising/bid writers to help bring our mission to life.
Reimagining joyful spaces for solo women with invisible disabilities
We’re Seen Sisters - an intersectional feminist collective of solo women with invisible disabilities. We’re working to build joyful, connective spaces for our community, and we’re looking for volunteer fundraising/bid writers to help bring our mission to life.
Visit https://linktr.ee/seensisters and http://bit.ly/44ZMbtF to read more about our values and mission, explore one of our latest projects – a pilot Housing Community Research Report - and browse our FAQs to learn more about who we are.
This is a voluntary role for now, but we're actively seeking funding and would be happy to explore including your role in future bids.
What this volunteer role involves:
-
Researching funding opportunities and helping us track them
-
Writing funding applications that reflect our mission, values, and deep listening approach
-
Prioritising upcoming deadlines with support from the team
-
Collaborating with other fundraising partners or members where needed
You might be a good fit if you:
-
Are curious, empathetic, and values-aligned
-
Can meet us where we’re at and help translate our story into compelling funding language
-
Believe in joy, connection, and collective care
-
Have experience in grant writing, fundraising or storytelling
-
Can commit about 1 day a week (ideally Monday or Thursday – flexible)
A few practicals:
-
We work remotely and use a shared Drive
-
Allies and those with lived experience are warmly welcomed
-
We do regular check-ins on capacity, access and preferences
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Single Parents Support and Advice Services is a Charitable Incorporated Company with over 35000 members UK wide.
Our charity founder and director, Nicola Booth, took the initiative to set up SPSAS in 2012, with the purpose to reduce isolation, loneliness, and to promote equal and fair treatment amongst Single Parents and their Children. We also aim to help, advise and support single / lone parents by giving them access to support and services that they normally would not be able to access for varied reasons. We try to eliminate the stigma attached to being a single parent in society, within all ethnicities across the UK.
Our charity runs solely on donations and all members of our charity, including the director are currently working on a non-paid voluntary basis. Despite these hurdles, we feel we have made a positive impact with our services.
We are looking for a solicitor or barrister to occasionally supervise our legal student advisors currentlystudying LPC/BPC. The role is based remotely
Key Responsibilities:
Your duties will include, but are not limited to, will include the supervision of students carrying out legal work, including some legal advice activity,
Essential
·Be a qualified solicitor/barrister with experience of family law and various other laws;
·Have a valid practice certificate
·Commitat least 1 day a week for a minimum 3-month period
·Have an enthusiasm for working with students;
·Have proven networking and public speaking skills;
·Be dedicated to providing a stimulating learning environment for students;
·Have a demonstrable commitment to pro bono, ideally through pro bono work or volunteering;
·Have an understanding of and commitment to the roles of both clinics and pro bono in the provision of legal services;
·Have excellent organisational and management skills;
·Have excellent verbal and written skills and ability to convey complex information in an accessible way;
·Be able to work under pressure and meet deadlines ;
·Be able to prioritise tasks;
·Be able to work as part of a team;
·Be able to use computer and information technology;
·Demonstrate enthusiasm, initiative and motivation
We hope we have caught your interest and very much appreciate it if you would agree to become a volunteer for SPSAS.
We are looking for trustees who will offer challenges, experience, and expert knowledge to help us think differently. We are looking for individuals who will take an active role in the governance of the Charity and support our expansion objectives - to remain financially stable whilst actively growing our volunteer network, our geographical coverage and our paid services to increase the number of families and young people we can support each year.
Person specification:
• Good, independent judgement and strategic vision.
• Commitment to the organisation and a willingness and ability to devote the necessary time & effort to the role.
• An understanding of, or interest in, special educational needs and disability affecting children and young people and their families.
• Skills to analyse proposals, examine their strategic consequences and make concise recommendations as part of the Board.
• Ability to cooperatively work with the whole team of trustees, and with employees and volunteers.
• Willingness to speak your mind and appropriately challenge other trustees and employees; but also listen to the views of different people before reaching a decision.
• Secure personal access to digital communication technology with an ability to competently and efficiently use those resources.
• Willingness to be available to employees for advice and enquiries on a scheduled or ad-hoc basis.
The ideal applicant would also possess the following:
• Extensive networks, and a willingness to draw on contacts as appropriate.
• Experience of working at a senior management / leadership level.
We are keen to hear from anyone who has a passion for our cause and feels that their experiences and expertise could be beneficial to our Board.
If you would like to be considered, please contact us for an application form link and provide a copy of your CV.
The application process will comprise of a two-stage interview, followed by referencing. We anticipate that successful applicants will be invited to join the Board in Autumn 2025.
We look forward to hearing from you.
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!
Youth Helpers work directly with young people in St John Ambulance Badger Setts and Cadet Units, by supporting our Youth Leaders to deliver a sessions across our range of programmes. In this role, you'll support the learning and development of young people into the next generation of health citizens. Youth Helpers also help young people develop their confidence, teamwork skills, self-discipline, and generally encourage them to strive to be the best they can be, as well as supervise and support other adult volunteers in their team.
You’ll get a huge sense of satisfaction and pride delivering an essential service. It’s great for you, great for your community and great for our nation, and it requires only a small commitment of your time.
Pursuing the role
If you are successful you will need to undertake induction & training for role at these dates:
- Welcome Event (Induction) - 11/11/2025
Closing date for these opportunities is: 30/09/2025
This Group meet on a Tuesday.
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!
Youth Helpers work directly with young people in St John Ambulance Badger Setts and Cadet Units, by supporting our Youth Leaders to deliver a sessions across our range of programmes. In this role, you'll support the learning and development of young people into the next generation of health citizens. Youth Helpers also help young people develop their confidence, teamwork skills, self-discipline, and generally encourage them to strive to be the best they can be, as well as supervise and support other adult volunteers in their team.
You’ll get a huge sense of satisfaction and pride delivering an essential service. It’s great for you, great for your community and great for our nation, and it requires only a small commitment of your time.
Pursuing the role
If you are successful you will need to undertake induction & training for role at these dates:
- Welcome Event (Induction) - 11/11/2025
Closing date for these opportunities is: 30/09/2025
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!
Youth Helpers work directly with young people in St John Ambulance Badger Setts and Cadet Units, by supporting our Youth Leaders to deliver a sessions across our range of programmes. In this role, you'll support the learning and development of young people into the next generation of health citizens. Youth Helpers also help young people develop their confidence, teamwork skills, self-discipline, and generally encourage them to strive to be the best they can be, as well as supervise and support other adult volunteers in their team.
You’ll get a huge sense of satisfaction and pride delivering an essential service. It’s great for you, great for your community and great for our nation, and it requires only a small commitment of your time.
Pursuing the role
If you are successful you will need to undertake induction & training for role at these dates:
- Welcome Event (Induction) - 11/11/2025
Closing date for these opportunities is: 30/09/2025
This Group meet on a Friday evening.
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!
Fundraising volunteer
Our vision for volunteering
Volunteering is and always will be at the heart of Cats Protection. It is joyful and inclusive. As a charity, working in partnership, together we transform the lives of cats, people and communities.
The difference you will make to cats and people
As a charity we are able to help thousands of cats each year thanks to the generous donations we receive from members of the public. Our fundraising volunteers use their passion for cats and people to raise the vital funds needed to help more cats and kittens in need. As a fundraising volunteer we want to support you to fundraise in whatever way suits you best, whether that’s organising a fundraising event, fundraising online, promoting fundraising activities on social media, completing administration or supporting the development of new fundraising ideas! Whatever your skill set, this could be the role for you!
You can expect us to
- Make you feel welcome, included and respected in line with our values and behaviours
- Support you in having a positive and impactful experience at Cats Protection
- Cover agreed out-of-pocket expenses in line with our Expenses Policy
- Provide you with access to learning, development and engagement opportunities
What we need from you
This is a really flexible role, you can choose what you’d like to get involved with, for example:
- face-to-face fundraising. Organising or helping with fundraising events, running supermarket collections and fundraising stands, monitoring collection tins
- online fundraising. Setting up online appeals and writing impactful cat case studies that maximise donations
- marketing. Spreading the word about our fundraising activities, for example on social media and with the local press
- completing administration. Processing donations, sorting and recording donated goods, completing Gift Aid paperwork
● championing our work. Getting involved with developing new fundraising ideas and increasing community engagement
● photography. Capturing images of cats in care, cats we are helping, events and all things Cats Protection
Time expectation
This is a flexible role that can fit around your other commitments to suit you. You’ll be part of a team raising vital funds while having fun in the process!
You may be just the volunteer we’ve been looking for!
We are committed to building a diverse, compassionate and inclusive organisation where everyone can be themselves and do their best. We are courageous and compassionate in our purpose of helping people see the world through cats’ eyes. Together, we can make a difference. Together, we are all for cats. Join the UK’s leading cat welfare charity and help make a better life for cats, because life is better with cats
Applicants will be asked to complete and application and provide details for two references
Making a better life for cats, because life is better with cats


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 Friends Ageing Better (FAB) project is looking for volunteer hosts for our weekly FAB Phone Cafe. In this role you'll be helping to create a friendly, welcoming space and community connections with a group of older people facing isolation.
At Age UK Bristol, we want to change the way we age. We aim to keep people aged 55+ well and active, encouraging Bristol to be an Age Friendly city. We do this in 3 ways - through providing practical help and supporting people’s emotional and physical wellbeing in a range of ways depending on their needs. In addition, we want to prevent people from needing our help wherever possible. We do this in our strategic work, where we aim to create the conditions for older adults to remain healthy and independent.
We are currently looking for volunteers for our Phone Cafes on
Tuesdays 11:00-12:00 and 2:00-3:00pm
This role involves
- Welcoming older people who are new to the telephone group.
- Facilitating conversation in the group
- Keeping attendance sheets for group participants.
- Providing information about events and activities happening in the local area with the support of the FAB team
The qualities and skills required for this role are
- A friendly disposition, with the ability to create a welcoming atmosphere and include people so as to encourage an enjoyable experience.
- Ability to be assertive and intervene if necessary, for instance manage group members who may dominate the conversation
- Reliability and punctuality – calls need to run on time.
- Access to a reliable internet connection and a computer or tablet.
- Confidence in using new software so that calls run on time and everyone connects with the group (training provided; the platform we use is quite straightforward and easy to learn).
- Good verbal communication skills to make everyone feel as comfortable as possible and encourage shyer callers.
- An understanding of the needs of older people.
- Ability to respond to any Safeguarding concerns and keep the environment safe.
- Willingness to follow Age UK Bristol’s policies, such as Confidentiality, Safeguarding, Health & Safety and Equal Opportunities, and to complete any training and admin needed to perform the role.
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!
Barefoot and Free is a small UK-based charity that gifts unforgettable staycations to families with neurodivergent children or children affected by trauma.
We are seeking creative and committed UK based Volunteer Social Media Designers to help us share our story and grow our online presence.
This is a remote volunteer role ideal for someone looking to use their design skills and social media knowledge to make a meaningful impact.
Role Overview
As a Volunteer Social Media Designer at Barefoot and Free, you will be responsible for creating engaging visual content for our social media platforms. You will work closely with the team to develop visuals that reflect our mission values and ongoing projects.
Key Responsibilities
- Design social media content for use on platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, X and LinkedIn
- Help maintain a consistent visual identity across all content
- Support campaigns events and awareness days with tailored designs
- Edit photos and create simple animations or videos where appropriate
- Collaborate with other volunteers to schedule and publish content
What You’ll Bring
- Proven commercial experience with Adobe Creative Suite, Canva or similar design tools
- A background in design, marketing or content creation (relevant qualifications are a bonus but not essential)
- A good understanding of visual storytelling and social media trends
- Creativity, attention to detail and the ability to work to a brief
- Strong communication skills and the ability to work independently
- A passion for charitable work and a willingness to contribute time and skills
Time Commitment
This is a flexible remote role. We ask for a commitment of 2 to 5 hours per week. We are happy to work around your availability.
What You’ll Gain
- A chance to use your skills for a good cause
- Experience working in the charity sector
- Portfolio development and references on request
- Being part of a friendly supportive team making a difference
To apply please send a recent C.V along with a short note about yourself & with samples of your design work or a portfolio.
Applications that do not include a C.V & portfolio / examples of work will be rejected.
We look forward to hearing from you.
Please be sure to include examples of previous design work in your application.
Providing funded respite breaks for families of neurodivergent children and children affected by trauma.
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!
Youth Helpers work directly with young people in St John Ambulance Badger Setts and Cadet Units, by supporting our Youth Leaders to deliver a sessions across our range of programmes. In this role, you'll support the learning and development of young people into the next generation of health citizens. Youth Helpers also help young people develop their confidence, teamwork skills, self-discipline, and generally encourage them to strive to be the best they can be, as well as supervise and support other adult volunteers in their team.
You’ll get a huge sense of satisfaction and pride delivering an essential service. It’s great for you, great for your community and great for our nation, and it requires only a small commitment of your time.
Pursuing the role
If you are successful you will need to undertake induction & training for role at these dates:
- Welcome Event (Induction) - 11/11/2025
Closing date for these opportunities is: 30/09/2025
This Group meet on a Tuesday evening
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!
Are you a tech professional passionate about giving back?
Career Compass is looking for a volunteer from the Technology sector to help inspire sixth form students (ages 16–18) by delivering a dynamic session about the world of tech.
We're a UK social mobility charity supporting state-educated students by connecting them with professionals and opening up access to careers they may not otherwise encounter.
What we’re looking for:
A tech professional who can:
-
Talk about what it's like to work in the tech industry
-
Share insights on the variety of roles available (e.g. software, data, cybersecurity, product)
-
Discuss key skills, emerging trends, and real-world challenges in the sector
-
Offer honest, relatable advice to students who may be new to the field
Your commitment:
-
5 hours upfront to co-design the session with our team
-
1.5 hours, twice a year to deliver the session online and answer questions
What you’ll gain:
-
The chance to inspire and empower students from underrepresented backgrounds
-
A rewarding pro bono opportunity that fits flexibly around your work
-
A way to use your industry knowledge to promote diversity in tech
We ensure that ambitious state-educated students are equipped with the necessary knowledge and tools to discover and achieve their dream career.
We are looking for women who hold feminist values and principles and who are passionate about the mission and values of TRC. We are particularly looking for Trustees who have relevant qualifications and/or experience in the following areas:
- Safeguarding, offering support to the chair and safeguarding leads with the management of safeguarding cases and keeping up to date with best practice
- Legal and Governance, including strategic planning and understanding of the wider political Greater Manchester landscape
- Human resources and personnel management, including a knowledge of employment legislation
- Financial management, planning and budgeting
- Public Relations, Marketing and fundraising, including awareness raising and campaigning through social media
- Capacity building and training, especially for volunteers
- Women’s health and mental health, outreach and partnership work with local services
TRC was set up in 2010 to provide a free, confidential and non-judgemental specialist support service run by women for women and girls who have experienced any form of rape, sexual abuse or sexual violence at any time in their lives. We are a feminist organisation and we actively challenge the values, beliefs and behaviours that contribute to women’s
oppression. Our mission is to raise awareness about sexual violence through providing training, guidance and information and working in partnership with local service providers and communities to promote the values of TRC.
We are a feminist charity providing essential support for survivors of sexual abuse and rape in Greater Manchester.
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!
Would you like to become an Ambassador for knus? We've introduced our new arm-chairing volunteer position.
If you're interested arm-chair volunteering (our most flexible, low commitment role) and applying to volunteer at knus, simply read through the information on this page and apply.
- 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 mobile phone or laptop? You can do this role whether you are, whether it be on a sofa or on a plane.
- How much time can you give? As much as you want to do. We are flexible and like to work around you.
- Do you like to learn? We provide training for all volunteers that join us. You'll have access to our CPD courses to help you advance your knowledge and certificates to add to your CV.
How does it work?
In 2025 we launched our arm chair volunteering initiative to help us spread the word about our service and to give people the opportunity to take part in surveys and projects to help us deliver the best mental health support to the UK public.
We'd like to embrace what you love doing, whether that be sharing on socials, proof reading, surveys, sharing experiences or getting involved in our fabulous projects.
Important information:
In order to volunteer for knus as an ambassador, you will need to complete a brief application form and a ID check. A DBS is not required for this role, however, if you wish to progress to another role you may need a disclosure. We do this to ensure of service remains a safe place to volunteer for all. Please do not worry about this, we will help you as much as we can.
Training is provided by us and our training partners. You will be required to attend this training using online conferencing software such as zoom or teams.
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!
Bright Futures UK is looking for compassionate and knowledgeable career guidance and advice professionals to mentor young people living with serious illnesses.
What will you be doing?
-
Run six mentoring sessions online
-
Offer advice and insights related to CV and career goals
-
Help the young person explore potential next steps after education and career pathways
-
Share your own experiences and knowledge to inspire and motivate.
-
Adhere to safeguarding policies and report concerns to the BFUK Team
What are we looking for?
-
Expertise in Careers Guidance: Profound knowledge and experience in advising young people about their futures, with a focus on areas like pathways into a career and CV support.
-
Mentoring and Communication: Ability to mentor effectively, offering guidance and support to a young person with clarity and empathy.
-
Flexibility and Commitment: Willingness to commit to 6 weeks of 1-hour sessions
What difference will you make?
-
By volunteering as a Mentor, you’ll play a vital role in empowering a young person to take control of their health and future, helping them to achieve their goals despite the challenges they face.
As a charity that supports children and young people, we make safeguarding individuals our top priority. For this reason, all volunteers are subject to an enhanced criminal record and disclosures check. We also ask all volunteers to adhere to our Safeguarding, Equality and Confidentiality policies. These are nothing to worry about and if you have any questions, our team are happy to support you.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.