Learning volunteers volunteer roles in romford, essex

Do you enjoy organising? Would you like to play a key role in making sure things get done!

We are recruiting for an Admin and Reception Volunteer at our Older Persons Day Activities Centre in Tooting.

Our volunteer administrators are instrumental to all the work that we do across Hestia. You will have the opportunity to support staff with a wide range of desk-based and administrative tasks. These behind-the-scenes roles provide essential support in ensuring that those who we work with access the support they require to rebuild their lives beyond crisis

What you will be doing

• To support with administration, and with meeting and greeting service users, and with building security.
• Support with updating and inputting data into spreadsheets
• Support with answering phone calls and internal communication
• To support the team with covering the reception desk and dealing with enquiries from people arriving at the service/office.

The skills you need

• Good communication skills
• Good organisation and administrative skills
• Able to maintain good working relationships
• Basic IT skills, comfortable using spreadsheets and emailing

What's in it for you

• Supporting You - You will have a dedicated volunteer supervisor to support you in your role; Quarterly volunteer forums with the central Volunteering team and volunteers across Hestia; References for job applications
• Developing You - You will gain knowledge and insight into issues that impact Domestic Abuse, Modern Slavery and Mental Health; You will have access to our extensive Learning and Development Programme; 40% of our departed volunteers secured a paid role at Hestia last year!
• Valuing You - We hold annual Volunteer Awards and Celebration events; We reimburse travel expenses and up to £5 for lunch for your volunteering; We hold social events and outings for our volunteers to get together and have some fun

Here’s 5 reasons you’ll love to volunteer in our shops:

1. It's fun

2. It's flexible

3. You'll learn and share skills

4. You'll be making a difference

5. You'll work with a great team

We’re passionate about what we do, and love giving second-hand clothing a chance of going to a good home. Our shop teams are key to raising vital funds for our work and act as incredible advocates for the rights of children both in the UK and around the world.

Please note that this is a voluntary, unpaid role, based in the UK. We are unfortunately not able to provide support with visa requests. 

Volunteering in the shop

Mary's Living & Giving for Save the Children is unique - a vibrant result of the generous gifts of local individuals and companies being turned around by the skills and passions of volunteer teams, to create a destination retail experience. We hold a prime position on the picturesque Church Street and from our little pink shop we raise lifesaving funds for Save The Children’s work both in the U.K. and abroad. As well as raising awareness on sustainable fashion and fashion climate activism, we’re a hub of excitement and passion!

Our Stoke Newington Shop Volunteers are in the middle of it all, and there’s plenty to get involved with. You might be sorting and pricing stock, engaging with customers, ringing items through the till, creating fantastic window displays or keeping our shop floor looking organised.

It’s up to you how much you commit. We have volunteers who support for a couple of hours a week and some do more. Many people volunteer either a morning or an afternoon each week - this is something that will be discussed at the selection stage, after you’ve applied.

Why volunteer with Save the Children?

In over 110 countries, we support children to transform their lives. By providing live-saving short-term help, and pushing for deep-rooted social change, we help children take, their future into their own hands. We believe every child has the right to learn. Every child should have good food to fuel their bodies and every child should have medicine when they're sick.

Skills and experiences we seek

We welcome applications from people with a wide range of skills and experiences. You don’t need any retail or shop experience as full training will be provided. What’s important to us is that you are a team player, open to learning and to follow our policies as well as be an excellent representative for Save the Children. 

We know that our shop teams are stronger when they are inclusive and representative of their communities. Everybody can make a real difference. People come to us for all sorts of reasons, from all backgrounds, and we will do what we can to find a role that works for you.

What happens next?

After you’ve filled in an application, we will invite you for an informal trial shift. It’s a great opportunity to visit the shop, meet some of our existing volunteers and have a go at some of the tasks that you would be supporting with as a shop volunteer. Hopefully allowing you to get a feel for the role and make sure it’s for you. We also ask for a couple of references (these don’t have to be formal workplace ones, just someone who has known you for over 6 months and isn’t related). 

How to apply

Express your interest on email via the apply button. 

Please note that this is a voluntary, unpaid role, based in the UK. We are unfortunately not able to provide support with visa requests. 

Research is an important part of our work at Helen Bamber Foundation and enables us to understand our clients’ experiences and how they can be best supported. We produce evidence, which we use alongside learning from our services, to try to change law, policy and practice across different organisations and authorities such as the NHS and Home Office. Everyone in the sector can then use our evidence to drive positive change and improve support for Survivors. 

Much of our research has a clinical focus, such as exploring new types of therapeutic approaches. We also carry out systematic reviews of existing evidence about health conditions and their management and interview-based studies of the lived experience and health impact of aspects of forced migration (such as the mental health impact of detention and of quasi-detention accommodation). We conduct research addressing legal, counter-trafficking and policy issues such as the difficulties experienced during the ‘transition’ period after people gain leave to remain . We are working to increase involvement of and co-production with people who have expertise by lived experience (including our clients and former clients) in our research programme.

Research helps us achieve our goals of securing legal protection for survivors, increasing access to appropriate care and preventing re-trafficking. 

We are looking for a volunteer to support the research team to progress a variety of research projects.  

Main tasks and activities  

• Assisting the research team with ad-hoc administrative research tasks, including data management and research project tracking

• Making research recruitment calls and speaking to clients about research opportunities 

• Translating research papers into accessible summaries and creative content

• Contributing to data extraction and analysis across a number of research projects

• Editing and reviewing research papers to prepare them to be submitted for publication

Skills and experience needed 

• Understanding of, and commitment to, the objectives of the Helen Bamber Foundation; 

• A demonstrable empathy for our vulnerable clients, including people seeking asylum, refugees and survivors of torture and trafficking; 

• Some knowledge of the challenges facing vulnerable clients including people seeking asylum, refugees and survivors of torture, trafficking; 

• Strong interest in research and its potential to contribute to positive change for our client group

• Ability to think critically about research, and to be mindful of the ethical dilemmas and complexities surrounding doing research with survivors

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills; 

• Excellent organizational skills and ability to manage own time and workload, and to prioritise a range of competing demands; 

• Ability to translate complex and technical academic writing into accessible content

Desirable

• Experience analysing qualitative and/or quantitative data

• Strong writing and editing skills, and previous experience of writing academic papers or non-academic reports

• An interest in participatory research methods and co-production and in centering lived-experience within research 

We are looking for a volunteer who would like to play a role in building children’s confidence. Would you be interested in supporting children to improve their numeracy abilities? We are looking for a volunteer who understands children with specific needs particularly around attention and memory challenges. Through your support, encouragement and tutoring you will make a difference to the people you work with! Hestia provides holistic, one-to-one support in our refuges and the community. Our refuge services are for women and children, offering a safe place to stay and vital emotional and practical support.

Outside of our refuges, most of our support services are accessible by anyone who has experienced domestic abuse, including men.

In the last year, 3,855 women and children were supported by Hestia to recover from domestic abuse.

Anyone can experience domestic abuse, at any point in their life, regardless of their background, age, gender, ethnicity or sexual orientation. However, it is a gendered crime, with women being three times more likely to be victims.

We help people understand what domestic abuse is and develop the knowledge, skills and tools they need to protect themselves, stay safe and leave a relationship, if and when they’re ready to do so.

What you will be doing

• To support children who are not confident with numeracy to develop these skills through tutoring sessions over a video call
• Engage in conversation, problem solving examples, maths based support
• To keep records of conversations and update the support worker on progress of sessions

The skills you need

• Interest in supporting children to develop their math skills. Background in teaching maths/numeracy is desirable
• Good communication skills
• Ability to provide a supportive and inclusive atmosphere
• A tutoring qualification is desirable but not essential
• Mathematics qualification is essential

What's in it for you

• Supporting You - You will have a dedicated volunteer supervisor to support you in your role; Quarterly volunteer forums with the central Volunteering team and volunteers across Hestia; References for job applications.
• Developing You - You will gain knowledge and insight into issues that impact Domestic Abuse, Modern Slavery and Mental Health; You will have access to our extensive Learning and Development Programme; 40% of our departed volunteers secured a paid role at Hestia last year!
• Valuing You - Valuing You - We hold annual Volunteer Awards, outings, celebration, and social events for our volunteers to get together and have some fun; We reimburse travel expenses and up to £5 for lunch for your volunteering.

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.

The Bromley Experts by Experience Treasurer will help the board of trustees carry out their financial responsibilities, working closely with the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Chair of Trustees and staff team in establishing strong foundations for this Deaf and Disabled People’s Organisation with a view to a financially sustainable future. You will also be supporting us in developing our future approach to financial management, making the most of financial modelling, and supporting clear reporting to funders, partners and stakeholders.

The Treasurer will play a vital role, working with the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Chair of Trustees and staff team to help the organisation ensure sound financial records, develop income streams, and build impact reports. As part of a new, expanded board of trustees at Bromley Experts by Experience, you will provide effective financial oversight, supporting the CEO and senior staff members in developing our vision and strategy to ensure a financially sustainable future.

IMPORTANT: As a Deaf and Disabled People’s Organisation, our governing articles require that our staff, trustees and volunteers bring with them lived experience of disability (self-identified or otherwise). See how we define this below.

Responsibilities of the Treasurer:

• Present financial reports to the board in a format that helps fellow trustees understand X by X Bromley’s financial position.
• Advise the board on how to carry out its financial responsibilities.
• Work with professional advisors and staff, as needed to oversee the preparation and scrutiny of annual accounts.
• Ensure X by X Bromley activities benefit its members and beneficiaries.
• Ensure the board fulfils their duties and responsibilities for effective charity governance in line with Bromley Experts by Experience’s policies and the requirements of the Charity Commission for England and Wales.
• Support and advocate for X by X Bromley’s mission, vision and values.

What we ask of you:

• The Treasurer should expect to serve for a minimum of 12 months.
• The Treasurer is required to attend scheduled meetings with some ad hoc meetings where necessary.
• It is anticipated that the time commitment will be an approximate average of 2.5 hours per week. This will mainly comprise of:
  • Board meeting attendance (plus preparation thereof) every 8 weeks,
  • AGM attendance (plus preparation of papers and accounts),
  • Supporting our annual Disability Pride event.
  • Regular scheduled meetings with senior staff.
• As we are a very small charity, there could be occasions when extra time will be required (e.g. during the planning of new projects or dealing with any particular difficulties that arise), or where additional support would be appreciated (e.g. attending events, meeting members at project days).

Key Skills and Qualities:

• Lived Experience of disability (can be self-identified)
• A belief that Disabled People can and should be actively welcomed and included in our communities. An understanding that it is barriers in society that make that harder. This is called the Social Model of Disability.
• A qualified accountant with not-for-profit awareness and knowledge. An understanding of very small charities and/or DDPOs would be advantageous.
• Competent IT skills, including working knowledge of QuickBooks and Excel.
• Ability to communicate and explain financial information accessibly.
• Strong analytical and evaluation skills, demonstrating professional and independent judgement.
• A genuine interest in local communities and people.
• Strong leadership and communication skills, communicating in a way that is accessible to you.
• Understanding of the legal duties, responsibilities and liabilities of trusteeship, the Treasurer role, and the financial aspects of running a charity.
• An effective team worker, contributing an independent perspective.
• Possess and demonstrate integrity, objectivity, accountability, and honesty.
• Commitment to Bromley Experts by Experience’s aims, objectives and values.

The Treasurer must be legally eligible to stand as a registered Company Director and Charity Trustee. Having had previous experience as a trustee of a voluntary organisation is an advantage.

The Treasurer will require a DBS Check to be completed.

What we mean by lived experience of disability:

As we follow the Social Model of Disability, our definition of Disabled person includes anyone who is being discriminated against or disabled by barriers in society, including:

• People with physical impairment
• People with visual impairment
• Deaf people
• People with hearing impairment
• People who are neurodivergent
• People with learning difficulties/disabilities
• People who experience mental health conditions/mental distress
• People with long-term health conditions

We recognise that a lot of these impairments are invisible and many people have more than one impairment.

About CARAS: 

Community Action for Refugees and Asylum Seekers (CARAS) is a registered charity that has been supporting refugees and asylum-seekers since 2002 empowering them to integrate and engage in the local community. 

Arriving as an asylum seeker/refugee can be a disempowering experience. Difficulties with language, accessing services and overcoming prejudice are ever-present. As an organisation we are committed to work alongside refugees to overcome those challenges, and to help them build their lives. 

We offer group support and targeted support work. We offer a range of activities including: ESOL classes; social and recreational activities such as youth club, drama, trips, and family activities; educational support for young people; and casework and advocacy support.

Our values are at the centre of all our work: 

• Kindness: CARAS will nurture all who are part of our community, helping everyone to develop their skills, talents, and interests. 

• Justice: CARAS will strive for social justice following a rights-based approach in all our work and challenging instances when rights are not upheld in wider society. 

• Empowerment: CARAS works alongside people, recognising and respecting their skills and strengths and striving together for better outcomes. 

• ‘With’ not ‘for’: CARAS will put the voices, opinions, experiences and needs of its beneficiaries at the heart of all that we do. 

About Youth ESOL: 

Our award-winning ESOL project offers English language classes to young people at a wide range of levels. This provides vital skills, opportunities and social contact and is crucial for enabling young people to do well at school or college.

About the Role: 

CARAS is looking for volunteer ESOL Teaching Assistants to support our face-to-face study programme called ‘Get Ready for School.’ 

This programme is attended by young people out of education and is based in Tooting on Mondays and Wednesdays. Core delivery of the programme includes English, Maths, Digital skills, complemented by Reading and Writing for Pleasure.

Volunteers in this role are required to commit to at least one 2-hour session per week, during these times:

• Monday 10am - 3pm
• Tuesday 2pm - 6pm
• Wednesday 11am - 6pm

Please note that ESOL classes do not run during school holidays, and we follow Wandsworth Council term dates.

Volunteer  Tasks and Responsibilities: 

• Providing learners with one-to-one or small group support within ESOL classes;

• Help young people to build confidence in digital literacy;

• Helping to set up the classroom and provide learners with classroom resources;

• Engaging learners in informal conversations or games during breaks to help them practice their conversational English.

• Checking the session plan aims with the lead teacher and assisting learners achieve them;

• Attending and contributing to volunteer debriefs after each session;

• Making use of any community languages you may know to help students during the class;

• Working collaboratively as a team and helping to shape the project;

• Supporting people to develop their knowledge and skills, encouraging and inspiring participants to reach their full potential;

• Assisting participants to recognise and celebrate their achievements;

• Following CARAS’ confidentiality, safeguarding, health & safety, equal opportunities, data management and all other policies as relevant.  

Requirements: 

Essential 

• To be 18 years or older;

• Able to travel to our community centre in Tooting (travel and food expenses can be reimbursed);

• An interest in education and English language teaching;

• To be non-judgemental and able to engage with people from diverse backgrounds;

• To be reliable and punctual;

• Excellent communication skills, especially with people who are new to English;

• The ability to volunteer on Monday mornings and Wednesday afternoons/evenings during Wandsworth term time for a minimum of four months;

• Currently resident in the UK; has asylum seeker or refugee status

• Able to provide five years’ worth of addresses, and willing to undergo a DBS check (DBS and proof of residency is not necessary if you are a Caras community member who is more recently arrived in the UK);

• Able to attend volunteer induction training (online) prior to start of role 

Desirable 

• Knowledge of community languages, such as Arabic, Tigrinya, Amharic, Pashto, Dari, Farsi, Kurdish, Somali or Spanish. 

Through volunteering with us you will: 

• Gain experience of English language teaching; 

• Meet new members of your local community; 

• Learn about different cultures; 

• Learn about issues relating to refugees and people seeking asylum; 

• Work as part of a friendly, welcoming team; 

• Develop your skills and competencies; 

• Be able to access relevant training, including safeguarding training. 

• Be able to obtain a reference from us relating to your placement after 3 months’ regular volunteering 

To Apply: 

To apply for this opportunity, download and complete the CARAS volunteer application form from the CARAS website using this volunteer role description to inform your answers with email subject header “Youth ESOL Teaching Assistant Volunteer”. 

Successful applicants will have an informal meeting with a member of the CARAS learning staff team and a community member. These meetings will be on a rolling basis so apply ASAP! 

 All volunteers must complete an enhanced DBS check for working with young people and attend training with us before starting. You will also receive training and support relevant to your specific role. 

INDEPENDENT READING GROUP VOLUNTEER (FACE-TO-FACE) 

CARAS Youth ESOL Programme – Monday, Wednesday mornings  

About CARAS: 

Community Action for Refugees and Asylum Seekers (CARAS) is a registered charity that has been supporting refugees and asylum-seekers since 2002 empowering them to integrate and engage in the local community. 

Arriving as an asylum seeker/refugee can be a disempowering experience. Difficulties with language, accessing services and overcoming prejudice are ever-present. As an organisation we are committed to work alongside refugees to overcome those challenges, and to help them build their lives. 

We offer group support and targeted support work. We offer a range of activities including: ESOL classes; social and recreational activities such as youth club, drama, trips, and family activities; educational support for young people; and casework and advocacy support. 

Our values are at the centre of all our work: 

• Kindness: CARAS will nurture all who are part of our community, helping everyone to develop their skills, talents, and interests. 

• Justice: CARAS will strive for social justice following a rights-based approach in all our work and challenging instances when rights are not upheld in wider society. 

• Empowerment: CARAS works alongside people, recognising and respecting their skills and strengths and striving together for better outcomes. 

• ‘With’ not ‘for’: CARAS will put the voices, opinions, experiences and needs of its beneficiaries at the heart of all that we do. 

About Youth ESOL: 

Our award-winning ESOL project offers English language classes to young people at a wide range of levels. This provides vital skills, opportunities and social contact and is crucial for enabling young people to do well at school or college.

About the Role: 

• CARAS is looking for Reading Group Volunteer to support our face-to-face study programme for young people.
• The reading group is in Tooting and is an important element of a study programme for young people aged 14 to 18 who are out of formal education.
• Students will be supported to read at length and complete challenges that are adapted to their ability level.
• The reading group aims to foster independence and a joy of reading among the young people and requires volunteers to learn about the young peoples' interests in order to help them select an appropriate text.
• The ESOL teacher will provide volunteers with tips to support reading and understanding for emerging learners of English, such as phonics and elicitation strategies.
• Volunteers will work with 1-5 students, mostly reading out loud with them or helping them to decode unfamiliar language.
• Please note that ESOL classes do not run during school holidays, and we follow Wandsworth Council term dates. 

Volunteer tasks and responsibilities: 

• Providing learners with one-to-one or small group support within the Reading Group sessions; 

• Helping to set up the classroom and provide learners with classroom resources; 

• Contributing to debriefs to inform the ESOL teacher how each student found the lesson/task and the students’ areas of greatest challenge and success;  

• Attending and contributing to volunteer debriefs after each session; 

• Making use of any community languages you may know to help students during the class; 

• Working collaboratively as a team and helping to shape the project; 

• Supporting people to develop their knowledge and skills, encouraging and inspiring participants to reach their full potential; 

• Assisting participants to recognise and celebrate their achievements; 

• Listening and supporting students to select, read and understand a text; Showing flexibility to the wide range of ability levels in the classroom; 

• Following CARAS’ confidentiality, safeguarding, health & safety, equal opportunities, data management and all other policies as relevant.  

Requirements: 

Essential

• To be 18 years or older; 

• An interest in education and English language teaching;

• Currently resident in the UK; has asylum-seeker or refugee status 

• * Able to provide five years’ worth of addresses, and willing to undergo a DBS check; *DBS and proof of residency is not necessary if you are a CARAS community member who is more recently arrived in the UK.  

• Able to attend volunteer induction training (online) prior to start of role 

• Able to travel to our community centre in Tooting (food and travel expenses can be reimbursed); 

• To be non-judgemental and able to engage with young people from diverse backgrounds; 

• To be reliable and punctual; 

• Good communication skills, especially with people who are new to English; 

• An interest in books and stories, writing and poetry 

• The ability to volunteer on Wednesday during Wandsworth term time for a minimum of four months; 

Desirable: 

• Knowledge of community languages, such as Arabic, Tigrinya, Amharic, Pashto, Dari, Farsi, Kurdish, Somali or Spanish; 

• Experience of reading with young people or learners of English, or teaching ESOL or phonics. 

Through volunteering with us you will: 

• Gain experience of English language teaching; 

• Meet new members of your local community; 

• Learn about different cultures; 

• Learn about issues relating to refugees and people seeking asylum; 

• Work as part of a friendly, welcoming team; 

• Develop your skills and competencies such as literacy and phonics strategies for emerging learners of English; 

• Be able to access relevant training, including safeguarding training. 

• Be able to obtain a reference from us relating to your placement after 3 months of regular volunteering. 

Here’s 5 reasons you’ll love to volunteer in our shops:

1. It's fun

2. It's flexible

3. You'll learn and share skills

4. You'll be making a difference

5. You'll work with a great team

We’re passionate about what we do, and love giving second-hand clothing a chance of going to a good home. Our shop teams are key to raising vital fun

Please note that this is a voluntary, unpaid role, based in the UK. We are unfortunately not able to provide support with visa requests. 

Volunteering in the shop

Mary's Living & Giving for Save the Children is unique - a vibrant result of the generous gifts of local individuals and companies being turned around by the skills and passions of volunteer teams, to create a destination retail experience. Selling womenswear, menswear, shoes, and bags to household goods, our shops can be found in the London villages and bring in vital funds for Save the Children.

Our East Dulwich Shop Volunteers are in the middle of it all, and there’s plenty to get involved with. You might be sorting and pricing stock, engaging with customers, ringing items through the till, creating fantastic window displays or keeping our shop floor looking organised.

It’s up to you how much you commit. We have volunteers who support for a couple of hours a week and some do more. Many people volunteer either a morning or an afternoon each week - this is something that will be discussed at the selection stage, after you’ve applied. We would also love to hear from people willing to volunteer on Sundays. 

Why volunteer with Save the Children?

In over 110 countries, we support children to transform their lives. By providing live-saving short-term help, and pushing for deep-rooted social change, we help children take, their future into their own hands. We believe every child has the right to learn. Every child should have good food to fuel their bodies and every child should have medicine when they're sick.

Skills and experiences we seek

We welcome applications from people with a wide range of skills and experiences. You don’t need any retail or shop experience as full training will be provided. What’s important to us is that you are a team player, open to learning and to follow our policies as well as be an excellent representative for Save the Children. 

We know that our shop teams are stronger when they are inclusive and representative of their communities. Everybody can make a real difference. People come to us for all sorts of reasons, from all backgrounds, and we will do what we can to find a role that works for you.

What happens next?

After you’ve filled in an application, we will invite you for an informal trial shift. It’s a great opportunity to visit the shop, meet some of our existing volunteers and have a go at some of the tasks that you would be supporting with as a shop volunteer. Hopefully allowing you to get a feel for the role and make sure it’s for you. We also ask for a couple of references (these don’t have to be formal workplace ones, just someone who has known you for over 6 months and isn’t related). 

How to apply

Express your interest on email via the apply button. Please let us know if you are willing to volunteer on Sundays.

Please note that this is a voluntary, unpaid role, based in the UK. We are unfortunately not able to provide support with visa requests. 

Are you creative? Would you like to support others to express their emotions through arts and crafting?

Art plays a valuable role in mental wellbeing with research showing that crafting, regardless of the medium you use can boost your mood, self-confidence and reduce stress overall. Taking part in art-based activities increases our resilience and engages us in the here and now. You will be supporting people to express their emotions, provide a time for people to relax and feel proud of their final art products!

We are recruiting for a volunteer to support and facilitate an art and craft group.

Hestia has a variety of different services that support people across London and the South East. These services support people that are struggling with their mental health, are victims of Domestic Abuse or Modern Slavery, and more. Join our team of volunteers who play a vital role in what we do! We work with people who need support with their mental health across London and the South East. Our support ranges from registered accommodation services for people with severe mental health conditions to drop-in community and crisis services.

In the last year, 9,499 adults accessed Hestia’s mental health support.

We help people to feel safe, develop hope for a better future, and achieve their personal goals. These goals may include rebuilding relationships with family members and friends or connecting more with their local community.

What you will be doing

• To prepare arts and craft sessions, involving individuals in the planning process where possible
• Inspire and motivate individuals to develop their arts and craft skills, assisting them in the creation of their projects and supporting them to brainstorm and use their own initiative
• Encourage individuals to continue independent activities

The skills you need

• Experience of arts and/or crafts either in a professional, educational, or personal level
• Able to collaborate with individuals to plan an art group session and facilitate confidently
• A calm and patient manner
• Ability to provide a trusting, open, kind-hearted atmosphere that encourages learning and participation
• An effective communicator with a patient and sympathetic nature

What's in it for you

• Supporting You - You will have a dedicated volunteer supervisor to support you in your role; Quarterly volunteer forums with the central Volunteering team and volunteers across Hestia; References for job applications
• Developing You - You will gain knowledge and insight into issues that impact Domestic Abuse, Modern Slavery and Mental Health; You will have access to our extensive Learning and Development Programme; 40% of our departed volunteers secured a paid role at Hestia last year!
• Valuing You - We hold annual Volunteer Awards and Celebration events; We reimburse travel expenses and up to £5 for lunch for your volunteering; We hold social events and outings for our volunteers to get together and have some fun

Disclaimer

Hestia is proud to be a Disability Confident employer. Should you require our role pack in an alternative format or wish to discuss any reasonable adjustments you may need for your interview, please contact hestia. As part of the process of volunteering, all applicants will need to complete a DBS and references. If you have any convictions/cautions, this does not mean that you cannot apply for any of our roles, however we do require a DBS for all positions. We ensure that all positive disclosures on DBS records are discussed with our volunteers and fairly assessed. Schedule 9 (1a) of the Equality Act 2010 applies to this position – (Only Female applicants please)

Do you enjoy walking, meeting others and having a good chat? If so, we have the perfect volunteering role for you!

Join our team and inspire others to exercise through a weekly walk. You will create an opportunity for people to support each other, provide that additional boost to exercise and go for a walk even when they may not be feeling the motivation.

We work with people who need support with their mental health across London and the South East. Our support ranges from registered accommodation services for people with severe mental health conditions to drop-in community and crisis services.

In the last year, 9,499 adults accessed Hestia’s mental health support.

We help people to feel safe, develop hope for a better future, and achieve their personal goals. These goals may include rebuilding relationships with family members and friends or connecting more with their local community.

What you will be doing

• Coordinate and facilitate weekly walks in local parks to the service alongside other volunteers
• Meet with the walking group weekly
• Hold conversations with people attending the group, checking in on their wellbeing and providing a listening ear/friendly face
• Keep a record of attendees, provide feedback, and report any concerns to the staff team
• Ability to provide a supportive, and inclusive atmosphere that encourages participation

The skills you need

• Inspire and motivate people to attend the walking group
• Ability to identify, manage any possible risks that may arise during the walking group. Training will be provided
• Willing and able to go on a weekly walk lasting approximately 60-90 minutes
• Good communication skills
• Calm and patient approach

What's in it for you

• Supporting You - You will have a dedicated volunteer supervisor to support you in your role; Quarterly volunteer forums with the central Volunteering team and volunteers across Hestia; References for job applications
• Developing You - You will gain knowledge and insight into issues that impact Domestic Abuse, Modern Slavery and Mental Health; You will have access to our extensive Learning and Development Programme; 40% of our departed volunteers secured a paid role at Hestia last year!
• Valuing You - We hold annual Volunteer Awards and Celebration events; We reimburse travel expenses and up to £5 for lunch for your volunteering; We hold social events and outings for our volunteers to get together and have some fun

Finance Volunteer

We’re the MS Society – a community of people living with MS, scientists, campaigners, listeners, organisers, ambassadors and fundraisers. Our volunteers are a key part of achieving our goals and their support is vital. Join us.

About this opportunity
We are looking to recruit a Finance Volunteer for our Greenwich Group. As a Finance Volunteer, you would be joining a coordinating team of volunteers to plan and deliver services and activities to support people locally.

You will maintain and approve income and expenditure records and explain financial information clearly to other group members. You would ensure our financial requirements and policies are followed, and that money is spent in a cost effective manner.

This is a great opportunity to gain experience with a large charity, develop your existing skills and learn new ones. We need you to get involved and help make positive changes to the lives of people affected by MS.

About you
You’ll have an interest in the MS Society and the work that we do, as well as the enthusiasm to represent both us and our values locally. You will understand the needs of people affected by MS in your area and be sympathetic to the needs and motivations of volunteers. You’ll be comfortable with figures, preferably with an accounting or business background.

Apply 

Read through the role description carefully

Please apply online

The MS Society is committed to promoting diversity. We can only offer roles to over 18s.

We are recruiting for a volunteer who would like to play a role in helping others to express themselves through writing. Would you like to support others to use their imagination to portray a message?

Creative writing is a great way to express yourself using your own creativity and imagination through story telling or poetry. It is an opportunity to reflect on your own experiences and put it down on paper. Creative writing has been shown to improve emotional and mental well-being. Through creative writing, we can gain insight into our emotions, develop self-expression and communication skills, cultivate empathy and understanding of others, boost our imagination and creativity.

About the service..

We work with people who need support with their mental health across London and the South East. Our support ranges from registered accommodation services for people with severe mental health conditions to drop-in community and crisis services.

In the last year, 9,499 adults accessed Hestia’s mental health support.

We help people to feel safe, develop hope for a better future, and achieve their personal goals. These goals may include rebuilding relationships with family members and friends or connecting more with their local community.

What you will be doing

• Lead and facilitate a weekly Creative Writing Group, encouraging participants to explore their thoughts and feelings through writing exercises, prompts, and storytelling.
• Guide a subsequent Feelings Forum where participants can share and discuss emotions sparked by the writing session or current experiences in a respectful and supportive atmosphere
• Foster an inclusive, non-judgmental environment where all voices are heard and valued
• Maintain confidentiality and adhere to the organisation’s safeguarding and mental health protocols
• Prepare session materials and adapt activities to meet the needs of diverse participants

The skills you need

• Prepare session materials and adapt activities to meet the needs of diverse participants
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with sensitivity to mental health challenges
• Ability to facilitate group discussions and manage diverse emotional responses constructively
• Patience, empathy, and a non-judgmental approach.
• Training or experience in mental health, counselling, social work, or a related field is advantageous but not essential

What's in it for you

• Supporting You - You will have a dedicated volunteer supervisor to support you in your role; Quarterly volunteer forums with the central Volunteering team and volunteers across Hestia; References for job applications.
• Developing You - You will gain knowledge and insight into issues that impact Domestic Abuse, Modern Slavery and Mental Health; You will have access to our extensive Learning and Development Programme; 40% of our departed volunteers secured a paid role at Hestia last year!
• Valuing You - Valuing You - We hold annual Volunteer Awards, outings, celebration, and social events for our volunteers to get together and have some fun; We reimburse travel expenses and up to £5 for lunch for your volunteering.

Finance Volunteer

We’re the MS Society – a community of people living with MS, scientists, campaigners, listeners, organisers, ambassadors and fundraisers. Our volunteers are a key part of achieving our goals and their support is vital. Join us.

About this opportunity
We are looking to recruit a Finance Volunteer for our Medway and Swale Group. As a Finance Volunteer, you would be joining a coordinating team of volunteers to plan and deliver services and activities to support people locally.

You will maintain and approve income and expenditure records and explain financial information clearly to other group members. You would ensure our financial requirements and policies are followed, and that money is spent in a cost effective manner.

This is a great opportunity to gain experience with a large charity, develop your existing skills and learn new ones. We need you to get involved and help make positive changes to the lives of people affected by MS.

About you
You’ll have an interest in the MS Society and the work that we do, as well as the enthusiasm to represent both us and our values locally. You will understand the needs of people affected by MS in your area and be sympathetic to the needs and motivations of volunteers. You’ll be comfortable with figures, preferably with an accounting or business background. You will live in the immediate area of the Group, allowing you to meet with other volunteers from the Group.

Apply 

Read through the role description carefully

Please apply online

The MS Society is committed to promoting diversity. We can only offer roles to over 18s.