Learning volunteers volunteer roles in wivenhoe, essex

Our Mission

Brain tumours do not discriminate, and they do not respect boundaries. They can strike anyone, at any age. And they strike quickly.

The Scottish Steering Committee (SSC) is our voluntary group who drive policy, campaigning and influencing work in Scotland, with the support of The Charity. It aims to represent the views of the community in Scotland and be a solution orientated advisory board to help achieve agreed objectives.

An ambitious and dedicated group, members previously agreed that the key objective of the Committee would be to campaign for a faster diagnosis for those affected by a brain tumour. Their aim is to achieve this through influencing, supporting and campaigning to improve all aspects of the diagnostic journey. Two years after setting this objective, as per the Committee’s terms of reference, we are now seeking new members to join and advocate for change in Scotland.

How can you help?

To achieve these ambitions – the Committee is now seeking five new members with particular experiences and skill sets that can help drive and enable the Committee to achieve its ambitions.

Your experience and skills will provide valuable input during SSC meetings but won’t be limited to just that – you can actively engage with stakeholders across Scotland and the wider UK, contribute to the creation of our policy positions in Scotland and raise the voice of the community across Scotland and beyond.

What impact will you have?

You will be a core member of a group that is seeking to improve outcomes for all those affected by brain tumours in Scotland.

We’re looking for...

People with experiences, knowledge and skills that can actively contribute to the operation of the SSC. This includes but is not limited to:

• Experience of being personally affected by a brain tumour in Scotland

• Clinician who is involved with brain tumours in some capacity

• Experience of working within Scottish Public Affairs or within a Commercial Landscape and environment

• Experience of working within Public Relations or media management

However, all applications will be considered, and we seek to have as varied a skillset as possible with a range of different experiences to have as much representation across Scotland as possible.

We particularly encourage applications from those who are significantly underrepresented in our sector, including individuals from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) communities.

What can you gain from volunteering?

• You’ll have the opportunity to utilise your existing skills, while developing and learning new ones to take forward into the future

• You’ll join a friendly, passionate team and develop an understanding of how the Committee operates and its connection to The Charity

• You will be a part of a group who are seeking to positively influence change in Scotland.

Time commitment

The Committee currently holds 90 minute virtual meetings every six weeks. There will also be opportunities to take on additional tasks which can arise at different moments and depending on the activities of the Committee. We will also aim to meet in person at least once a year at an agreed location.

Practical considerations

You will receive a full induction to The Brain Tumour Charity and any specific training for the role, as well as ongoing direction from one of the team, who will be your key contact. We carry out reference checks for all individuals who will be volunteering with us on a regular basis. Volunteers will be required to complete some internal data protection and disclosure documentation before commencing the role. Volunteers must be over 18. We encourage volunteers to claim for any reasonable expenses that are incurred in the course of their volunteering with the Charity. The Deadline for applications is Monday 30 June at 5pm but we may close early if we receive a high number of applications.

Need support with the application process?

We are committed to being inclusive and recognise that there may be a number of ways we could support you through the application process. If there’s any adjustments we can make to help you fully engage in the process, don’t hesitate to let us know by getting in touch with the Volunteering team. 

Lead Support 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 Lead Support Volunteer for the Clacton and District Group. As a Lead Support Volunteer, you will be coordinating the support team, representing the needs of people affected by MS and our services and collate information about relevant local organisations. See a video about one of our Support Volunteers here.

This is a great opportunity to gain experience within a large charity and 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 have empathetic listening and interpersonal skills and be able to support a team of volunteers.

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.

What are Serving Community Teams?     

Volunteers are the lifeblood of SSAFA. SSAFA has developed Serving Community Teams for volunteers to support serving personnel their families in the UK and overseas.     

A Serving Community Team is run by a small team of volunteers on or near a British Armed Forces base which provide emotional, practical and financial support to the serving community. Our Fundraising Volunteers help support local fundraising activities to raise awareness and vital funds for SSAFA. You could be helping at fayres, quizzes or raffles, or lending a hand at a stall at a unit Families Day.

Why we want you

Serving Community Teams (SCTs) offer financial, practical and emotional support to serving personnel and their families at military bases both in the UK and overseas. Each SCT consists of a group of dedicated volunteers working together to raise SSAFA’s profile, ensuring those who need support receive it. Fundraising Volunteers are a support role within the team, helping to raise awareness of SSAFA at fundraising events throughout the year. If you enjoy meeting people while lending a hand at fundraising events, we would love to hear from you. You could be helping at fayres, running quizzes or raffles, cheering at sporting events or having a stall at a unit’s Families Day. Depending on the size of the SCT, you may be supported by a Events and Fundraising Coordinator.

What you will be doing

• Being part of a team helping host events, run stalls, attend fayres and working together to ensure they run well.
• Promoting events, putting up posters and spreading the word.
• Helping to set-up or pack away afterwards.
• Promoting the work of SSAFA and the SCT, highlighting case studies, good news stories and best practice to the Events and Fundraising Coordinator.
• Being an ambassador for SSAFA, building positive relationships with all stakeholders.

The skills you need

• Friendly and approachable with effective communication skills.
• Ability to travel to community venues and set up for events (out of pocket travel expenses will be reimbursed in line with SSAFA policy).
• Confident to chatting to people.
• Basic IT skills to be able to communicate online and access eLearning courses.
• Non-judgemental approach in alignment with SSAFA’s values and standards.
• A willingness to adhere to all relevant organisational policies and procedures.
• We welcome volunteers of all backgrounds, abilities, races, sexual orientations, socio-economic backgrounds, and of all faiths and none. SSAFA is committed to making reasonable adjustments to support volunteers with disabilities, so they have access to the same opportunities and experiences as volunteers who do not.

What's in it for you

• Give back to the serving community.
• Support people in your local serving community using your skills, knowledge and life experience.
• Gain experience, training and skills that you can highlight on your CV and in job interviews.
• Receive support and friendship from your local SCT and the wider SSAFA community.
• Better physical and mental health – studies show that volunteers live longer and experience lower levels of stress and depression!

Requirements     

Volunteers need to be a minimum of 18 years old.   

Time commitment     

Depending on the needs of the team, this role would suit someone who would like to volunteer 2-4 hours a month. There will be times when attendance is required for a team meeting which may be in person or virtually.    

Support     

Full training is provided for this role, with some e-learning modules online. You will also be supported by your SCT chair and Serving Community Support Team.     

SSAFA Values     

For SSAFA, our values of commitment, compassion, integrity and understanding underpin everything we do, and we ask that all volunteers are equally committed to them.     

After making an application     

Once you’ve applied, you’ll receive updates to the email address you provided in your application. Sometimes the emails we send go into junk folders, so do keep an eye out in the days following your application.

Disclaimer

SSAFA is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all those involved in our work and expects volunteers to share this commitment.

We're seeking a motivated volunteer intern to support our visual communication and social media presence. The role focuses on creating and sharing content across Instagram, website, and newsletters, helping us communicate our work clearly, creatively, and accessibly.

Applicants should be confident using Canva and have a basic understanding of AI tools (e.g. ChatGPT, DALL E, or similar) to assist with content creation. Skills in video editing apps and the ability to produce reels or short-form video content is a strong plus. Experience with Wix for website building and management is desirable.

This is an unpaid, part-time (1-2 days a week), flexible and remote-friendly position open to applicants based anywhere. We aim to make this a meaningful learning opportunity with involvement in projects, skill development, and portfolio-building. The length of the internship is 6 months. There is a concrete opportunity for the right person to continue working with us after the internship in a project-based freelance role.

Alex, The Leukodystrophy Charity (Alex TLC) is a small, independent rare disease charity competing for essential resources within an extremely competitive arena.

Like many other small charities, we have grown organically from an informal support group to the recognised voice for leukodystrophy patients and their families. In order to fulfil our charitable objectives we need to increase and sustain our corporate income levels.

Could you spare a few hours a week to help us?

ABOUT THE ROLE

We are looking for volunteers, preferably with corporate fundraising experience to:

• research the corporate giving landscape and the interests of potential donors

• identify potential corporate donors and partners whose corporate social responsibility (CSR) goals align with our mission and values

• approach local and national businesses in person and over the telephone to inform them of the work of Alex TLC

• keep a record of all approaches

Time Commitment

• This role is flexible and can easily fit round your other commitments. 

Location of Volunteering

• Homebased

ABOUT YOU

• an interest in Alex TLC and the work that we do

• access to a computer/laptop with an internet connection, and a printer

• basic understanding of the complexities of leukodystrophy

• excellent written skills

• excellent organisational and administrative skills

Benefits to you:

• Meeting and working with new people

• The ability to volunteer around your own commitments

• Learning new skills whilst having fun!

• Adding to your CV

• Helping those affected by leukodystrophies

We can only accept applications from UK residents. 

Are you interested in facilitating a peer support group for people who are struggling with their mental health? We are looking for passionate volunteers to facilitate a weekly online or face-to-face group, to discuss topics relating to mental health. We are hoping to find someone who has either ‘lived experience’ of mental health issues and is now at a positive place with their own recovery or someone who has good knowledge of mental health and looking to support others.

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

• Facilitating weekly peer support groups, covering topics related to mental health.
• To encourage participation and to provide focus and guidance for discussions within the group
• To negotiate/facilitate conflicts or disagreements that may arise during group meetings

The skills you need

• Strong listening and communication skills
• Ability to create and maintain a safe environment where the participants' thoughts and feelings are valued, and group members are treated with fairness, equity and respect
• Lived experience of mental health or desire to learn

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.

Cats Protection is the UK’s leading feline welfare charity and our vision is a world where every cat is treated with kindness and an understanding of its needs. Cats are at the centre of everything we do and our objectives are: homing, neutering and educating people about cats and their care. We help thousands of cats across the UK each year thanks to our network of dedicated volunteers, staff and supporters.

A bit about this role

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 events organisers have the exciting and varied role of helping plan and deliver local fundraising events to raise the vital funds needed to help our feline friends. Our fundraising events organisers use their passion for cats and people to plan cake sales, barn dances, quiz nights and everything in between.

What can you expect to be doing?

• Planning fundraising events and activities like cake sales, quiz nights and barn dances in Mid-Sussex RH15, RH16, RH17, BN6, BN45.
• Providing the treasurer with information on funds raised from fundraising events
• Encouraging and promoting a professional image of Cats Protection 
• Following policies and guidelines and ensuring licences and permits are obtained for events

A bit more information about this role and the team

• This is a flexible role. The amount of time you offer can work to your availability and convenience.
• There may be opportunities for your activities to be fully remote and/or admin based if you'd prefer.
• You will need your own transport if you wish to attend events, ideally a car or van since items, stock and equipment will usually be needed.
• We ask that you complete training to support you in your role. This can be completed online if you have access to the internet and the necessary device (computer/laptop/tablet etc). Support can be offered or paper versions of much of the training if needed.

What are the benefits to you and the cats?

You will develop new skills, expand your knowledge and make a significant contribution to improving the lives of cats and kittens by helping raise funds through events. You will also meet new people, make new friends and be part of a dedicated group of volunteers.

We’re looking for someone with

• Good organisational skills
• Strong interpersonal skills
• The ability to prioritise and delegate
• An appreciation of the importance of handling money and charity resources responsibly
• Knowledge of your local community

Time expectation

Our fundraising events organisers usually spend two to three hours per week in this role, which is flexible and can be shared by more than one volunteer.

Support, guidance and keeping you safe

At Cats Protection we believe our volunteers should be happy and confident in their roles. We provide support and guidance from our National Cat Centre and through our regional and local volunteer groups and teams. We offer engaging online and face-to-face training, expenses and have policies and processes to help volunteers get the most out of their time with us.

The wellbeing of our people is important and at Cats Protection we are committed to safeguarding children, adults at risk and all those that we come into contact with as part of our activities.

Our amazing team of volunteers helps us run over 600 shops. Our stores sell lots of great donated and new goods to help to raise vital funds. These funds are then used to make a real difference to disadvantaged children, young people and their families across the UK.

Over 60 donation centres receive and distribute 100’s of bags of stock every single week. All of these donations need to be lifted and shifted so they end up in the right shops - we don’t require a weightlifter, but you will be need to be physically fit to help move the many donations we receive.

As well as working up a sweat, our donation centres also sell a variety of stock which all need processing and putting on the shop floor. Making sure our shops look fantastic is another task you can get involved with. You may also be required to help out on the till once in a while, but we will show you how that works during your time volunteering with us. We value the contribution of everyone who supports Barnardo’s.

You will be a friendly face of Barnardo’s by volunteering in one of our shops. It would be great if you could volunteer one shift a week (or even more if you want) but we’re always happy to be flexible to work around your availability.

Why we want you

Our amazing team of vibrant & diverse volunteers helps us run over 600 stores. Our stores sell lots of great donated and new goods to help raise vital funds to make a real difference to disadvantaged children, young people and families across the UK.

What you will be doing

• Sorting large amounts of donations and stock
• Work on the till processing sales and returns
• Prepare stock, including sorting, steaming and pricing
• Create stylish window displays
• Replenish stock on the shop floor
• Stock-take and other administrative tasks

The skills you need

• Physically able to lift and carry large amounts of stock within our Health & Safety Guidelines
• Friendly and helpful
• Happy to be part of an amazing team of staff and volunteers
• Enthusiastic about the work of Barnardo’s
• Flexible and willing to do a variety of the shop tasks

What's in it for you

• Have fun and meet new people
• Develop skills for your CV including confidence, teamwork and problem solving
• Make a difference to the lives of children, young people and their families
• Learning and development opportunities through our Volunteer Academy which includes access to Level 2 Qualifications and other accredited courses
• Full training and experience of working in retail as a volunteer

Location:

Unit 3 Stanway Retail Park, Peartree Road, Colchester, Essex, CO3 0LX, United Kingdom

Minimum age: 14 years

Please note: we only accept applications from those residing in the UK

Are you an enthusiastic and skilled funding grant writer? Be a part of our small but committed team as a pro-active grant writer volunteer for a small national charity supporting people affected by a debilitating pain condition.

We are looking for 2 skilled grant writer volunteers who can take the lead in researching appropriate funds and writing grant bids to help us continue offering our support services and resources and helping us create new programmes and services to support patients and their families who have been affected by a poorly understood chronic condition; Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS).

As our Grant Writer you will be responsible for identifying appropriate grant opportunities, and managing the grant development and proposal process from research to submitting grant applications with any supporting documents.

As our grant writer, you will:

• Identify appropriate sources of funding where we fit their criteria 
• Write appropriately tailored grant/funding bids that meet funders’ interests and requirements and to write any additional documents in support of funding bids
• Help develop a Trusts and Foundations strategy to help create and maintain strong and diverse income that meets Burning Nights CRPS Support’s funding needs
• Create a calendar of grant deadlines and track submitted funding proposals
• Help us develop a case for support 
• Report on grant usage and impact
• Review all grant/bid feedback and ensure knowledge is shared, so that learning informs us for future approaches to grants

If you are an experienced grant writer or you just enjoy researching and persuasive writing then we would love to hear from you.

We are looking for a volunteer who has:

• Experience of being a grant writer, project proposal writer and editing skills
• Excellent writing, analytical, and research skills are essential
• Creative and persuasive written and spoken communication skills 
• Self-motivated and highly-organised
• Ability to work remotely
• Ability to search online databases and other sources to identify appropriate funds
• Ability to understand and appeal to funders’ differing needs
• Ability to organise your own work, track and report back regularly 
• Experience setting up funding email templates (desirable)
• Ability to quickly understand the needs of our organisation  and our service users
• Understands the resource constraints of a small charity and can work with these
• Open to feedback
• Ideally have good network with people, organisations and charities which can help us to support our projects
• Determination to get the job done

Skills

• Project proposal writing
• Grant writing and knowledge of charity grant giving culture
• Good networking skills and contacts with grant giving organisation
• Marketing and communications
• Content writing and story-telling
• Good online fundraising skills
• Good editing and proof reading skills and attention to detail
• Team player who is comfortable working with various volunteers within Burning Nights CRPS Support to collate information required to write funding applications

If you don't have the exact experience, but are interested to volunteer with us, please apply! We would be thrilled to find out about how your interests and experience match with our needs or what we are doing.

Other Information

This role is done remotely using Zoom, Slack and email. You would be working closely with the charity’s Chair and with other trustees. However we would have regular updates and remote meetings as needed so we know you are getting the support you need.

We have an induction process that will help successful applicant to understand how our Charity operates and full support of all our volunteers.

Minimum of 3-6 hours per week for this role

Ideal commitment of 3 months or more (but not specific)

Our amazing team of vibrant & diverse volunteers helps us run over 600 shops. Our stores sell lots of great donated & new goods to help raise vital funds to make a real difference to disadvantaged children, young people and families across the UK.

Our retail stores are the face of our charity on the high-street and in local communities. We have loads of amazing stock donated to us every week, and this all needs to be sorted, tagged and put on the shop-floor for sale!

Making sure our shops look fantastic is another task you can get involved with. You may also be required to help out on the till too, but we will show you how that works during your time volunteering with us. We value the contribution of everyone who supports Barnardo’s.

You will be a friendly face of Barnardo’s by volunteering in one of our shops. It would be great if you could volunteer one shift a week (or even more if you want) but we’re always happy to be flexible to work around your availability.

Why we want you

Our amazing team of vibrant & diverse volunteers helps us run over 700 stores. Our stores sell lots of great donated and new goods to help raise vital funds to make a real difference to disadvantaged children, young people and families across the UK.

What you will be doing

• Work on the till processing sales and returns
• Prepare stock, including sorting, steaming and pricing
• Create stylish window displays
• Replenish stock on the shop floor
• Stock-take and other administrative tasks

The skills you need

• Friendly and helpful
• Happy to be part of an amazing team of staff and volunteers
• Enthusiastic about the work of Barnardo’s
• Flexible and willing to do a variety of the shop tasks

What's in it for you

• Have fun and meet new people
• Develop skills for your CV including confidence, teamwork and problem solving
• Make a difference to the lives of children, young people and their families
• Learning and development opportunities through our Volunteer Academy which includes access to Level 2 Qualifications and other accredited courses
• Full training and experience of working in retail as a volunteer

Disclaimer

We look to recruit a diverse range of volunteers. If your skills don't fit the above, please do not let this put you off as we are able to be flexible with most of our roles. If you are unable to apply online through the link on this page, please visit your local store for a paper application form or contact the Barnardo's Volunteering Team on our website.

Location:

Unit 14, The Grove Centre, Witham, Essex, CM8 2YT, United Kingdom

Minimum age: 14 

Please note: we only accept applications from those residing in the UK

As a Group Leader, you’ll play a key role in delivering our life-changing therapeutic services by co-facilitating weekly self-help groups. Using a proven model rooted in Exposure-Response Therapy and CBT, you'll help guide members through understanding their conditions and moving toward recovery.

We’ll train you to confidently co-lead sessions with another volunteer. All you need is empathy, warmth, and a genuine desire to support others. Lived experience of anxiety, OCD, or phobias is a bonus, not a must. We ask for a commitment of just 2 hours a week for at least 12 months.

You’ll be part of something truly meaningful—helping others while growing personally and professionally.

What will you be doing?

Therapeutic Responsibilities

• Co-facilitate therapeutic guided self-help groups every week.
• Interact with relevant service users to arrange their initial attendance at therapeutic groups.
• Consistently work within the scope of your training and recognise the limits of your practice.
• Liaise closely with the organisation's Clinical Director to discuss challenging cases and clinical concerns.
• Inform the Clinical Director of any expected instances of absence two weeks before the event. 
• Administrative Responsibilities
• Record service users' attendance every week.
• Maintain service user attendance databases to the highest possible standards of accuracy and detail.
• Disseminate psychometric measures to service users by the organisation's evaluation strategy
• Promote a culture of evaluation amongst service users attending your groups to enhance the amount of individualised feedback available to them.
• Respond to service user enquiries, and organisational communications, in an appropriately timely manner.
• Actively engage in the initial training workshops that are provided by the organisation.
• Maintain a commitment to continual personal development and engage in additional training opportunities when provided.
• Actively engage in organised peer reflective practices
• Make use of the organisation-wide digital communication channels to share and learn therapeutic practices. 

• Safeguarding - It is every volunteer's responsibility to safeguard and protect adults and children from abuse, regardless of the setting in which your care takes place. It is the volunteer's responsibility to be aware of the charity's policies and procedures and proactively maintain safeguarding procedural knowledge.

Additional Responsibilities

• Adhere to all organisational policies and procedures.
• Support the organisation's promotion of a positive approach to diversity and inclusion, treating others with dignity and respect.
• Develop and maintain positive relationships with colleagues, taking account of their age, religion or belief, ethnicity, sex, marital or civil partnership status, sexual orientation, gender identity, pregnancy or maternity status and any disability.
• Maintain an approachable nature, ensuring that your conduct towards colleagues is open and honest, dealing with differences in opinion in ways which avoid offence.

Chatterbox Befrienders offer one-to-one telephone support and will call a client once a week offering companionship and a listening ear for an individual who might otherwise go unheard. Chatterbox volunteers befriend a variety of people including carers, socially isolated individuals who are struggling with loneliness, people with ill health and those that have been bereaved.

This role could be for you, if you:

• Would like to make a real difference in someone’s life
• Want to challenge loneliness and can commit to a weekly phone call
• Are a good listener
• Are empathetic, patient and of a caring nature
• Have good verbal and inter-personal communication skills
• Recognise the importance of confidentiality and can uphold this in practice
• Are committed to inclusion and treating people with dignity and respect

Requirements of a Befriender include:

• Calling your client once a week for a chat of up to 45 minutes; this is a 26 week initial commitment, at the end of which each client’s needs are reviewed
• Completing an online call log record promptly after each phone call
• Ensuring immediate contact with the Chatterbox Coordinators if you feel that the client might be a risk to themselves or others
• Liaising with the Chatterbox Coordinator on a regular basis regarding the service, as well as discussing personal learning and development needs
• Respecting service standards, appropriate boundaries and recognising the range of policies and procedures that impact on befriending vulnerable adults

Benefits of this role may include:

• Knowing you are making a difference to someone’s life
• Joining the Omega Team who are taking action against loneliness and isolation
• An opportunity to enhance your CV or learn new skills
• An opportunity to engage with your community

Support and training provided:

• Omega Chatterbox induction program
• Safeguarding training
• Ongoing support from Chatterbox Coordinators for all questions, concerns, and support
• Out of pocket expenses are reimbursed and a mobile phone can be provided if appropriate
• Monthly Befriender group support meetings via the Zoom app

Location of the role:

• Home-based

When are you needed:

• Provided on enquiry

A Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check is required for this role. If you have a criminal record this does not automatically prevent you from being considered as an Omega Chatterbox Befriender. We will take into account the nature of the offence, when it happened and whether it is relevant to the voluntary role. If you are shortlisted, this will be discussed with you during the recruitment process.

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.

What are Serving Community Teams?

Volunteers are the lifeblood of SSAFA. SSAFA has developed Serving Community Teams for volunteers to support serving personnel their families in the UK and overseas.

A Serving Community Team is run by a small team of volunteers on or near a British Armed Forces base, to provide emotional, practical and financial support to the serving community. Our volunteer Administration Coordinators are an integral part of the team supporting the volunteers to host meetings, events and support beneficiaries in their local community.

Why we want you

There is a SSAFA presence throughout the serving community, both in the UK and overseas. In many areas SSAFA has Serving Community Teams which offer financial, practical, and emotional support to serving personnel and their families. Each team consists of a group of dedicated volunteers who make this possible. That’s where your skills come in. Could you spare some time to provide excellent administration support to the team of volunteers on a regular basis? The Administration Coordinator keeps things running smoothly behind the scenes. This is a key role involving organising and recording team meetings, supporting with general planning, and helping with events administration.

What you will be doing

• Providing administrative support for Serving Community Team meetings - at least four per year, held either in person or online. This includes sending invites and recording minutes.
• Working with the Chair and wider volunteer team to create an annual plan of activity based on local need.
• Supporting members of the team with general administration tasks. For example, helping with fundraising events, local engagement and publicity events.
• Responding to general enquiries to the SCT where needed.

The skills you need

• Friendly and approachable with good written and communication skills.
• Empathy regarding the needs and challenges of the serving community.
• Good IT and administration skills.
• Respectful and non-judgemental approach.
• Understanding the importance of confidentiality and boundaries.
• A willingness to adhere to all relevant organisational policies and procedures.
• We welcome volunteers of all backgrounds, abilities, races, sexual orientations, socio-economic backgrounds, and of all faiths and none. SSAFA is committed to making reasonable adjustments to support volunteers with disabilities, so they have access to the same opportunities and experiences as volunteers who do not.

What's in it for you

• Use your skills, knowledge and life experience to benefit others.
• Give back to the Armed Forces community.
• Become part of the SSAFA community and build networks across the serving community and local area.
• Gain experience, training, and skills that you can highlight on your CV and in job interviews.
• Better physical and mental health – studies show that volunteers live longer and experience lower levels of stress and depression! 

Requirements

Volunteers need to be a minimum of 18 years old.

Time commitment

Depending on the needs of the team, this role would suit someone who would like to volunteer a couple of hours a week.  There will be times when attendance is required for a team meeting which may be in person or virtually.

Support

Full training is provided for this role, with some e-learning modules online and a live Teams webinar. You will also be supported by your SCT chair and Serving Community Support Team. 

SSAFA Values

For SSAFA, our values of; commitment, compassion, integrity and understanding underpin everything we do, and we ask that all volunteers are equally committed to them.

After making an application

Once you’ve applied, you’ll receive updates to the email address you provided in your application. Sometimes the emails we send go into junk folders, so do keep an eye out in the days following your application.

Disclaimer

SSAFA is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all those involved in our work and expects volunteers to share this commitment.