Prison volunteer roles in lewisham, greater london

Shannon Trust fulfils an unmet need around adult learning, supporting people who’ve fallen through the cracks in formal education.

We know a lot of people have had negative learning experiences in the past, so our programme is designed to be different, with no exams and no classrooms. Our unique, evidence-based Turning Pages reading manuals are used by thousands of learners in prisons and the community to improve reading skills. 

Area coordinators support and coordinate a team of prison volunteers. They help recruit and induct new volunteers and are the first point of contact for advice and support. Area coordinators lead and inspire the team via quarterly 1 to 1s and area meetings.  They also help oversee the progress of Shannon Trust in prisons in their area and provide cover and support where needed.

We are looking for volunteers who are organised, flexible, able to work independently, and able to give a regular, reliable commitment for ideally two years.  Due to the nature of the role prison security vetting will be required.

We provide training for the role via e-learning and 5 training sessions which are a mix of live, online and group training.

For full role description and to apply please visit our website.

Role Description:

Nova Roots is a new out of hours community space for women 18+ leaving forensic mental health services, open 3 days a week; Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays. We offer a safe, warm, non-judgemental social environment for women to build meaningful connections and have access to free activities and resources.

As a volunteer your role will be to support individuals using a peer approach by co-facilitating peer-led workshops, offering emotional and social support. By doing this, it provides an opportunity for service users to develop and manage meaningful and purposeful choices in an independent and empowered way.

We are looking for someone who

• Has lived experience of being in prison / mental health wards / rehab and recovery communities
• Are a non-judgemental and friendly individual
• To be able to provide a welcoming, authentic, and positive experience for all, being inclusive and embracing diversity
• To feel comfortable engaging with women with mental health challenges / difficult life experiences, by validating strengths and experiences and using empowering language to overcome negative self-talk
• Are empathic and understands the stigma / social bias's surrounding forensic leavers and their experiences
• Are willing to tap into their lived experiences and use their stories to inspire hope in others when appropriate
• Are comfortable with co-producing and co-facilitating peer led workshops
• To assist the Forensic Project Coordinator in the daily running of the Forensic Women’s hub
• Are able to take on any ad hoc admin/support responsibilities within the Forensic Women’s Hub

Time commitment and expenses:

• Flexible hours (Weds, Sat and Sun) Please indicate your preferred volunteering day(s) on your application.
• We will provide volunteers with an induction, training, and ongoing mentoring to support them in the role 
• Reasonable travel expenses will be reimbursed.

What's in it for the volunteer?

Volunteering at Mind is a fantastic opportunity to get involved with a nationally recognised charity, and volunteering in Safe Space is an opportunity to experience and get involved in crisis support. We provide initial and ongoing training, as well as plenty of opportunities for progression within the organisation. You will also be a part of a supportive team with great awareness of wellbeing and the mental health sector.

How to Apply:

Please attach your recent CV and expression of interest

Position Title: Family Liaison
Reporting to: Volunteer Leadership Team - Family Support Lead
Organisation: Sevenoaks Welcomes Refugees (SWR)
Location: Swanley or able to travel to Swanley
Time Commitment: 1-2 hours per week
Remuneration: Voluntary Position (Expenses Reimbursed)

Organisation Overview
Sevenoaks Welcomes Refugees is a local charity formed in March 2017. We are a small and growing charity, whose volunteers and supporters have come together to welcome and help support the refugees who have fled the fighting and persecution in Syria, Afghanistan and Ukraine, and are now resettling in our community.
Starting with just one refugee family, we have expanded our efforts over the years and are proud to have supported about 50 families as they settle and rebuild their lives in our community.

Purpose of Role:
Would you like to make a crucial difference for the better to the life and welfare of a refugee family as they settle into life in Britain helping them to achieve independence and social integration in their new surroundings? As a Family Liaison, you will be a vital friendly link and mentor for the family to help them navigate through difficulties that they may encounter on their path to independent living in our district. It is a very important and rewarding role.
Key Responsibilities: ● Where the family is new, help them to settle in and pass on requests for help and equipment. ● See over the welfare and requirements of the family which will change incrementally over time. The level of support should gradually diminish as the family becomes more independent. ● Liaise with local government support workers (Refugee Council) as needed while the family is still receiving support from them. ● Liaise with the team around the family - general support, language and education - so that they work together; moderate a Whatsapp group for all volunteers supporting the family, whatever their role. ● Encourage and monitor the family’s path to independence ● Liaise with Education, Language and Employment specialities.
● Keep the Volunteer Leadership Team (VLT) Family Support Lead up to date as needed.
Skills & Qualities Needed

You need to be:
● compassionate, patient, and non-judgmental
● good at communication
● organized with good attention to detail.
● flexible and adaptable to different family needs and cultural backgrounds.
● reasonably IT literate
It would help if you had a background in health, teaching, social services or other service related charities - BUT it is not essential, a practical attitude is needed.

Time and location
The weekly commitment might be 1-2 hours particularly initially, tapering down as the families become more independent. This is not an online job and the family is located in Swanley.

Support & Training Provided As well as general training for SWR volunteers on the essentials such as safeguarding and cultural awareness, we run workshops to find out more about how we can help children in their path through education, language learning and other matters that may be relevant. The VLT will ensure that the Family Liaison has support and backup as required and a mentor will be appointed to help a new Family Liaison in the initial stages of taking up the role.

Victory Afghanistan is a volunteer-led nonprofit providing free online education, mentoring, and university preparation for Afghan girls and women who have been banned from attending school or university since 2021. We currently support more than 800 students aged 11–40 through English lessons and mentorship, helping them prepare for higher education opportunities abroad.

We are now seeking volunteer Duolingo English Test (DET) Tutors to join our mentoring programme for 20 weeks, from the third week of January 2026 to the third week of May 2026.

You will be working with highly motivated young women whose English is already excellent, most have Duolingo scores around 110, and our goal is to help them reach 125+ in preparation for university applications and scholarships abroad.

Commitment: 1–2 hours per week (online)
Programme duration: 16 weeks
Start date: Third week of January 2026
End date: Third week of May 2026

Your time will directly help young women prepare for higher education in September 2026, opening the door to their futures.

The Coroners' Courts Support Service (CCSS) is a registered Charity whose trained volunteers give emotional and practical support to bereaved families and other witnesses attending an inquest.

We need volunteers to provide emotional support and practical help to bereaved families, witnesses and others attending Inquests at Coroners' Court. Our volunteers at court also provide help and assistance to the Coroners' Officers, as and when required.

We are looking for reliable, supportive people with excellent communication skills. A mature and calm attitude is needed in order to be able to talk to people during a sometimes bewildering and emotional experience. Volunteers must be willing to undergo a period of observations and shadowing, as well as attend a 3 day training course. A minimum commitment of one day (9:00am - 5:00pm) per fortnight is asked for. Training and mentoring is provided and travel expenses to the court are reimbursed.

New volunteers should possess good communication and listening skills and the ability to empathise with people they support.

Victory Afghanistan is a volunteer -led nonprofit providing free online English lessons and mentoring for Afghan girls and women who are currently barred from formal education. Our mission is to equip them with the skills and confidence to apply for scholarships and university placements abroad.

We are looking for a number of volunteer IELTS Tutors to support our mentorship-level students from January to May 2026. These students already have an IELTS level of around 6.0 and now need focused preparation to achieve higher scores required for university entry.

You will be teaching bright, ambitious young women who are eager to perfect their academic English, improve their fluency, and succeed in international admissions. Lessons are held online once or twice a week, and materials can be adapted to suit your teaching style.

Commitment: 1–2 hours per week (online) depending on your availability.
Programme duration: 16 weeks
Start date: Third week of January 2026
End date: Third week of May 2026

This is a critical role in helping our students prepare for higher education starting September 2026—your guidance can truly change lives.

This role will be supporting two lovely gentlemen living in Twickenham who would love a visitor to spend some time with them. They both enjoy exploring their local high street charity shops and going for a drink and a sausage roll in Greggs. When at home, one man enjoys relaxing in front of the telly and the other enjoys listening to his record and cassette collection.

Living in the same home, we’d ideally like one volunteer to visit both gentlemen. For one of the men, their speech might take some patience to understand, and the other prefers to communicate with gestures and pictures, so a friendly and understanding approach is key. It would be up to you whether you do both visits on the same day or on alternate months.

Access to a car would be a great addition but is not essential for this role as the house is very near to both bus and train routes.

We offer a lifelong befriending service for adults with learning disabilities. Matching the skills and interests of passionate visitors with the specific hobbies and interests of the people we visit. Visitors visit six times a year to create a 1-2-1 connection, offer companionship, encourage people to do the things they enjoy and check-in on their wellbeing. In many cases, the visitor is the only person in someone’s life who isn’t paid to be there for them.

Watch a video about this role here

This is an Out and about visit role which means your visits are likely to be longer, very active and the person you visit will often take an active part in planning your outings and activities in the community. Your volunteer manager will be happy to help you with ideas and suggestions for things you can do. Visits will vary in length but tends to be around a couple of hours, sometimes shorter or longer, depending on what you plan to do.

In this role you will spend quality time with the person you visit and could do a range of different activities like:

• Sitting and having a chat
• Checking in on their well- being
• Going out to a local café/pub for a meal/drink
• Take part on community activities like visiting a place of interest, go shopping etc.
• Enjoying a walk
• A craft activity at home

As a Mencap volunteer visitor you will be:

• Friendly and approachable
• Accepting of others who might be different to yourself
• Reliable and patient
• Passionate about supporting people with a with a learning disability.

As a Mencap visitor you will:

• Have the opportunity to help make a difference to the life of the person you visit
• Receive a personalised volunteer induction and training
• Have agreed out of pocket expenses reimbursed
• Meet new people
• Get on-going support, and feel appreciated and valued

**About Mencap ** Mencap is the leading learning disability charity in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. We work with people with a learning disability and their families to challenge prejudice and change laws, and we directly support thousands of people to live their lives as they choose. We have an ambitious vision for the UK to be the best place in the world for people with a learning disability to live happy and healthy lives.

Volunteering with us is YOUR opportunity to help us achieve this, whilst having the chance to develop your skills, meet new people and join a passionate and dedicated team.

                     �� Volunteer Opportunity: Admin Support for Women-Focused Housing Association ��

Are you interested in supporting women and in volunteering in the social housing sector? We’re a small, dedicated housing association focused on empowering women through safe, supportive housing—and we’re looking for a volunteer to help us behind the scenes!

Role: Volunteer Housing Admin Assistant
Location: London
Hours: Flexible – ideally 1–2 days per week

What you’ll do:

· Assist with general administrative tasks (filing, data entry, document management)

· Help maintain volunteer and resident records

· Support the team with scheduling and communications

· Contribute to a warm, inclusive, and organised office environment

What we’re looking for:

· Good organisational skills and attention to detail

· Basic IT skills (email, Word, Excel)

· A friendly, reliable, and discreet approach

· Commitment to our values of inclusion, respect, and empowerment

What you’ll gain:

· Experience in a supportive, women-centred organisation

· Training and ongoing support

· A chance to make a meaningful impact in the lives of women

This is an ideal role for someone lookinfg to gain experience in the housing sector or someone who would like ot deploy ther already existing experience to support women in housing. 

We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds and experiences. 

About nurtureuk

At nurtureuk, we believe that every child and young person deserves to feel safe, understood and supported to flourish at school, emotionally, socially, and academically. But for many, school can be a difficult place, especially for those who’ve experienced trauma, adversity or unmet emotional needs.

For over 50 years, we’ve been pioneers in nurturing approaches to support social emotional development, using a tried-and-tested framework that helps children and young people build the confidence, resilience, and sense of belonging they need to succeed in education and in life.

Our work transforms school environments so that they are truly inclusive, supportive and safe spaces. We train teachers and school leaders, and deliver evidence-based programmes that strengthen wellbeing across whole school communities, as well as improving attendance and reducing exclusions- because the children enjoy being in school!

At the core of our work is the Boxall Profile®, our unique, award winning and Department for Education recommended assessment tool. It helps teachers understand what lies behind a child’s behaviour; the hidden emotional needs, the gaps in development, the things a test score could never show. By shining a light on what each child needs to feel secure, the Boxall Profile empowers educators to respond with empathy, not punishment, and to nurture every child’s potential.

Behind every report and dataset is a story:
A child who finally feels safe and excited to walk into class.
A teacher who sees progress and growth where there used to be only frustration.
A family who begins to believe that things can get better. 

By joining us as a Volunteer Grant Support Officer, you’ll be helping make these stories possible, securing the funds that enable us to reach more schools, support more teachers, and change more children’s lives.

See our attached evidence brochure to learn more about the impact our work has.

The Role

We are seeking a passionate and skilled volunteer grant writer to help us increase our capacity to apply for funding from trusts and foundations.

You’ll work closely with the Income Generation staff in our Income and Partnerships team to research potential funders, write compelling proposals, and help us build long-term relationships that sustain our impact.

Key responsibilities include:

• Researching new funding opportunities aligned with nurtureuk’s mission and programmes

• Writing persuasive, high-quality funding applications and accompanying documents

• Maintaining a pipeline of opportunities and tracking application progress

• Helping to build a library of core fundraising materials and case studies

• Utilising our bank of supporting evidence, data and testimonials to strengthen proposals
   

About You

We’d love to hear from you if you’re:

• An excellent writer who enjoys crafting persuasive and engaging text, ideally with previous experience of writing successful grant or funding applications

• Organised, proactive and detail-oriented

• Confident researching and interpreting funders’ criteria

• Able to work collaboratively and independently

Desirable (but not essential):

• Familiarity with the UK charity funding landscape

• Experience in education, wellbeing, or social impact sectors

What You’ll Gain

• A chance to make a tangible impact on children’s lives across the UK

• The opportunity to develop or deepen your fundraising and bid-writing experience

• Insight into how a national education charity operates

• Optional free Boxall Profile training (1 day training worth £225 exc. VAT)

• Optional free Nurture Group training (3 day course worth £699 exc. VAT)

• Support from an experienced and friendly team

• Flexibility: You can volunteer remotely, at times that suit you

• Reimbursement for any agreed expenses

Time Commitment

Approx. 3–6 hours per week, with flexibility around other commitments.
Regular remote catch-ups with the nurtureuk team and fellow volunteers.

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. For an informal chat, please contact Louisa on the email address supplied in the 'apply' area.