Social work volunteer roles

We are looking for a new on-line counselor to join our organisation. This will mean running an email service and even a Skype / zoom service if you wish.

RASASC Guildford is a charity that supports survivors of all genders over the age of 13 from across Surrey, who have been raped, sexually abused or have had unwanted sexual experience. 

We are currently recruiting for Support Line Volunteers (usually aged 23 or over) to work on our newly launched Support Line.  Our support line service operates from 6:30pm – 8:30pm Monday to Thursday, and provides a check in, listening and support service for survivors of rape and sexual abuse who have been assessed by RASASC for a 1:1 counselling place and who are currently on the waiting list for one to become available. This service is intended to reassure clients they are not forgotten and provide a safe space to talk about anything they wish. The wait times can be a few months to a few years. We ask that volunteers can commit to one shift every fortnight.

Volunteers are provided with an extensive training programme and are supported by regular supervision and ongoing training. The training programme will be a combination of in person sessions (Guildford) and online sessions.

While most volunteer work is done remotely, we do require quarterly in-person attendance at our Guildford offices for supervision (one evening) as well as occasional in-person training. Volunteers also commit to 1:1 telephone supervision and an online supervision session in addition to the face to face, these occur monthly on a rolling 3-month basis so each month there is a different type of supervision session also always in the evening and normally the second Tuesday of each month.

To find out more, please go to our website where you will find the job description and application form.

If you have any questions about the role please do get in touch as we would love to hear from you.

The closing date is Friday 30th May.

Do you enjoy driving?Would you like to make a difference to the people we support in your community?  

 We are looking for friendly drivers to join us!    

You will meet some amazing people, whilst making a positive impact to their lives by helping them get to the activities they enjoy and appointments that are important.  
 
We are looking for drivers who will be happy to drive our house vehicles or your own vehicle. 

Want to apply for this role? 
If you’d like to be a Discovery volunteer, please get in touch! 
Activities will include:  

• Driving the people we support between their homes and services in a safe manner, in accordance with UK law.  

• Driving around the Cheddar area, which will be the start and end point of the majority of journeys  

• Assisting people we support in and out of vehicles and locations – with assistance from trained Discovery staff.  

• Driving in a manner that is sensitive of physical and emotional requirements of the people we support.  

• Driving vehicles owned by the people we support or your own vehicle  

 
Activities will NOT include: Personal care, medication or financial assistance.   

We are looking for drivers who:  

• Are aged 21 or over, with at least 2 years driving experience  

• Hold a full, clean and current UK Driving License (or equivalent)  

• Have the ability to understand verbal and written instructions in relation to journeys  

• Are friendly with the people we support and our support staff  

• Are willing to commit to volunteer regularly (times and days can be discussed)  

A DBS check and two character references will be required for this role.   

What you’ll gain from being a Discovery volunteer:  
 
Discovery supports people with learning disabilities and autism, helping them to live more independently at home and in the community.

Our volunteers play a vital role in our work and in return, we support them with: 

• Access to free online training (with access to 800 plus courses)  

• Comprehensive support from professional, friendly and trained Dimensions staff  

• Reasonable expenses may be reimbursed as agreed   

• An opportunity to gain real experience in the social care sector  

At a time when we are experiencing the largest reforms to the welfare rights system in a generation, we believe this is an exciting opportunity for individuals interested in welfare rights work, to join a respected organisation working at the forefront of the advice sector.

The Welfare Benefits Unit offers specialist welfare benefits advice to those who work with members of the public. Our experienced advisers provide independent support through our advice line, publications, training, consultancy, campaigns and projects.

The Welfare Benefits Unit aims to maximise benefit take-up, helping to reduce the incidence and impact of poverty and in doing so improve health, well-being, financial and social inclusion. We are a registered charity based in York. We primarily operate in North Yorkshire and York although some of our services are accessed by organisations working further afield. 

We continue to aim towards a board that reflects the populations we work to support, and as such, welcome individuals from diverse ethnic communities, LGBTQIA+ groups, as well as younger people, those with disabilities, and those who have lived experience of the welfare benefits system.

Knowledge, Skills and Experience

We welcome and support applications from those new to being a Trustee. We also know that studies have shown some people are less likely to apply for positions unless they believe meet every requirement in the description. The most important thing for us is to find Trustees that connect with our values and who can readily buy into our mission. Though we have suggested skills and experience areas below, which would be keen to hear from, we’re eager to meet people that believe in our mission and can contribute to our board in a variety of ways – not just candidates who tick all the boxes.

We’re keen to add these areas of skills and experience to our board:

• Financial, legal or HR matters (especially as they may apply to a small charity)
• Expertise in marketing, digital or similar technological areas
• Welfare benefits system and welfare rights advice or lived experience.

About the Role

All Trustee positions are voluntary with reasonable expenses remunerated. To be an effective Trustee, you will need to commit up to 1-2 days per quarter to attend and prepare for board meetings which are held virtually.

Effective Trustees support our work by:

• ensuring we are working towards our vision, mission and values in everything we do
• ensuring the effective and efficient use of resources, maintaining proper financial and regulatory oversight and best practice as a charity
• approving the annual budget, and supporting strategic decision-making by actively contributing advice and guidance
• appointing key personnel such as the Chief Executive, and determining pay and conditions for the wider team
• constructively guide the Senior Leadership Team in the delivery of the organisation’s strategy
• actively representing and championing the work of the Welfare Benefits Unit.

Do you live in Wales and want to gain valuable skills, have new experiences, and support vulnerable people?

We are offering a young person aged 18-25 the opportunity to volunteer for up to 6 months with the Portuguese Red Cross in Águeda, Portugal.

The Portuguese Red Cross in Águeda offers support to the local community in three main areas of voluntary activity: youth, emergency and social.

The youth department runs projects that will see the successful volunteer work with young people in the local community to boost their confidence, promote their involvement with their local community, support the peer to peer education programme and assist with planning and delivering awareness campaigns.

In the emergency department the successful volunteer will assist with the organisation and maintenance of essential emergency supplies as well as providing assistance and wellbeing support to those affected by emergencies and disasters and general event support within the community.

The social department runs a variety of projects including; the essential distribution of food to vulnerable people, the social canteen, food donation drives and working with vulnerable young people by organising activities to promote social inclusion, sports, creative workshops and educational programmes.

The successful volunteer will stay in a shared room in the Agueda Red Cross office with one other volunteer on the programme.

The volunteering hours will never exceed 36 hours/week and the volunteer schedule will be rotating. Volunteers are entitled to two consecutive days of rest per week.

This is a great opportunity to get involved in these projects and find out what you are interested in. For more details on the role and the projects available, have a look at the role description. The main thing we want to see is your motivation for this placement!

Typical tasks may involve:

• Assisting with the collection, sorting and distribution of food.
• Supporting and organising well-being events within the community.
• Developing projects to support the social inclusion of young people.
• Awareness raising and referrals according to people’s needs.
• Planning and delivering awareness campaigns in the community.
• Designing and facilitating creative and educational workshops to a variety of vulnerable people.

Please note that only young people based in Wales can apply for this role. Interviews will take place online with shortlisted candidates.

We are keen to hear from individuals especially those who do not normally get the chance to volunteer overseas, who are passionate and motivated about working in the humanitarian sector and international volunteering but who also understand that these types of placements require adaptability and resilience. We are especially interested in applications from those who are from low socio-economic backgrounds, are carers or are care experienced, have accessed free school meals, are refugees or asylum seekers and those with disabilities or additional needs.

The Great Autistic CIC is Newly-Founded and exists to tackle rising mental health concerns, hypermobility, inadequate support systems, limited awareness and inclusion, educational barriers and community disconnection faced by neurodiverse individuals, particularly those with autism and learning difficulties. 

“

We believe that every neurodiverse brain has its own superpowers. Our organisation turns challenges into opportunities by offering tailored educational support, creative social activities like art clubs and nature walks, and strong advocacy that gives voice to those with autism. We’re a community built on lived experience and on a mission to help every unique individual shine.  

”

Are you a creative whiz with a knack for web design? Do you want to make a real difference in your community?

The Great Autistic CIC is looking for a passionate and talented Volunteer Web Designer to join our team! We're a friendly bunch dedicated to supporting the autistic community, and we need your help to make our online presence shine.

What You'll Be Doing:

• Help us create a beautiful and user-friendly website: We want our website to be a welcoming and informative space for everyone.
• Work on exciting projects: You'll get to use your design skills on real projects that make a difference.
• Learn and grow: We're a supportive team, and you'll have the chance to develop your skills and learn new things.

What We're Looking For:

• Someone with a passion for web design: Whether you're a beginner or a pro, we'd love to hear from you!
• A friendly and reliable person: We're looking for someone who's easy to work with and committed to helping out.
• Someone who's kind, honest, and understanding: We value these qualities in all our volunteers.

What You'll Get:

• The chance to build your portfolio: Showcase your skills and experience with real-world projects.
• Connect with a wonderful community: Meet new people and make a difference.
• Feel good about giving back: Your work will help us support autistic individuals and their families.

Interested: please email us!!

and tell us a bit about yourself and why you'd like to volunteer with us!

Do you enjoy driving?Would you like to make a difference to the people we support in your community?  

We are looking for friendly drivers to join us!  

You will meet some amazing people, whilst making a positive impact to their lives by helping them get to the activities they enjoy and appointments that are important.  
 
We are looking for drivers who will be happy to drive our house vehicles.  

  
Activities will include:  

• Driving the people we support between their homes and services in a safe manner, in accordance with UK law.  

• Driving around the Yeovil area, which will be the start and end point of the majority of journeys  

• Assisting people we support in and out of vehicles and locations – with assistance from trained Discovery staff.  

• Driving in a manner that is sensitive of physical and emotional requirements of the people we support.  

• Driving vehicles owned by the people we support

Activities will NOT include: Personal care, medication or financial assistance.   

We are looking for drivers who:  

• Are aged 21 or over, with at least 2 years driving experience  

• Hold a full, clean and current UK Driving License (or equivalent)  

• Have the ability to understand verbal and written instructions in relation to journeys  

• Are friendly with the people we support and our support staff  

• Are willing to commit to volunteer regularly (times and days can be discussed)  

A DBS check and two character references will be required for this role.   

What you’ll gain from being a Discovery volunteer:  

Discovery supports people with learning disabilities and autism, helping them to live more independently at home and in the community.

Our volunteers play a vital role in our work and in return, we support them with: 

• Access to free online training (with access to 800 plus courses)  

• Comprehensive support from professional, friendly and trained Dimensions staff  

• Reasonable expenses may be reimbursed as agreed   

• An opportunity to gain real experience in the social care sector  

Want to apply for this role? 
If you’d like to be a Discovery volunteer, please get in touch! 

Climate and nature are urgent, motivating issues, so we attract great volunteers. We want to fulfil our potential by making sure we get the best out of our fantastic people and all the future ones we attract by keeping them happy and active. That is the role.

What will you be doing?

EcoCounts is a group of volunteers working together to embody EcoCore’s approach to the climate crisis. EcoCore covers a lot of ground because the climate and biodiversity crisis is so all-encompassing, which means we have a lot of varied and different volunteer tasks available, ranging from carbon footprint data collection, setting up sub-teams of friends or colleagues or doing social media or running workshops. 

Your responsibilities would be to create volunteer tasks from our work streams, which would include things like: 

• creating a role description for each volunteer task to give a good outline of everything required and expected

• keeping track of what volunteers are active on

• encouraging and inspiring volunteers to deliver on commitments

• creating an incentives or rewards framework for volunteers, potentially working with supporting businesses to agree on gift vouchers, tokens etc

• managing a small budget

• building up a social network with events, collaborations and other inputs

• using our social media accounts to advertise, to celebrate achievements etc

• help other directors, trustees & secretary keep reporting, stats, and feedback on activities up-to-date

Goals

1. Our 2025 target is 100 people doing their carbon footprints

2. We’re looking for 20 coordinators

3. We have about a dozen volunteering roles to fill beyond the two above

What are we looking for?

1. You should be a people-person with experience of managing people. You should be happy to put in the time and effort communicating with the volunteers both all-together and individually in a way that gets the best results from them.

2. Personal change is only one of the five ways that we can change society - we don't focus on personal change alone, we want to change our community, our local businesses and our local government.

3. You should check out our manifesto on the About page to make sure you agree with the ways we advocate for the way forward in the climate crisis – are you happy what we suggest is one of the best approaches?

What difference will you make?

Society has got itself into a dangerous situation with the climate crisis and EcoCounts aims to create a way out. We need all sorts of different people, not just climate nerds and sustainability fanatics, although of course that doesn't hurt. The person we need right now is someone who knows what people need to keep them happy and effective as a volunteer for us.

Being a volunteer-based organisation at this stage still, that might make the volunteer chief of staff the most important person we have. Of course we all consider each other equal. Being small and dynamic means EcoCounts can offer the flexibility for you to do an excellent and fulfilling job.

Rewards

Once you have found your feet, we can offer references, recommendations or certifications on any of the public platforms that we use, like Linkedin and Reach Volunteer. We are also building a social network and plans for regular events, so we hope you will also find our group socially rewarding.

Purpose of the Role

You will support the Digital Marketing & Communications Officer with marketing and communications tasks, helping promote Equality in Tourism’s work across our website, social media, newsletters and PR. Typical tasks might include researching and writing blog posts, creating our monthly newsletters in HubSpot, and social listening. 

Person Specification 

This role would suit students or recent graduates looking to gain more experience in marketing and the non-profit and/or tourism sectors. 

We’re looking for someone who has…

• An excellent understanding of digital marketing and social media, with some relevant work experience; 

• Strong writing and proofreading skills;

• Good organisation and time management, able to manage deadlines and keep the team updated on progress;

• Committed to gender equality and has enthusiasm towards our goal of creating a fairer, more sustainable tourism industry. 

It’s a bonus if you have…

• Graphic design experience, using tools like Canva or Adobe; 

• Video editing skills;

• Knowledge of SEO and keyword tools; 

• Familiarity with CMS, especially WordPress and HubSpot. 

Why Volunteer With Equality in Tourism?

You’ll be joining a small team but one with a wealth of knowledge on gender, tourism and marketing. While most of your contact will be with the Digital Marketing Officer, you’ll also get to work and connect with our directors, trustees and fellow volunteers. 

You’ll have the opportunity to influence our campaigns and make a difference with your ideas. We’ll work with you to ensure you’re developing skills to enhance your CV and portfolio. 

Do you enjoy driving?  Would you like to make a difference to the people we support in your community?  

 We are looking for friendly drivers to join us!  

 You will meet some amazing people, whilst making a positive impact to their lives by helping them get to the activities they enjoy and appointments that are important.  
 
We are looking for drivers who will be happy to drive our house vehicles or your own vehicle.

  
Activities will include:  

• Driving the people we support between their homes and services in a safe manner, in accordance with UK law.  

• Driving around the Nunney area, which will be the start and end point of the majority of journeys  

• Assisting people we support in and out of vehicles and locations – with assistance from trained Discovery staff.  

• Driving in a manner that is sensitive of physical and emotional requirements of the people we support.  

• Driving vehicles owned by the people we support or your own vehicle 
    

Activities will NOT include: Personal care, medication or financial assistance.   

 
We are looking for drivers who:  

• Are aged 21 or over, with at least 2 years driving experience  

• Hold a full, clean and current UK Driving License (or equivalent)  

• Have the ability to understand verbal and written instructions in relation to journeys  

• Are friendly with the people we support and our support staff  

• Are willing to commit to volunteer regularly (times and days can be discussed)  

A DBS check and two character references will be required for this role.   

What you’ll gain from being a Discovery volunteer:  

Discovery supports people with learning disabilities and autism, helping them to live more independently at home and in the community.

Our volunteers play a vital role in our work and in return, we support them with: 

• Access to free online training (with access to 800 plus courses)  

• Comprehensive support from professional, friendly and trained Dimensions staff  

• Reasonable expenses may be reimbursed as agreed   

• An opportunity to gain real experience in the social care sector  

Want to apply for this role? 
If you’d like to be a Discovery volunteer, please get in touch! 

Do you like knitting and spending time with people? 

We are looking for a friendly volunteer, who would like to spend time with a lady we support and knit together  
 
“Hi! I live in Frome and I am supported by Discovery. I really enjoy knitting and I like to make blankets for the cats and dogs homes. I also like gardening, animals and spending time with my friends. I would love a buddy to knit with!”  
 
If you would like to make a difference and make a great friend along the way, we would love to hear from you! 

Activities will include: 

• Knitting with and getting to know your buddy 

• Arranging regular sessions to get together, knit and chat 

• Offering support, enthusiasm and interest in knitting projects 

• Providing friendship and fun 
      

We are looking for someone who is: 

• Comfortable with knitting with the skills to join in and share this interest

• Friendly, enthusiastic and a good listener 

• Comfortable chatting with people with learning disabilities and autism.  

• Reliable/dependable and willing to commit to volunteer regularly 

A DBS check and two character references will be required for this role. 
 

What you’ll gain from being a Discovery volunteer:  

 
Discovery supports people with learning disabilities and autism, helping them to live more independently at home and in the community.

Our volunteers play a vital role in our work and in return, we support them with: 

• Access to free online training (with access to 800 plus courses)  

• Comprehensive support from professional, friendly and trained Dimensions staff  

• Reasonable expenses may be reimbursed as agreed   

• An opportunity to gain real experience in the social care sector  

Want to apply for this role? 

If you’d like to be a Discovery volunteer, please get in touch! ​

Do you enjoy driving? Would you like to make a difference to the people we support in your community?  

We are looking for friendly drivers to join us!  

You will meet some amazing people, whilst making a positive impact to their lives by helping them get to the activities they enjoy and appointments that are important.  
 
We are looking for drivers who will be happy to drive our house vehicles. 

Activities will include:  

• Driving the people we support between their homes and services in a safe manner, in accordance with UK law.  

• Driving around the Crewkerne area, which will be the start and end point of the majority of journeys  

• Assisting people we support in and out of vehicles and locations – with assistance from trained Discovery staff.  

• Driving in a manner that is sensitive of physical and emotional requirements of the people we support.  

• Driving vehicles owned by the people we support

Activities will NOT include: Personal care, medication or financial assistance.   

We are looking for drivers who:  

• Are aged 21 or over, with at least 2 years driving experience  

• Hold a full, clean and current UK Driving License (or equivalent)  

• Have the ability to understand verbal and written instructions in relation to journeys  

• Are friendly with the people we support and our support staff  

• Are willing to commit to volunteer regularly (times and days can be discussed)  

A DBS check and two character references will be required for this role.    

What you’ll gain from being a Discovery volunteer:  

 Discovery supports people with learning disabilities and autism, helping them to live more independently at home and in the community.

Our volunteers play a vital role in our work and in return, we support them with: 

• Access to free online training (with access to 800 plus courses)  

• Comprehensive support from professional, friendly and trained Dimensions staff  

• Reasonable expenses may be reimbursed as agreed   

• An opportunity to gain real experience in the social care sector  

 
Want to apply for this role? 
If you’d like to be a Discovery volunteer, please get in touch! 

Could you use your leadership skills and experience to support Signals?

We’re looking for a new volunteer Chair to join the board of Trustees who is interested in helping to develop Signals.

The Chair will lead our board of nine trustees, ensuring that Signals is following correct governance and meeting its charitable duties.

By joining us you will work with an engaged, experienced and friendly board and staff team.

Signals is committed to equality and diversity and welcomes applications from all members of the community particularly from those currently under-represented on the board including Tendring residents and people from the global majority.

Who we are

Signals is a registered charity and limited liability company based in Colchester established 36 years ago. We specialise in filmmaking and digital arts for social, learning and creative outputs and work across the region but with a focus on Essex. We became an Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation (NPO) in 2023.

We work with children, young people, artists and community groups supporting creativity and learning at all levels. We are committed to increasing equal access to digital and creative experiences.  Our vision is to positively impact peoples’ lives by encouraging, diversity, creativity, experimentation, developing skills and raising aspirations through creative digital production and education.  This work is increasingly relevant in supporting those left behind in a digital age.

Current projects include working with local migrant communities, disability groups and communities in Harwich.

Chair role

• With other board members, CEO and staff, provide strategic leadership to the charity, ensuring that Signals achieves its objectives.
• Lead the board in ensuring that it fulfils its responsibilities for governance.
• Optimise the relationship between the board and Signals staff and volunteers.
• Plan and chair the board meetings and the AGM, with others as appropriate.
• Act as a spokesperson and figurehead for Signals.
• Appraise the performance of the CEO.

About Kith & Kids
We provide activities, opportunities, information, and support for people with a learning disability or autism, their parents, and siblings.
For all our projects and activities we are dependent on volunteers.

Our Employability Project
10am to 3pm, Monday and/or Friday during term-time

Our Employment & Life Skills Project (ELSP) helps adults with learning disabilities or autism to access further education, work experience and visits to mainstream community opportunities. 

What you’ll do
You’ll act as a mentor to the members of the group.  You’ll be helping the group(s) develop a range of life skills, things that many of us take for granted.  These include Maths and English skills, independent living, the use of public transport, social skills and even the sourcing of employment. 

For the people in these groups, these things can be very difficult to develop and achieve without regular support. Through regular support and meetings, members and volunteers develop greater trust, skills, and confidence together.

Come along and get involved!

Requirements

What you need
You do not need experience. Full disability awareness training will be provided before you begin volunteering with us.
The only requirements we ask of you are enthusiasm, energy and to be open-minded.
Minimum age for volunteers is 20.

How much time?
The project runs from 10am to 3pm, Mondays and/or Fridays during term-time.
Everyone gets the most out of the project if you come every week for at least a term as you'll build a close relationship with the members you'll have been supporting and will create the most impact.

What we can offer you
ELSP represents a fantastic opportunity for you to share your knowledge and experience built up through a lifetime to a group that is continuing to develop and achieve their targets.

We’ll reimburse your travel expenses and will provide excellent training and lots of helpful support.

By volunteering on our project you'll also:

• Use and develop your skills: time-management, working within a team, problem-solving and adaptability.
• Learn something new, get involved in fun activities with others.
• Increase your confidence.
• Meet like-minded people and make friends.
• Gain experience for (other) work
• Give something back to the community.
• Do something fun and satisfying in your spare time
• Challenge yourself. 

What about training?
Volunteers must attend training and complete a free DBS check before you begin volunteering.

This is a great opportunity to get to know everyone at Kith & Kids: your fellow volunteers, some of our members you will be working with, and also gives the opportunity to develop some new skills and expand your knowledge in our workshops.

Topics we cover include:

• Autism
• Safeguarding
• Creativity & Participation
• Negotiation & Boundaries
   

When do I need to come?

Volunteers must attend training and complete a DBS check before taking part.

We'll be running face-to-face training in north London starting on the 24th May with lots of other dates to choose from.

In the meantime, we'll be meeting volunteers online from mid-April.

Training will take place in North London – once we have met you online for a chat, we will send you confirmation of our training venue details.