Support volunteer volunteer roles in great crosby, liverpool

Join a small charity with a big heart and help shape our future.

Barefoot and Free is a grassroots UK-based charity funding respite breaks for families with neurodivergent children or children affected by trauma. We're growing from the ground up and we’re looking for passionate, creative Volunteer Fundraising Champions to grow with us.

This is more than a stepping stone role. It’s a real opportunity to be part of something long term that's meaningful, mission-driven, and deeply rewarding. You'll play a key role in shaping a small charity with huge potential and your efforts will directly impact the lives of families who truly need support.

Why Join Us?

Grassroots charity work is full of heart but it’s not without its challenges. We don’t have huge budgets, so we need fundraisers who can think outside the box, raise funds rather than spend funds and inspire others to get behind the cause.

But the rewards? They’re immense:

• You’ll see the direct results of your work as we grow together.

• You’ll gain invaluable experience for your CV and future roles in the third sector.

• You’ll be part of a close-knit team where your ideas and efforts are truly valued and supported.

Your Role

As a Volunteer Fundraising Champion, you’ll help us raise the funds we need to provide life-changing breaks for families. You’ll be the creative spark and the friendly face behind fundraising efforts that make a real difference.

Key Responsibilities:

• Plan, organise and deliver creative fundraising activities (raffles, online quizzes, challenge events, etc.)

• Engage and support individual fundraisers (e.g. sponsored runners, event hosts)

• Act as a key contact for fundraising volunteers providing encouragement, advice, and practical support

• Develop and maintain a central fundraising tracker (Excel or similar)

• Log all fundraising activity, targets, and deadlines

• Collaborate with our social media volunteer to promote campaigns

• Support recruitment and onboarding of new fundraising volunteers

What You’ll Bring

• Clear, friendly written and verbal communication

• Creativity and confidence in engaging with people online and offline

• Strong organisation and time management skills

• Self-motivation and the ability to work independently

• A genuine passion for our mission and grassroots charity work

• Experience in fundraising or event planning is helpful but not essential, heart and drive matter more

Time Commitment

• Flexible and remote

• Around 2 to 5 hours per week

• We’ll work around your availability this role can fit around your life, studies, job, or family

What You’ll Gain

• Hands-on experience in fundraising, event planning and project coordination

• Something impressive and meaningful for your CV or portfolio

• Real-world charity sector experience

• Friendly support and mentoring from a passionate team

• A strong sense of purpose, knowing your efforts directly support families in need

• References available on request

How to Apply

Please send a recent CV along with a short note about yourself, including any relevant fundraising or event planning experience (formal or informal!).

We can’t wait to hear from you and hopefully welcome you to the Barefoot and Free family.

Join our amazing volunteer team in this flexible opportunity that puts you at the heart of our work supporting blind and partially sighted people. You’ll make taking part in events and carrying out volunteering easier and more enjoyable for our customers and volunteers with sight loss.
You’ll take some of the stress and anxiety out of getting around and taking part in activities as a blind or partially sighted person. The help you give will encourage people to do more.

What you’ll be doing
• Sighted guiding / giving practical help to individuals in and around venues, so they can take part in events.
• Supporting volunteers with sight loss with their volunteering activities which range from facilitating a regular community group to delivering a talk about sight loss to a local business. Your role would involve things like guiding; Meeting and greeting at group activities or creating a welcoming and interesting display stand at events.

In this role you will only be helping individuals in places open to the public, often in a group setting. We will provide training in sighted guiding techniques and understanding sight loss.

What you’ll gain from the role:
• An opportunity to give something back.
• A chance to build a strong community.
• A sense of achievement through the difference you make.
• A chance to be part of a team of like-minded people
• An opportunity to develop and explore different roles with RNIB, including our internal job vacancies.

In return for donating your time we will provide:
• A rewarding experience.
• A great Induction and training.
• A supportive manager.
• Regular updates and catchups.
• Expenses.
• An opportunity to connect with other volunteers.

How often will I be needed?

• 4 Hours per Event

Key requirements

• This role requires one reference.

Location

Region

• Scotland

Who this opportunity will suit

Minimum age

• You must be at least 18 years old to apply

What skills and experience are needed?

• • An outgoing, friendly approach to meeting new people. • An empathetic and professional manner. • The ability to take the supportive and helpful role.

Home-Start Suffolk is seeking an exceptional individual to join our Board of Trustees as Vice Chair.
This is a unique opportunity to play a key leadership role in a well-established and growing charity that
supports families across Suffolk. As Vice Chair, you will work closely with the Chair, CEO and wider Board to
help shape our strategic direction, support strong governance and ensure we continue to meet the needs of
families in our communities.

We are specifically looking for someone with charity governance experience. You will bring a solid
understanding of how effective boards operate and feel confident supporting other trustees, offering
constructive challenge and helping to ensure the charity meets its legal and strategic responsibilities.
This Vice Chair role is part of our wider trustee recruitment and we welcome applicants who bring any of the
following:

• Experience or knowledge of the local charity or voluntary sector
• Understanding of family support or volunteer management
• Strong networks and connections within local businesses
• Previous involvement with Home-Start Suffolk as a volunteer or someone who has received support
• A passion for making a difference in your community

Interested?
We would love to hear from you. more information and a candidate pack can be found on our website.

Closing date: This is an open and rolling recruitment
Interviews: Held as applications are received
 

*APPLICATIONS CURRENTLY OPEN FOR MALE IDENTIFYING VOLUNTEERS ONLY*

Men Who Talk is a UK registered charity, running twice weekly online peer-to-peer support groups for men aged 18+ across the UK. The groups take place between 7:00pm - 8:30pm every Wednesday evening, and 14:00 - 15:30 every Saturday afternoon. 

Our groups are supportive spaces for men aged 18+ to come and talk openly about what's on their mind. All groups are free to attend and follow the evidence based model of peer support. 

Volunteers are required to be online from 6:45pm to 8:45pm on a Wednesday evening, and from 13:45 - 15:45 on a Saturday, and are required to facilitate around 1 group per month. Volunteers are asked to commit to an a minimum of 6 months of volunteering in the initial stage. 

All groups are facilitated by a minimum of 2 facilitators, and follow a semi-structured pattern.

We are looking for passionate men with some experience of groups facilitating or working in mental health settings to come join us as facilitators. Experience in using online platforms such as zoom is essential. 

A degree in psychology is preferred but not an essential requirement.

You must have the right to live and work in the UK in order to join us, MWT is unable to sponsor any visa applications. Fluency in conversational English and a firm grasp of technology is also required. 

Why Join MWT? 

Men Who Talk is an exciting, fast growing charity, creating new spaces for men to talk openly about what's on their mind. 

We have a diverse team full of talented and passionate individuals who are committed to changing the face of mens mental health across the UK. 

As well as the opportunity to join the organisation at an exciting stage of it's development, volunteers also have the opportunity to develop their own skills and have regular chances to feed into the creative and strategic development of the organisation. We also provide enhanced safeguarding adults training, and the opportunity to develop key skills to enhance a career in mental health. In addition to training opportunities, MWT also provides weekly online group supervision with a specialist supervisior, free of charge for all volunteers. 

PLEASE NOTE: We are only able to accept applications from individuals who already have the right to live and work in the UK. 

At CPRE, we’re passionate about making the countryside a better place for everyone to enjoy. This flexible, micro-volunteering role is a great way to stand up for the countryside if you don’t have much time to spare! You’ll take quick and easy online actions to support our campaigns from home (or wherever you have internet access!) at a time that suits you.

We're particularly keen to recruit people aged 18 - 30 (although this role is open to everyone!) as we want to being younger voices into our campaigning work.

This is an excellent opportunity for those looking explore a career in environmental campaigning and advocacy. By taking easy online actions, you’ll help us to champion environmental issues such as the climate emergency, renewable energy, biodiversity and sustainable transport.

We’ll ask you to take and feedback on England based campaigning actions, to inform what we do in the future. Your ideas will shape the way we do our campaigns in the future.

We’re looking to build our team of activists for a series of actions over the next few months. You’ll actively shape the future of this work, and you’ll be testing an exciting new way to volunteer with CPRE! Interested in taking part? Find out more below.

Why we want you

We want to gain the support of people with many different experiences of the countryside to inform what we do so we can work towards a thriving countryside for everyone.

You'll join a group of enthusiastic volunteers taking actions and giving feedback that directly supports our campaigning work. Some actions will take as little as 5 minutes!

Sign up is easy - we just need a few details and then you'll join our activist pool. Please note you must be 18 or over to sign up for this role.

What you will be doing

The types of actions we’ll ask you to take part may include:

• Build our understanding of what motivates you to support our campaigns, what you’d like to see us do in the future and how best you’d like to take part through surveys and feedback
• Sign a petition, send a letter to your MP using a template or take a survey
• Read / share articles & like / share posts / blogs
• Attend an online session / webinar / training eg on lobbying
• Feedback on campaigns content (reports, website, podcasts)

The skills you need

• An interest in the countryside and environmental issues
• Willing to give feedback as part of the role
• Access to a computer, tablet or smartphone with internet
• No experience necessary!

What's in it for you

• Use your enthusiasm, skills and experience to make a positive difference to the countryside
• Opportunity to influence future campaigning asks, and feedback on what works
• Access to online campaigning training and webinars
• Learn new advocacy and campaigning skills

Role description

As a key member of the Volunteer Grant Team, the Grants Manager (Unpaid Volunteer) will assist the Head of Fundraising (Unpaid Volunteer) in grant writing, planning and implementing a portfolio of impactful programmes.  The postholder is responsible for managing a diverse grant portfolio, providing high-level programme support, financial oversight, monitoring and evaluation, technical expertise, and capacity-building support to our global health and social care projects.  This role will involve working closely with the Senior Programmes and Grants Managers to ensure that AHO makes progress towards its Vision. 

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• To develop and manage a potfolio of grants, including institutional and internal grants.  This includes assessing the competencies of Volunteer Grant Teams and creating organisational plans with grant writers.
• To support the new and ongoing development of grant writers through capacity building and providing networking opportunities.
• To support the Volunteer Grant Team in their applications to institutional funders, trusts and foundations, providing input and advice as requested.
• To ensure grant-management requirements and external funding are met successfully.
• To work closely with grant teams and individuals responsibly to source narratives of individual and community transformation to support the development of donor relationships and communication. 
• To provide good care to grant writers, maintain regular but appropriate contact and safeguard their interests
• To undertake monitoring, evaluation and conducting grants and project assessments for international and UK-based projects
• To source new, innovative projects in line with AHO's funding criteria
• To assist in raising the standards of AHO Safeguarding with grants and project portfolios.
• To update the database and to analyse data from reports and write up recommendations for senior management and/or board consideration.

KEY REQUIREMENTS

• Minimum of 3 years' experience working in a charity or foundation with a focus on health and international development
• Experience in submitting successful funding proposals to institutional donors, trusts, and foundations
• Strong track record of successful management of all reporting requirements associated with grants.
• Good project management skills, with experience delivering or grant-managing projects internationally; able to work on multiple tasks and to prioritise these to meet deadlines
• Affinity to health and understanding of African culture as a power for health development in Africa. 
• Excellent attention to detail and ability to work on one's initiative
• Basic budgeting and financial management experience, able to understand the link between finance and operations
• Ability to work cross-organisationally with multiple stakeholders in the realisation of shared goals
• Confident communicator and convenor, particularly in written grants, reports, external communications, presentations and with people whose first language is not English
• Strong interpersonal skills to build and maintain relationships to achieve objectives with international partners
• Written and oral fluency in English is required
• Fluency in a second language (in addition to English) is required preferably Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Portuguese and Swahili.

This is an exciting opportunity to join a charity at the very start and to make a difference in shaping how we move forward.

Who are we looking for?

At present we are working towards being fully operational, over the next year Living Reasons will be looking to expand its reach and part of that journey is to recruit volunteers to ensure the organisation can be carried out and that individual volunteer needs are accounted for.

This role will be a really important aspect of the organisation’s success. We are looking for multiple volunteer co-ordinators, each focusing on different aspects of the organisation or part of the journey for our volunteers, whether it is recruitment, development, personalised support, equity building, events, community building and other areas that you may feel would benefit the volunteer team or the organisations supporters/uses.

To be successful in this role, all you need to be is passionate about the organisation’s goals and reasons for existing, and a creative mindset. The rest we can build together as a team.

What is the plan?

The person who is starting the charity up is autistic, has ADHD, CPTSD and also multiple physical conditions that effect daily life and is part of the LGBTQ+ community and has faced a lot of issues in life because of these things.

Living Reasons is being created to fix what we think is a challenging situation that is getting harder to achieve every week, month and year in the current economic, political, environmental and societal landscape. It is not easily defined but we hope the charity objects below will help put context to what we want to achieve, what we can say is that below are the issues we are trying to address, how we do this will change as quickly as society does, but the issues we want to tackle are these:

1) Outdated and damaging employment practices

2) Accessibility to services

3) Limited employment, training and education opportunities

4) Lack of support during times of crisis or need

5) Lack of equity and agency for many people in society

6) Institutional discrimination that is not challenged

7) Abuse of the legal system at all levels

8) Abuse of power in government bodies

9) Poor access to healthcare

10)  Unequal treatment of many people in society by large corporations

11)  Assumptions made by wider society based on incorrect, outdated or discriminatory rhetoric that is used in daily life

12)  Outdated company engagement with the public

13)  Lack of support that is not talked about and not being addressed

Our Living Values -

Creativity

1) Imaginative Development (Individual)

2) Instilled Collaboration (Internal)

3) Changing The Status Quo (External)

Prospectivity

1) What Can You Do (Individual)

2) What Can We Do (Internal)

3) What Can They Do (External)

Revolutionary 

1) Inspire With Confidence (Individual)

2) Boundaryless Innovation (Internal)

3) Challenge Traditions (External)

Attentivity

1) Analyse and Redesign (Individual)

2) Rebel and Reform (Internal)

3) Enquire and Reimagine (External)

About the role

We are a charity providing loving, compassionate care to veterans and their partners living with disability or dementia. We provide care in our Homes and have also developed services to support people in their own homes.

We are looking for really special individuals to join us as Telephone Friends for our new Telephone Friendship Service. This free service will reach out to veterans and their partners in the community via telephone, offering support and a friendly voice to someone who might be feeling lonely or isolated. We provide full training and support to encourage you on your journey.

We are looking for people who are caring, who always put others first and who show compassion and respect at all times. You will have a passion for embracing life and making it meaningful for yourself and those you support.

Time commitment: Minimum of 1 hour per week. There is no time limit on the length of service, but Telephone Friends are asked to make a commitment for a minimum of 12 months.

We are looking for people who share our values, people with passion and the desire to make a difference to the lives of others.

Every day, neurodivergent people in the legal profession face misunderstanding, outdated assumptions, and well-meaning but misguided "support." We're building something different - a charity that gets the science right, speaks with authority, and creates change based on evidence rather than good intentions.

We need someone who understands what neurodiversity really is - professionally, academically, maybe personally, to be our compass and our credibility.

What we're looking for

We need a neurodiversity specialist who can be our knowledge foundation - someone whose expertise ensures everything we do is grounded in current understanding and best practice.

Your background might include:

• Professional expertise in neurodivergence through psychology, neuroscience, education, occupational therapy, or related fields

• Deep knowledge of current research and evidence base around neurodivergence

• Understanding of the real challenges neurodivergent people face in professional environments

• The ability to translate complex concepts into language that lawyers (and everyone else) can understand

• Genuine commitment to making the legal profession work better for neurodivergent people

What would be brilliant (but not essential):

• Hands-on experience working with or advocating for neurodivergent individuals

• Academic qualifications or research experience in relevant areas

• Knowledge of workplace adjustments and inclusive employment practices

• Understanding of career progression challenges in professional settings

• Experience in education, training, or public awareness work

• Personal lived experience of neurodivergence (valued but not required)

What you'll be doing

This isn't about lending your name to our letterhead. You'll be actively shaping everything we put out into the world:

Being our quality control:

• Reviewing all our educational materials, resources, and communications to ensure they're factually accurate

• Keeping us current with evolving research and best practices

• Making sure our language is appropriate, respectful, and up-to-date

• Helping us spot and counter misinformation before it takes hold

Guiding our strategy:

• Providing specialist input on how we approach neurodiversity promotion in the legal profession

• Advising on the most effective methods for raising genuine awareness and understanding

• Supporting the development of educational programs that actually work

• Identifying where we can make the biggest impact

Building our credibility:

• Helping establish partnerships with respected neurodiversity organisations, researchers, and experts

• Supporting our reputation as a source that legal professionals can trust

• Advising on collaboration opportunities with academic institutions and healthcare professionals

Supporting our people:

• Providing guidance to our neurodivergent volunteers in their advocacy work

• Ensuring volunteer-led initiatives are built on solid understanding

• Advising on accessible and inclusive team management practices

The need-to-know

Time commitment: Around 4-8 hours per month - one monthly trustee meeting plus the specialist input that makes the difference, and the occasional extra task that crops up. 

Term: We're looking for a minimum 2-year commitment initially, which then becomes a rolling 1-year term subject to the constitutional requirements. 

When we meet: We will be setting our meeting dates at the start of the organisation's year (October 2025) so everyone can plan ahead. 

Next steps:

• Applications close: 5 September 2025 at 17:00

• Interview dates: TBC - dependent on application numbers

• Next board meeting: TBC

Why this role matters

The legal profession is finally starting to talk about neurodiversity. But too often, the conversation is happening without the depth of understanding it deserves. Myths persist, outdated language gets used, and initiatives are built on shaky foundations.

Your expertise doesn't just add value to our work - it protects the people we're trying to help from being let down by another well-meaning but uninformed initiative.

What We Offer in Return

• Real influence: Your knowledge directly shapes our approach and ensures our impact is positive

• Professional recognition: Work with a charity that's building a reputation for getting it right

• Meaningful connections: Network with other professionals who share your commitment to evidence-based change

• Flexibility: We’re a team of working professionals and always work around professional commitments

• Support: Join a board that values expertise and provides genuine collaboration

• Development opportunities: Expand your governance experience and charity sector knowledge

• Recognition: References, recommendations, and opportunities to speak on topics you care about

• Expenses covered: We reimburse reasonable costs related to your trustee work

Whether your expertise comes from clinical practice, academic research, educational settings, or lived experience combined with professional knowledge, if you care about ensuring neurodiversity initiatives are built on solid foundations, we want to hear from you.

Application deadline: 5 September 2025 at 17:00

We're committed to making reasonable adjustments throughout our recruitment process and welcome applications from all backgrounds. If you need any support with your application, please let us know.

Shout is the UK’s only free, confidential, 24/7 text messaging support service for anyone who is struggling to cope. When people text 'Shout' to 85258, they are connected to a Shout Volunteer for a text conversation. Our volunteers provide a safe space for people to share what's causing them distress, while showing warmth and compassion.

Tasks and Responsibilities

If your application is successful, you’ll be enrolled in a training group. New groups start every two weeks.

Shout Volunteers receive 25 hours of free training in communication, listening, managing and assessing risk, and problem solving. The training is self-paced and done online. You’ll learn how to bring people in distress to a place of calm and practice skills that will be useful to you throughout life.

As we are investing in you throughout your time with us, our hope is that you will complete the training in a timely manner and look at this as a longer term commitment. The experience you gain over time is valuable and our goal is to have volunteers commit to 200 hours on the platform, which can take up to two years to complete, as we ask you to take one 2-4 hour shift per week. 

Our Volunteer Training Support team is here to support you, answer any questions and provide feedback during training and throughout your time with Shout. You’ll be joining an incredibly supportive volunteer community and have access to the resources you need to do your role.

As a volunteer, you’ll be supporting people in distress, so it’s important we see the skills required to do that while you are in training. While most trainees complete the training and go on to volunteer, not everyone will pass the training. If this happens, there are other ways you can still support us.

Selection Criteria

A Shout Volunteer is kind and compassionate, a good listener, and has the ability to remain calm when supporting people in crisis. You will also:

• Understand the difference between being friendly and being a friend

• Be aware of your own mental health and wellbeing

• Be open-minded

• Be supportive

• Be reliable

• Be discreet and able to respect confidentiality at all times

• Be accepting and non-judgemental

• Be passionate about contributing some of your time to a cause such as Shout

• Adopt a growth mindset, and be willing to accept feedback

Requirements

• You must live in the United Kingdom or New Zealand while volunteering. 
• You must be over 18 years of age.
• You will need a reliable internet connection and a private place to take your shift.
• All of your volunteering must be done using a laptop or desktop computer and Google Chrome.

It’s worth spending time thinking about the nature of the role, and whether it’s right for you. We support all texters, regardless of race, religion, sexual identity or issue. You will need to be comfortable addressing topics frequently discussed with texters (suicide, self-harm, depression, etc.) without compromising your own mental health. 

Before you apply, please consider whether either of the following applies to you:

• Have you recently experienced grief, loss or change issue/s? For example; someone close to you has been ill or has died, you’ve lost your job, your relationship has ended.

• Is your current mental health and wellbeing in a place such that the stress and pressure of listening to the challenges of others would bring additional burden to you personally?

Benefits to Volunteers

The role is rewarding and can save lives. Shout Volunteers tell us they gain a sense of pride, satisfaction and purpose from taking conversations. They also tell us that their own wellbeing increases, they learn valuable skills and gain experience they can use at work and in their personal lives.

Volunteering can also be a great addition to your CV. You do not need to have any past experience in mental health to be a Shout Volunteer - we’ll provide you with all the training and support you need to do the role.

Application Process

You will need to create your account and fill in the application using a laptop or desktop computer and in a Google Chrome browser. This is a standard requirement for all of our systems at Shout, from the application through to the platform.

You should leave up to an hour to complete the form. As Shout is a text based service and we do not conduct in person interviews for our volunteer candidates what you write in your application and the strength of your references are how we get to know you. 

We appreciate when candidates take the time to write thoughtful, considered answers. We recommend you review your application with an eye toward things like spelling, grammar and punctuation. While some of our texters will occasionally reach out using more informal text speak, our volunteers respond in full sentences and double check their messages for accuracy before hitting send. 

Your application will be reviewed once we have received responses from both of your references. We ask for a personal reference and a professional reference. The personal reference can be a friend or colleague but the other must be someone who knows you professionally or has supervised you in some way. 

This could be a manager or supervisor from where you work or a teacher or educator from where you study. We recommend you choose references who are able to speak to your ability to fulfil the selection criteria outlined above.

We do not accept references from family members. This includes your partner or their relatives, your children, siblings, aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents or godparents. 

Please allow up to a month for us to review your application and return a decision. 

If your application is approved, you can book your place on training. Training groups usually start every two weeks and spaces are available to book a couple of months ahead. While you are in training and before you are allowed on the platform we will carry out a background check.

Are you passionate about making a real impact through sport and mental health? VSS (Virtual Soccer Schools) is looking for a proactive and driven Volunteer Fundraising Lead to help shape and deliver our fundraising strategy.

This is a fantastic opportunity to play a key role in an organisation that empowers the next generation through innovative programs combining football and mental health support. As our Fundraising Lead, you’ll help secure the resources we need to grow—whether through commercial sponsorship, or corporate, trust, and foundation income.

We’re looking for someone who is:

• Experienced or enthusiastic about fundraising and relationship-building

• Passionate about community development and youth empowerment

• Strategic, self-motivated, and great at seeing opportunities for impact

Time Commitment:

Part-time, volunteer basis—approx. one day per week, with flexibility around your schedule.

Join us in using football as a force for good. Apply now and help drive meaningful change.

Why we want you

Our vision is a society in which Armed Forces, veterans and their families can thrive. When anyone in the Armed Forces community finds themselves in need, SSAFA is the charity they can turn to – no one’s service is ever forgotten. More and more people need help, so we are growing our network of dedicated caseworkers.

Come and join our team! You will be making a real difference to the lives of those who need financial, practical, and emotional support. We value all our volunteers and the unique skills and experience they bring.

What you will be doing

• Arranging to talk with potential beneficiaries (on the phone or face to face) at a mutually convenient time
• Understanding peoples’ support needs and gathering information to assess their circumstances
• Typing written case reports to apply for financial assistance
• Sign-posting to services providing specialist support, such as mental health or housing support
• Keeping beneficiaries and the SSAFA regional office up to date with progress

The skills you need

• Friendly and approachable
• Great written and verbal communication skills
• Non-judgemental
• Reliable
• Basic IT skills

What's in it for you

• Use your skills, knowledge, and life experience to benefit others
• Be part of a friendly and supportive SSAFA team
• Develop your experience and skills which you can highlight on your CV and in job interviews
• Access a range of training and learning opportunities

Disclaimer

SSAFA is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all those involved in our work and expects volunteers to share this commitment. This role qualifies for a criminal record check, which will be carried out at no cost to you. If you have a criminal record, it won't necessarily stop you from becoming a volunteer. Please read our Volunteer Vetting Guidance for more information.

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 role in a nutshell: 

Lead volunteers help to keep Age UK charity shops running like clockwork and are an essential part of our retail division. Our charity shops raise vital funds, which aid and support a wide range of services which Age UK delivers. If you have some free time available and have a passion for retail management, we can help you find a new sense of purpose in your life. 

What will you be doing? 

As this is such a key role, the task list for this role is understandably lengthy.
Key activities include but are not limited to the following:
•To assist in the security of the shop and its stock, and bank takings when required. Opening the shop or securing the shop at close of business when required. 
•Ensure cash handling processes and procedures are adhered to and exchanges and refunds actioned promptly. 
•Ensure Health & Safety regulations are understood and complied with; Alcumus (incident reporting and health & safety check recording system) understood and completed.
•Ensure compliance with all organisational policies and procedures.
•Always deliver great customer service.
•Support other volunteers, ensuring gift aid is captured on both donations and sales.
•Provide training and support on the till to other volunteers as required. 
•General retail duties - again not limited to but including- accepting donations (stock or cash), promote gift aid, operate till, take phone calls and deal with enquiries, keeping the shop clean and tidy, pricing, displaying and sale of donated goods and merchandise.  Deal with refunds and customer complaints.
•Live Age UK’s values; follow our code of conduct and our Diversity; Equity and Inclusion policy. 

How would you be supported in this role? 

When you become part of our team, you will receive a mixture of e-learning and ‘on the job practical training,’ to get you started. As you progress in the role, you will receive refresher training and ongoing support. We will also reimburse ‘role-related expenses’ and provide further opportunity to shape the volunteering that you do. To be a Lead Volunteer we do have a specific training plan we would need you to complete. 

Why do we need volunteers in this role? 

Lead volunteers have an important part to play in the ongoing success of our retail division, as they help us raise funds though our shops, to reach and support more older people. Occasionally we find ourselves in a position where no paid staff are available to open the shop which disappoints customers and donors alike; and decreases the funds we can raise to support people in later life. Lead volunteers give an additional layer of flexibility to help us keep our doors open. 

Additional information: 

We offer a wide variety of flexible shifts for volunteers, to fit around your personal circumstances. However for this role there will be times when we do make a specific ask of you. 

What skills, interests or experience might be helpful in this role? 

We welcome applications from people with a wide range of skills and experiences. For this role, previous experience of working in retail would be a real advantage; and you would need to show commitment and regular attendance to ensure you are fully up to speed with our policy and procedures; and what’s going on in the shop. If you are looking for a career in retail and looking to gain some crucial experience this could be the ideal role for you-equally if you are retired but keen to keep your hand in; we could really benefit from your experience! Therefore, if you are a team player and open to learning whilst following Age UKs policies, you will be an excellent addition to our ever-growing team of amazing volunteers. Our shop teams are stronger when they are inclusive and representative of their communities, so we will do our absolute best to find a role that works for you.