Volunteer roles in ealing

About the Hawk and Owl Trust
The Hawk and Owl Trust is a national UK charity (registration no. 1058565), established in 1969, committed to the conservation of owls and birds of prey in their natural habitats. The charity works to protect these species through practical research, habitat creation and management, public education, and outreach.

The Trust develops and maintains nesting and roosting sites, advises on feeding habitats, and welcomes visitors to its nature reserves in Norfolk and Somerset. It also runs education centres and outreach initiatives designed to foster greater public understanding and appreciation of raptors and their ecosystems.

Chair of the Board of Trustees

Purpose of the Role
The Chair will provide strategic and inclusive leadership to the Board of Trustees, the Chief Operating Director, and the wider team of staff and volunteers. The role is instrumental in ensuring that the charity remains focused on its mission and vision, and that governance is effective, collaborative, and forward-thinking.

Working closely with the Chief Operating Director, the Chair will help strengthen internal relationships, support strategic delivery, and serve as a key ambassador for the Trust, representing the organisation externally with professionalism and enthusiasm.

Key Skills and Experience

• Demonstrated senior leadership experience, ideally with a governance or non-executive background

• Strong interpersonal and communication capabilities

• Sound understanding of charity governance and trustee responsibilities

• A clear commitment to and passion for wildlife and environmental conservation

Principal Responsibilities
The Chair will:

• Provide strategic leadership to ensure the charity maximises its impact in protecting birds of prey

• Guide the Board in fulfilling its governance duties, including oversight of risk, performance, and financial sustainability

• Champion best practice in governance, fostering a culture of integrity and transparency

• Support and appraise the Chief Operating Director, building a strong and effective working partnership

• Encourage Board development, succession planning, and a balanced skills matrix across trustees

• Lead conflict resolution, promote constructive challenge, and ensure decisions are made in the charity’s best interest

• Represent the organisation in public, media, and stakeholder engagements as appropriate

Location

• Administrative base: Sculthorpe, Fakenham, Norfolk

• Flexible and remote-friendly, with most Board meetings held virtually

• Some in-person attendance required in Sculthorpe (Norfolk), Shapwick (Somerset), or London

Remuneration

• This is a voluntary role

• All reasonable travel and out-of-pocket expenses will be reimbursed

Time Commitment

• Approximately 1–2 days per month

• Attendance at 4–5 Board meetings annually (a combination of virtual and in-person)

• Optional participation in up to two subcommittees (each meeting quarterly)

• Additional time as needed to represent the Trust at events, media opportunities, or stakeholder meetings

Term of Appointment
The Chair will serve a three-year term, with the option to be reappointed for one additional term.

In this role, you will be supporting us with all or some of the following tasks:

• Supporting clients at your service to engage in cooking activities, in a casual setting, encouraging them to socialise in the group and to make something tasty to eat.

• Designing recipes in collaboration with staff and clients each week that meet the needs of the group.

• Collaborating with staff to buy ingredients needed for the activities, using the services Petty Cash.

• Complying with St Mungo’s Policies and Procedures at all times.

About ScreenSkills
ScreenSkills is the industry-endorsed skills body for the UK screen sector. It champions and develops the skills of the UK screen industries—across film, television, VFX, animation, and games—to build a world-leading, inclusive, and future-ready workforce. The organisation ensures that people from all backgrounds can access opportunities and realise their potential.

About the Opportunity
Following the launch of its five-year strategy in Autumn 2024, ScreenSkills is seeking to appoint new members to its Finance, Audit and Risk Committee. This committee plays a pivotal role in overseeing the financial health, governance, and risk management of the organisation, ensuring that ScreenSkills can deliver on its strategic ambitions.

New members will bring a broad range of industry expertise to complement the existing committee and offer independent insight, challenge, and support on key matters including strategy execution, legal oversight, digital transformation, and financial stewardship.

Purpose of the Committee
The Finance, Audit and Risk Committee provides critical oversight across several key areas:

• Financial reporting and management

• Risk identification and mitigation

• Legal and compliance matters

• Strategic planning and investment

• Data governance and technology

Members support the Board in meeting fiduciary duties and help uphold ScreenSkills’ mission through strong governance and sound financial oversight.

Key Responsibilities (collectively):

• Review the draft Annual Operating Plan (AOP) and advise the Board.

• Assess financial performance, budgets, management accounts, and KPIs.

• Monitor performance against financial targets.

• Advise on reserves policies and approve investment/funding strategies.

• Oversee the risk register and recommend effective mitigation strategies.

• Ensure compliance with relevant laws and reporting obligations.

• Engage with external auditors and review audit outcomes.

• Constructively challenge and support executive decisions on finance and risk.

• Optionally, support strategic projects in collaboration with the senior team.

Candidate Profile
ScreenSkills welcomes expressions of interest from candidates across the UK who are able to contribute diverse perspectives and demonstrate a strong commitment to ScreenSkills’ purpose.

Desirable Skills and Experience:
Candidates may have senior leadership experience across areas such as:

• Finance, audit, or accounting

• Legal or regulatory compliance

• Risk management or internal controls

• Technology, digital strategy, or AI

• Data governance or strategic use of data

• Charity or non-profit sector governance and financial reporting

Additional Attributes:

• Ability to interpret financial statements and performance data

• Experience in assessing organisational risk and compliance

• Good independent judgement and strategic thinking

• Willingness to devote time and effort to the role

• Understanding of, or networks within, the UK screen or creative industries (beneficial but not essential)

Appointment and Time Commitment

• Committee members are appointed for a fixed term of three years, with the possibility of one reappointment.

• Expected to attend four committee meetings and one Council meeting annually, alongside other engagement as required.

• An annual performance self-assessment and review with the Chair will form part of the ongoing governance process.

Inclusion and Representation
ScreenSkills actively encourages applications from a wide range of backgrounds and experiences. Applications are particularly welcomed from under-represented groups including, but not limited to:

• Women and minority ethnic groups

• Disabled people or those with long-term conditions

• People from low socio-economic backgrounds

• LGBTQ+ individuals

• Carers or returning parents

• Applicants from across the UK nations and regions

IAPWA was founded in 2009 and aims to provide protection and improve the welfare of animals in need. We exist for the benefit of the animals who need our help and are driven by those who are passionate about providing this lifeline. Our achievements have and continue to be possible through the combined dedication of everyone within the IAPWA team who enable us to make an impact through the collective action we take.

THE ROLE

In February this year, we launched the pilot for our Youth Ambassador Programme, encouraging students between 11-18 to sign up and work towards becoming a Youth Ambassador for the charity through fundraising, raising awareness and animal welfare advocacy. We received a significant interest and are now in a position to have a super successful first full run out of the programme starting in September 2025.

As the Education Partnerships Assistant, you will be aiding the Partnerships Manager in running and growing this year’s programme, while also developing a new programme aimed at schools rather than individuals called the Educator Partner Programme, where schools and education institutions work towards being recognized as an IAPWA Educator Partner.

The role will involve:

• Youth Ambassador Programme Support: Assisting with the day-to-day coordination of the IAPWA Youth Ambassador Programme, including supporting young people aged 11–18 as they complete their activities and challenges to achieve ambassador status.
• Event and Presentation Assistance: Helping to organise and attend school visits, presentations, and award ceremonies, including communicating with schools and coordinating with community supporters.
• Volunteer Engagement: Communicating with Youth Ambassadors and their families, celebrating their achievements, and maintaining positive and inspiring engagement throughout their journey with the programme
• Content Creation: Supporting the creation of Youth Ambassador Programme resources, certificates, welcome packs, and promotional content.
• Educator Partner Programme Development: Assisting in the development of the new Educator Partner Programme for schools and educational institutions, including planning activities, recognition criteria, and outreach strategies.
• Promotion and Outreach: Supporting the promotion of both education programmes through social media, email campaigns, and direct communication with schools, students, and local communities.
• Administration: Maintaining accurate records of participants, communications, and achievements, and ensuring timely responses to enquiries.
• Feedback and Reporting: Gathering feedback from participants and schools to help improve the programmes and compiling monthly updates to share progress with the Partnerships Manager.

THE PERSON

• A passion for animal welfare (essential)
• Knowledge of the education sector, either as a former teacher or a parent with involvement in school proceedings (desired, but not essential)
• Non-profit experience (desired, but not essential)
• Excellent organisational and communication skills
• Resourcefulness
• Effective team player
• Ability to multi-task and manage time effectively
• Excellent attention to detail
• Proactive approach
• Problem solving skills

Why do we need your help?

Food banks provide three-day emergency food parcels for people in crisis, working in partnership with organisations across the community. Drivers play a fundamental role in the running of the food bank, collecting food donations from a variety of locations such as supermarkets or churches across the local area as well as distributing the sorted donations from the warehouse to the local food bank centres. You will be given all the required training and provided with ongoing support and development opportunities. You will also have a main contact at the food bank throughout your time volunteering with us.

What will you be doing?

• Collecting food donations from collection points such as supermarkets, schools and churches within Brent

• Coordinating with the warehouse manager and supermarket community champions

• Delivering the food donations to the warehouse, located in Willesden

• Transporting sorted food from the warehouse across two food banks within Brent

• Regular loading and unloading of vehicles, helping your driver buddy

• Regular driving across the local area

The skills you need:

• Clean and current driving licence

• Physically strong and capable of carrying heavy boxes of canned foods

• Experienced and confident driver, you will be driving a small van around Brent

• Adaptable and flexible, sometimes we need to change your driving route or times

• Personable and committed, you will be the representatives of Brent Foodbank amongst our supermarket community

• You will need to follow the driving policy of the food bank

• You should enjoy being part of a volunteer team

• Have an eye for detail and be able to solve problems

• If you can’t drive but enjoy being out on the road, you can also be a driver buddy!

What’s in it for you?

• Using your existing skills to make a difference

• Meet new people who share your passion to end poverty in the community

• Make a real difference to the running of your food bank

• The opportunity to serve your local community

You will be given all the required training and provided with ongoing support and development opportunities. You will also have a main contact at the food bank throughout your time volunteering with us. 

We recognise that we have under-represented groups within our team. As part of our commitment to diversity and equality of opportunity we are actively encouraging applications from under-represented groups such as parents or carers who are re-entering volunteering after a career break, people who are LGBTQ+, from Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic (BAME) backgrounds, with a disability, impairment, learning difference or long-term condition.

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 administrators are an invaluable part of our team. They provide administrative support to our area coordinators and teams, organising and taking notes in area meetings. They're also an important link in how we evidence the impact of Shannon Trust, prompting and following-up data and monthly reports from our prison volunteers.

We are looking for a volunteer who is organised and good IT and admin skills. You will provide support to your area coordinator in supporting both prisons and volunteers. You will be providing communication links between everyone through organising meetings and sending email updates. Your role will help us to access the vital information which shows our impact on our learners.

Much of the role can take place on any day of the week and in the evenings but you will need to be able to attend a daytime area meeting 4 times a year, attend our induction workshops and national area administrators meetings.

For full role description and to apply please visit our website 

Sharing Seeds

We are a not for profit organization supporting community-based organic Arabica coffee Farming and Women Empowerment through community-based tourism.

In every Nepali village, many youths have been flown away, mostly to the Middle- East & other developed country for a better quality of life and income. Sadly, lots of youths need to do very hard & risky jobs just for few hundred dollars salary a month and sometimes they lost their life while working a harsh condition on these countries. Our organization is slowly motivating these local youths and rural women to engage in sustainable cash crops farming, like arabica coffee farming and Beekeeping and other income-generating works within their village and reusing their land with modern Agriculture practices and also offering local women’s a fair pay job to make them financially independent to support their families.

We are not for profit organization registered with the Nepal Government based in Sarangkot Pandeli village near the Tourism capital of Nepal (Pokhara) which aims at giving the knowledge to Local farmers to produce Organic Arabica Coffee,Organic Bee Farming and also offers new opportunities to the rural womens by involving into the community based tourism.

Graphic Designer

Volunteer Role Description (remote, unpaid)

This is the role for the interested volunteer who has great experience in graphic design and can create an outstanding sticker for our locally produced Bee Pollen from our community farmers. We need this sticker to design and print as a label on our Glass jars to sell Bee pollen in the market and to travelers who come to our place for a visit.

Weekly Time Commitment

2-3 hours per week

Duration of Volunteer Role (remote)

3-4 weeks

Spectra is a Community Interest Company (CIC), working to improve the choices, health, and well-being of structurally excluded communities across London, particularly in relation to their sexual health, emotional resilience, and well-being, and to combat isolation and minimise risk.

Under the steer of its Chief Executive and Board of Directors, Spectra’s outstanding staff team provides supportive, knowledgeable, and non-judgemental services, all of which are peer-led, meaning they are delivered by people with lived and learned experience. Spectra strives to proactively identify the needs of all its service users, supporting them appropriately and effectively.

We are now seeking suitably experienced and committed individuals to join our Board as Directors of the CIC.

Director with Fundraising Experience: You will provide strategic direction for the organisation around fundraising, including helping to shape and support our fundraising strategy around diversifying our funds and growing our individual giving. You will support Spectra’s delivery of statutory and grant-funded services, help us in advancing our vision, and provide constructive scrutiny and oversight of the Chief Executive and the work of Spectra’s staff.

Director with Communications, Marketing, and PR Experience: You will provide strategic direction for the organisation around communications, marketing, and PR. You will support our plans to increase our reach and brand, further our communications work and strategy, including social media marketing and campaigning, and enhance our PR opportunities. You will support Spectra’s delivery of statutory and grant-funded services, help us in advancing our vision, and provide constructive scrutiny and oversight of the Chief Executive and the work of Spectra’s staff.

Spectra is based in Vauxhall, South London. It is expected that you will attend five meetings (in the evening, currently online on a Monday evening) and two SMT/Board Away Days each year (currently in person). In addition, it is envisaged that you will contribute your expertise outside of Board meetings on occasion, e.g., to review service or planning reports, to input into a focus group, etc.

Role Overview:

The Chair will ensure that the board functions effectively, maintains high standards of governance, and that the charity's mission and goals are achieved.

Key Responsibilities:

1. Board Leadership:

   • Lead the board in setting and implementing the charity’s culture, direction, and strategy.

   • Ensure the board operates inclusively and effectively.

   • Chair board meetings, ensuring decisions are made and actions are followed up.

2. Strategic Direction:

   • Guide the development and implementation of the charity’s strategic plan.

   • Ensure the charity’s activities align with its mission and goals.

3. Oversight and Accountability:

   • Monitor the charity’s activities and ensure high standards of governance.

   • Hold staff members accountable and support their professional development.

   • Ensure compliance with legal and regulatory requirements (this includes Charity Commission and companies House requirements).

4. Close Supervision:

   • Ensure that all members of staff have adequate line management and supervision (not necessarily by the Chair as this may be allocated to another trustee).

   • Act as the primary point of communication between the board and the staff.

5. Direct Involvement:

   • Take a hands-on approach to day-to-day operations, as necessary.

   • Assist in tasks typically handled by additional staff due to the charity’s limited resources.

6. Enhanced Communication:

   • Ensure clear and consistent messaging between the board and the staff member.

7. Financial Oversight:

   • Oversee the charity’s finances, possibly taking on some treasurer responsibilities (currently the board has an appointed treasurer and an honorary accountant).

   • Ensure the charity operates within its financial means.

8. Volunteer Coordination:

   • Recruit and manage volunteers to support the charity’s activities as and when appropriate..

9. Policy Development:

   • Ensure the development, implementation and review of policies to ensure effective and legal operation of the charity.

10. Annual Review:

    • Lead the board in reviewing its structure, effectiveness, delegations, and key policies annually.

Person Specification:

• Leadership Skills: Proven experience in leadership roles, preferably within the charity sector.

• Communication Skills: Strong interpersonal and communication skills.

• Strategic Thinking: Ability to think strategically and guide the charity’s direction.

• Financial Acumen: Understanding of financial management and oversight.

• Commitment: Dedication to the charity’s mission and values.

• IT competency: Able to use cloud-based systems (currently Google Drive)

Volunteer Psychotherapist

Will you share your counselling or psychotherapy skills?

We're looking for one qualified counsellor/psychotherapist or someone with over 100 supervised clinical hours.

Ideally, we would like someone with some experience of working with women from ethnically minoritised backgrounds

Making a difference

Your Impact?

You will join Hopscotch Women’s Centre during a critical and growth period and your expert knowledge and experience will be invaluable to the happiness of our team. You will have a key role in supporting front line staff who may be in need. With your help we hope to expand our voluntary therapy services to ensure the team receive high quality psychological support that they may not have been offered before in any workplace

What you will gain? 

You will be a part of our small, friendly, forward-thinking charity team, focused on reaching service users who are vulnerable. This is a fantastic opportunity for you to make a real difference in our team members’ lives through caring psychological support

Job Description

As a Volunteer Counsellor/Therapist you will provide:

· Online/telephone counselling/therapy support services to individual staff members in Hopscotch, who may be in need. The team have access to reflective supervision and external clinical supervision but sometimes need personal support for issues they are facing

· One-to-one counselling sessions online or by phone. With your recognised counselling qualifications, accreditation, insurance and experience you will be an asset to our small charity team

In this role you’ll be able to develop your counselling and therapy skills within an organisation which is person-centred and fiercely trauma-informed

What the role involves

This role may vary depending on needs, but is likely to include:

• Working with individual team members, as needs arise, over and above their clinical supervision. The team member may be experts in health and social care, domestic violence, mental health issues, or any of our other services
• Undertake an assessment session, followed by time-limited counselling with an integrative approach based on humanistic values (via Zoom or phone) to our staff, offering each up to 6 sessions
• Maintain succinct, relevant session notes and store these securely
• Maintaining client confidentiality, upholding data protection and equal opportunities principle
• Attend your own monthly supervision in line with your professional body’s code of ethics, to ensure safe working practices
• Completing paperwork for a DBS check with Hopscotch

What you need for this role

Essential

• Be a member - including student membership - of one of the recognised organisations (see below)
• Level 4 Diploma qualification as a minimum (or be studying towards one)
• Certificate in online counselling such as How to Do Counselling Online by Open University & BACP
• Minimum of 100 hours of supervised counselling hours
• Evidence of professional indemnity insurance and clinical supervision
• Able to keep people’s personal data safe
• Willing and able to provide counselling via Zoom from a private location with a stable WiFi connection
• Able to support a minimum of one team member a week and we request a minimum commitment of one year

Desirable

• Degree or Masters in Counselling, Counselling/Clinical Psychology, Psychotherapy
• Knowledge of the issues facing ethnically minoritised women and high pressured work environments
• Committed to our values
• Approachable, presentable and compassionate

The Process

Please do share your CV and a cover letter with us. We will interview as applications come in.

If successful, we will arrange for receive your documentation including qualifications, references, insurance and supervision, before arranging an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service DBS

Recognised Organisations You Must Be A Member of:

• British Association for Counsellors and Psychotherapists (BACP)
• United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP)
• National Counselling Society (NCS)
• British Psychoanalytical Council (BPC)

Please contact us if you have any questions

Looking forward to hearing from you!

Do you enjoy singing and listening to all genres of music? We have an exciting opportunity to facilitate 1-1 singing sessions. You will be supporting our service user to develop her skills and explore her passion for singing!

About our service... Hestia provides holistic, one-to-one support in our refuges and the community. Our refuge services are for women and children, offering a safe place to stay and vital emotional and practical support.

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

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

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

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

What you will be doing

• Facilitate 1-1 singing sessions
• Provide opportunities for the service user to develop their singing skills
• To use a range of skills and tools to make sessions interesting and fun
• Provide knowledge on vocal techniques, breath control, pitch exercises and song interpretation

The skills you need

• Understanding of Domestic abuse and its impact
• Good interpersonal and communication skills and ability to work with people from different backgrounds
• Able to maintain strict confidentiality
• Calm and patient approach
• Ability to provide a supportive, and inclusive atmosphere that encourages learning and participation
• Experience in music in either a professional, educational or personal level

What's in it for you

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

Do you have senior clinical service experience and a passion to improve the lives of people with a life-limiting illness and their families?

We are looking for applicants with health care experience at a senior management or board level. As a member of the Board of Trustees this position will support the Executive Board to deliver our organisational strategy and ensure that our Charity has in place appropriate and effective controls to deliver outstanding standards of care and services to all stakeholders.

Key skills and experience for this Trustee role

• Extensive health service experience at leadership level in either primary or secondary care

• Clinical experience in community care with shown ability to enable change management

• Quality standards and requirements of the Care Quality Commission

• Ideally, active in clinical practice

• Safeguarding (adults and children), risk management and data management

• Keen interest in professional education, research and development

• Developments within the field of palliative care

999 Club IS RECRUITING NEW TRUSTEES!

999 Club is a charity doing big things with people facing homelessness. For over 30 years, we've provided a safe haven in the heart of Deptford — offering hot meals, showers, practical support, and a pathway out of homelessness for good.

We're now looking for up to three new trustees to help guide our growing organisation as we develop our new 5-year strategy.

We’re especially keen to hear from people with experience in:

· Fundraising – An ability to use your networks or knowledge to champion our cause and unlock new opportunities.

· Charity Finance – provide strategic financial oversight and potentially chair our Finance Committee.

· Property or Facilities Management – Help oversee the management and potential development of our buildings

What to expect:

As a trustee, you’ll gain leadership experience, broaden your network, and play a hands-on role in tackling homelessness and improving the mental wellbeing of our community. This is a voluntary role involving four board meetings a year (a mix of in-person and virtual), plus occasional events, emails, and committee work. Reasonable expenses are covered.

Inclusion:

We’re committed to building a diverse and representative board. We particularly welcome applications from people with lived experience of homelessness, mental health challenges, or systemic disadvantage.

Help children as Trustee of an innovative, enterprising Tees Valley Charity that is increasingly supporting children in care through fostering and a planned residential provision. Join an agency that transforms children's lives.

What will you be doing?

You will join us at an exciting time as we pursue growth of fostering and residential services, as well as growth of our early help offer. 

You will work across the Charity and the subsidiary fostering company (which we will amalgamate back into the parent Charity). 

You will have a particular focus on helping the fostering agency drive growth, ensure regulatory compliance, and deliver excellent care for children and support for foster parents. You will provide support and challenge to the management team.

You’ll contribute 2 to 6 hours a month. The Charity board meets every 8 weeks (shifting to quarterly after September) and the fostering board meets every 8 weeks. 

You’ll join a Charity that’s brought £millions of investment into Tees Valley and that helps over 1000 local people a year. We’ve been runners up at the national Charity Governance Awards and ‘community’ winners at the Hartlepool Business Awards. 

We are looking for experienced professionals who share our values and want to help. 

What are we looking for?

At this time we are specifically looking for Trustees with some of these areas of skills or experience:

Business development 

Safeguarding management

Fostering or children's residential care or childrens social work management 

Financial management 

What difference will you make?

We want to help children and family members heal from trauma, primarily through helping them develop a network of nurturing, loving and appropriately challenging relationships with people in their close and wider communities. Any small surplus we make from helping children in care will be diverted into work to help families stay together and thrive. You will join a team that strives to make this difference. You will help ensure the Charity keeps a strong focus on children and young peoples needs whilst being sustainability and ensuring the agency manages the risks associated with growth and investment in new services. 

Before you apply

After expressing an interest through the site, we'd welcome an initial conversation with our CEO and/or Chair. After that, we usually  take applications to the Board for consideration. This is usually quite a quick process.