Volunteer roles in greater london

• A great opportunity to volunteer as Cafe Assistant at a unique heritage site, London Museum of Water and Steam
• Based at the historic Kew Bridge Waterworks the museum tells the story of London's water supply, the site, its people and the amazing pumping engines that helped to make London the city it is today
• Cafe Assistants provide a warm and friendly greeting for all our visitors                                              
•  They should work collaboratively with Visitor Welcome volunteers and Duty Managers
•  Help to prepare hot drinks and snacks and to take responsibility for money handling
• There is an opportunity to gain a Level 1 Certificate in Food Hygiene  

Would you like to use your skills and experience to help some of the most vulnerable children in the UK? And to help a small user-led charity that has become reputationally successful and punches way above its weight to grow sustainably, yet at speed, into its next iteration and be able to serve more families?

Founded in June 2020, The Belay Foundation was created to fill an urgent need for practical ‘in-home’ support to families whose children have previously been in local authority care. We were awarded charity registration in December 2020 and were soon working with families and Local Authorities across the UK. Our main areas of focus are: finding, training and supporting people who can offer trauma-responsive childcare and respite; disability benefits advice to families and young people; training professionals and parents to understand and respond to the impact of early-life trauma. 

Currently, The Belay Foundation has an income of £120k and has supported over 400 families. Feedback from those families is very positive and reflects the change from crisis to coping. We are currently conducting a major review of our services and business model to enable us to relaunch services which can be scaled to the next level and respond to an ever-expanding need. This review is being led by our new CEO, Libby McVeigh, who looks forward to working with our new Trustees to ensure that our strategy, systems and processes match our ambition.

Role Description

As a trustee you will:

• Meet regularly (mostly online and in the evening) with the other trustees to shape, drive and monitor the charity’s strategy
• Scrutinise the proper management and administration of the charity
• Champion the charity’s core values
• Help develop the financial sustainability of the charity
• Consider further service delivery in line with the charity’s aims
• Promote the work of the charity and develop contacts externally

Person specification

Essential:

• An interest in good governance and strategy
• Ability to scrutinise organisational systems and outputs, and a willingness and ability to support with operational tasks.
• Experience of providing oversight of operations in an organisation
• Excellent communication skills
• Collaborative, enthusiastic and empathetic
• Able to offer 4+ hours per month in Trustee and other meetings and in small group/1:1 support; and attend one in-person away day each year.

Preferable but not essential: 

• Experience of a trustee role
• Personal or professional interest in adoption, special guardianship and/or kinship care
• Experience in supporting the growth of a small organisation from its origins to its next stage 

In accordance with our commitment to equal opportunities and improving the diversity of our Board, we particularly  welcome applications from people from Black, Asian, and other minority ethnic backgrounds, who are currently under-represented in our governance structure.

Click on the 'How to Apply' link for more information, including on how to apply by the deadline of midnight on Sunday 9th November

Our vision for volunteering

Volunteering is and always will be at the heart of Cats Protection. It is joyful and inclusive. As a charity, working in partnership, together we transform the lives of cats, people and communities.

The difference you will make to cats and people

From elderly moggies to energic kittens, every day across the UK cats and kittens are in need of a temporary place to stay, and lots of love and TLC! We need more fosterers like you to provide a safe, temporary haven for cats and kittens and provide them with everything they need before they get their chance to land on their four paws and make a house a home.

You can expect us to

· Make you feel welcome, included and respected in line with our values and behaviours

· Support you in having a positive and impactful experience at Cats Protection

· Ensure you have all you need in place to foster the cat(s) in your care, for example equipment and food

· Cover all your foster cats’ expenses and agreed out-of-pocket expenses in line with our Expenses Policy

· Provide you with access to learning, development and engagement opportunities

What we need from you

● A stable, safe and compassionate environment in your home or in a purpose-built pen in your garden provided by us

● Enrich the cats’ experience in care including play, exercise and appropriate handling/interaction

● A willingness to complete some training in order to provide high standards of cat welfare

● Introduce cats to prospective adopters so they can find their forever home ● You can find out more about being a Fosterer on our website

Time expectation

Our volunteer fosterers usually spend around one and a half hours per day (around 10 to 13 hours per week) in this role, but this might vary depending on the number of cats or kittens in care.

Volunteer befrienders offer the older, housebound people in our community a chance to connect socially, have a cup of tea, and a chat.  Could you be a much-needed social visitor to one of them this year? Training and support is provided.  Time and Talents is a welcoming community space and volunteering with us provides fantastic opportunities to connect with your community, build your skills, and even make new friends! We provide induction, training and continuous support, alongside opportunities to meet other volunteers.  We work hard to match you with a Befriendee who matches with your availability, personality, and ideally lives walking distance from you within Southwark!

In the first instance, please get in touch here and we will send you our online application form!

Our vision for volunteering

Volunteering is and always will be at the heart of Cats Protection. It is joyful and inclusive. As a charity, working in partnership, together we transform the lives of cats, people and communities.

The difference you will make to cats and people

From elderly moggies to energic kittens, every day across the UK cats and kittens are in need of a temporary place to stay, and lots of love and TLC! We need more fosterers like you to provide a safe, temporary haven for cats and kittens and provide them with everything they need before they get their chance to land on their four paws and make a house a home.

You can expect us to

· Make you feel welcome, included and respected in line with our values and behaviours

· Support you in having a positive and impactful experience at Cats Protection

· Ensure you have all you need in place to foster the cat(s) in your care, for example equipment and food

· Cover all your foster cats’ expenses and agreed out-of-pocket expenses in line with our Expenses Policy

· Provide you with access to learning, development and engagement opportunities

What we need from you

● A stable, safe and compassionate environment in your home or in a purpose-built pen in your garden provided by us

● Enrich the cats’ experience in care including play, exercise and appropriate handling/interaction

● A willingness to complete some training in order to provide high standards of cat welfare

● Introduce cats to prospective adopters so they can find their forever home ● You can find out more about being a Fosterer on our website

Time expectation

Our volunteer fosterers usually spend around one and a half hours per day (around 10 to 13 hours per week) in this role, but this might vary depending on the number of cats or kittens in care.

African Development Choices (ADC) is a UK-based Social Enterprise on a mission to reduce poverty by empowering communities to make more informed choices in the management of public resources.

ADC’s purpose is to enable communities to independently meet their needs for essential services, such as clean water and safe sanitation and improve lives in Africa.

At ADC we encourage a working culture of seeking and giving input, showing and taking initiative, and commitment to the organisation and its purpose.

We now have an exciting opportunity for a volunteer Social & Content Manager to join ADC

Main purpose of job (brief summary): Develop and implement our social media & content strategy in order to increase our online presence and drive stakeholder engagement.

Division: Operations

Department: Marketing & Communications

Position reports to: Head of Marketing & Communications

Who reports to this position: N/A
 

Main Duties and Responsibilities:

• Develop a content calendar across all social platforms ensuring a constant supply of relevant content (1 post per week on LinkedIn, Facebook & Instagram – initially) 

• Collate content for, prepare and publish the monthly volunteer newsletter through MailChimp 

• Identify and engage with key social influencers to create beneficial relationships and strong networks and grow the ADC brand 

• Perform social listening across all social platforms by monitoring and responding to relevant brand mentions and identifying opportunities for engaging in related topics/discussions 

• Define social media KPIs, measure and optimize social media performance metrics, and develop enhanced reporting 

• Manage and oversee social media content

• Develop and implement E2E fundraising campaigns in collaboration with the fundraising team

​Knowledge, Skills, and Experience

Essential 

• 3+ years of experience in social and content management 

• Experience using MailChimp or similar software 

• Experience in designing, managing and executing successful fundraising campaigns 

• Excellent knowledge of Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram and other social media platforms 

• Experience of forming relationships with key influencers on social media 

• Good understanding of SEO metrics and social media KPIs 

• Ability to come up with creative content (text, image and video) 

• Available to volunteer at least 7 hours a week 

• Ability to actively take initiative and help set things up in a start-up environment 

• Ability to actively seek and give input in a collaborative team environment 

• A committed team player with good communication skills. 

Desirable 

• Experience of establishing online communities on social media 

• Experience working in an early stage start-up and gone through a scaling phase 

• Passion for the start-up life and comfortable in a role with a little ambiguity 

What ADC Offers You

This is a volunteer, remote and unpaid position with the following benefits: 

• Professional learning and career development opportunities 

• An opportunity to build on your work experience within your profession 

• An opportunity to be part of a diverse team representing different parts of the world that is helping to deliver systemic social change in Africa 

• An opportunity to help shape a start-up social enterprise 

• We provide work reference

This job description is a written statement of the essential characteristics of the job, with its principal ccountabilities, incorporating a note of the skills, knowledge and experience required for a satisfactory level of performance. This is not intended to be a complete, detailed account of all aspects of the duties involved. 

Here at African Development Choices, we celebrate diversity, equity, and inclusion. Our teams are made up of people from all over the world and we welcome all applications. If you are disabled or have a long-term health condition, and you require any reasonable adjustments for your application with us, please let us know by contacting recruitment(at)africandevelopmentchoices(dot)org.

We wish to appoint a new Trustee with professional experience in any aspect of social care, to join our Board.

This is a great opportunity for someone keen to use their professional experience in supporting vulnerable groups to help drive forward the work of a locally focused endowed foundation. Our purpose is to provide funding to relieve the burden of financial, physical and emotional hardship in our local community of Hampton, Hampton Hill, Hampton Wick, Teddington, Twickenham and Whitton.

We wish to appoint a new trustee who will have the enthusiasm, time and commitment to contribute to the work of the charity as it delivers an ambitious three-year strategy.  You will be involved in making decisions on a wide range of issues, influencing the development of our work and bringing about change. We are specifically seeking a trustee with professional experience in any aspect of social care for vulnerable groups relevant to our grant making. This could, for example, be in the areas of cost-of-living support, health, social work or children’s services.

Our vision for volunteering

Volunteering is and always will be at the heart of Cats Protection. It is joyful and inclusive. As a charity, working in partnership, together we transform the lives of cats, people and communities.

The difference you will make to cats and people

Unfortunately, thousands of cats each year are abandoned or have strayed and rely on charities like Cats Protection for help. Becoming a trap, neuter and return (TNR) volunteer is one way you can make a real difference to cats in your local area. Our TNR volunteers help reduce the number of feral cats by raising awareness of our TNR programmes, setting humane traps to safely capture cats, taking them to local vets to be neutered, and hopefully returning them back to their territory. Local TNR programmes are crucial, as feral and abandoned cats present a huge challenge for communities across the UK.

You can expect us to 

• Make you feel welcome, included and respected in line with our values and behaviours
• Support you in having a positive and impactful experience at Cats Protection
• Cover agreed out-of-pocket expenses in line with our Expenses Policy
• Provide you with access to learning, development and engagement opportunities

What we need from you

You’ll be:

• Trapping cats using humane methods
• Taking cats to local vets to be neutered 
• Returning cats to their territory or finding a suitable alternative

The role might also include:

• Regular feeding of feral colonies
• Promoting neutering by building relationships with farmers, land owners and local businesses
• Liaising with vets to promote and arrange neutering 

Time expectation 

This is a flexible role and the hours will vary depending on the number of cats identified for specific TNR campaigns. Our current TNR volunteers spend about 2 to 3 hours per week in this role which can be shared by more than one volunteer if needed. 

You may be just the volunteer we’ve been looking for!

We are committed to building a diverse, compassionate and inclusive organisation where everyone can be themselves and do their best. We are courageous and compassionate in our purpose of helping people see the world through cats’ eyes. Together, we can make a difference. Together, we are all for cats. Join the UK’s leading cat welfare charity and help make a better life for cats, because life is better with cats.

Our vision for volunteering

Volunteering is and always will be at the heart of Cats Protection. It is joyful and inclusive. As a charity, working in partnership, together we transform the lives of cats, people and communities.

The difference you will make to cats and people

From elderly moggies to energic kittens, every day across the UK cats and kittens are in need of a temporary place to stay, and lots of love and TLC! We need more fosterers like you to provide a safe, temporary haven for cats and kittens and provide them with everything they need before they get their chance to land on their four paws and make a house a home.

You can expect us to 

• Make you feel welcome, included and respected in line with our values and behaviours
• Support you in having a positive and impactful experience at Cats Protection
• Ensure you have all you need in place to foster the cat(s) in your care, for example equipment and food
• Cover all your foster cats’ expenses and agreed out-of-pocket expenses in line with our Expenses Policy
• Provide you with access to learning, development and engagement opportunities

What we need from you 

• A stable, safe and compassionate environment in your home or in a purpose-built pen in your garden provided by us
• Enrich the cats’ experience in care including play, exercise and appropriate handling/interaction
• A willingness to complete some training in order to provide high standards of cat welfare
• Introduce cats to prospective adopters so they can find their forever home
• You can find out more about being a Fosterer on our website

Time expectation

Our volunteer fosterers usually spend around one and a half hours per day (around 10 to 13 hours per week) in this role, but this might vary depending on the number of cats or kittens in care.

You may be just the volunteer we've been looking for! 

We are committed to building a diverse, compassionate and inclusive organisation where everyone can be themselves and do their best. We are courageous and compassionate in our purpose of helping people see the world through cats’ eyes. Together, we can make a difference. Together, we are all for cats. Join the UK’s leading cat welfare charity and help make a better life for cats, because life is better with cats.

Our vision for volunteering

Volunteering is and always will be at the heart of Cats Protection. It is joyful and inclusive. As a charity, working in partnership, together we transform the lives of cats, people and communities.

The difference you will make to cats and people

Thousands of cats each year rely on the help of animal charities because they have been abandoned, they have strayed or because there has been a change in their owner’s circumstances. Becoming an administration volunteer is just one way you can help improve the lives of cats in your local community. Our administration volunteers help provide vital admin support to our volunteer groups and teams across Cats Protection. They help keep up to date records of the number of cats that have been rehomed, collate supporter details and send out newsletters. This could be the perfect volunteer role if you have administrative experience, a passion for cats, or both!

You can expect us to

· Make you feel welcome, included and respected in line with our values and behaviours

· Support you in having a positive and impactful experience at Cats Protection

· Cover agreed out-of-pocket expenses in line with our Expenses Policy

· Provide you with access to learning, development and engagement opportunities

What we need from you

You’ll be:

· Recording relevant information related to your volunteer group

· Signposting enquiries to the relevant teams within Cats Protection

· Sending information to supporters, volunteers and to our Head Office

· Distributing information leaflets if required

Time expectation

Our administration volunteers usually spend 2 to 3 hours per week in this role, which is flexible and can be shared by more than one volunteer if needed.

This volunteer role involves being available for a mix of weekly drop-in IT sessions in which you will provide ‘floating support’ as well as pre-arranged one-to-one sessions in order to help clients complete more specific tasks relevant to them.

Digital Inclusion provides a crucial resource, helping people to take positive steps to improve their lives, by overcoming digital exclusion, accessing learning and securing work. In an average session, clients undertake independent learning and tasks, such as; completing searches on the internet, formatting documents and using email, paying bills, filling in forms etc

Increasingly, clients are asking for help with social media platforms, such as; logging into Facebook account, creating a LinkedIn profile or Instagram account to promote their business, or help with blogging.

How does this role make a difference?

All of life’s activities - including job seeking, accessing and managing benefits and housing - take place online.  Clients without IT skills are hugely disadvantaged.  This role provides clients with support, helping them to overcome initial fears or learning barriers.  With increasing confidence, they will be able to access the internet independently.

Who will you be helping?

Users are adults from diverse backgrounds and can range from those who are complete computer beginners, learning the basics of IT, to those needing access to the resource for learning, job search or managing household finances. The service helps clients seeking to address digital skills gaps and improve their confidence in order to access the internet.

What will you be doing?

• Meeting clients and carrying out weekly, one-to-one coaching sessions
• For the remaining time, offering ‘floating support’ to other clients, such as completing searches on the internet, formatting documents and using email

· Helping new clients to complete an IT Initial Basic Skills Assessment

What are we looking for?

• Although advanced technical skills are not required, a good understanding of MS Office (Word and Excel mostly) and a breadth of experience in using the internet are essential in order to coach and help vulnerable clients develop their skills.

• The confidence and willingness to work closely with clients and actively approach them where required. 

· You have some experience assisting or coaching others.

· You are patient, a good listener and have the ability to motivate others.

· You are available for a period of at least six months to give you time to develop a rapport and fulfil learning objectives with the clients.

What is the time commitment?

We have open access and prebooked sessions for clients twice a week, on Mondays or Fridays, for a miniumn 3 hour slot per week.

We are asking for a 6 months commitment to enable you to build trusting relationships with clients and develop in your role.  Volunteers find this goes very quickly! 

How will you be supported?

· There is ongoing support by the Learning and Employment Manager.

· Free access to a range of e-learning modules on the Centre’s online e-learning platform

· You will be reimbursed for reasonable and agreed ‘out-of-pocket’ expenses such as travel, and also lunch if volunteering a full day.

What is the recruitment procedure?

Application form> Informal interview> Ideally two reference checks> DBS check> Trial period

Can you help shape the future of The Pony Club?

Join our Board of Trustees and play a vital role in guiding the organisation and supporting the delivery of our ambitious 2026-2030 strategy, continuing to nurture the next generation of equestrians.

The Pony Club is a voluntary youth organisation where young people develop, learn, and grow through engagement with horses. Founded in 1929, we are proud to be planning our centenary celebrations while expanding an inclusive community of over 30,000 members, supported by around 10,000 volunteers.

Our Vision is to provide everyone with the opportunity to develop a lifelong love of horses through fun, friendship, horsemanship and sport.

Our Charitable Purpose has three strands:

• To promote and advance the education and understanding of the public, particularly children and young people, in all matters relating to horsemanship and the horse.
• To encourage the development of sportsmanship, unlocking potential by building resilience, confidence, teamwork, and leadership skills.
• To support and develop the volunteering network to strengthen The Pony Club community and sustain lifelong engagement with equestrianism.

Our purpose and strategy are underpinned by organisational foundations: strong governance, digital innovation, collaboration, and sustainability, ensuring The Pony Club remains resilient, responsible, and equipped for the future.

We are seeking to appoint one or more Trustees for the period commencing 1st January 2026 to replace those due to retire and to strengthen our existing Board of eight Trustees. We welcome applications from individuals who share our Vision and are eager to help deliver The Pony Club’s charitable purpose and ambitious 2026–2030 strategy.

We are especially interested in Trustees who can bring a variety of skills, experiences, and perspectives, including expertise in one or more of the following areas:

Qualities and Experience

• Governance and compliance – previous experience in charity governance, risk management, or legal frameworks
• Finance and business management – including financial planning, reporting, or HR expertise
• Digital innovation and IT – experience leading digital transformation, platforms, or technology initiatives
• Marketing, communications, and brand strategy – including digital and social media campaigns
• Membership and volunteer-led organisations – experience supporting, contributing to, or leading volunteer or membership-based groups
• Equestrian knowledge – understanding of the equestrian sector and horse welfare
• Diversity, equity, and inclusion – ability to enhance the Board’s inclusivity and reach

Expectations of Trustees

• Pony Club Trustees are elected for an initial term of three years and may offer themselves for re-election for further three-year terms, up to a maximum of nine years.
• The Board of Trustees meets six times a year, a mix of virtual and in-person meetings.
• Trustees may be invited to attend Pony Club events such as the Championships, the Pony Club Conference, and Trustee away days.
• New Trustees will attend an induction at The Pony Club Office in Warwickshire and are expected to complete NCVO Charity Trustee Induction Training if new to the role of Trustee.
• The role is voluntary, but reasonable expenses will be reimbursed.

Role of Trustees

• To contribute to the effective and efficient governance of The Pony Club.
• To play a vital role in delivering The Pony Club’s 2026-2030 strategy, ensuring strong governance and long-term sustainability.
• To bring skills, knowledge, and experience that strengthen decision-making and strategic implementation.
• To act as an ambassador for The Pony Club, promoting its values and representing the organisation as required.

Deadline for applications: 7th November 2025

A bit about this role

As a charity we can continue to help cats and kittens in need thanks to the donations we receive at fundraising events from generous members of the public. Our fundraising event helpers have the exciting and varied role of helping at local fundraising events - such as cakes sales, barn dances, quiz nights – and everything in between!
 

You can expect us to

• make you feel welcome, included and respected in line with our values and behaviours
• support you in having a positive and impactful experience at Cats Protection
• cover agreed out-of-pocket expenses in line with our Expenses Policy
• provide you with access to learning, development and engagement opportunities

What we need from you

You'll be

• help set up and/or man stalls at events
• help on collection days like supermarket collections events or street collections
• help at fundraising events such as quiz nights, cake sales and dances
• promoting a professional image of Cats Protection at events

Time expectation

This role is really flexible! You could choose to volunteer at one event for a couple of hours or attend multiple fundraising events.

We’ll keep you up to date with upcoming local events where volunteers are needed. You’ll then be able to choose which events you’d like to volunteer at and how many hours you’d like to give. However much time you can give, your contribution will help raise much needed funds to continue the work of Cats Protection.

You may be just the volunteer we've been looking for!

We are committed to building a diverse, compassionate and inclusive organisation where everyone can be themselves and do their best. We are courageous and compassionate in our purpose of helping people see the world through cats’ eyes. Together, we can make a difference. Together, we are all for cats. Join the UK’s leading cat welfare charity and help make a better life for cats, because life is better with cats.

Our vision for volunteering

Volunteering is and always will be at the heart of Cats Protection. It is joyful and inclusive. As a charity, working in partnership, together we transform the lives of cats, people and communities.

The difference you will make to cats and people

Thousands of cats each year rely on the help of animal charities because they have been abandoned, they have strayed or because there has been a change in their owner’s circumstances. Becoming an administration volunteer is just one way you can help improve the lives of cats in your local community. Our administration volunteers help provide vital admin support to our volunteer groups and teams across Cats Protection. They help keep up to date records of the number of cats that have been rehomed, collate supporter details and send out newsletters. This could be the perfect volunteer role if you have administrative experience, a passion for cats, or both!

You can expect us to

· Make you feel welcome, included and respected in line with our values and behaviours

· Support you in having a positive and impactful experience at Cats Protection

· Cover agreed out-of-pocket expenses in line with our Expenses Policy

· Provide you with access to learning, development and engagement opportunities

What we need from you

You’ll be:

· Recording relevant information related to your volunteer group

· Signposting enquiries to the relevant teams within Cats Protection

· Sending information to supporters, volunteers and to our Head Office

· Distributing information leaflets if required

Time expectation

Our administration volunteers usually spend 2 to 3 hours per week in this role, which is flexible and can be shared by more than one volunteer if needed.