Volunteer roles in leighton buzzard, buckinghamshire

About us: GT Scholars is a charitable social enterprise that tackles educational inequality by giving ambitious young people the support, skills and strategies they need to achieve aspirations. We run a wide range of programmes that help young people achieve their academic and career aspirations, particularly those from less-privileged backgrounds. 

What makes us different? We run tutoring, mentoring & career insight programmes that help our scholars, aged 11-18, discover their strengths, develop their mindsets and design their own futures.

There are many charitable organisations and social enterprises offering programmes to improve the life chances of young people. 

However, our programmes use a unique 3:1 model which means that we’re able to sustainably use our profits to provide additional places on our programmes, to young people from low income homes. 

We believe that all young people are gifted and talented, regardless of their background. 

Our mission is to empower and develop the next generation of leaders and change-makers and we’re looking for volunteer tutors that are passionate about making a difference in young people’s lives!

If you are an undergraduate or graduate, you could make a difference by joining us as a volunteer tutor. As a volunteer tutor, you’ll need to:

• Have a passion for helping children and young people

• Provide online one-to-one tutoring support for 1 hour week

• Build pupil confidence in Science.

• Have strong subject knowledge (confident enough to tutor up to GCSE)

• Work collaboratively with other tutors and mentors

• Have a minimum of an undergraduate degree or be working towards this

Volunteer tutoring can be extremely rewarding and volunteers with GT Scholars benefit from:

• A flexible schedule - you can choose online tutoring hours to suit your schedule

• The chance to grow your contacts and meet like-minded volunteers 

• The chance to make a real difference in the life of a young person.

Additional information: We’re looking for tutors that can commit to a minimum of 2 academic terms of volunteering.

We will need to conduct reference checks and you will need an Enhanced DBS for this role as you will be working directly with children. We can process this for you or you may submit one if this is less than 3 years old.

Hours: Variable - Tuesday mornings

Many people may be well aware of The Hospice of St Francis and the wonderful work done with both inpatient and community-based care, however they perhaps will not be aware of the extensive grounds at the Hospice and that they are cared for by a team of volunteers.

The seven acres of grounds are a mix of formal gardens, woodland and a wildflower meadow with a woodland walk and provide an opportunity for patients, visitors and staff to enjoy the benefits of a wonderful garden and a chance to enjoy our part of the Hertfordshire countryside with wonderful views across to Ashridge.

The ethos of the gardens is very much towards conservation with no use of insecticides or herbicides and with composting of all possible matter. Our aim is to encourage all wildlife in the gardens.

There are a group of about 35 individuals, who operate in teams responsible for their own section of the garden under head gardener, Gill Johnson. We are currently looking for extra help, particularly from people with gardening experience, although all are welcome. We meet on a Tuesday morning each week, with a break for coffee and cake mid-morning.

We carry on throughout the winter, although not in snow and ice. Winter jobs are a warming workout and include leaf raking; grass cutting (training on machinery provided); fencing; building 'dead' hedges.

To quote one of our gardeners “I work with lovely people in a wonderful setting and we are doing something really useful, what’s not to like?“

Supporting our events has something for everyone! With roles based at our community events and mass participation events there are plenty of opportunities to get involved in a fun, memorable event experience.

Event support volunteers help our events by marshalling, welcoming participants, setting up and stewarding.

Our volunteers help to run and structure the events better, keep participants safe and allow us to continue to raise money for our care services.

Each role requires a different level of commitment, so please get in touch if you think you can help.

"I love helping at events, there is such a sense of camaraderie"

Event Volunteer

Inpatient unit Volunteers provide support to the kitchen staff by delivering meals and snacks to patients, collecting used crockery from patient rooms and washing up all staff & patient crockery and cutlery.  Volunteers in this role also provide a warm welcome to visitors when required. This allows catering staff to concentrate on food preparation, and nursing staff to concentrate on patient care. 

Full training provided. An enhanced DBS check will be required for this role.

“Since helping at the Hospice of St Francis I feel as though my life has been much enriched”

IPU Volunteer

Responsabilities include:

• To check diaries at the start of the shift regarding staff whereabouts / absences / callers
• To answer the telephone promptly, and direct calls quickly and efficiently
• To take and pass on accurate telephone messages
• To greet personal callers to the Hospice and advise relevant staff of their arrival.
• To contact fundraising for monetary donations, home boxes or collecting tubs that come in.
• To sign for deliveries as appropriate
• To deal with payments for items from the shop.

Hours: We are looking for committed volunteers to help in our shops.  Shop volunteers need to be fit and work to a rota; usually one morning or afternoon each week, but we can be flexible. We are particularly looking for volunteers in the following shops:

Greenway Owned (Chesham) NEW SHOP OPENED! Flexible shifts available, initially Thursdays, Fridays & Saturdays, from February to also be opening Monday to Wednesday 

Amersham Owned- Monday afternoons, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Friday mornings, Weekends

Berkhamsted Owned - Tuesdays, Wednesday afternoons (Sorter), Saturday afternoons

Abbots Langley Owned - Friday afternoons

Highfield Owned (Hemel Hempstead) - Monday afternoons, Friday afternoons, Saturdays

Kings Langley Owned - Monday mornings, Saturday afternoons (ideally Steamer). DofE - Wednesday after school, Saturday mornings

Returned to Glory (Berkhamsted) - Mondays mornings and Weekends (ideally willing and able to help move furniture)

Marshalswick Owned (St Albans) - Steamers and Sorters for most days and Sundays also Stock Processor/Till Operator

All our shops are in the heart of the community.  If you are looking for a fun role, to learn new skills and to work within a fantastic team then shops have the volunteer roles for you!

Tasks are incredibly varied but all require a commitment to the Hospice values.  The main roles with training given, are:

Till Operator - serving customers on the till, customer facing

Steamer - Steaming clothes ready for sale

Sorter - Sorting donations in preparation to sell

Stock Processor - Hanging, tagging clothes, washing bric-a-brac, filling shop shelves

If you are interested in finding out more about these roles pop into one of the shops for a chat with the shop manager, complete our online application form or contact our friendly volunteering team.

“Bright, lively and a fun place to work with a brill people.” Shop Volunteer

This role provides a telephone listening and support service to bereaved carers’ and family members whose relatives died under the care of The Hospice of St Francis. Last year our Bereavement Support Line volunteers made over 1,000 calls.

We are looking for additional volunteers to support this service.  Do you have strong listening skills?  Are you reflective, self-aware, adaptive with basic IT skills?  We'd love to hear from you. 

The role will be ome based and you will receive full training and ongoing support.

HOPE not hate Charitable Trust’s vision is a world without hate and we achieve this by supporting initiatives challenging far-right hate and building hopeful alternatives for communities. We are a fundraising and grant making Trust.

We are keen to hear from candidates who share our passion and vision; who can reflect the diversity of the communities we work with; and who can apply their skills and expertise to help us reach our goals.

About us

HOPE not hate Charitable Trust, which was formerly known as Searchlight Educational Trust, was created in 1992 and over the years has raised over £20m to pursue its mission. In 2022, it changed its remit from being a conventional Charity, employing staff and running programmes, to become a fundraising and grant making Trust. HnHCT primarily supports the work of HOPE not hate Ltd, but it can also make grants to other organisations which meets our charitable objectives.

The Trustees meet four times a year to review the fundraising targets and ensure the grant made to HOPE not hate Ltd is being spent effectively and within our charitable objectives. One of these meetings is a joint away day with the Directors of HOPE not hate Limited, where the two bodies and the Senior Leadership Team of HnH Ltd discuss the state of hate in the UK and priorities for the forthcoming year.

If you’re passionate about challenging the far right and building hope in communities, and would like to use your expertise to help us do both, we would welcome you to apply to become a Trustee.

Trustee role description

The role of a Trustee is to ensure that HOPE not hate Charitable Trust delivers on our mission, vision and values.

Duties:

· Ensuring that the organisation pursues its stated objects (purposes), as defined in its governing document, by developing and agreeing a long-term strategy

· Ensuring that the organisation complies with its governing document (i.e. its memorandum and articles of association), charity law, company law and any other relevant legislation or regulations

· Ensuring that the organisation applies its resources exclusively in pursuance of its charitable objects (i.e. the charity must not spend money on activities that are not included in its own objects, however worthwhile or charitable those activities are) for the benefit of the public

· Ensuring that the organisation defines its goals and evaluates performance against agreed targets

· Safeguarding the good name and values of the organisation

· Ensuring the effective and efficient administration of the organisation, including having appropriate policies and procedures in place

· Ensuring the financial stability of the organisation

· Protecting and managing the property of the charity and ensuring the proper investment of the charity’s funds

· Following proper and formal arrangements for the appointment, supervision, support, appraisal and remuneration of the chief executive

In addition to the above statutory duties, each trustee should use any specific skills, knowledge or experience they have to help the board of trustees reach sound decisions. This may involve scrutinising board papers, leading discussions, focusing on key issues, providing advice and guidance on new initiatives, or other issues in which the trustee has special expertise.

Person specification

· A commitment to the organisation

· A willingness to devote the necessary time and effort

· Strategic vision

· Good, independent judgement

· An ability to think creatively

· A willingness to speak their mind

· An understanding and acceptance of the legal duties, responsibilities and liabilities of trusteeship

· An ability to work effectively as a member of a team

Roles we are seeking to fill

As well as being passionate about our cause and committed to our mission and values, at this time, we are particularly interested in hearing from candidates who can bring one or more of the following:

· Financial management skills to the board, helping to guide and support the charity’s operational finances.

· Experience in fundraising and networking

· Charity leadership including governance

· Experience in and/or and understanding of the communities susceptible to far right hate 

It is not essential to have sat on a board before. In fact, we actively encourage those who are passionate about our work and will bring new perspectives.

We welcome applicants from all communities, backgrounds and geographies in order that we reflect the diverse nature of the people we serve and who support us.

If you are interested in discussing the role further, please get in touch and we’ll arrange an informal chat with a member of our team to find out more.

The Role of an HNHCT Trustee

This is a voluntary role requiring attendance at four board meetings and one in-person away day per year.

While meetings are currently virtual, we hope that in the future we will be able to meet in person at least twice a year in London.

If you're interested in both travelling and listening to others talking about travelling (including using passenger assistance), we'd love to hear from you. You will be contributing to the group to ensure that all participants feel comfortable and that the group runs smoothly.

This group will run monthly either by telephone or video call.

How often will I be needed?

• 2 Hours per Month

Key requirements

• This role requires one reference.

Home based

• This role is home based

Additional location information

• The groups meet during the day from Monday to Friday.

Who this opportunity will suit

Minimum age

• You must be at least 18 years old to apply UK resident

What skills and experience are needed?

• Empathy with blind and partially sighted people. Good listening skills An interest in travelling with or without using passenger assistance. An ability to work with a wide range of people Experience of using the telephone or video calling software.

If you're interested in cookery and happy to listen to others talking about the topic, we'd love you to facilitate our monthly special interest group. This is a new group for blind and partially sighted people who are keen to share their experience and interest in cookery.

You will contribute to the group to ensure that all participants feel comfortable and that the group runs smoothly.

This group will run monthly as either a phone or video call.

How often will I be needed?

• 2 Hours per Month

Key requirements

• One reference

Home based

• This role is home based

Additional location information

• The groups meet during the day from Monday to Friday.

Who this opportunity will suit

Minimum age

• You must be at least 18 years old to apply and UK resident

What skills and experience are needed?

• Empathy with blind and partially sighted people. Good listening skills An interest in all aspects of cookery Abilty to work with a wide range of people Experience of using the telephone or video calling software

Our Talk and Support team is setting up a knitting group for people who love the craft and want to share their experience, skills and passion for creating. Are you interested in facilitating this group? Then please get in touch - it would be great to hear from you.

You will contribute to the group to ensure that all participants feel comfortable and that the group runs smoothly.

This group will run monthly using the phone or video call

How often will I be needed?

• 2 Hours per Month

Key requirements

• This role requires one reference.

Home based

• This role is home based

Additional location information

• The groups meet during the day from Monday to Friday.

Who this opportunity will suit

Minimum age

• You must be at least 18 years old to apply

What skills and experience are needed?

• Empathy with blind and partially sighted people. Good listening skills. An interest in knitting. Work with wide range of people. Experience of using the telephone or video calling software.

Are you happy to listen to others talking about their experience of building or carpentry? We are looking for someone like you to facilitate our monthly special interest group for blind and partially sighted people who are interested in these topics and who would like to share their experience with others.

You will contribute to the group to ensure that all participants feel comfortable and that the group runs smoothly.
This group will run monthly either over the telephone or as a video call.

How often will I be needed?

• 2 Hours per Month

Key requirements

• This role requires one reference.

Home based

• This role is home based

Additional location information

• The groups meet during the day from Monday to Friday.

Who this opportunity will suit

Minimum age

• You must be at least 18 years old to apply and UK resident

What skills and experience are needed?

• Empathy with blind and partially sighted people. Good listening skills. Experience of working in the building or carpentry trades, or a keen interest in these topics. Ability to work with wide range of people. Ability to use the telephone or video call system to talk to groups of people.

We’re looking for an empathic person with good listening skills to facilitate our new group for blind and partially sighted veterans. You might be a veteran yourself but this isn’t essential. You’ll help the group run smoothly and the participants to feel comfortable.

This group will run fortnightly by phone.

How often will I be needed?

• 2 Hours per Fortnight

Key requirements

• This role requires two references.

Home based

• This role is home based

Additional location information

• The groups meet during the day from Monday to Friday.

Who this opportunity will suit

Minimum age

• You must be at least 18 years old to apply and UK resident

What skills and experience are needed?

• Empathy with blind and partially sighted people. Good listening skills. Lived experience of serving in the armed forces and an ability to relate to other veterans. Ability to use the telephone to speak to people in a conference call.

Are you a fluent Punjabi speaker who enjoys conversing in Punjabi? Are you a good listener? If so, you could be just the right person to facilitate our fortnightly special interest group for blind and partially sighted people who would like to talk to each other in Punjabi.

You will contribute to the group to ensure that all participants feel comfortable and that the group runs smoothly.

This group will run fortnightly either by telephone or video call.

How often will I be needed?

• 2 Hours per Fortnight

Key requirements

• This role requires two references.

Home based

• This role is home based

Additional location information

• The groups meet during the day from Monday to Friday.

Who this opportunity will suit

Minimum age

• You must be at least 18 years old to apply and UK resident

What skills and experience are needed?

• Empathy with blind and partially sighted people. Good listening skills Good Punjabi language skills with the ability to also converse with the Talk and Support team in English to report any safeguarding or wellbeing concerns. An interest in the Punjabi language. Ability to work with a wide range of people Knowledge of using the telephone or video calling software.