Volunteer roles in newcastle upon tyne, greater london

You’ll play an important role in taking time to listen to people in crisis, understanding what’s driving their poverty and identifying agencies they can be referred to for specific help. You’ll enjoy being alongside an enthusiastic team of volunteers. Using your empathy, confidentiality and motivation to support others you will truly make a difference and help to change lives.

What you will be doing;

• Listening to clients who visit the centre for food – providing a non-judgemental ear
• Looking at ways we can help them further

Be trained to support young primary school children in numeracy, and help them to attain confidence and skills which will put them on a path to achieving their educational potential.

What will I be doing?

Numeracy, like literacy, is a vital life skill, but many children fall behind.

Following training, you will work one-to-one with six to eight year olds (school years 2 and 3) in a local state primary school to help them improve their confidence, enjoyment, and skills in maths. The school will select appropriate children who are behind in maths and likely to respond well to individual support.

Sessions are weekly, in school time, at a fixed time to be agreed between you and the school. Volunteers work one-to-one with each child for up to half an hour, normally with three children consecutively, for a total of about an hour and a half.

At each session, using games and other creative activities, you will support the child in learning or improving skills and gaining confidence in their own ability. The role is very much about helping the child learn, rather than you teaching.

Our Mentors (current or former teachers also volunteering with us) will provide you with direct support to help you plan sessions.

Where can you volunteer?

We partner with over 40 state primary schools across London - see our map on our website under "schools" then "partner schools"

Commitment

We ask volunteers to commit to a weekly session in school for the full school year. (Recognising that you will have to miss occasional weeks.)

What impact will this have?

You will be helping improve the educational and life chances of the children you work with. A child who is behind in maths aged six often develops a dislike for the subject and a belief that "I can't do maths" which can stay with them forever. Helping the child acquire skills and confidence can let them not just engage better with maths but can improve their whole attitude to education, giving them better chances in life.

Over half of the children we work with are "disadvantaged" in terms of being on pupil premium or having family difficulties. You will be giving these children support that may be missing at home.

You will not change the life of every child, but the experience of having a purposeful one-to-one relationship with a considerate adult from outside their family will be transformative for some children.

By helping to improve the performance of individual children, you are saving the teacher from having to devote so much time in class to them. This lets the teacher involve the whole class in better-received lessons, improving the educational experience for all the children.

What will I get out of it?

Training

Improving your coaching and interpersonal skills
Support through the year
Being active in your local community and meeting new people - including our other volunteers
Working with young children is (usually) fun and rewarding!
The great shared achievement when the child "gets it"

Some of our volunteers go on to a career in teaching.

We welcome - and we have - volunteers from a wide variety of ethnicities and backgrounds, reflecting the diversity of London. We will do our best to accommodate those with disabilities or access needs.

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)

We have 250 local groups which play a vital part in supporting people affected by MS across the UK. They provide sense of belonging, unity and friendship. And they deliver services and support for their local MS community.

We are looking to recruit a Co-Group Coordinator for our London Borough of Sutton group. As our local Co-Group Coordinator you’ll take the lead, alongside our existing Group Coordinator, in making sure your local group works as effectively as possible. You’ll recruit, induct and support other group volunteers to make sure your group’s activities meet the needs of your local MS community. You can see a video about one of our Group Coordinators here.

In this role you’ll be able to develop your leadership, management, communication, organisation and motivation skills. 

Time Commitment

We estimate this role will need around 5 hours a week. Our roles are flexible and aim to fit around you. Time commitments for this role may vary depending on your activities. This is an ongoing role.

This is a great opportunity to gain experience within a large charity and develop your existing skills and learn new ones. We need you to get involved and help make positive changes to the lives of people affected by MS.

About you

You’ll have an interest in the MS Society and the work that we do, as well as the enthusiasm to represent both us and our values locally. You will understand the needs of people affected by MS in your area and be sympathetic to the needs and motivations of volunteers. You’ll be confident using Microsoft Office, the internet and email. You’ll be able to apply disability, equality and inclusion practices and understand and apply our risk management system. Ideally you’ll understand the local area and organisations that provide local services.

You will be reliable and easy to contact and you need to live in or near the London Borough of Sutton area to carry out this role.

The MS Society is committed to promoting diversity. We can only offer roles to over 18s.

Across the UK, our 270 local groups play a vital part in supporting people affected by MS. They provide sense of belonging, unity and friendship. And they deliver services and support for their local MS community.

We are looking to recruit a Support Volunteer for the Medway and Swale Group. As our local group Support Volunteer you’ll help people affected by MS find information about local and national services. That could be helping someone access local information about the care or benefits they need or giving them a hand with a grant application. See a video about one of our Support Volunteers here.

In this role you’ll be able to develop your listening and communication skills, as well as your knowledge of local services. Most importantly you’ll help people affected by MS to access the help they need.

Time commitment

We estimate this role will need around 2 hours a week. Our roles are flexible and aim to fit around you. Time commitments for this role may vary depending on your activities. This is an ongoing role.

This is a great opportunity to gain experience within a large charity and develop your existing skills and learn new ones. We need you to get involved and help make positive changes to the lives of people affected by MS.

About you

You’ll have an interest in the MS Society and the work that we do, as well as the enthusiasm to represent both us and our values locally. You will understand the needs of people affected by MS in your area and be sympathetic to the needs and motivations of volunteers. You’ll be confident using Microsoft Office, the internet and email. You’ll be able to apply disability, equality and inclusion practices and understand and apply our risk management system. Ideally you’ll understand the local area and organisations that provide local services.

You will be reliable and easy to contact and you need to live in or near the local area the group to carry out this role.

Apply 

1. Read through the role description carefully

2. Please apply online

The MS Society is committed to promoting diversity. We can only offer roles to over 18s.

Asian MS is a national support group that offers tailored and culturally-sensitive services for Asian people with MS, their carers, friends and family. It's aimed at people whose heritage originates from South Asia.

As an Asian MS Community Engagement Volunteer you will the Group's local representative, helping us to find and attend events and reaching out to your local Asian MS community to raise awareness and extend the reach of the Group.

This role is very flexible, but there will be planning time (with your staff contact) and also attending events, meetings with networks and presentations. We would estimate the role taking no longer than 10 hours per month.

You’ll have support from a member of staff as well as a welcome and induction checklist which lists what resources are available to support you in your role.

As part of your role, you may have to complete some mandatory learning. Please refer to your welcome and induction checklist.

About you

Presentation Skills, confidence in speaking to new people, networking skills and the ability to influence would be fantastic. We would work to your strengths, however and some training will be available.

The MS Society is committed to promoting diversity. We can only offer roles to over 18s.

Apply

Read the role description

All applicants will be contacted within two weeks of their submission.

Finance Volunteer

We’re the MS Society – a community of people living with MS, scientists, campaigners, listeners, organisers, ambassadors and fundraisers. Our volunteers are a key part of achieving our goals and their support is vital. Join us.

About this opportunity
We are looking to recruit a Finance Volunteer for our Medway and Swale Group. As a Finance Volunteer, you would be joining a coordinating team of volunteers to plan and deliver services and activities to support people locally.

You will maintain and approve income and expenditure records and explain financial information clearly to other group members. You would ensure our financial requirements and policies are followed, and that money is spent in a cost effective manner.

This is a great opportunity to gain experience with a large charity, develop your existing skills and learn new ones. We need you to get involved and help make positive changes to the lives of people affected by MS.

About you
You’ll have an interest in the MS Society and the work that we do, as well as the enthusiasm to represent both us and our values locally. You will understand the needs of people affected by MS in your area and be sympathetic to the needs and motivations of volunteers. You’ll be comfortable with figures, preferably with an accounting or business background. You will live in the immediate area of the Group, allowing you to meet with other volunteers from the Group.

Apply 

Read through the role description carefully

Please apply online

The MS Society is committed to promoting diversity. We can only offer roles to over 18s.

A Trustee will bring an individual area of expertise to benefit our organisation. Among the many skills they may have relate to business development, financial management; charity governance, staff development, performance management, local government, disability service development and adult social care. The Trustees work closely with the Executive Management Team (EMT) on the strategic direction of the business. They coordinate and attend quarterly board meetings, through which they review the work of the charity and provide advice, support and focus attention onto the areas that the EMT needs to consider and prepare for, to continuously improve what we do and respond to the changing environment in which Bethphage operates. Bethphage is a values-based charitable business, supporting some of the most vulnerable people in the community. The charity also needs to make a modest financial surplus to remain viable. The role of a Trustee is to be a critical friend to the management team, lending expertise and experience to help guide the organisation in achieving its aims and sometimes competing objectives. Some of our board members have been a part of Bethphage for many years, you will be joining a supportive, friendly, and collegiate team that will help you develop and grow your role as a Trustee. Trustees generally thoroughly enjoy the role and find that it is a very rewarding experience. The Trustees work on a voluntary capacity for the benefit of the charity, this usually equates to one day per month. All Trustees are requested to undergo a DBS check (Disclosure & Barring service). Currently, we are particularly interested in hearing from people with financial and/or legal experience and expertise.

We have 250 local groups which play a vital part in supporting people affected by MS across the UK. They provide sense of belonging, unity and friendship. And they deliver services and support for their local MS community.

We are looking to recruit a Group Coordinator for our Asian MS group. As our Group Coordinator you’ll take the lead in making sure your local group works as effectively as possible. You’ll recruit, induct and support other group volunteers to make sure your group’s activities meet the needs of your local MS community. You can see a video about one of our Group Coordinators here.

In this role you’ll be able to develop your leadership, management, communication, organisation and motivation skills. 

Time Commitment

We estimate this role will need around 5 hours a week. Our roles are flexible and aim to fit around you. Time commitments for this role may vary depending on your activities. This is an ongoing role.

This is a great opportunity to gain experience within a large charity and develop your existing skills and learn new ones. We need you to get involved and help make positive changes to the lives of people affected by MS.

About you

You’ll have an interest in the MS Society and the work that we do, as well as the enthusiasm to represent both us and our values locally. You will understand the needs of people affected by MS in your area and be sympathetic to the needs and motivations of volunteers. You’ll be confident using Microsoft Office, the internet and email. You’ll be able to apply disability, equality and inclusion practices and understand and apply our risk management system. Ideally you’ll understand the local area and organisations that provide local services.

You will be reliable and easy to contact and you need to live in the UK to carry out this role.

The MS Society is committed to promoting diversity. We can only offer roles to over 18s.

Role description:

The Robin Cancer Trust is the UK’s only testicular, ovarian and germ cell cancer charity, and our mission is to save lives. Our vision is to reach every young person in the UK with our life-saving cancer campaigns, and we are looking for new trustees from across the UK to work alongside our staff to make this a reality!

Our impact:

• We educate young people to give them the best chance of surviving these cancers.

• We engage young people with humour to break the stigma of talking about these cancers.

• We empower young people affected by these cancers to thrive.

Our values:

• Respect: Not only for the important work we undertake, but also the people who support our mission. We believe in open, honest, and empathetic communication between ourselves and to our community.

• Creativity: We are a small team with a big vision – in order to drive the change we want to see in the world, we must innovate, disrupt and experiment.

• Trust: We are accountable to each other & our beneficiaries. We are responsible for upholding these values and the quality of work we undertake – and will do so with integrity at all times.

If our mission, vision, and values inspire you and resonate with you, please apply to join our Board of Trustees – we want to hear from you.

What we’re looking for…

We believe in letting our community lead us - and we hope to build a board that reflects this.

Whether you’re an established leader in your field, or an aspiring leader looking to gain experience; whether you’ve been directly affected by testicular, ovarian or germ cell cancer, or are passionate about supporting the cancer community; whether you have years of experience in the charity sector, or have been inspired by our mission to give back – we want you to help lead our charity, and work with the staff team to help us reach a diverse nationwide audience with our life-saving cancer awareness, education and support programmes.

We know we are not as diverse as we want to be, so we are actively searching for people who share our passion for our mission, with different backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences, to collectively make a difference.

We’re particularly interested in hearing from you if you have experience in any of the following:

• Marketing and Brand.
• Fundraising across different income streams, with a particular interest in Corporate, Events, and developing new income streams.

What’s in it for you?

You will be driving forward change, helping make our vision become a reality, and directly impacting the lives of young people across the country affected by germ cell cancers. In short, you will help save lives.

You will gain invaluable knowledge in strategic planning – helping us identify new opportunities for growth, as well as facing the challenges that occur in an ever-evolving sector. You will develop skills in new areas – working closely with other members of the board and the staff team to deliver our key objectives. You will also have the chance to learn from new experiences – having the opportunity to take part in our networking, fundraising events, and awareness activities in the community.

Don’t just take our word for it, here are some quotes from current and past trustees (we promise we didn’t make them say this…)

● ‘It's a privilege to be a Trustee – an awesome experience that I’d highly recommend’

● ‘I feel lucky to be a Trustee of such a brilliant charity’

● ‘It's amazing to see the impact and how far we've come in such a short amount of time’

● ‘It's not all give - you get a lot back and are always learning and challenging yourself’

● ‘It feels like being part of a community with colleagues building a movement, not a charity’

The commitment from you...

Your passion, experience, knowledge (and time).We ask our trustees to commit to a monthly virtual meeting (approx. 1.5 hours), along with a few hours per month to support the staff team and deliver strategic goals. This is a minimum, but often trustees commit to take on additional responsibilities within projects, or within their specialities.

How do I apply?

We are supporting anonymous recruitment for this role, so please apply below by submitting your CV, and your covering letter – which is your opportunity to tell us all about yourself, your experiences, your knowledge, and most importantly your passion for our cause and why you want to be a trustee of The Robin Cancer Trust.

Deadline for applications: 30th October

We reserve the right to close applications earlier than the closing date, depending on the number of responses. We will endeavour to get back to you as soon as possible and are looking at short listing applications and arranging interviews in November,

 If there is anything we can do to assist you in your application or preparations to be interviewed for this trustee role, please let us know so we can ensure you have a positive and comfortable experience.

Based in the Reception of the Main Gallery, you will be the first point of contact for visitors to the Gallery, giving a warm welcome, assisting with enquiries and ensuring a high-quality visitor experience. You will also support the day to day running of the Gallery, dealing with administrative duties and supporting the Gallery Shop, sharing product information with visitors and taking sales.  

Tasks and Responsibilities  

• Welcoming and engaging visitors, providing information about the gallery and programmes  

• Responding to telephone, email and face to face enquiries  

• Being a visible presence in the Gallery space, ensuring everyone’s safety and the security of artwork and our retail space 

• Guiding visitors around the gallery and wider site 

• Assisting with sales and shop displays, including cash handling 

• Maintaining a neat and tidy reception and retail area  

• Supporting our retail work, with stocktaking, pricing and other tasks 

• Monitoring visitor numbers and contributing to evaluation initiatives  

• Representing the Gallery and Richmond Arts Service  

What we hope you will get from the role 

• The opportunity to meet new people and engage with the local community 

• Improved and demonstrable administration and communication skills 

• Valuable insight and experience of a contemporary art gallery, crossing the arts, cultural and heritage sectors 

• An understanding of the breadth of arts activity offered by Richmond Arts Service 

Training and Support  

We will provide training and an induction which covers all aspects of the role. On-going support and supervision will be provided by staff throughout your time with us. Additionally, there are regular training sessions to supplement and further your initial training, as well as a varied programme of volunteer events and activities to join in, meet people and learn something new! 

Desirable qualities and experience  

• Enthusiasm for meeting and engaging with people and sharing information 

• Interest for contemporary art, local history and/or heritage  

• Able to answer enquiries in a friendly and helpful manner  

• Willingness to learn, particularly administrative skills 

• Enjoys being part of a team  

• Ability to complete tasks independently 

• Good time keeping  

Availability  

The gallery is open to the public Tuesday to Sunday, 10am – 5pm, with two volunteer shifts a day, 10am – 1pm and 1pm – 5pm.   

We ask for a minimum commitment of one shift every fortnight, although there is flexibility over scheduling.   

Location  

This role is based at Orleans House Gallery in the Main Gallery building.

Expenses  

We will cover travel expenses up to £14 per day.   

How to Apply  

Please complete our application form through our website.

Our Volunteers Co-ordinator will then contact you for an introductory chat, to learn more about your interest in volunteering and discuss the role further.   

Background  

Richmond Arts Service is based at Orleans House Gallery on the Riverside in Twickenham, promoting arts and culture through a programme of contemporary art exhibitions, festivals, events and activities for everyone in the community.   

We foster creativity and enjoyment of the arts, enable people to reflect on their lives and develop new ways of seeing the world. We bring thought-provoking art to the Borough and cultivate a network of individuals, organisations and programmes that nourishes the arts, local organisations and communities.

Home to the Richmond Borough Art Collection, comprising of over 4,400 artworks, at a site with a rich 300+ year history, Orleans House Gallery works with local, national and international artists and community partners to engage with the community, as we have done since 1972.   

Across the UK, our 270 local groups play a vital part in supporting people affected by MS. They provide sense of belonging, unity and friendship. And they deliver services and support for their local MS community.

We are looking to recruit an Activities Volunteer for the Horsham, Crawley and District Group. As our local group Activities Volunteer you’ll help us to set up activities in the area. Whether you’re serving refreshments, talking to people, registering attendees or collecting payments, you’ll be making sure everyone feel welcome.

In this role you’ll be able to develop your organisation, communication and team working skills. Most importantly you’ll be supporting your local group to run activities that bring friendship and fun to your local MS Community.

About you

You’ll have an interest in the MS Society and the work that we do, as well as the enthusiasm to represent both us and our values locally. You will understand the needs of people affected by MS in your area and be sympathetic to the needs and motivations of volunteers. You’ll be able to apply disability, equality and inclusion practices and understand and apply our risk management system. Ideally you’ll understand the local area and organisations that provide local services.

You will be reliable and easy to contact and you need to live in or near the area the group to carry out this role.

Time Commitment

We estimate this role will need up to two hours a week. Our roles are flexible and aim to fit around you. Time commitments for this role may vary depending on your activities. This is an ongoing role.

Apply 

1. Read through the role description carefully

2. Please apply online

The MS Society is committed to promoting diversity. We can only offer roles to over 18s.

Across the UK, our Regional and Community Development teams work alongside our local groups to play an active role in increasing awareness of and engagement with the MS Society locally.

As our Regional Cultural Connector Volunteer, you’ll help to identify and plan our involvement and support of regional or local activities and events aimed at minority, hidden and culturally specific groups, to provide information for people living with MS as well as help us to engage with those communities to understand their priorities and needs.

We want to show that we’re here to support everyone and to do that we need to reach and connect with people within their own communities. You’ll help us do that with a welcoming and friendly attitude and ability to reach and promote us within your region.

In this role you’ll be able to develop your organisation, communication and team working skills.

About you

Confidence in speaking to new people, networking skills and the ability to influence would be fantastic. We would work to your strengths, however and some training will be available.

The MS Society is committed to promoting diversity. We can only offer roles to over 18s.

Apply

Read the role description

All applicants will be contacted within two weeks of their submission.

We have 250 local groups which play a vital part in supporting people affected by MS across the UK. They provide sense of belonging, unity and friendship. And they deliver services and support for their local MS community.

We are looking to recruit a Group Coordinator for our Braintree group. As our local Group Coordinator you’ll take the lead in making sure your local group works as effectively as possible. You’ll recruit, induct and support other group volunteers to make sure your group’s activities meet the needs of your local MS community. You can see a video about one of our Group Coordinators here.

In this role you’ll be able to develop your leadership, management, communication, organisation and motivation skills. 

Time Commitment

We estimate this role will need around 5 hours a week. Our roles are flexible and aim to fit around you. Time commitments for this role may vary depending on your activities. This is an ongoing role.

This is a great opportunity to gain experience within a large charity and develop your existing skills and learn new ones. We need you to get involved and help make positive changes to the lives of people affected by MS.

About you

You’ll have an interest in the MS Society and the work that we do, as well as the enthusiasm to represent both us and our values locally. You will understand the needs of people affected by MS in your area and be sympathetic to the needs and motivations of volunteers. You’ll be confident using Microsoft Office, the internet and email. You’ll be able to apply disability, equality and inclusion practices and understand and apply our risk management system. Ideally you’ll understand the local area and organisations that provide local services.

You will be reliable and easy to contact and you need to live in or near the Braintree area to carry out this role.

The MS Society is committed to promoting diversity. We can only offer roles to over 18s.