Volunteer roles in sheffield, south yorkshire

Women's Aid Luton is seeking a visionary and dedicated Chair of the Board to lead and support the transformation and growth of our small yet impactful charity.

Women’s Aid Luton supports over 800 of society's most vulnerable women and children each year, helping them escape horrific abuse and violence. We provide a safe haven across our five refuges in Luton, operate a helpline, and offer bespoke assistance for families. Our services include access to legal advice, mental health support, employment assistance, and resettlement aid.

One of our refuges is dedicated to women from South Asian communities, with staff who speak Punjabi, Bengali, and Urdu. We also have a refuge for single women with complex support needs, such as mental health issues and drug and alcohol dependencies, often stemming from the trauma of domestic violence and abuse.

In addition to our direct support services, we focus on prevention and intervention by working with schools to raise awareness of domestic abuse. We are committed to disrupting exploitative and abusive relationships to prevent loss of life and reduce the long-term economic and social costs to society. Our services contribute to creating a safer, more compassionate community, supporting women and children from diverse socio-economic, religious, and cultural backgrounds, including those with complex needs.

With the current challenges facing our sector, we are focused on creating financial sustainability and resilience within the organisation, focusing on a robust funding strategy and a dynamic response to risk.

Our current Chair will come to the end of their term next year, and therefore we’re seeking a new Chair to support the charity in delivering our vital work.

The Chair of Trustees is a pivotal role within our organisation. Your leadership and dedication will be instrumental in ensuring we not only maintain but also expand our vital support and services for those in need. By guiding our strategic vision and fostering a culture of compassion and excellence, you will directly impact the lives of countless vulnerable women and children, helping them rebuild their lives and find hope for the future. Your commitment will drive our mission forward, creating lasting change and a safer, more supportive community for all.

What are we looking for?

EXPERIENCE

• An understanding and passion for the violence against women and girls sector
• Significant experience as a non-executive
• An understanding of UK charity governance and working with or as part of a Board of Trustees
• Experience of operating at a senior strategic leadership level
• An ability to network with both internal and external stakeholders.
• Sensitivity and discretion in dealing with staff and service user issues.
• Significant experience and success in leading groups of people in either a professional or voluntary capacity to achieve results.
• Experience of chairing meetings.
• Significant experience of managing, motivating, and developing people.
• Strong experience of developing, deploying, and evaluating strategic plans with a view to maximising impact and benefit.
• Experience of financial management and a broad understanding of charity finance issues

 SKILLS AND ABILITIES

• Exceptional leadership skills; able to cultivate effective collaboration but also comfortable in taking responsibility for difficult choices.
•  Effective strategic communicator: able to articulate Women’s Aid Luton’s vision and engage and inspire others both within the organisation and externally.
• Highly effective relationship and alliance building abilities.
• Sound judgement with high capacity for self-reflection.
• Capacity to support both Board and Executive development.
• An ability to work within the realistic expectations and limitations for the Charity

ATTRIBUTES

• Dynamic leadership style that guides and inspires the Board and Executive to fulfil their respective responsibilities.
• A strong personal commitment to improving Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion.
• Collaborative approach with excellent interpersonal skills.
• A strong personal commitment to Women’s aid Luton’s vision and mission replace with: Demonstrate a strong and visible passion and commitment to the charity, its strategic objectives and cause
• Demonstrate tact and diplomacy, with the ability to listen and engage effectively
• Strong networking capabilities that can be utilised for the benefit of the charity
• Ability to commit time to conduct the role well, including travel and attending events out of office hours

TERMS OF APPOINTMENT

The initial appointment is for a three-year term but can be extended for one further term for a maximum of six years. 

 “Joining Women’s Aid in Luton as a Board member has enabled me to use my professional expertise in a way that gives back to the community. I know that all the energy and time I give is helping to strengthen the organisation and ultimately the women and children it seeks to support. Joining the Board has been immensely rewarding and I highly recommend it as a valuable way to volunteer your time for a good cause.” – current Board Trustee at Women’s Aid in Luton.

Due to the sensitive nature of this role, we will be considering female volunteers only for this post in accordance with the provisions of the Occupational Requirement (Equality Act 2010, pursuant to schedule 9 part 1). Applicants will be required to have a satisfactory enhanced disclosure through the Disclosure and Barring Service.

We actively encourage applications from women from a variety of backgrounds, and with a range of skills and experiences. We are particularly interested to hear from women from Black, Asian and minoritised communities and women who have personal experience of domestic abuse.

If you have some time, energy and interest in the domestic abuse sector and believe you can make a difference to Women’s Aid Luton, we would love to hear from you.

We are looking for someone who’s great with people to support our centre with a variety of tasks. This will include meeting and greeting customers to our site, as well as helping out with administrative tasks and using our IT systems to support the rehoming of our pets. This role does not involve direct contact with our pets, but our Volunteer Reception Assistants provide vital support to our team so we can ultimately rehome more pets. If you enjoy meeting people and have some experience in a customer care or reception role, we’d love to hear from you.

Why we want you

We aim to give our customers a great experience every time they visit, call or email us and we need someone who can help us achieve this at our busiest times. Our rehoming centre often needs some support with administrative tasks so our busy animal care teams can prioritise spending more time caring for the pets in our care.

What you will be doing

• Meeting and greeting visitors
• Administrative tasks such as data input, photocopying, scanning, printing, filing
• Helping customers with enquiries and assisting them with paperwork
• Answering emails
• Speaking to customers on the phone
• Cash handling
• Helping to keep the reception are tidy and well-stocked

The skills you need

• Excellent customer care skills and a friendly manner
• Able to use IT and learn new systems
• Experience of an office or customer care environment is preferred
• Ability to work in a team and independently
• Willingness to learn and follow Blue Cross procedures and maintain confidentiality

What's in it for you

• You’ll gain a variety of experience for your CV
• You’ll learn new skills such as customer service, communication and team working
• You’ll meet new people and get involved with your local community
• We’ll provide you with all the training you need, including our GUEST customer service training
• You’ll be helping more pets in need

Disclaimer

As this role involves working with customers’ information, you will need to complete online GDPR training before you can start your new role. Reception facilities vary across our sites and the specific duties of the Reception Assistant will vary from centre to centre as appropriate. Blue Cross holds inclusion as a core organisational value. We positively encourage applications from eligible volunteers regardless of sex, race, disability, age, sexual orientation, transgender status, religion or belief, marital status or pregnancy and maternity. We actively embrace our differences and know that it is our differences that make us unique. You are very welcome at Blue Cross, without the need to hide any part of who you are.

Are you skilled at DIY? Do you get satisfaction from fixing and maintaining things? Are you able to keep outdoor spaces tidy and presentable? We’re on the look-out for Gardener and Site Maintenance volunteers who will play a key role in keeping Blue Cross sites clean, tidy and well presented. You will be adept at working under your own initiative, with support from the team when needed.

Why we want you

Sick, injured and homeless pets have relied on Blue Cross for help since 1897. Each year, thousands of dogs, cats, small pets and horses turn to the charity’s animal hospitals, clinical and rehoming services for treatment and support. Your skills will assist us in quickly addressing issues and maintaining excellent levels of safety.

We would love you to join us and help us help more pets in need.

What you will be doing

• Maintenance including basic repairs and DIY tasks
• Some painting and decorating
• Weeding and tidying the grounds
• Identifying and completing tasks required to maintain the site

The skills you need

• Experience and enjoyment of DIY
• Some gardening knowledge and skills
• Regular commitment and reliability
• Ability to work in a team or alone
• Willingness to learn and follow Blue Cross procedures

What's in it for you

• You’ll be able to choose from a wide variety of shifts
• You’ll gain a variety of experience for your CV
• You’ll learn new/enhanced skills such as customer service, communication and team working
• You’ll meet new people and get involved with your local community
• We’ll provide you with all the training you need, including our GUEST customer service training and access to Blue Horizons, our online learning platform
• You’ll be helping more pets in need.

Disclaimer

We ask that you can ideally commit to one shift per week and are able to volunteer at a Blue Cross site. You need to be 18 or over for this role. Blue Cross holds inclusion as a core organisational value. We positively encourage applications from eligible volunteers regardless of sex, race, disability, age, sexual orientation, transgender status, religion or belief, marital status or pregnancy and maternity. We actively embrace our differences and know that it is our differences that make us unique. You are very welcome at Blue Cross, without the need to hide any part of who you are.

Do you want to make a difference to vulnerable pets lives? Would you like to join a team providing practical support to keep pets with their owners in times of need? We are looking for volunteers to help support our Pet Food Bank activity. You'll use your attention to detail, organisational and communication skills to help our food banks provide support to the pets that need it most.

Why we want you

Sick, injured and homeless pets have relied on Blue Cross for help since 1897. Each year, thousands of dogs, cats, small pets and horses turn to the charity’s animal hospitals, clinics and rehoming services for treatment and support.

Our Pet Food Banks provide practical support to pet owners during financial crises, by distributing donated pet food via food banks in the local community. Our food banks can be the key to helping owners to keep their much-loved pets. Our Donations Assistants help manage the incoming donations and preparation of food for distribution. All this adds up to keeping more pets with their families. We would love you to join us and help us help more pets and people in need.

What you will be doing

• Organising donations as they come in and regular stock taking to keep track of the food we have available
• Checking use by dates on donated pet food
• Preparing packages of pet food and pet items to be given out to our pet food bank clients or to send to other local food banks for distribution
• Liaising with external food banks and organising deliveries of pet food to meet demand
• Using excel and our database to record the activity of the food bank
• Ensuring any stock overflow is collected for distribution to other Blue Cross coordinated food banks
• You can choose to combine this role with any of our other pet food bank roles if they are also available at your chosen location

The skills you need

• Competent, team player and self-motivated
• Friendly and with a professional approach
• Attention to detail
• IT literacy
• Good communication skills
• Used to dealing with a variety of people from different backgrounds

What's in it for you

• You’ll gain a variety of experience for your CV
• You’ll learn new skills such as customer service, communication and team working
• You’ll meet new people and get involved with your local community
• We’ll provide you with all the training you need
• You’ll be helping more pets and people in need

Disclaimer

Blue Cross holds inclusion as a core organisational value. We positively encourage applications from eligible volunteers regardless of sex, race, disability, age, sexual orientation, transgender status, religion or belief, marital status or pregnancy and maternity. We actively embrace our differences and know that it is our differences that make us unique. You are very welcome at Blue Cross, without the need to hide any part of who you are.

Fundraisers are amazing! These incredible people have a gift for encouraging people to part with their money; all in the name of helping pets in need. Whether you're helping out at a fun dog show, chatting to local businesses to get some fantastic raffle prizes or baking cakes for the next bake sale, the only limit to fundraising ideas is your creativity. We're looking for fun loving fundraisers to join our team. You'll be promised a warm welcome and the opportunity to help pets with some fantastic like minded people. If this sounds like you hit 'apply' and lets get started!

Why we want you

Sick, injured and homeless pets have relied on Blue Cross for help since 1897. Each year, thousands of dogs, cats, small pets and horses turn to the charity’s animal hospitals, clinics and rehoming services for treatment and support.

We would love you to join us and help us help more pets in need. Our centres, hospitals and shops are much loved and at the heart of their communities. Our Fundraising Team help us to promote and raise money for their team at at local events and those being held on site. This could be by helping to gather donations and prizes, helping set up and support fundraising activities at local events or helping with regular fundraising activities at the site.

What you will be doing

• Helping with Blue Cross fundraising initiatives in your local community
• Working with other team fundraisers to generate ideas to raise money for pets
• Supporting your local centre or service at their fundraising events

The skills you need

• You'll need to be friendly and approachable
• You'll need to be a team player and enjoy being with others
• You'll need to be happy to talk about Blue Cross and our work
• You'll need to be comfortable helping with fundraising which might include handling money, setting up stalls and answering questions from the public

What's in it for you

• You’ll gain a variety of experience for your CV
• You’ll learn new skills such as customer service, communication and team working
• You’ll meet new people and get involved with your local community
• We’ll provide you with all the training you need, including our GUEST customer service training
• You’ll be helping more pets in need

Disclaimer

Blue Cross holds inclusion as a core organisational value. We positively encourage applications from eligible volunteers regardless of sex, race, disability, age, sexual orientation, transgender status, religion or belief, marital status or pregnancy and maternity. We actively embrace our differences and know that it is our differences that make us unique. You are very welcome at Blue Cross, without the need to hide any part of who you are.

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 

• You MUST live in the Grantown-on-Spey/Strathspey area of Scotland
• 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

Do you get satisfaction from creating order? Are you known for your attention to detail? If so, the role of administration assistant might be just what you’re looking for! You’ll be part of a friendly team and carry out a range of different tasks to help the smooth running of Blue Cross. This is an excellent opportunity to gain office experience or keep your existing skills in tip top condition. The role is flexible, with a variety of shifts available.

Why we want you

Sick, injured and homeless pets have relied on Blue Cross for help since 1897. Each year, thousands of dogs, cats, small pets and horses turn to the charity’s animal hospitals, clinical and rehoming services for treatment and support. 

With your ability to organise and focus on the details you will be an invaluable asset to our team! We would love you to join us and help us help more pets in need.

What you will be doing

• Administration tasks such as typing, photocopying, printing and collating materials, filling envelopes and producing postal packs
• Responding to phone, email and letter enquiries

The skills you need

• Organisational skills and good attention to detail
• A confidential approach
• Computer literacy and experience using web-based services and Microsoft Office e.g. Outlook and Word
• Reliability
• Experience of an office environment is desirable but not essential

What's in it for you

• You’ll gain completely new or additional experience for your CV
• You’ll learn new or enhance skills such as customer service, communication and team working
• You’ll meet new people and get involved with your local community
• We’ll provide you with all the training you need, and access to Blue Horizons, our online learning platform

Disclaimer

We ask that ideally you can commit to a few hours each week and are able to volunteer on site. Blue Cross holds inclusion as a core organisational value. We positively encourage applications from eligible volunteers regardless of sex, race, disability, age, sexual orientation, transgender status, religion or belief, marital status or pregnancy and maternity. We actively embrace our differences and know that it is our differences that make us unique. You are very welcome at Blue Cross, without the need to hide any part of who you are.

Job description

"We are looking for 3 candidates to join our volunteer enhanced professional development programme and gain real world experience in your chosen field). While we only have 3 vacancies available through this programme, other options are available if your skills match our criteria".

Quilombo UK is looking for Legal Assistant, who would love to join a growing organization. Quilombo UK works with the objective to promote different arts, sports and cultures to encourage an intercultural understanding between different communities and societies; To promote cultural awareness in the community and educate, regardless of nationality or origin, about race diversity and mutual respect; To promote good health and wellbeing; and run a community organisation with a strong focus on individuals, the community and society as a whole.

Quilombo UK is looking to recruit a Legal Assistant who helps organization in various legal matters.

This role offers a great opportunity for the right person who is looking to; gain experience in the Third Sector; develop their skills and management experience; or just simply 'give something back to their community'. The role provides you flexibility and autonomy at work. This will further help you to develop your professional development programme (PDP). Where necessary specific training will also be provided to help you develop and grow your skill set.

Main Responsibilities

• We are looking for an experienced lawyer to assist the organisation in overlooking projects, ensuring they are compliant with relevant and up to date legislation and regulations.
• The legal assistant will be responsible for making sure all contracts, legislations and documents are treated within correct legal standards. They are to make sure that all activities are being performed in line with contracts and the law.
• The Legal Assistant will work closely with the HR department in overlooking the volunteer forms, legislations and documents. They should also assist the different departments within the organisation(Marketing, Funding, HR, Finance) in upholding the legal requirements needed to run the tasks that they do.
• Provide written reports as and when required. To undertake additional duties as required for the role.

General tasks

• Contribute to staff meetings and other internal meetings with views and suggestions etc.

Essential

• Well-organized, proactive and able to deliver tasks efficiently.
• Excellent researching skills
• Reading and report writing skills
• You will need to be an experienced lawyer or have a good legal understanding.
• You will be respectful of the confidentiality of the organisation.
• You will need to help deliver work that adheres to the key objectives of the organisation.
• Able to speak confidently with a variety of stakeholders.
• Good time-management & communication skills.
• To show professionalism at all levels and in all environments
• Strong team player
• Ability to work independently and ask for clarification when needed.

Desirable

• Committed to working with the community with a passion for helping others less fortunate.
• Can work without much supervision

The Professional Development Programme with Quilombo UK runs over a period of 16 weeks, is UNPAID and requires a minimum of 12 hours commitment per week across Monday to Friday.

Upon successful application, our HR team will contact you to arrange an interview. Following a successful interview, we'll initiate the onboarding process by sending you the necessary documents. Once your onboarding and identification documents are received and verified, you'll be invited to a 6-hour HR and System Induction. Subsequently, you'll meet with your Head of Department or Assistant Manager for your First Day.

Job Type: Volunteer

Benefits:

• Work from home

Schedule:

• Day shift
• Monday to Friday

Experience:

• Legal Secretary: 1 year (preferred)

Work Location: Remote

This is a fantastic role to get involved locally and be at the forefront of solutions to help save nature in the Exeter area.

Join us as the volunteer leader of the RSPB Exeter & District Local Group and lead a group of enthusiastic members who are passionate about supporting the RSPB and exploring local wildlife. The group runs a full programme of activities, from outdoor walks and indoor talks to fundraising events. As the group leader, you will primarily lead the group and oversee the programme. You will be part of a friendly and helpful committee that share the same vision of bringing members closer to nature. This role offers a fantastic opportunity to use your leadership skills to make a valuable contribution to the work of the RSPB.

If you want to have an informal chat about the role, please ask for Richard, the current group leader. We’d love to hear from you.

Why we want you

As a community engagement volunteer you and your fellow branch members will create a range of activities to help spread the word about SSAFA within your community. To ensure that that our Armed Forces community know that SSAFA are here to help and that we need the public’s support to continue offering our services.

What you will be doing

This role is diverse and allows for you to focus on the areas that you have skills or interests in. The role has flexibility and can work around your other commitments.

Below are some examples of possible activities you can take on or be a part of as a SSAFA Community Engagement Volunteer.

Event Champions

Be the friendly face of SSAFA! Help at events, chat with visitors, sell merchandise, and spread the word about our work.

Activity Organisers

Love planning? Help coordinate amazing events like charity dinners, carol concerts, and local fairs.

Promoting SSAFA Services

Help provide a warm, welcoming presence at Veterans Breakfast clubs, cafes or hubs - offering information about SSAFA services and signposting as appropriate.

SSAFA Storytellers

Deliver engaging talks to organisations and groups, sharing SSAFA’s incredible history and mission.

Community Connectors

Collaborating with the Community Engagement Manager to establish a local network, promote SSAFA's services, and respond to community opportunities such as gardening projects

Fundraising Heroes

Whether it’s rallying local businesses, organising events, or getting creative with unique fundraising ideas, you’ll play a crucial role in keeping SSAFA’s support going strong.

Administrators

Are you detail-oriented and love keeping things organised? Assist with branch and event administration, manage schedules and branch calendars, and ensure everything runs smoothly currently being undertaken.

The skills you need

• Friendly and approachable people.
• Confident people who feel happy to engage with the public, potential clients, volunteers and
• SSAFA colleagues face-to-face.
• Reliable attitude, staying connected with your Branch and/or Community Engagement Manager about your availability.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality and keep information safely.
• Access to public transport or a car to get to events if necessary.

What's in it for you

• Use your skills, knowledge, and life experience to benefit others and make a difference
• Give tangible and practical support to your local branch by raising awareness of SSAFA.
• Support in your role from the team at SSAFA
• Develop your experience and skills which you can highlight on your CV and in job interviews

Disclaimer

SSAFA is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all those involved in our work and expects volunteers to share this commitment.

�� Calling Social Impact Influencers – Help Us Change How The UK Gives ��

We’re building something different.

Unify Giving allows donors to directly support individuals experiencing homelessness, domestic violence, and financial crisis — with full transparency, dignity, and trust. 100% of donations go straight to the person in need.

But to reach more people, we need voices. Real voices.

That’s why we’re building our Social Impact Influencer Squad — a network of mission-driven creators and storytellers who want to use their platforms to help us grow, reach new donors, and expand our recipient base across the UK.

✅ Who we’re looking for:

• Individuals with 5k+ engaged followers (Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, YouTube etc.)

• Passionate about social impact, homelessness, domestic violence support, or financial inclusion

• Want to use your voice to help real people — directly

✅ What you’ll do:

• Help share our mission with your community

• Highlight stories of individuals we support (all fully anonymised and approved)

• Be part of a new model for giving — one that puts dignity and transparency first

✅ Why it matters:

Every share helps us expand, onboard more charity partners, and reach individuals who urgently need support. This isn’t just charity — it’s a whole new infrastructure for giving.

If this sounds like you, we’d love to chat ��

As a Group Leader, you’ll play a key role in delivering our life-changing therapeutic services by co-facilitating weekly self-help groups. Using a proven model rooted in Exposure-Response Therapy and CBT, you'll help guide members through understanding their conditions and moving toward recovery.

We’ll train you to confidently co-lead sessions with another volunteer. All you need is empathy, warmth, and a genuine desire to support others. Lived experience of anxiety, OCD, or phobias is a bonus, not a must. We ask for a commitment of just 2 hours a week for at least 12 months.

You’ll be part of something truly meaningful—helping others while growing personally and professionally.

What will you be doing?

Therapeutic Responsibilities

• Co-facilitate therapeutic guided self-help groups every week.
• Interact with relevant service users to arrange their initial attendance at therapeutic groups.
• Consistently work within the scope of your training and recognise the limits of your practice.
• Liaise closely with the organisation's Clinical Director to discuss challenging cases and clinical concerns.
• Inform the Clinical Director of any expected instances of absence two weeks before the event. 
• Administrative Responsibilities
• Record service users' attendance every week.
• Maintain service user attendance databases to the highest possible standards of accuracy and detail.
• Disseminate psychometric measures to service users by the organisation's evaluation strategy
• Promote a culture of evaluation amongst service users attending your groups to enhance the amount of individualised feedback available to them.
• Respond to service user enquiries, and organisational communications, in an appropriately timely manner.
• Actively engage in the initial training workshops that are provided by the organisation.
• Maintain a commitment to continual personal development and engage in additional training opportunities when provided.
• Actively engage in organised peer reflective practices
• Make use of the organisation-wide digital communication channels to share and learn therapeutic practices. 

• Safeguarding - It is every volunteer's responsibility to safeguard and protect adults and children from abuse, regardless of the setting in which your care takes place. It is the volunteer's responsibility to be aware of the charity's policies and procedures and proactively maintain safeguarding procedural knowledge.

Additional Responsibilities

• Adhere to all organisational policies and procedures.
• Support the organisation's promotion of a positive approach to diversity and inclusion, treating others with dignity and respect.
• Develop and maintain positive relationships with colleagues, taking account of their age, religion or belief, ethnicity, sex, marital or civil partnership status, sexual orientation, gender identity, pregnancy or maternity status and any disability.
• Maintain an approachable nature, ensuring that your conduct towards colleagues is open and honest, dealing with differences in opinion in ways which avoid offence.

Title: Economics Advisor – Missing People 

Summary 

Missing People is recruiting volunteers with expertise in economics to support the early planning of a project exploring the economic impact of missing episodes and the harms experienced by individuals while missing. This work will inform the development of a robust, evidence-based estimate of the cost of a missing episode and the socio-economic return on investment (ROI) of prevention efforts. 

As an Advisory Volunteer, you will provide expert guidance to help shape the scope and direction of this project. Your insights will help the charity identify key considerations, methodologies, and data needs - an area where we have limited in-house expertise. 

Description

Someone is reported missing every 90 seconds in the UK. Missing People is the only UK charity dedicated to reconnecting missing people and their loved ones. Our services include: 

• A free and confidential helpline, available 7 days a week, for missing people and their loved ones, 

• A specialist family support and counselling service, 

• Case publicity to support loved ones with sharing appeals,

• Specialist services for children and young people, and their loved ones, experiencing exploitation,

• Commissioned intensive support services for young people at particular risk, 

• Research, consultancy and training for professionals working around the issue of missing.

Our vision is that every missing person is found safe.

By supporting us to develop a compelling economic case for prevention, you’ll play a vital role in shaping how missing incidents are understood and addressed across the UK. We will use the information to influence nationally: sharing the figures with key decision-makers in government, policing, health and social care. This work will strengthen our case for funding essential services that prevent repeat missing episodes and support the development of more effective early intervention strategies.

We’ve already begun exploring this work but need additional external expertise to guide our planning and approach. As such we are recruiting new volunteer Economics Advisors. Advisors will be asked to:

• Attend and participate in monthly project planning meeting (1-2 hours via video call, scheduled flexibly on weekdays or evenings) for a period of 6 months.

• Review relevant documents and provide ad hoc advice between meetings (no more than 1-2 hours)

• Get further involved in the project with a weekly commitment, if desired – this is entirely optional.

What impact will you have? 

Your input will support Missing People to build a stronger case for prevention and change for missing people and their loved ones.

About the volunteer 

We are looking for volunteers with: 

• A strong understanding of data and working with complex statistics 

• Experience in economic analysis of social issues and public policy, cost-benefit analysis, or social return on investment (SROI) 

• Willingness to support and advise Missing People’s Head of Policy and Head of Research in understanding an area outside of our usual expertise 

• The ability to ask key questions, offer constructive challenge, and act as a critical friend to staff 

• Commitment to attend monthly meetings for a 6-month project period 

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

Tasks and Responsibilities

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

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

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

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

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

Selection Criteria

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

• Understand the difference between being friendly and being a friend

• Be aware of your own mental health and wellbeing

• Be open-minded

• Be supportive

• Be reliable

• Be discreet and able to respect confidentiality at all times

• Be accepting and non-judgemental

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

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

Requirements

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

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

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

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

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

Benefits to Volunteers

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

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

Application Process

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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