Volunteer roles in suffolk

The Mlambe Project builds school infrastructure in Malawi Africa, one of the poorest countries in the world.  We change lives through enabling access to education by transforming classrooms from "under a tree" (literally) into fully functional school blocks. We use environmentally sustainable techniques and local workers so the money gets reinvested in the communities we serve.  We do this work in partnership with our sister NGO that is Malawi based, ensuring that our priorities are aligned to the local community. We are 100% volunteer based so 100% of every dollar/pound we raise has a direct impact. The role:

• Trustee position at a UK registered charity
• Opportunity to work on social media/web channels (if interested)
• Fundraising via various channels (primarily grant applications)
• Working with our Trustee team (USA, UK and Malawi)
• Fiducuary, statuatory and regulatory responsibilities of a Trustee/Board Member
• We are open to any level of commitment i.e. board, committee, advisory, volunteer

The HMSA is a small and dynamic charity that helps those living with hypermobility syndromes (and carers and families) to be independent and live well. We also provide education for professionals in social care, health, teaching and local authority employees. We have big plans to expand our offer to our members and professionals, as well as raise the profile of the charity and hypermobility syndromes.  We are seeking to appoint up to 2 new trustees.  Recognising that most people with these conditions present and are supported in primary care, we are particularly keen to recruit someone with a background in Primary Care to help us develop our plans. We are also interested to hear from anyone with experience of strengthening social media channels and comms, especially within a small charity setting.

 The Trustee role involves:

•  Preparing for and attending quarterly board meetings – 2 hours in the evening or a half day on a Saturday (half online/half in person if possible). The in person meetings are likely to be in central London.
• Providing support/guidance to the other Trustees, the CEO as well as staff/volunteer team. This may include small group working in between Board meetings.
• You may also be asked to participate in sub-committees as required.
• Developing and supporting our Clinical Advisory Group and/or Comms work
• Promoting the HMSA to primary care and other health and social care professionals or other relevant external audiences.

​In addition, there may-be other events such as volunteer/staff/member meetings or conferences that would be useful to have Trustee support

Are you a Sylheti speaker looking for a meaningful way to give back to your community? We invite you to become a volunteer for our Talking Bubble Project!

Many older adults and vulnerable individuals in the UK’s Sylheti-speaking community experience loneliness and isolation. By offering just a small amount of your time each week, you can make a big difference by providing companionship and a friendly voice in their native language.

What is the Talking Bubble Project?

☎︎ A phone-based service that connects volunteers with individuals who may feel isolated or lonely. Through regular phone calls, you’ll have the opportunity to build friendships, brighten someone’s day, and provide much-needed emotional support—especially for those who feel more comfortable speaking Sylheti.

Why volunteer with us?

✔ Support members of the Sylheti-speaking community in the UK
✔ Make a meaningful impact on someone’s life
✔ Enjoy flexible volunteering hours
✔ Receive training, ongoing support, and a reference upon completion
✔ Enhance your own sense of fulfilment and purpose

How to get involved:

Simply fill out the application through CharityJob's website or by following this link: [https://lnkd.in/e36t8zWB]. No previous experience is required—just a friendly, compassionate nature and a willingness to listen.

Open to UK residents only.

Help us spread kindness and connection within the Sylheti-speaking community across the UK!

Amazing, giving, and inspiring are just a few words we would use to describe our volunteers.

Our volunteers play an integral part in the services we provide and the people we support. If you are looking for a rewarding role where you will really make a difference whilst gaining experience along the way, then join us here at Rethink Mental Illness.

About the role 

As a Regional Fundraising Volunteer, you will support Rethink Mental Illness in generating income, raising awareness, and building community engagement through local fundraising initiatives. The role will involve event planning and support, and public engagement to help achieve regional fundraising goals. 

You will play a major part in bringing to life regional fundraising activities in line with our “Rethink in the Community" concept and increase regional awareness to generate much needed additional income and amplify the impact of the work Rethink Mental Illness do.

You will receive training and regular supervision to ensure you feel confident in your role. 

Regional locations

Whilst this is a home based role, you will occasionally attend events within your region. We're particularly interested in receiving applications from people who live in the following areas:

Yorkshire & Northeast: Newcastle, Gateshead, York, Sunderland

Northwest: Manchester, Liverpool, Stoke-on-Trent

Midlands: Birmingham, Solihull, West Bromwich, Wolverhampton, Walsall

Southwest: Gloucester, Bristol, Plymouth, North Devon, South Devon, Cornwall

East of England: Norfolk, Norwich, Ipswich

What you will be doing as a Regional Fundraising Volunteer: 

• Support and assist in organising and participating in local fundraising events.

• Help with event logistics, set-up, and participant engagement to ensure smooth delivery. 

• Take part in local initiatives acquiring donors and do it yourself fundraisers. 

• Increase awareness of the organisation’s work by helping to promote regional fundraising activity. 

• Represent the organisation at schools, community groups, and public events, delivering presentations to inspire support. 

• Communicate with supporters via phone, email, and face-to-face interactions. 

• Attend and contribute to meetings with the fundraising team and supporters to share updates and ideas. 

What will make you a great fit for this role?  

You will have good knowledge of your local community and be passionate about making a difference to those severely affected by mental illness. You will also have:

• The ability to organise events and activities

• The ability to inspire and motivate others

• Good communication skills

• Creative ideas to promote diverse fundraising activities 

• Dedication to our cause 

Who are we? 

We’re Rethink Mental Illness, a leading charity provider of mental health services in England. We support thousands of people through our groups, services, policy, campaigns and advice and information. Our work supports us in delivering on our mission: “A better life for everyone severely affected by mental illness.”     

It is an exciting time to join our growing charity. We are on a transformation journey, one that supports the delivery of the organisation strategy – delivering Communities that Care. Supporting employees, managers and leaders through this change is a key priority for the People function. Just like its key that we attract diverse people to come and work for us.     

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion   

Diversity is important to us and we appreciate difference through difference, inclusiveness and belonging. It gives us a deeper understanding of the world, our society and the diverse communities we’re working with. By including everyone, we are able to draw on the unique experiences and expertise of our people to help shape and enrich our workplace and improve our services. One way we are doing is through our valued staff networks which play a critical and highly valued role in keeping us focused on creating a diverse, inclusive and engaged employer.  We recognise and support staff networks for our Black, Asian and minority ethnic and our LGBTQIA+ colleagues. We are also proud to have been awarded Disability Confident Employer status and are a signatory to the Business in the Community Race at Work Charter.   

Becoming a truly anti-racist organisation   

We have an ambition of become a truly anti-racist employer, campaigning organisation and service provider - and in our efforts to influence policy and wider societal factors impacting on mental health set out in our anti-racist statement . We have designed a multi-year anti-racist programme of work contained in our Race Equality Action Plan which demonstrate our intention to hold ourselves accountable and be judged on our progress on becoming a truly anti-racist organisation.   

We therefore actively encourage and welcome applications from everyone, including applicants with lived experience, those who are Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer (or questioning), Intersex and (asexual) (LGBTQIA+), people with a disability, and people from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) backgrounds.  

Job description

"We are looking for 10 candidates to join our volunteer enhanced professional development programme and gain real world experience in your chosen field). While we only have 10 vacancies available through this programme, other options are available if your skills match our criteria".

About the Role

The Enhanced Professional Development Programme (ePDP) Coordinator plays a pivotal role in driving the success of our flagship professional development initiative. This position is responsible for managing the end-to-end execution of the ePDP, ensuring seamless coordination between participants, Heads of Department (HoDs), and stakeholders. The ideal candidate will combine exceptional organizational skills with a passion for fostering professional growth, ensuring participants remain engaged and supported throughout their development journey.

Key Responsibilities

• Programme Management
• Oversee the effective implementation of the ePDP, ensuring alignment with organisational goals.
• Welcome participants to the programme, providing orientation materials and clarifying expectations.
• Participant Support & Progress Tracking
• Conduct initial skills assessments to identify individual development needs.
• Monitor and document participant progress, providing regular updates to stakeholders.
• Schedule and coordinate meetings between participants and their respective Heads of Department (HoDs).
• Coordination & Communication
• Manage day-to-day operations, including scheduling sessions, sending reminders, and maintaining programme documentation.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for participants, addressing queries and resolving issues promptly.
• Engagement & Feedback
• Design and organise feedback sessions to gather insights from participants and HoDs, using data to refine the programme.
• Develop strategies to ensure active engagement (e.g., interactive workshops, milestone celebrations).
• Reporting
• Prepare progress reports for senior leadership, highlighting achievements, challenges, and recommendations.

Required Skills

• Keen Eye for Detail: Ability to manage complex schedules, track progress meticulously, and maintain accurate records.
• Excellent Communication Skills: Strong written and verbal communication to liaise effectively with participants, HoDs, and stakeholders.
• Relationship Building & Networking: Proven ability to foster trust and collaboration across departments.
• Organizational Agility: Skilled in multitasking, prioritization, and meeting deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
• Problem-Solving: Proactive approach to addressing challenges and improving programme delivery.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in coordinating professional development programmes or similar initiatives.
• Familiarity with data analysis to assess programme effectiveness.

Job Types: Part-time, Volunteer

Benefits:

• Work from home

Schedule:

• Day shift
• Monday to Friday
• No weekends

Work Location: Remote

Help thousands of older people in Essex live their best lives.

Do you believe every older person deserves to live a happy, connected and dignified life? Join Age Well East as our next Chair of Trustees and lead positive change across one of the UK’s most populous and diverse counties.

Age Well East supported over 4,000 older people last year through nearly 400 volunteers and 23 staff, delivering befriending, benefits advice, social activities, and mental health support. We operate virtually and face-to-face, from our base in Clacton and across the community.

Yet, challenges remain. An estimated 47,000 older people in Essex live in poverty, 29,000 experience loneliness, and we know that in neighbouring Suffolk, 179,000 older people currently have little support

.The Role

We’re seeking a new Chair to guide the next phase of our development. You'll provide strategic leadership, act as line manager to the CEO, and ensure we continue to grow our impact while maintaining strong governance.

The expected time commitment is around 2–3 days per month, aggregated across the month to support flexibility. Board meetings are held quarterly (mostly via video call), with additional engagement as needed.

To ensure a smooth handover, the successful candidate will be invited to Co-Chair alongside our current Chair, Nick Avery. The length of this transition period is flexible and will be tailored to the new Chair’s preference, with full transition expected by early 2026 at the latest.

About You

You’ll share our belief that all older people should be able to Age Well. You’ll be collaborative, values-driven, and a confident leader able to support our CEO and work effectively with our Board. While prior Chair experience isn’t essential, we are looking for someone who has served on a Board—whether in the charity, public or private sector. Fundraising experience is a plus, and so is a strong network or voice in support of older people.

Background  

The Four Nations Advisory Panel (FNAP) has been established by the National Emergencies Trust (The Trust) as a panel of representatives from each of the UK four nations that are able to advise on and support the development and delivery of the work of the National Emergencies Trust (the Trust), between and during emergency appeals.  

Contributions from the panel and individual members will help enable the Trust to continuously improve its knowledge and understanding of the four nations and their communities, so that it can be better informed when supporting survivors of UK emergencies. It will complement the work of the Mental Health, Equity and Survivors Advisory Panels in supporting a collaborative and inclusive approach by the Trust.  

The Terms of Reference for the Panel, which will report directly to the Trust’s Board can be found here. 

The Panel does not hold any decision-making powers in relation to operational and financial decisions by the Trust. 

Role Description  

The role: 

• Ensure each of the four nations are represented on the panel to ensure that relevant differences of culture, communities, administration and capacity are considered and taken account of by the Trust in its activities. 

• Advise the Board and Executive to enhance our reach, networks, and local understanding in each nation. 

• Brokering relationships with relevant organisations and individuals within the relevant home nation. 

• Representing and promoting the work of the Trust. 

• To inform and support the work of the Trust’s other Advisory Panels.  

During appeals:  

• Providing access to relevant intelligence, data and information networks. 

• Working with the emergency funding advisory board in Scotland and similar bodies which may be set up by the Government of each nation. 

• Co-opting additional members, particularly those that have valuable and relevant knowledge and networks (relevant to a nation and/or the type of emergency).  

Profile  

Members of the panel will be drawn from across the statutory and voluntary sectors, and it is anticipated that there will be a member from both sectors for each nation.  Individuals will hold existing roles and responsibilities that cover the whole of the nation they represent. 

Statutory Sector  

Individuals are likely to be staff of: 

• The devolved administration. 

• Organisations that operate across Local Government Administrations in the nation. 

• Emergency Services 

And hold roles that are relevant to 

• Emergency planning and response 

• Community resilience 

• Cross sector planning, liaison and relationships

Voluntary and Community Sector 

Individuals are likely to be staff or representatives of: 

• National VCS Organisations 

• The independent funding sector 

• Umbrella organisations working across the VCS

And hold roles that are relevant to 

• Sector co-ordination, support and resourcing 

• Emergency planning and response 

• Community resilience

• Cross sector planning, liaison and relationships 

About Us

My Black Dog is a charity that offers anonymous, peer to peer mental health support through our web-chat service. We are committed to making a positive impact on mental health in the UK as we tackle an epidemic that millions of people face.

We were founded on the motto "talk to someone who gets it". We want to connect people who share lived experiences to provide an empathetic, non-judgmental space where everybody understands how it feels to experience mental health struggles.

Position Overview

Our web-chat service is run by our Volunteer Pack, each of whom have their own lived experience of mental health challenges. In addition, each shift has a 'Leader' and a 'Mentor'. These are Volunteers who carry out specific roles during the shift and, together, ensure its success:

• Leaders - Managers of the shift. There to ensure the shift runs as it should. They support and guide Volunteers through chats and follow safeguarding processes when an alert is raised. They are also the first point of contact for the shift’s Designated Safeguarding Lead.
• Mentors - There to support and guide Volunteers through chats. Will take over from the Leader if there are safeguarding issues that need the Leader's attention and/or if the Leader needs a break.

As My Black Dog looks to expand our opening hours, we are looking to recruit additional Leaders and Mentors who can run shifts and cover additional shifts as necessary.

Leaders and Mentors will be assigned a shift based on your availability and preference. The expectation is that Leaders and Mentors will form a ‘pair’ and, together, will do one shift at the same time each week. This is to provide stability, predictability and to encourage community-building between Volunteers. Shifts are usually 3 hours long. We may ask you to cover another shift when we are short, but you will never do more than 6 hours per week.

Training will be provided and you will be supported on shift by a Designated Safeguarding Lead, who will manage all safeguarding issues.

The work you will do as Leaders and Mentors will ensure we provide the best possible service to our Guests. You will also be helping our Volunteer Pack to do what we do best: helping those in need by speaking to someone who 'gets it'.

Who We Are Looking For

We are looking for people who have experienced their own journey with mental health and are in a strong position to support others. We ask that our Leaders and Mentors:

• Are strongly committed to helping others
• Have experienced mental health issues in order to relate to those seeking help
• Are collaborative and enjoy working with others
• Are encouraging and supportive
• Are organised and can monitor several things at once
• Can remain calm and focused during busy times and when safeguarding alerts are raised
• Are 18 years and over 
• Can commit the time to a regular weekly shift

We are particularly interested in hearing from people who are available during the following hours:

• Monday to Sunday, 5pm-7pm
• Friday and Saturday, 7pm-10pm

Role Responsibilities

1. Supervise and support Volunteers whilst on shift with general enquiries, positive feedback and signposting.
2. Assist with general volunteering enquiries whilst on shift. Provide time for guidance, instruction and de-briefing for Volunteers if required.
3. Follow Leaders & Mentors processes including unexpected absence reporting, Volunteer check-in and check-out, and completing Shift Handovers.
4. Monitor web-chat conversations and ensure all chats are tagged.
5. Maintain ability to listen, remain calm and provide intervention if necessary.
6. Be able to have difficult and often complex conversations about mental health, including Guests experiencing crisis and first-stage intervention support.
7. If a Leader, work alongside the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) when safeguarding risks are identified and, if a Mentor, take over responsibility for shifts when Leader and DSL have to address a safeguarding crisis.
8. Exercise discretion in handling confidential situations and information, conveying sensitive information in a timely manner to necessary individuals.
9. Provide written follow up of shifts via handover, ensuring all necessary information is handed over at the end of the shift.
10. Adhere to all standards, policies and procedures of My Black Dog.

Please note: An Enhanced DBS Certificate is required for this role. If you do not have one, My Black Dog will arrange the DBS Check for you.

Summary

East Herts Family Support Service are looking for Volunteers across a variety of roles and locations to support the service lead by One YMCA.

Some of the sessions that require support include:
 

Stay & Play

Providing a fun session for children aged 0-5 years with a range of activities and resources for children to explore. We will provide a specific area for babies with staff on hand to offer support and advice. Families can come along with their children to have fun and socialise with other parents and carers.

Gilston Village Hall, GILSTON, Wednesdays, 10 - 11.30 am
Beane valley family centre (0 to 18 months), HERTFORD, Thursdays, 12.45 - 3.15pm
Selections Family center, HERTFORD, Fridays, 9.30 - 12.00pm
Southern Maltings,WARE, Thursdays, 9.30 - 11.30pm
High Trees Family Centre, TURNFORD, Fridays, 1.15pm - 3.45
Active Rhyme Time, High Trees Family Centre, TURNFORD, Mondays, 9.30 - 11.15
Creswick Family Centre, WELWYN GARDEN CITY, Wednesday, 9.30am - 12.00pm
Silver Birches Family Centre, WARE, Tuesdays, 9.30am - 11.15am
Greenfield FC – Waltham Cross, Tuesdays, 9.15am - 11.45am
Rosedale Community Church, Cheshunt, Mondays, 12.30 - 3.30pm
Woolmer Green Village Hall, KNEBWORTH,Tuesday, 9.30am - 12.000am
Howe Dell Community Hall, Hatfield, Wednesdays, 9.30am -12.00am 
Breaks Manor Community Centre, Hatfield, Mondays, 9.30am - 12.00

Main Tasks could include:

To support the vision of the Family Centre supporting the Early Start Team in their work with parents, carer's, families and Children (under 11years)

• To ensure all families
• feel welcome comfortable and valued.
• To support the engagement of parents in their children’s development and learning.
• Setting up/tidying away
• activities.
• Engage & play with the children.
• Lead on specific activities as required.
• Includes both indoor and outdoor activities
• Encourage and support families to register with the service

Skills, Experience and Qualities needed:

• Aged 18 or over.
•  Willing to undergo an enhanced DBS check.
• You need to have a friendly approach.
• Excellent communication skills
• Maintain confidentiality at all times
• The ability to work well in a team and unsupervised.

Support Offered:

• Training provided prior to starting role.
• Full induction into the service
• Ongoing support and supervision throughout role.

Summary

Can you inspire, energise and motivate young people aged 12-18 years?
Do you enjoy making a real difference to the lives of young people?

Detailed description

Mentoring within One YMCA is delivered through the youth team and volunteers. Young people aged 13-19 years can access the service which provides support and encouragement for young people to work towards their goals.

Mentors and mentees are paired based on experience, expertise and support needed.

This project will last for up to a year with each young person, with an average of 3-4 hours per month being given to the young person and their support.

Training for this role is due to commence on 22nd January 2025 (Time and Location TBC)

Pay: This is a voluntary role; however, expenses will be covered.

Key Responsibilities:

·To attend full induction training and complete all relevant child protection checks

·To arrange to meet with your mentee for 1-3 hours a month over a period of 12 months, in a public place.

·To prepare for your mentoring sessions with the purpose of progressing with their mutually agreed goals.

·To offer tailored support to your Mentee in areas such as confidence and resilience building, accessing services, careers focus and development. You may be working on a number of areas as the needs of your Mentee present themselves.

·To safeguard and promote the wellbeing of your Mentee.

·To complete feedback, monitoring and evaluation forms.

·To liaise with the mentoring coordinator for support in delivery of sessions where needed.

·To help identify the support that your Mentee requires, reporting any concerns you have to the mentoring coordinator.

·Completing regular reviews with your Mentee and mentoring coordinator.

·Any other reasonable task that is associated with the role.

Personal Specification:

Experience:

• Experience of working with young people
• Experience of working with young people from a variety of backgrounds

Skills:

• Ability to work on own initiative and a willingness to prepare for each session
• Ability to use online video platforms such as Microsoft Teams
• Ability to think creatively and problem solve
• Good communication skills
• Good organisational skills
• Ability to work as a part of a team
• A willingness to meet the young person in a public space

Personal Qualities:

• An interest in working with young people
• Ability to engage with a young person
• The willingness to have an open mind and non-judgemental approach to supporting a young person in their mentoring journey
• Ability to cope with potentially difficult conversations or situations
• Commitment to the mentoring project and to the Mentee
• Motivated by promoting the wellbeing of young people
• Commitment to and ability to work in accordance with ethos of One YMCA, their polices and boundaries

Other:

• Willing to undertake and induction and training
• Willing to provide 2 references
• Willing to undergo an enhanced Disclosure and Barring check (DBS)

Detailed description

Baby Group

An opportunity to meet other families with young babies in a supportive, stimulating and friendly environment. During the session you can play, discover more about their development and support your wellbeing. ** The activities and content of the sessions are planned for children 0 - pre-walkers **

Baby Group

Silver Birches Family Centre, HERTFORD, Fridays, 9.30am - 12.00 pm
Selections Family Centre, HERTFORD Mondays, 9.30am - 12.00 pm
Creswick FC - WGC, Fridays, 9.30am - 12.00
De Havilland FC - Hatfield, Thursdays, 9.30am - 12
High Trees FC – Turnford, Mondays, 1.00pm - 3.30 pm
The Ark FC – Hoddesdon, Tuesdays, 12.30am - 3.00pm
Buttercups Family Centre, Bishop's Stortford, Mondays, 12.30pm - 2.30 pm

Main Tasks could include:

To support the vision of the Family Centre supporting the Early Start Team in their work with parents, carer's, families and Children (under 11years)

• To ensure all families feel welcome comfortable and valued.
• To support the engagement of parents in their babies development and learning.
• Setting up/tidying away activities.
• Engage & play with the children.
• Lead on specific activities as required.
• Includes both indoor and outdoor activities
• Encourage and support families to register with the service

 Skills, Experience and Qualities needed:

•  Aged 18 or over.
•  Willing to undergo an enhanced DBS check.
• Commitment to online and face-to-face training.
•  You need to have a friendly approach.
•  Excellent communication skills
• Maintain confidentiality at all times
• The ability to work well in a team and unsupervised.

Support Offered:

Training provided prior to starting role.

Full induction into the service

Ongoing support and supervision throughout role.

Volunteering for Sense

Our amazing team of volunteers help us run over 100 shops across England and Wales.  Every donated item that you sort, prepare and sell helps to raise vital funds to support us in our mission to make sure no one, no matter how complex their disabilities, is isolated, left out, or unable to fulfil their potential. Our shops are at the heart of local communities – sharing the work of Sense, and helping to secure support for our life changing work.

What your role will involve

There are a variety of tasks that you can get involved with in the shop, including:

• Welcoming and assisting customers, providing great customer service and a fantastic shopping experience
• Receiving donated goods from members of the public
• Sorting, steaming, tagging and preparing donated goods for sale
• Creating eye catching window and in-shop displays
• Keeping the shop floor well stocked, tidy, clean and organised
• Processing sales and serving on the till
• Promoting Gift Aid and other Sense fundraising initiatives
• Acting as an ambassador for Sense; promoting the shop and Sense in your local community
• Supporting with the recruitment and training of new volunteers

• Following new health and safety measures to ensure the safety of everyone

Will the role suit me? Yes, if you are:

• Motivated and hardworking
• Reliable, flexible and willing to do a variety of shop tasks
• A team player
• Friendly and helpful
• Passionate about customer service and enjoy interacting with people
• Respectful of others and their diversity

• Interested in supporting the work of Sense and want to make a difference to people who have complex disabilities and are deafblind.

What can Sense offer me as a volunteer?

• A full induction and ongoing support and guidance from your Shop Manager to make sure you feel confident in your role
• Support to develop new skills, knowledge and experience, in particular of a retail environment, but also skills such as teamwork, customer service, communication and using your initiative
• A reference for other paid or voluntary work (available on request)
• The opportunity to share your existing skills and experience to benefit others
• The chance to meet new people from a wide range of backgrounds and to join a passionate and committed team

• The opportunity to make an invaluable contribution to Sense by raising vital income and raising the profile of Sense in your local community; changing the lives of those who have complex disabilities and are deafblind

About Sense

For everyone living with complex disabilities. For everyone who is deafblind. Sense is here to offer personalised support to help people communicate and experience the world. We believe that no one, no matter how complex their disabilities, should be isolated, left out, or unable to fulfil their potential. Our experts offer support that’s tailored to the individual needs of each person, whether that’s at our centres, through our holidays and short breaks, or in people’s own homes. In addition to practical support, we also provide information to families, and campaign for the rights of people with complex disabilities to take part in life.

Volunteers add real value to Sense, bringing their passion, enthusiasm and fresh perspectives to the work that we do. We believe that volunteers enable us to bring people together, and provide opportunities for people with complex disabilities to communicate and experience the world.

We include. We collaborate. We find a way. We challenge. We celebrate.

Providing a confidential non-judgemental listening ear to Residents and Staff. Supporting those wishing to develop their spiritual journey from a Christian perspective. The role will be based across one of our hostels in Watford, Borehamwood, Bishop's Stortford, Welwyn Garden City, Hatfield or High Wycombe, 

Activities include:

• Proactively engaging with Residents and staff to build safe relationships and trust
• Offering a ‘listening ear’ to all and giving emotional support
• Sensitively discerning when to offer prayer and support from a Christian perspective, and when to use faith based language
• Be inclusive and welcoming to people of all religious faiths and none, referring people to other faith communities as appropriate
• Working alongside support staff, volunteers & local agencies
• Maintaining records of support and feeding back concerns about Resident welfare to Staff/Line Manager.
• Attend regular volunteer team meetings
• Being proactive in seeking spiritual and emotional support for your own benefit as this is a challenging role.

Additional activities could include:

• Facilitating group work for example: Retreat Programme, Bible Study, prayer or Mental Health Support.
• Welcoming new Residents by phone or in person
• Leading or helping with Chaplaincy lead events: Easter/Christmas activities, Remembrance Services
• Being an ambassador for YMCA’s mission in local Churches

Skills/Qualities/Experience:

• Be a good and active listener who can support others
• Be of a friendly, welcoming and cheerful disposition
• Self-motivated, reliable and punctual
• Sensitivity and courage to care for people experiencing a range of distressing situations including: grief, trauma, poor mental health, substance misuse, suicidal thoughts.
• A commitment to your own spiritual development
• A good understanding of the Christian faith, as well as some understanding of other faith traditions
• Ability to use both faith and non-faith based language, as appropriate
• Good communication skills in English; in person & over the phone
• A willingness to learn new things and get stuck in
• Ability to maintain confidentiality
• Ability to work as part of a team
• Respect the Christian ethos of the YMCA and uphold its values
• Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have

Training Support:

• A full induction to the service and specific site will be provided
• A one day ‘Chaplaincy Essentials’ training, plus a menu of additional training will be made available
• Online training: Safeguarding (Adults & Young People), Fire Awareness, Manual Handling
• Ongoing support and regular 1:1 meetings with your line-manager
• Team meetings and social events
• Mileage and expenses may be payable

You will need 2 x references and a DBS (we will apply for and fund this). 

Our amazing team of volunteers helps us run over 600 shops. Our stores sell lots of great donated and new goods to help to raise vital funds. These funds are then used to make a real difference to disadvantaged children, young people and their families across the UK.

Over 60 donation centres receive and distribute 100’s of bags of stock every single week. All of these donations need to be lifted and shifted so they end up in the right shops - we don’t require a weightlifter, but you will be need to be physically fit to help move the many donations we receive.

As well as working up a sweat, our donation centres also sell a variety of stock which all need processing and putting on the shop floor. Making sure our shops look fantastic is another task you can get involved with. You may also be required to help out on the till once in a while, but we will show you how that works during your time volunteering with us. We value the contribution of everyone who supports Barnardo’s.

You will be a friendly face of Barnardo’s by volunteering in one of our shops. It would be great if you could volunteer one shift a week (or even more if you want) but we’re always happy to be flexible to work around your availability.

Why we want you

Our amazing team of vibrant & diverse volunteers helps us run over 600 stores. Our stores sell lots of great donated and new goods to help raise vital funds to make a real difference to disadvantaged children, young people and families across the UK.

What you will be doing

• Sorting large amounts of donations and stock
• Work on the till processing sales and returns
• Prepare stock, including sorting, steaming and pricing
• Create stylish window displays
• Replenish stock on the shop floor
• Stock-take and other administrative tasks

The skills you need

• Physically able to lift and carry large amounts of stock within our Health & Safety Guidelines
• Friendly and helpful
• Happy to be part of an amazing team of staff and volunteers
• Enthusiastic about the work of Barnardo’s
• Flexible and willing to do a variety of the shop tasks

What's in it for you

• Have fun and meet new people
• Develop skills for your CV including confidence, teamwork and problem solving
• Make a difference to the lives of children, young people and their families
• Learning and development opportunities through our Volunteer Academy which includes access to Level 2 Qualifications and other accredited courses
• Full training and experience of working in retail as a volunteer

Location:

Unit 3 Stanway Retail Park, Peartree Road, Colchester, Essex, CO3 0LX, United Kingdom

Minimum age: 14 years

Please note: we only accept applications from those residing in the UK