Driver volunteer roles in London

RSPCA South London Branch

Location: Crystal Palace, Tooting & Croydon

Are you practical, reliable, or good with technology? We are looking for local volunteers to support our charity shops as Drivers, Handymen, IT Support volunteers – or a combination of all three. Whether you can help with one area or several, your support will play a vital role in helping us raise funds for our animal welfare work. We’re looking for practical, reliable people to help keep our charity shops running. Whether you’re handy with tools, happy behind the wheel, good with tech – or a mix of all three – we’d love to hear from you. You can get involved in the areas that suit your skills and availability, and your help will directly support our animal welfare work.

Overview of the opportunity

Our charity shops rely on skilled and dependable volunteers to keep things running smoothly behind the scenes. This flexible role is ideal for someone who can help with driving donations, basic maintenance and repairs, or IT and technical support across our local shops. You will need to be local to Crystal Palace, Tooting or Croydon, as this role supports shops in these areas.

About the RSPCA

Founded in 1824, the RSPCA has been saving animals for almost 200 years and is proud to be the world’s oldest animal welfare charity. Our vision is a world where all animals are respected and treated with compassion, and our volunteers play a crucial role in helping us achieve this every day.

Our Charity Shops

Our local charity shops are essential in raising funds and awareness for our animal welfare work. They sell a wide range of donated items including clothing, books, bric-a-brac and collectables. Keeping our shops safe, functional and well-supported allows us to maximise the funds we raise for animals in need.

Volunteer responsibilities

Depending on your skills and interests, you may help with one or more of the following areas:

Driver support

• Collecting and delivering donated and purchased items
• Moving stock between charity shops
• Completing basic administration such as mileage returns
• Ensuring RSPCA policies and procedures are followed

Handyman / Maintenance support

• Carrying out basic repairs and maintenance in shops
• Fixing fixtures, fittings and shop equipment
• General upkeep to ensure shops are safe and welcoming

IT / Technical support

• Helping with basic IT issues (e.g. computers, printers, Wi-Fi)
• Setting up or troubleshooting shop technology
• Supporting staff and volunteers with simple tech queries

What we are looking for

• Someone local to Crystal Palace, Tooting or Croydon
• Reliable, friendly and willing to help
• Driver volunteers must have their own vehicle and good local knowledge
• Practical skills or IT experience are desirable but not essential
• Willingness to offer an ongoing commitment (days/hours flexible)
• Volunteers must be aged 18 or over
• All necessary training will be provided

What we can offer you

• The chance to make a real difference to animal welfare locally
• A friendly, supportive volunteering community
• Training, induction and ongoing support
• The opportunity to learn new skills
• Volunteering experience to enhance your CV

How to Apply:

If you’ve got the drive and compassion to volunteer with the RSPCA and are passionate about improving animal welfare, we’d love to hear from you!

We hope you are interested in volunteering for the South London Branch.

Join us in making a real difference to the lives of animals in need.

Our voluntary roles are subject to an informal interview and trial period. We will ask you to provide contact details for two referees, and dependent on the position, you may need to sign an agreement and undergo specific training before starting the role.

Why do we need your help?

Food banks provide three-day emergency food parcels for people in crisis, working in partnership with organisations across the community. Drivers play a fundamental role in the running of the food bank, collecting food donations from a variety of locations such as supermarkets or churches across the local area as well as distributing the sorted donations from the warehouse to the local food bank centres. You will be given all the required training and provided with ongoing support and development opportunities. You will also have a main contact at the food bank throughout your time volunteering with us.

What will you be doing?

• Collecting food donations from collection points such as supermarkets, schools and churches within Brent

• Coordinating with the warehouse manager and supermarket community champions

• Delivering the food donations to the warehouse, located in Willesden

• Transporting sorted food from the warehouse across two food banks within Brent

• Regular loading and unloading of vehicles, helping your driver buddy

• Regular driving across the local area

The skills you need:

• Clean and current driving licence

• Physically strong and capable of carrying heavy boxes of canned foods

• Experienced and confident driver, you will be driving a small van around Brent

• Adaptable and flexible, sometimes we need to change your driving route or times

• Personable and committed, you will be the representatives of Brent Foodbank amongst our supermarket community

• You will need to follow the driving policy of the food bank

• You should enjoy being part of a volunteer team

• Have an eye for detail and be able to solve problems

• If you can’t drive but enjoy being out on the road, you can also be a driver buddy!

What’s in it for you?

• Using your existing skills to make a difference

• Meet new people who share your passion to end poverty in the community

• Make a real difference to the running of your food bank

• The opportunity to serve your local community

You will be given all the required training and provided with ongoing support and development opportunities. You will also have a main contact at the food bank throughout your time volunteering with us. 

We recognise that we have under-represented groups within our team. As part of our commitment to diversity and equality of opportunity we are actively encouraging applications from under-represented groups such as parents or carers who are re-entering volunteering after a career break, people who are LGBTQ+, from Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic (BAME) backgrounds, with a disability, impairment, learning difference or long-term condition.

Why do we need your help?

Food banks provide three-day emergency food parcels for people in crisis, working in partnership with organisations across the community. Drivers play a fundamental role in the running of the food bank, collecting food donations from a variety of locations such as supermarkets or churches across the local area as well as distributing the sorted donations from the warehouse to the local food bank centres. You will be given all the required training and provided with ongoing support and development opportunities. You will also have a main contact at the food bank throughout your time volunteering with us.

What will you be doing?

• Collecting food donations from collection points such as supermarkets, schools and churches within Brent

• Coordinating with the warehouse manager and supermarket community champions

• Delivering the food donations to the warehouse, located in Willesden

• Transporting sorted food from the warehouse across two food banks within Brent

• Regular loading and unloading of vehicles, helping your driver buddy

• Regular driving across the local area

The skills you need:

• Clean and current driving licence

• Physically strong and capable of carrying heavy boxes of canned foods

• Experienced and confident driver, you will be driving a small van around Brent

• Adaptable and flexible, sometimes we need to change your driving route or times

• Personable and committed, you will be the representatives of Brent Foodbank amongst our supermarket community

• You will need to follow the driving policy of the food bank

• You should enjoy being part of a volunteer team

• Have an eye for detail and be able to solve problems

• If you can’t drive but enjoy being out on the road, you can also be a driver buddy!

What’s in it for you?

• Using your existing skills to make a difference

• Meet new people who share your passion to end poverty in the community

• Make a real difference to the running of your food bank

• The opportunity to serve your local community

You will be given all the required training and provided with ongoing support and development opportunities. You will also have a main contact at the food bank throughout your time volunteering with us. 

We recognise that we have under-represented groups within our team. As part of our commitment to diversity and equality of opportunity we are actively encouraging applications from under-represented groups such as parents or carers who are re-entering volunteering after a career break, people who are LGBTQ+, from Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic (BAME) backgrounds, with a disability, impairment, learning difference or long-term condition.

We are seeking to appoint a volunteer Van Driver, who would work alongside the member of staff responsible for our established Food Bank.  They will also be undertaking other tasks related to the Food Bank, e.g. Putting together food parcels and stock rotation.

Maidstone Homeless Care is a well-established charity supporting homeless and vulnerable people in the Maidstone area . We run an active day centre, busy food bank and a small residential unit supporting homeless people. 

The Day Centre and Food Bank are open every morning, Monday to Friday.  Cover will be required Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

For further information, please call Nick/Brian at Maidstone Day Centre