Cafe volunteer roles in London

This is an excellent opportunity for someone with experience in business development, corporate partnerships, account management, sales, CSR, philanthropy, or fundraising to use their skills to make a tangible difference in the lives of refugees.
You will play a key role in helping Plateful Café develop relationships with local and national businesses, generating support through corporate donations, sponsorship, employee volunteering, catering contracts, and long-term strategic partnerships.

Key Responsibilities
Corporate Engagement

• Identify and research prospective corporate partners aligned with Plateful Café's mission.
• Develop and maintain a pipeline of potential supporters and business contacts.
• Introduce Plateful Café to local businesses, corporate foundations, and employers.
• Arrange introductory meetings and networking opportunities.
• Support the development of corporate partnership proposals and presentations.

Income Generation

• Help secure financial donations, sponsorships, and in-kind support.
• Identify opportunities for corporate grant funding and charitable giving programmes.
• Promote employee fundraising opportunities and workplace giving schemes.
• Explore sponsorship opportunities for training programmes, events, and community activities.

Catering and Enterprise Development

• Promote Plateful Café's corporate catering services to local businesses.
• Identify opportunities for meetings, events, lunches, conferences, and hospitality catering.
• Support the development of long-term catering relationships and repeat customers.
• Help position Plateful Café as a preferred socially responsible catering supplier.

Employee Volunteering and Skills Sharing

• Develop opportunities for corporate volunteering.
• Encourage businesses to provide mentoring, employability support, and workplace visits for our trainees.
• Build relationships that create pathways into employment for refugees completing our training programmes.

Strategic Support

• Provide advice on corporate engagement and relationship management.
• Help strengthen our corporate partnership strategy.
• Support impact reporting and stewardship of existing partners where required.

We Are Looking For Someone Who Has
Essential

• Experience working in a corporate environment, business development, account management, sales, marketing, CSR, partnerships, fundraising, or a related field.
• Excellent networking and relationship-building skills.
• Confidence engaging with senior stakeholders and business leaders.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to work independently and proactively.
• Commitment to diversity, inclusion, and supporting refugees.

Desirable

• Experience within the charity or not-for-profit sector.
• Knowledge of corporate social responsibility (CSR), ESG, or social value initiatives.
• Experience securing sponsorships, partnerships, or fundraising income.
• Existing business networks in London.
• Experience developing corporate volunteering programmes.

What You Will Gain

• The opportunity to make a meaningful impact on the lives of refugees and people seeking asylum.
• Experience supporting a growing and ambitious social enterprise charity.
• The chance to shape and influence our corporate partnerships strategy.
• Opportunities to meet business leaders, charity professionals, and community partners.
• A reference and recognition for your contribution.
• The satisfaction of helping create employment opportunities and brighter futures for people rebuilding their lives in the UK.

Our Values
At Plateful Café, we believe that everyone deserves the opportunity to contribute, belong, and thrive. We celebrate diversity, value lived experience, and use food to bring communities together.
We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds and particularly encourage applications from individuals with experience of migration, displacement, or supporting diverse communities.

We are looking for a film maker who will be able to join us at our food and music events, film and create short highlight clips to share on social media (see our instagram page for ideas).

What will you be doing?

• Filming videos on-site with your equipment.
• Conducting short interviews with guests and the team to create content.
• Contribute new ideas and creativity welcome to showcase and promote Plateful Cafe.

Requirements:

• Basic video editing ability
• A decent camera/phone

We are looking for an Events Assistant who can help us organise monthly community dinners featuring three course meals from around the globe to enable the charity to engage with and attract donors. We require help with running the dinner on the day with tasks including welcoming the guests, serving food and drinks, take payments, setting up and clearing, etc.

You will be working as part of a team to plan and organise other events and fundraisers throughout the year, for example refugee week. You will also be assisting with applying for funds for events including securing raffle prizes, donations of ingredients, material needed, musicians and entertainment, etc.

This role will also include working closely with our marketing team, providing details of upcoming events for promotion; taking pictures and quotes at the event.

Main duties will include:

• Prior experience of events planning and organisation
• A passion and keenness to engage in community-based work to support refugees and serve the local community
• Good organisation skills including: effective time management, punctuality and delegation of tasks.
• A flexible and proactive attitude to working
• Good responsiveness to emails/ text/ whatsapp
• Practical skills to help prepare and set-up the café for events
• Able to work well in a team and communicate effectively with the rest of the staff and visitors of the cafe
• A willingness to learn new skills

Desirable:

• Prior experience working with refugees, people seeking asylum or other vulnerable groups
• Prior experience of involvement in charity fundraising events

We are looking for an enthusiastic Kitchen Assistant to join the team in our exciting new community space! Plateful Cafe is a recently established charity that seeks to help refugees in the surrounding area into employment within the food and hospitality sector. We are opening a community cafe selling delicious Middle Eastern food such as hummus, falafels, salads, okra stew and much more! Our cafe will be staffed by people with refugee status and experiences of forced migration who are being trained to work in the food industry, as well as dedicated volunteers like you. If you are passionate about being part of a community that celebrates a diversity of cultures and delicious food, this is your opportunity to make a difference and join us on our exciting journey with Plateful Cafe.

We are currently recruiting for a Social Media Volunteer. The Plateful Café works to relieve poverty and isolation amongst refugees, asylum seekers and other ethnic minorities in south-east London. Our commitment is to ensure we reach the most vulnerable people in our community and help them access the support they are entitled to. 

Videos are a powerful medium to engage with our supporters and also the wider public. You will play a great role to promote our brand and build our presence online.

We are looking for a dedicated and well-organised press volunteer who can assist our team with various communication tasks!

Main duties will include:

• Publishing news and reports about developments at Plateful Cafe, which is due to open in May
• Announcing and promoting events organised by our team through local press, radio, Lewisham Council and other organisations
• Writing stories for the website, funding applications and reports
• Creating content for our social media accounts

Requirements:

• A good writer and storyteller
• Contacts with the press
• Prior experience in communication

We are looking for someone to assist us to share information and updates through our communications and social media content, to help us fundraise and grow.

What will you be doing?

• Leading on one of our social media channels (currently Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or LinkedIn)
• Producing occasional blog posts (minimum one per quarter except LinkedIn lead who will do one per month) on topics related to Plateful Café including research and interviews.
• Recording social media analytics on a weekly basis
• Identifying potential content and opportunities
• Adding ideas to the content planner
• Postings and scheduling content
• Attendance at team catch-ups virtually/phone
• Ad-hoc attendance at events and markets
• Other duties in line with the role description

Requirements:

• Excellent communication skills in fluent English
• Has 3+ years experience of social media, copywriting, journalism, blog content creation, interviewing or similar skills (this does not have to include published work)lls and experience as a Social Media Officer and Blogger? We are looking for a new volunteer to help us at Plateful Cafe.
• Able to create interesting and engaging content
• Good computer skills
• Good time management skills
• Engaging and friendly
• Good team player

Desirable:

• Basic digital photography and editing skills
• An interest in supporting refugees and contributing to the work of Plateful Cafe
• Experience of working with refugees, people seeking asylum, vulnerable groups or lived experience
• Lives in London with ability to attend events and markets

Plateful Café seeks a WordPress Content & Landing Page Specialist Volunteer to turn our refugee chefs’ journeys into powerful web content. Every landing page you create directly connects people with authentic Syrian, Iranian, and Sudanese cuisine—and gives refugee chefs paid opportunities to rebuild their lives.

Your content bridges the gap between someone searching Google and discovering our life-changing work. This isn’t just writing—it’s impact.

What will you be doing?

• Create compelling landing pages that turn Google Ads visitors into catering customers, supper club guests, and shop buyers
• Write heartfelt blog posts sharing refugee chef stories, cultural food heritage, and community impact
• Optimise existing pages so more people find us, engage with us, and support our mission
• Craft clear calls-to-action that inspire people to book, buy, and get involved
• Work with our marketing team to align every word with our Google Ads strategy
• Improve page performance so our limited Google Ads budget reaches more people
• Keep our website fresh with updated events, chef spotlights, and product stories

What are we looking for?

• Confident WordPress user who can create and edit pages independently
• Understanding that great landing pages need clear headlines, compelling CTAs, and relevant content
• Natural writer with empathy—you tell stories that move people to action
• Detail-oriented—you check links, test mobile responsiveness, and perfect formatting
• Curious about how content supports Google Ads (or eager to learn)
• Self-driven and reliable—you deliver quality work on time
• Available 2-4 hours per week

Desirable but not essential:

• Experience with WordPress page builders (Elementor)
• Basic SEO knowledge
• Understanding of conversion rate optimisation
• Experience with Google Analytics or Google Ads
• Passion for food, social justice, or refugee support

What difference will you make?

• Your landing pages directly generate catering bookings and shop sales—real income for refugee chefs
• Your blog posts introduce thousands to the rich culinary traditions of Syria, Iran, and Sudan
• Your optimisation maximises our $10,000 monthly Google Ads Grant—every improvement means more reach
• You create content that gives refugee chefs visibility, dignity, and economic opportunity
• Build a portfolio of conversion-focused content with measurable results
• See real impact: page views, bookings made, products sold, lives changed

Ready to use your WordPress skills for good?Apply now and start making an impact.

We are looking for a Volunteer Market Stall Trader, to help sell produce made by our refugee chefs to customers at local markets. This role involves setting up and taking down the market stall, engaging with potential customers, explaining our products, addressing inquiries, and actively promoting sales. You will gain valuable experience in sales and customer service.

What will you be doing?

• Market Stall Setup and Take Down: Assist in the set up and take down of the market stall, including arranging products, setting up signage, and ensuring the stall is presentable.
• Product Promotion/Sales Encouragement: Engage with potential customers, explaining our products, the refugees who made them and our story, answering questions and providing recommendations as needed.
• Sales Transactions: Handle sales transactions efficiently and accurately including Zettle for cards and also cash.

Desirables:

• Ability to perform tasks that may involve heavy lifting and physical labour, such as setting up and taking down the market stall
• Strong customer service skills with a friendly and approachable demeanour
• Ability to work independently, as well as part of a team
• Willingness to learn about our charity and products and effectively communicate this to customers
• Basic numeracy skills required for processing sales transactions and handling money

We are seeking reliable and responsible Volunteer Drivers to support the transportation of food and products to markets, events, and private catering locations across London. This role is vital in ensuring goods are delivered safely, on time, and in excellent condition.

Key Responsibilities:

• Collect food and product items from designated pick-up points
• Transport goods to markets, events, and catering venues
• Load and unload items safely
• Plan efficient delivery routes
• Maintain communication with the team
• Ensure vehicle cleanliness
• Follow road safety regulations

Requirements:

• Valid UK driving licence
• Access to a reliable vehicle
• Good knowledge of London roads or GPS use
• Ability to lift moderate loads
• Reliable and organised

Desirable:

• Delivery or logistics experience
• Food hygiene awareness

What You’ll Gain:

• Support community initiatives
• Flexible schedule
• Logistics experience
• Mileage reimbursement at £0.45 per mile

Additional Information:

Flexible shifts including weekdays, evenings, and weekends.

As a Volunteer Donor Relationship Co-ordinator, you will play a crucial role in forming and maintaining relationships with our donors, ensuring they feel valued and appreciated, whilst forming & implementing a strategy to keep them donating. This role would suit someone who is confident, enthusiastic about building strong connections, and passionate about the welfare of refugees & asylum seekers.

Key responsibilities:

• Identify and approach local high net worth individuals/businesses to approach for a regular donation
• Develop a donor relationship strategy aimed at maximising engagement and satisfaction.
• Personally reach out to existing donors to thank them for their contributions (& send seasonal cards/other personalised messages to maintain positive relationships).
• Build relationships by engaging with donors via phone calls and emails to understand their motivations for donating and gather feedback used to improve our efforts.
• Encourage previous donors to continue their support.
• Keep detailed and accurate records of all our donor interactions to ensure we have up-to-date information on our supporters.
• Create and distribute surveys to gain insights into our donors’ needs and expectations.
• Further down the line, host webinars or live Q&A sessions to answer donor questions and provide updates on our work.

Requirements:

• Strong communication abilities
• Proficiency with google docs/sheets
• Excellent organisational skills
• A confident individual who is comfortable engaging with a diverse range of people
• Pro-active approach and work with minimum supervision
• Can commit a minimum of 2 hours per week

Are you looking to get involved in the local community or perhaps have an interest in mental health?

We are looking for a volunteer to facilitate a Men’s group in a local cafe. The group provides a safe, welcoming place for people to meet, share experiences and support each other’s growth whilst connecting over board games.

What you will be doing

• Meet service users in a local Cafe every Thursday from 11-12pm to play board games and facilitate discussions
• Create a supportive environment for men to connect, share experiences, and empower each other
• To negotiate/facilitate conflicts or disagreements that may arise during group meetings.

The skills you need

• Ability to create and maintain a safe environment where participants’ thoughts and feelings are valued, and group members are treated with fairness, equity and respect
• Experience of facilitating groups.
• Strong listening and communication skills

What's in it for you

• Supporting You - You will have a dedicated volunteer supervisor to support you in your role; Quarterly volunteer forums with the central Volunteering team and volunteers across Hestia; References for job applications
• Developing You - You will gain knowledge and insight into issues that impact Domestic Abuse, Modern Slavery and Mental Health; You will have access to our extensive Learning and Development Programme; 40% of our departed volunteers secured a paid role at Hestia last year!
• Valuing You - We hold annual Volunteer Awards and Celebration events; We reimburse travel expenses and up to £5 for lunch for your volunteering; We hold social events and outings for our volunteers to get together and have some fun

We are looking for friendly and enthusiastic people to help us in our brand-new Visitor Centre at Crystal Palace Park!  

The Visitor Centre is a welcoming hub where visitors can discover the history and heritage of Crystal Palace Park through a permanent exhibition, browse our gift shop and find information to help them make the most of their visit to Crystal Palace Park. The building also includes a flexible space available to hire for community events, meetings, and activities.

Volunteers will play a vital role in ensuring that visitors have an informative and positive visit. You’ll volunteer in pairs, supported by paid staff, to welcome visitors and support our Visitor Centre shop and membership opportunities.

This role will suit you if you are a friendly, outgoing individual who is keen to gain retail and customer service experience while learning more about working for a charity.

What’s involved: 

• Welcoming visitors to Crystal Palace Park and helping to ensure that we provide an inclusive and friendly environment for all our visitors. 

• Supporting the Visitor Centre shop, including serving customers, processing sales through our cashless till system and helping to ensure the stock is monitored and the space is welcoming and tidy. 

• Wayfinding – helping visitors map out their route around the park, including information about park services; toilets, cafes and seating areas 

• Promoting Crystal Palace Park, including our aiding visitors to join as Crystal Palace Park Members using our membership tablets. 

Time involved: 

This role is available Wednesday – Sunday throughout the year. Hours involved will be across two shift patterns, AM: 9.45 – 1.00pm and PM: 12.45 – 4.00pm. 

There will also be ad-hoc evening openings throughout the year which volunteers can also be involved in.

We encourage volunteers to take part in this role for at least 3 months to get the most out of the opportunity.

This role will suit you if: 

• You are a friendly and welcoming person, and you enjoy talking and meeting a wide variety of people 

• You’re happy to volunteer as part of a team 

• You’re interested in learning more about our history and communicating information to our visitors 

• You’d like to gain retail experience and customer service skills

• You’re interested in learning more about working for a charity and gaining understanding of the importance of membership and donations.

Support and training: 

We will provide you with all the training necessary for your role, including: 

• An induction and full briefing before your first session 

• Training in how to assist in the shop and membership engagement 

• Support from Trust and Freelance staff.

• Volunteers are covered under Crystal Palace Park’s public liability insurance 

We will offer you:

• A volunteer uniform (lanyard or pin badge) 

• Reimbursement of travel expenses up to maximum of a zone 1-6 travelcard 

• Support from a dedicated volunteer officer 

• Access to facilities, water and light refreshments 
• Ongoing support and supervision from Trust staff 

Access information: 

This role takes place inside the Visitor Centre in Crystal Palace Park which is step free. We want to make our volunteer roles accessible and if you have access requirements or would like to discuss whether this role is suitable for you, please get in touch. 

As a Community Outreach Volunteer, you’ll play a vital role in helping people in Havering know where to turn when they need urgent mental health support. You’ll be out and about in the community spreading the word about the Havering Crisis Café — chatting to local people, connecting with community centres, faith groups and local organisations, and sharing information through leaflets and posters. This is a great role for someone confident, friendly and passionate about making support more visible and accessible in the community.

What you will be doing

• Promoting the Havering Crisis Café within the local community
• Visiting community centres, libraries, GP surgeries, faith settings and other local spaces
• Handing out leaflets and displaying posters
• Helping build positive relationships with local organisations and community groups
• Feeding back any insights, questions or community needs to the team

The skills you need

• Friendly, approachable and confident talking to new people
• An interest in mental health, wellbeing and community support
• Good communication skills and a respectful, non judgemental approach

What's in it for you

• Supporting You - You will have a dedicated volunteer supervisor to support you in your role; Quarterly volunteer forums with the central Volunteering team and volunteers across Hestia; References for job applications.
• Developing You - You will gain knowledge and insight into issues that impact Domestic Abuse, Modern Slavery and Mental Health; You will have access to our extensive Learning and Development Programme; 40% of our departed volunteers secured a paid role at Hestia last year!
• Valuing You - Valuing You - We hold annual Volunteer Awards, outings, celebration, and social events for our volunteers to get together and have some fun; We reimburse travel expenses and up to £5 for lunch for your volunteering.