Cafe volunteer roles in London

Community Café Volunteers

The Bridge Community Hut, N15 6SE

 Love cooking? Enjoy meeting people?

 Join our friendly community café team!

We are looking for enthusiastic and reliable volunteers to help create a welcoming space where local residents can enjoy good food and great company.

Open 3 days per week (including Saturdays), 9:00am – 5:00pm

What you’ll do

 Help prepare simple, nutritious meals

• Serve food and drinks with a smile
• Keep the kitchen and café clean and organised

 What we’re looking for

• Friendly, positive, and team-oriented
• Interest in cooking or community work
• Willingness to learn (no experience needed!)

What you’ll gain

• Valuable café and teamwork experience
• New skills (with training available)
• A pathway into employment
• Meet new people and be part of your community

How to apply

To apply, please email or post your CV..

Plateful Café works to relieve poverty and isolation amongst refugees, asylum seekers and ethnic minorities in Lewisham. Our commitment is to reach the most vulnerable people in our community and open a pathway to employment for people who have asylum here. Refugees will benefit from workshops, training skills and knowledge relevant for the catering industry. Plateful Cafe are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all volunteers and team members. We are an equal opportunities provider and actively encourage applications from people with a refugee background.

What will the role involve?

• Looking for partnership opportunities with the private sector.
• Assisting with the development and ongoing work of Businesses Fundraising Action Group.
• Assisting in planning fundraising strategies with local businesses.
• Reporting on businesses partnerships and recent developments at Plateful Café.
• Working in partnership with the Plateful Café fundraising team.

Essential:

• Excellent communication skills.
• Experience of working with corporates.
• Expertise in new project creation and developing business links.

Desirable:

• Previous experience in fundraising and/or marketing.

What difference will you make?

• Helping to establish a new Business support group and a sustainable long-term funding structure.
• Developing and maintaining a funding mix, not relying on only one stream of funding.
• Helping local refugees find employment and enter the workforce much sooner than they otherwise might.

1. Recruiting and selecting potential volunteers, acting as an ambassador for Plateful Café

2. Inducting volunteers into suitable roles based on their interests, experience and expectations and the charity's needs

3. Providing an initial point of contact with the charity and ensuring volunteers maintain a positive and confident approach

4. Supporting the volunteer team to ensure the provision of relevant experience, training and development opportunities as well as supervision and support

5. Maintaining an up-to-date database in order to monitor volunteer progress and to record and celebrate their contributions

6 Contributing to newsletter and reports in order to maintain and develop the profile of Plateful Café

7. Good understanding of safeguarding to keep both employees and volunteers safe and protected. 

8. Good management skills and the ability to organise on behalf of others.

9. Help new volunteers when they are stuck with certain tasks

10. You will need to effectively strategise a plan for other volunteers, make volunteer rotas and stay on top of volunteering admin and prioritise important tasks.

The Plateful Café works to relieve poverty and isolation amongst refugees, asylum seekers and ethnic minorities in Lewisham. Our commitment is to reach the most vulnerable people in our community and help them access the support they are entitled to. Refugees will benefit from workshops, training skills and knowledge relevant for catering industry.

 As a small charity, a modest sum of money raised can enable our projects to take place. As such, the role of volunteer fundraiser is essential.  We are seeking to appoint enthusiastic, well-organised and highly motivated people to assist our Grants and Funding team  with the research and writing of funding applications to secure vitally needed funds for the charity.

The duties will include:

• Conduct research into trusts and foundations 
• Write funding applications
• Attend monthly team meeting
• Supporting the fundraising team in any other ways as required.

Requirements:

• Excellent communication skills in fluent English
• Excellent research skills and ability to work with considerable initiative
• Good computer skills
• Attention to detail and accuracy
• Some previous fundraising experience is desirable
• An interest in supporting refugees and contributing to the work of Plateful Cafe

What you will gain as a volunteer:

• Gain experience and insight into the world of charity fundraising
• Develop skills and strategies needed as a fundraiser
• Acquire experience working within a community charity
• Access training opportunities available to Plateful Cafe volunteers

About the Role

We are seeking enthusiastic and committed volunteers to join our team as a Charity Support Officers. This is a flexible position where you can tailor your contribution by choosing the area that best suits your skills and interests:

• Events Support – Help plan, coordinate, and deliver charity events, including fundraising initiatives and community engagement activities.
• Policy Review – Support the review, updating, and development of internal policies to ensure compliance and best practice in governance.
• Performance Management – Contribute to monitoring and evaluating our projects, analysing outcomes, and identifying areas for improvement.
• Social Media Strategy – Assist in shaping and delivering our online presence, developing engaging content, and growing digital reach.

Key Responsibilities
Depending on your chosen specialism, you may:

• Assist in planning and delivering successful events.
• Review and update organisational policies in line with legal and sector standards.
• Collect and analyse data to support impact reporting and performance improvement.
• Develop social media content calendars and strategies to engage supporters online.

Person Specification
We are looking for volunteers who:

• Have strong organisational and communication skills.
• Can work independently as well as part of a team.
• Demonstrate attention to detail and reliability.
• Bring enthusiasm and an interest in the charity sector.
• Have relevant skills or a willingness to learn in their chosen specialism (e.g., events planning, policy research, data analysis, or digital communications).

What You’ll Gain

• A meaningful opportunity to contribute to a growing charity.
• Hands-on experience in a specialist area aligned to your interests.
• Training and mentoring opportunities to develop your skills.
• The chance to be part of a supportive and passionate volunteer community.

Take a look at our events and pop down and visit us! https://www.mentalfightclub.art/whats-on 

***Please note that this is an opportunity based in Nottingham (shire) in the United Kingdom and we don’t offer sponsorship or accept overseas applicants***

Age UK Notts are seeking individuals who would like to be considered as a volunteer for our Companion Service.

Volunteers will be supporting people in their own homes and in the community within Nottingham and Nottinghamshire and ideally, we ask all applicants to provide a minimum of 1 hour volunteering a week.

The companion service volunteer can choose to be:                                                           

• A companion within the person’s home

• A companion outside the person’s home

Examples of the type of support the service offers include:

• Supporting an older person/s hobbies and interests or simply chatting with them in their own home on a regular basis.

• Supporting with digital access & building confidence skills & motivation to access the opportunities of the internet.

• Supporting the person outside of their home e.g., by accompanying them on a walk, to the shops, to a café, garden centre, theatre or cinema or other social activities / community groups. 

• Where appropriate, supporting the older person to access other services through information and signposting or referring to the Companion Service Coordinator for support.

We are looking for the following skills/interests:

• Individuals with a genuine interest in the wellbeing of older people who are committed to volunteering on a regular basis.

• Commitment to complete our Volunteer Report Form accurately and regularly. 

• Ability to travel for visits in the local community either by car or public transport for those volunteers who choose to participate in this type of activity.

• Digital literacy for those volunteers who choose to participate in this type of activity.

We are looking for volunteers with good daytime availability in specific areas of Nottingham and Nottinghamshire.

Please contact the volunteering team for further information on where specifically in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire.

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.

Location

A range of volunteer opportunities across Bexley and Dartford, designed to fit your schedule.

Current Elderberries Vintage Tea Rooms Locations

Monday 12 pm - 3 pm​

Wilmington Community Church, Wilmington,

Broad Lane, DA2 7AQ

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Tuesday 10.30 am - 1.30 pm

Wolsley House, Wolsley Close,

Crayford, DA1 4BE​

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Thursday 10.30 am - 1.00 pm

8th Bexleyheath Scout Group

32 Westbrooke Road

Welling, DA16 1PR

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Friday 2 pm - 4 pm

Baldwyns Park Baptist Church,

Bexley, DA5 2AT​

Time Commitment

Flexible and agreed in advance according to the location needs. This role includes regular support sessions and occasional cover for the Cook during planned or unplanned absence.

Role Summary

The volunteer kitchen support (deputy cook) supports the delivery of Evergreen Care UK’s community café services. You will work alongside the Cook and wider team to help create a welcoming, well-run environment where people feel connected and included.

A key part of this role is providing occasional cover for the Cook, helping ensure the café can continue to run smoothly. You will be supported by the wider team when doing so.

This role is designed to provide additional support and occasional cover. The overall responsibility for service delivery remains with Evergreen Care UK staff.

This is a practical, hands-on role suited to someone who enjoys cooking, being part of a team, and contributing to a positive community space.

About Evergreen Care UK

Evergreen Care UK is a charity rooted in a Christian ethos, guided by our values of Compassion, Dignity, Connection, and Trust. We welcome and serve people of all faiths and none.

Our services support people in later life to live independently, reduce loneliness, and remain connected to their communities. Our cafés play an important role in bringing people together, creating opportunities for connection through shared meals and conversation.

Key Responsibilities

Kitchen Support:
- Support the Cook in preparing and serving nutritious, home-cooked meals
- Assist with food preparation, cooking, and service
- Help maintain a clean, organised, and safe kitchen environment

Kitchen Cover:
- Provide cover for the Cook when required, supporting the preparation and serving of meals
- Help ensure the kitchen continues to run safely and smoothly, with support from the team

Environment & Experience:
- Contribute to a welcoming and inclusive café environment
- Engage positively with guests, supporting a friendly and relaxed atmosphere
- Work alongside volunteers and team members to create a strong sense of community

Standards & Safety:
- Follow Food Hygiene and Health & Safety guidance
- Support good kitchen practices and cleanliness
- Be aware of safeguarding and raise any concerns appropriately

Volunteer Support

- Work alongside other volunteers in a supportive and collaborative way
- Help create an inclusive environment where everyone feels valued
- Share knowledge and support others where appropriate

Who We’re Looking For

We are looking for someone who:
- Enjoys cooking and working as part of a team
- Is reliable and able to offer a degree of flexibility
- Feels confident supporting kitchen tasks and stepping in when needed
- Has a positive and approachable manner
- Is motivated by contributing to a meaningful community service

Experience in cooking for groups or a café setting is helpful but not essential. Training and support will be provided where needed.

Our Values in Action

- Compassion – creating a welcoming and supportive environment
- Dignity – treating every person with respect
- Connection – helping build a sense of belonging
- Trust – being dependable and supportive within the team

What You Can Expect

- To be part of a welcoming and supportive team
- To contribute to a service that makes a real difference in the community
- Opportunities to build confidence, skills, and experience
- Reimbursement of reasonable expenses in line with Evergreen policies

Safeguarding and Support

Evergreen Care UK is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of those we support.

Volunteers will be supported to understand their role in safeguarding and are expected to raise any concerns appropriately.

An enhanced DBS check may be required depending on the nature of the role.

Flexibility

This role description outlines the main aspects of the volunteer role but is not exhaustive. As a small, values-driven organisation, flexibility and teamwork are important.

Are you looking for a meaningful volunteering opportunity where you can make a real difference? We are currently recruiting new Volunteer Mentors to join our growing, diverse network of dedicated volunteers.

At Hope for the Young, our mission to support young refugees and asylum seekers in London as they overcome the many challenges of starting a new life in the UK. From navigating education systems to building confidence and social connections, our Volunteer Mentors play a crucial role in helping young people achieve their goals and fulfil their potential.

What You’ll Do as a Mentor

• Meet with a young person (mentee) once a week for 1–3 hours, usually in a local café, library, or community space in London

• Set education and personal development goals and offer guidance, support and motivation towards these

• Commit to mentoring for a minimum of six months

Who We’re Looking For

We welcome applications from people of different ages, cultural backgrounds, and professional experiences. You don’t need prior mentoring experience - just empathy, patience, and a genuine desire to support a young person.

We’re especially keen to build a diverse pool of mentors to reflect the backgrounds and experiences of the young people we support. We particularly welcome and encourage applications from those with lived experience of forced migration, as well those with ethnically diverse backgrounds. 

What We Provide

When you volunteer with us, you’ll receive:

• A comprehensive induction and training to prepare you for the role

• Ongoing 1:1 support from a dedicated Mentoring Coordinator

• Reimbursed expenses for all meetings and activities with your mentee

• Invitations to regular social events for mentors and mentees

• The opportunity to join a passionate community committed to making a positive impact

Why Volunteer With Us?

As a mentor, you will have the opportunity to make a tangiable difference in a young person's life, and you will also be able to:

• Develop your coaching, communication, and interpersonal skills

• Gain a deeper understanding of the refugee and asylum seeker experience

• Join a supportive and inspiring community of volunteers

If you’re passionate about supporting young people and want to help someone build a brighter future, we’d love to hear from you!

Description

Sooty, the nation’s much-loved bear and a true national treasure, has featured on RNIB’s collection boxes for over 50 years. Thanks to generous public support, these iconic boxes have raised more than £13 million in donations.

We’re looking for friendly, reliable volunteers to join our network of Sooty Box collectors. In this flexible role, you’ll help place new boxes and collect and bank donations from Sooty Boxes in local shops, cafés and other businesses in your area. Whether you volunteer on your own, with a friend or as part of a group, you’ll be making a real difference in your community.

You can give as much or as little time as you like and fit the role around your other commitments.

Please note: Volunteers are expected to use their own transport and ideally should have access to a car. Mileage or public transport costs will be reimbursed.

How often will I be needed?

• 1 Hours per Week

Key requirements

• Requires 2 references

  Who this opportunity will suit

  Minimum age

• You must be at least 18 years old to apply

• What skills and experience are needed?

• • Good organisational skills • Trustworthy, enthusiastic and self-motivated • Willing to travel in and around your local area • Comfortable working independently • Able to send and receive emails

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.

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.

What you will be doing

• Activity Organisers - Love planning? Help coordinate amazing events like charity dinners, carol concerts, and local fairs.
• Event Champions - Be the friendly face of SSAFA! Help at events, chat with visitors, sell merchandise, and spread the word about our work.
• 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

• Be friendly and approachable.
• Confident 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.
• Access to public transport or a car to get to events if necessary.
• Basic IT skills would be an advantage.

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 from your local SSAFA branch and SSAFA Community Engagement Manager.
• Experience, training and skills that you can highlight on your CV and in job interviews.
• Better physical and mental health – studies show that volunteers live longer and experience lower levels of stress and depression!

Disclaimer

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

About us:

We're seeking new trustees to join our team and contribute to the effective governance of our charity that delivers information, advice and wellbeing support for unpaid carers in two northwest London boroughs. Our Hillingdon team also offer a young carers service supporting children and young people, aged 5 to 25 years old, who live in Hillingdon and have a caring responsibility at home.

About the opportunity: 

As a trustee, you will have a positive opportunity to make an impact on the lives of unpaid carers in Hillingdon and Ealing! 

You will be essential in ensuring the effective governance of a charity whose mission is to offer support and guidance to anyone living with the challenges of being an unpaid carer.

About you:

We are delighted to now be covering the London borough of Ealing in addition to Hillingdon and our current focus is strengthening Carers Trust Hillingdon & Ealing's market position. We are particularly interested to talk to people with skills and experience in:

• Marketing and communications
• Information technology
• A good knowledge of the local Ealing area and/or statutory services there
• Finance / Accounting

You would need to be able to devote the necessary time and have strategic vision, independent judgement and an ability to think creatively.

Our impact: 

Our key achievements last year include:

• £1,590,549.10 carer-related benefits secured for carers
• 5,193 adults carers registered with Carers Trust Hillingdon & Ealing
• 493 visits to carer cafes
• 609 care-calls made
• 8,440 hours of respite received by carers
• 13,131 pieces of information
• 70 health and wellbeing workshops & seminars delivered

Our Young Carers team's key achievements last year:

• 321 new young/young adult carers registered
• 37 workshops delivered
• 104 youth club sessions
• 29 trips delivered
• 4 whole-family trips, attended by 144 carers
• 1,508 young/young carers supported
• 4 residential breaks
• 2,681 individual breaks provided

Working hours:

Our governing body is made up of 7 trustees and meetings take place six times a year, typically on a Friday 10:00am to 12:00pm. The option to join meetings online is also available. We pay travel and out-of-pocket expenses and new trustees will receive a full induction. Trustees can also access a small training budget by agreement with the Finance Committee.

Summary of role

We are looking for teachers with a recognised ESOL qualification to support clients on a 1:1 basis with speaking, reading and writing English for an hour or so each week.

How does this role make a difference?

This support provided by volunteers to our clients really helps them progress with their English. Often clients do not have opportunities to learn English outside of the classroom or interact with a British-born person, so this opportunity is invaluable to them. Improving our clients English also enables individuals to access our other services such as, the employment team and digital inclusion, which will in turn, improve their employment prospects and assist in integration in their local community.

Who will you be helping?

Our clients are refugees, migrants and asylum seekers who are unable to afford or access English classes at colleges. We have many clients at the Centre who need one-to-one support with their English, mostly around listening and speaking, fluency and confidence building. We can also offer additional sessions to clients who are accessing external ESOL classes who feel they need additional 1:1 support.

What will you be doing?

We would like you to meet a client for 1 – 2 hours each week, this can be at the Centre or in a public place such as a café or library or where possible on-line. You will provide them with individual support with their English.  

Your responsibilities:

• Be able to commit at least one hour a week to your client for up to six months.
• Create an agreed Individual Learning Plan.
• Meet with your client at an agreed time and place.
• Be able to encourage and motivate your client.
• Be able to plan an hour’s English session based on the client’s ability and need.
• Send a short progress report to the Learning & Employment Manager after every meeting with your client.
• Participate in the Centre induction and safeguarding training.
• Attend quarterly group meetings, at the Centre, with other English Learning Volunteers at an agreed time.

What are we looking for?

• You have a recognised ESOL qualification e.g. CELTA or a Trinity or Cambridge Certificate
• You have excellent listening and clear communication skills.
• You are able to encourage and motivate a person.
• You are friendly, patient and reliable.
• You will have the ability to get on with people from a wide range of backgrounds

We cover travel expenses.

About Circular Kitchens

Circular Kitchens is a social enterprise and membership platform designed to help restaurants, cafés, pubs, food stalls, and other catering businesses become fully circular: Plastic Free, Ecological, Local, and Zero Waste.

By working with the hospitality sector, we are helping regenerate local communities, strengthen regional food systems, and increase demand for ecological and regenerative agriculture in the UK. Our current focus is launching Circular Kitchens in Whitstable and supporting our first mover restaurants to achieve 3 Star Circular Kitchens certification. Based on learnings from this pilot, we are preparing to scale across the UK, growing our environmental and social impact.

Role Description

We are seeking a volunteer to support our development of a sustainable wholesale products database. This role will involve researching products that restaurants use (e.g. paper napkins, take-away containers, condiments) and ranking them using our scoring system. The aim is to remove uncertainty from sustainable procurement, helping our members make responsible decisions and avoid purchasing from companies engaged in greenwashing.

As the scoring system is built, this role is primarily a data entry position that requires some research skills and strong attention to detail.

An Ideal Candidate Will Be:

• Interested in sustainability, hospitality, data analytics, or a related field

• Technically confident (e.g. comfortable working with digital tools, spreadsheets, or information management platforms like Coda)

• Comfortable working with evolving, early-stage systems

• Well organised with strong attention to detail

• Curious about startups, social enterprise, and/or sustainability

This is a voluntary role with a flexible time commitment, offering the opportunity to contribute to the operational backbone of a growing social enterprise and work closely with the founding team on systems designed to have real-world impact.