Community support volunteer roles

The Institute of Physics and Engineering in Medicine (IPEM) is seeking an exceptional individual to join its Board of Trustees as Honorary Secretary, a pivotal governance position at the heart of a respected UK professional body and learned society. As Honorary Secretary, you will contribute at a strategic level, helping to ensure strong governance, supporting effective Board leadership, and shaping the future direction of the charity with real impact across the UK healthcare system.  You will work closely with the President, Trustees and CEO, contributing to strategic decision-making and helping to ensure the Board operates effectively and transparently. 

IPEM operates as a professional body, a learned society, and a registered charity, working across hospitals, universities, and industry. IPEM is supported by a professional and collaborative staff team, working in partnership with its volunteer community. With over 4,700 members working across healthcare, academia and industry, IPEM plays a critical role in advancing physics and engineering in medicine to improve patient outcomes and transforming lives.

This is an unpaid role, with expenses paid for travel and sustenance for in person meetings. We anticipate a time commitment of no more than 12 days per year. It's essential that you are not a member of IPEM and eligible to become a Trustee. This is a 3 year term, renewable once. 

If you would like an informal chat, you can contact IPEM President Mark Knight or CEO Gill Collinson. An information pack and more details about IPEM can be found on our website. To apply for the role, please send your CV and a short cover letter outlining your suitability by 5pm Friday 8th May to Jenny Slack, Operations and Governance Manager.

Youth Leaders work directly with young people in St John Ambulance Badger Setts and Cadet Units. By organising a mixed weekly programme, this role will support the learning and development of young people into the next generation of health citizens. Youth Leaders also help young people develop their confidence, teamwork skills, self-discipline, and generally encourage them to strive to be the best they can be, as well as supervise and support other adult volunteers in their team.

You’ll get a huge sense of satisfaction and pride delivering an essential service. It’s great for you, great for your community and great for our nation, and it requires only a small commitment of your time. 

Our Cadet Group meetings are on a Thursday evening (1900-2100) at a Church Hall in Gravesend.

Pursuing the role

Selection process, followed by an informal interview. If you are successful you will need to undertake induction & training for role at these dates:

• Welcome Event (Induction) - 19th October 2026, details of times, venue, tbc

Closing date for these opportunities is: 31/07/2026

To apply for this opportunity please follow the link below:

Our vision is to help build communities that save lives and serve each other through volunteering for health and first aid.

Young people play a crucial role in helping us realise this mission. As a volunteer with our youth teams, you’ll be trained to provide our young people with both life skills and lifesaving skills – all while having great fun!

You’ll be working with our brilliant Badgers (aged 7-10) or creative Cadets (aged 11-18). You’ll also have the opportunity to design your own role, whether that involves running fun activities – such as outdoor events, summer camps and mountain adventures – or providing ‘behind-the-scenes’ support.

We’ll offer you the chance to become a fully-fledged Youth Leader, which will mean completing extra courses in First Aid or Adventure to broaden your capacity and experience.

Would you like to volunteer once a week or once a month? That’s entirely up to you. With the constant guidance of a friendly volunteer manager and youth team, you’ll have all the support you need to make bold strides and rediscover your inner ‘big kid’.

This role is exempt from the provisions of the Rehabilitations Offenders Act and as such as Enhanced DBS check will be obtained.

The closing date for this application is 31/12/2026

Our vision for volunteering

Volunteering is and always will be at the heart of Cats Protection. It is joyful and inclusive. As a charity, working in partnership, together we transform the lives of cats, people and communities.

The difference you will make to cats and people

At Cats Protection we help thousands of cats and kittens each year thanks to our dedicated and passionate volunteer groups. We have branches across the UK, all of which help our cats in different ways. Branches take in stray and abandoned cats and ensure they receive the veterinary care and attention they deserve; help raise funds, promote neutering and help spread cat welfare messages. Our branch team leader volunteers lead their local team by supporting and managing volunteers within their group, maintaining communications with both volunteers and employees, and helping promote a positive and professional image of Cats Protection.

You can expect us to

• Make you feel welcome, included and respected in line with our values and behaviours
• Support you in having a positive and impactful experience at Cats Protection
• Cover agreed out-of-pocket expenses in line with our Expenses Policy
• Provide you with access to learning, development and engagement opportunities

We are looking for team members who can commit for a minimum of 10 weeks, with adaptable profiles and who have the enthusiasm and energy we need to provide support in various areas across the organisation.

In this generalist role, you will find yourself responsible for a variety of tasks, helping to ensure that both our programme activities and day-to-day operations run smoothly. Second Tree works in a transparent way, in a challenging and changeable situation in the field; therefore, an ability to learn quickly and be open to feedback is vital. 

Your role would include:

The possible tasks included below are not exhaustive or rigidly defined; an exact role profile is dependent on the skill set of individual applicants. An average day might see you talking to students in a camp to tell them about a new class, or supporting the writing of a grant proposal. Tasks could loosely fall within 4 key areas:

Programmes

• Supporting programme coordinators in maintaining the day to day running of their activities with the Youth or Adult Education Programmes

• Supporting our children’s teachers or workshop facilitators in the planning or delivery of classes or excursions outside of camps

• Communicating key messages about our programmes to our students in camps

Admin, Finance & Logistics

• Supporting our management team in liaising with external partners

• Maintaining organisation-wide financial processes

• Coordinating the arrival and housing of incoming team members

Grants & Partnerships

• Supporting in the identification of relevant grants

• Supporting in grant writing activities

 Communications & Fundraising

• Contributing to the written/visual content of Second Tree’s social media output

• Developing social media strategies to expand our reach and impact

• Producing regular reports on performance

• Maintaining our website

• Supporting the planning and implementation of Second Tree’s fundraising initiatives, such as campaigns

• Organising and maintaining regular communications with Second Tree’s donors (newsletters, thank you letters)

You should be able to:

• Be accountable and efficient, making sure that tasks that you take up are completed on the agreed timeframe

• Be honest and transparent, being able to give and receive feedback in the most straightforward way possible

• Care for people; the interests of the people we work with should always be your first concern

• Instil the values above in the people that work with you

• Have keen problem-solving abilities, and a good understanding of what questions to ask, and when

• Communicate in English, both written and orally

• Learn quickly, managing a wide-ranging and intense workload

What do we offer?

• A nurturing and collaborative working environment. We work hard to help our team members grow; investing in personal and professional development.

• Accommodation in a shared house

• Transportation to/from work

• After completion of a three-month trial, if you commit long-term, a small monthly expenses refund

In certain periods of the year, demand is extremely high, and the shared houses might be full. If you have the means to pay for your own accommodation, please let us know. We would still be happy to host you if space is available. However, in a situation where the shared houses are full, this would allow us to offer an opportunity to someone that cannot afford to pay rent.

Looking for an internship?

If, because of your degree or for any other reason, you would like to have your period at Second Tree credited as an internship, just apply to the vacancy that you’re interested in and mention this. We have agreements with several universities across Europe, and in many other cases, these agreements can be developed on an ad hoc basis.

NOTE: If you require a visa to stay in Greece for the minimum ten-week commitment, please know that as a Greek NGO, we are unable to sponsor your visa.

As a Volunteer Musician, you will bring joy, comfort, and connection to the people we support, by sharing live music. Your performances will provide meaningful engagement, foster a sense of community, and enhance emotional and mental well-being.

• Play musical instruments or sing for small groups or individuals.

Tailor performances to the preferences and needs of the people we support (e.g., familiar songs or soothing melodies).

• Encourage the people we support to sing along or participate in simple ways (e.g., clapping, tapping rhythms).

• Create a welcoming, inclusive atmosphere during your sessions.

• Adjust your style or volume to suit the home setting and individuals’ sensitivities.

• Be attentive to the emotional and physical responses of individuals during performances.

• Work with care home staff to schedule performances and understand the unique needs of the residents.

• Communicate any concerns or noteworthy interactions with staff.

Skills required

• Proficiency in at least one musical instrument or singing.

• Warm, friendly, and compassionate demeanour.

• Patience and adaptability to engage with people of varying abilities and preferences.

• A genuine interest in contributing to the well-being of the people we support.

To ensure the safety of the people we support, we require a DBS check and two satisfactory references before a volunteer role is confirmed. As you will be volunteering directly with vulnerable individuals, you will also be required to undertake safeguarding training, as well as any training which is specific to the role.

Benefits

• This is a fantastic opportunity to give something positive back to society and have a direct impact on people’s lives.  

• Through this volunteer role, you can gain experience and develop your skill set. On top of this, SeeAbility provides training which could be added to your CV.

• Volunteers can claim travel expenses.

About Us 

Registered as The Royal School for the Blind, SeeAbility is one of the oldest disability charities in the UK. This year we are celebrating our 225th anniversary, having pioneered specialist support across multiple generations since 1799!

We specialise in supporting people who have learning disabilities, autism, complex needs, who may also have sight loss. Our support ranges from providing person-centred support across our many supported-living and residential care provisions. Furthermore, we provide specialist eye-care services to children and adults alike and assists people to find paid employment for the very first time.

SeeAbility provides the resources and expertise that make this possible, we support people to live ambitious lives and achieve things they never thought possible.

Volunteer with us! - New Volunteer Oppportunity in Acorns Children's Hospice Superstore - opening in Tewkesbury!

At Acorns we provide care and support for life limited or life threatened children and their families. We are a charity, so most of the care that we provide is funded through fundraising and through our shops.

To help us to continue to provide the care that we do, we are looking for fun and enthusiastic volunteers to join us in our brand new Tewkesbury superstore shop. Our shops are exciting and dynamic, with no two days being the same. From our walk-in customers, to receiving donations, and everything in between.

As a Shop Volunteer with us, you will be:

• Engaging with customers
• Accepting and sorting donated stock
• Pricing donations for sale
• Working on the till

Our shops are open Monday to Saturday (some open on Sundays too) 9am to 5pm.  You can volunteer the hours that suit you, but it would be great if you could support in the shop for at least 3 hours a week.

Why Volunteer at Acorns?

• To help a local charity and make a difference in your local community
• Connect with likeminded people and make new friends
• Enhance your CV by learning new skills and gaining experience
• Opportunities to progress to other roles
• Access to free online courses
• Retail discounts
• Invites to social events and participation in our volunteer recognition schemes and rewards

Full training will be provided

Our vision for volunteering

Volunteering is and always will be at the heart of Cats Protection. It is joyful and inclusive. As a charity, working in partnership, together we transform the lives of cats, people and communities.

The difference you will make to cats and people

At Cats Protection we help thousands of cats and kittens each year thanks to our dedicated and passionate volunteer groups. We have branches across the UK, all of which help our cats in different ways. Branches take in stray and abandoned cats and ensure they receive the veterinary care and attention they deserve; help raise funds, promote neutering and help spread cat welfare messages. Our branch team leader volunteers lead their local team by supporting and managing volunteers within their group, maintaining communications with both volunteers and employees, and helping promote a positive and professional image of Cats Protection.

You can expect us to

• Make you feel welcome, included and respected in line with our values and behaviours
• Support you in having a positive and impactful experience at Cats Protection
• Cover agreed out-of-pocket expenses in line with our Expenses Policy
• Provide you with access to learning, development and engagement opportunities

Join Our Team of Charity Shop Volunteers! 

Are you looking to make a difference in your local community? Do you enjoy meeting people, working as part of a team, or getting hands-on behind the scenes? Valley CiDS is looking for friendly and enthusiastic volunteers to support our retail charity shop.

Volunteer Roles Available:
We welcome volunteers for all areas of the shop, including:

• Serving Customers: Providing a warm welcome and delivering excellent customer service.
• Stock Processing: Sorting, steaming, pricing, and hanging donated items to prepare them for sale.
• Shop Floor Presentation: Helping create attractive displays to showcase our stock and appeal to customers.
• Till Operation: Assisting with transactions and handling cash confidently and responsibly (full training will be provided).

If you’d like to join our fantastic team or want to find out more, we’d love to hear from you!

 Perks and Benefits
• The enjoyment of meeting new people and being part of a team.
• An opportunity to make a difference and support a local charity.
• Develop new skills and experiences to add to your CV.
• Training and induction relevant to the role with a work reference if required.
• 20% Shop Discount after 4 weeks in the role.

Job Overview

The Abundant Woman is looking for an experienced and compassionate Human Resources (HR) Manager to help build and support our growing team. This role is essential for creating a positive work environment that reflects our mission of empowering women, ensuring our HR policies are inclusive, and managing the full HR lifecycle—from recruitment and onboarding to performance management and staff well-being.

Key Responsibilities

 •  Oversee recruitment, hiring, and onboarding processes to attract and retain top talent aligned with our values.

 •  Develop and implement HR policies that promote a positive, inclusive, and supportive workplace culture.

 •  Provide guidance and support on employee relations, performance management, and conflict resolution.

 •  Coordinate training and professional development opportunities to support employee growth and well-being.

 •  Ensure compliance with UK employment laws and maintain up-to-date employee records and HR documentation.

Key Skills and Qualifications

 •  Proven experience as an HR Manager or in a similar role, preferably in a nonprofit or social enterprise setting.

 •  Strong knowledge of UK employment law, HR best practices, and compliance requirements.

 •  Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, with an empathetic and solutions-oriented approach.

 •  Organisational and problem-solving skills, with attention to detail in managing HR processes.

 •  Passion for supporting a mission-driven team and fostering an inclusive work culture.

Why Join Us?

As the HR Manager at The Abundant Woman, you’ll be a key part of a mission-driven team dedicated to creating impactful change. This role offers the unique opportunity to shape our organisation’s culture and provide meaningful support to a team committed to empowering women.

This Role Is Not Symbolic. It Is Structural.

Safeguarding is not a policy document. 

It is not a checkbox.

It is not a compliance exercise.

In this CIC, safeguarding is the infrastructure that allows the work to exist at all.

We work with:

• Survivors of childhood sexual abuse (CSA)
• Vulnerable adults
• Young people
• Ex-offenders
• Volunteers with lived trauma
• Communities historically failed by institutions

If safeguarding fails, everything fails.

This role exists to make sure that never happens.

Purpose of the Safeguarding Officer Role

The Safeguarding Officer is responsible for designing, implementing, and protecting the safeguarding framework that allows the CIC to operate safely, ethically, and lawfully at scale.

This role ensures:

• Survivors are protected, not re-exposed
• Volunteers are supported, not exploited
• Risks are identified early, not ignored
• Safeguarding is embedded into every system, not bolted on

About the role:

To design and uphold safeguarding systems that protect survivors, volunteers and the organisation, ensuring safety, ethics and legal compliance are built into every practice as the CIC grows. Safeguarding is the infrastructure that allows the work to "SAFELY" exist at all.

Experience Qualification and Requirements

• Experience in safeguarding within:

 Charity

 Statutory services  

 Education

 Health

 Grassroots or community settings

• Experience working with vulnerable adults and/or children.
• Strong understanding of trauma-informed practice.
• Ability to respond to disclosures calmly and appropriately.
• Experience writing and implementing safeguarding policies.
• Risk assessment and incident management experience.
• Understanding of UK safeguarding legislation and guidance.
• Confidence challenging unsafe practice at any level.
• Ability to balance care with boundaries.
• Strong judgement under pressure.
• Clear written documentation skills.
• Capacity to work unpaid and full-time during build phase.
• Emotional regulation and professional restraint.
• Integrity, steadiness and clarity.

Main Responsibilities/ Key Duties

• Design, implement, and maintain a safeguarding framework that protects survivors, volunteers, members and the organisation.
• Develop and own safeguarding policies, procedures and reporting pathways covering:

 Adults and children at risk

 Volunteers and peer supporters

 Digital spaces, storytelling, and online engagement

• Ensure safeguarding is embedded into:

 Recruitment and onboarding

 Training and supervision

 Programme design and delivery

 Digital systems and data handling

• Establish clear risk assessment processes for activities, campaigns, and content.
• Act as the safeguarding lead for concerns, disclosures, and incidents, ensuring:

 Timely, appropriate responses

 Accurate recording

 Correct escalation to statutory agencies where required

• Build systems that prevent re-exposure, re-traumatisation, or exploitation of survivors.
• Ensure volunteers are supported, supervised and not placed in unsafe or inappropriate roles.
• Advise leadership on safeguarding risks, capacity limits and ethical boundaries.
• Deliver safeguarding guidance and training proportionate to role and risk.
• Monitor safeguarding practice across teams and intervene early where drift appears.
• Work closely with Digital, Membership, Fundraising, and Social teams to manage risk in:

 Storytelling

 Online engagement

 Data use

• Maintain professional distance and emotional steadiness when handling complex situations.
• Review and update safeguarding systems as the CIC scales.
• Contribute to external accountability and transparency where appropriate.

You must:

• Be able to commit 80% dedication during the build phase
• Be comfortable working unpaid while the CIC is being built
• Be emotionally grounded and professionally boundaries
• Understand trauma without centring yourself
• Be able to hold complexity without collapsing into control or avoidance

You should have experience in some of the following:

• Safeguarding (statutory, charity, education, health, or grassroots)
• Working with vulnerable adults and/or children
• Trauma-informed practice
• Policy development and implementation
• Risk assessment and incident management

Formal qualifications are welcome but not essential.
Integrity, clarity and steadiness are.

This role is not for you if:

• You want safeguarding to be “light touch”
• You avoid difficult conversations
• You seek authority without responsibility
• You are uncomfortable challenging leadership when needed
• You are looking for a title rather than accountability

What You Gain:

• A founding leadership role in a CIC tackling real harm
• The chance to build safeguarding the right way
• Influence over how protection, care, and accountability coexist
• The opportunity to shape a future paid safeguarding role
• Deep purpose-driven work that actually protects people

As the CIC scales, this role is expected to evolve into a paid senior safeguarding position, shaped by the person who built it.

Formal qualifications are not required, but desirable.
Essential equivalent experience mandatory.

Next Steps:

Shortlisted applicants will be invited to:

• A values-led conversation
• A practical discussion about event planning, coordination, and execution

If you believe that well-organised, purposeful events can change communities, and that experiences inspire action, this role is for you.

A Final Word

Safeguarding is an act of love.
It is also an act of discipline.

If you know that:

• Survivors deserve better systems
• Vulnerable people deserve real protection
• Community work must be safe to be sustainable

Job Description

We are seeking a motivated and creative volunteer to support our digital growth and search visibility. This role would suit someone interested in SEO, digital marketing, psychology, wellbeing, social impact, or communications who wants hands-on experience within a meaningful organisation.

You Would Help Us:

• Improve search engine visibility

• Increase organic website traffic

• Support blog and content strategy

• Optimise website pages and keywords

• Improve local search presence

• Identify opportunities for audience growth

• Support engagement through content and online platforms

What you’ll need for this Role

• Experience and interest in SEO or digital marketing

• Familiarity with WordPress, Wix, Squarespace, or similar platforms

• Understanding of content creation or blogging

• Interest in older adult wellbeing, mindfulness, psychology

• Good communication and organisational skills

What we Can Offer

• Practical SEO and digital marketing experience

• Portfolio-building opportunities

• Experience supporting a social impact organisation

• Flexible remote volunteering

• Opportunity to contribute ideas and shape digital growth strategy

• References and experience suitable for CVs or future applications

Time Commitment

• 4 Hours per week, ideally including attendance at our online team meeting on Wednesday mornings at 9:30.

About The Mindful Life Group

The Mindful Life Group CIC is the UK’s only not-for-profit organisation dedicated to older adult mental wellbeing. We design and deliver group-based online courses that help people feel more connected, supported, and emotionally resilient.

Our work focuses on making mental health support more accessible for people who may experience barriers to care or health inequalities, while also helping students, volunteers, and aspiring professionals build confidence and develop skills within healthcare and wellbeing settings.

We are committed to creating inclusive, evidence-informed programmes that encourage connection, personal growth, and positive change within the community.

Company Description

At Cransley Hospice Trust, we believe everyone deserves comfort, dignity, and compassionate care at the end of life. By raising vital funds and awareness, we support hospice services across North Northamptonshire, helping patients and their families when they need it most.

Our retail spaces are more than just shops, they are welcoming community hubs where every purchase makes a real difference to local people.

Role Description

We’re looking for friendly and enthusiastic Retail Shop Volunteers to join our Curated by Cransley store in Kettering. This is a fantastic opportunity to gain retail experience, meet new people, and contribute to a cause that truly matters. As a volunteer, you’ll play an important role in creating a positive shopping experience while helping to generate income that supports local hospice care.

Shop Duties

• Welcoming customers
• Accepting donated goods from customers
• Obtaining Gift Aid support from customers donating goods
• Using the till and handling money in accordance with set procedures.
• Sorting and hanging of donated stock
• Steaming of clothes (after appropriate training)
• Keeping all areas clean, tidy and clear
• Taking rubbish to bins in close vicinity
• Helping with shop displays

We are hosting two open information days for anyone interested in volunteering with Cransley Hopsice Trust. These events will be held on Tuesday 12th May, 9:30am-12pm and Thursday 14th May, 3pm-6pm at our Trust Offices:

 John Notley Building, St Mary's Hospital, London Rd, Kettering, NN15 7PW

We would love to see you there!

Cransley Hospice Trust is committed to equal opportunities principles and practice. All volunteers, in their particular roles and working collaboratively, will be expected to follow the principles of Cransley Hospice Trust as set out in the volunteer briefing document. All volunteers are expected to work within our policies and uphold the values that guide everything we do.

Are you interested in making a difference to the lives of children and young people? Is there a skatepark in your area? If so, this role could be for you.

We are a UK registered youth development charity that uses teaching and learning to skateboard in a structured and supportive environment as a platform to develop the skills and abilities of children and young people.

The Role: Chapter Leader

As a Chapter Leader with the Skateboarding Foundation (SF), your role is to set up and run a Local Chapter that gives young people access to skateboarding and life skills through the SF ‘Eduskate’ programme.

Training, materials, resources, equipment and ongoing support, advice and guidance will be provided.

Key responsibilities

Your key responsibilities include:

• Setting up and running the chapter
• Recruiting coaches
• Recruiting learners
• Coordinating the delivery of the coaching programme
• Raising funds and spreading the word
• Helping us monitor and evaluate the programme
• Giving three/four hours a month of your time

You’ll have overall responsibility for the chapter’s activities, compliance, and smooth running. You’ll provide direction and support to your chapter committee, chair meetings, and ensure volunteers, coaching programmes, and fundraising are well managed.

The role involves motivating the team, planning chapter development, and stepping in where needed to keep things on track. You’ll also liaise with the national Board of Trustees, keeping them informed of key decisions and changes. 

Strong leadership, organisation, and a passion for youth development (and ideally skateboarding) and the charity’s mission are essential.