Courses and community manager volunteer roles

Would you like to support people who have served in the Armed Forces? You just need the ability to listen, strong IT skills and good written and spoken English. If you think this could be the role for you, we’d love to hear from you.

What is a Caseworker?

Caseworkers visit clients to work out what type of support they need. You will listen without judgement to assess and provide tailored support to help those serving, who have served and their families to navigate life in and beyond military service. Some examples of support are securing funding for special equipment for someone with a disability, adaptions to a property so an older client can remain at home or funds for a rental deposit. Caseworkers also sign-post clients onto specialist local services for advice on benefits, housing, mental health, debt, finding work etc.

Why do we need you?

We’ve been supporting the Armed Forces community since 1885. Our clients come from all backgrounds and age groups and may have served in WW2 or in a more recent conflict like the Falklands or Afghanistan. We’d love the general public to understand what we do and how they can help us.

There are SSAFA branches throughout the UK and overseas who support local volunteers to deliver services to veterans, serving personnel and their families. Some branches are divided into smaller divisions to ensure the best local service delivery. Each branch has a team of volunteer caseworkers, support volunteers, executive roles, and fundraisers.

Volunteer Caseworkers are the lifeblood of SSAFA, supporting a growing number of people in need of financial, practical, and emotional support. Clients come from all backgrounds and age groups and may have served in WW2 or in a more recent conflict like Iraq or Afghanistan.

When would you be needed and where would you be based?

The essential part of the role is visiting clients, so you will need access to a vehicle or another way to travel to meet clients at home or in a care home setting. As part of your local branch, you might have access to an office, but you can complete the administration part of the role from home as long as you have access to IT equipment and the internet.

What would you be doing?

• Contacting beneficiaries and arranging to meet them at a mutually convenient time.
• Meeting beneficiaries and completing a form to assess their circumstances, using good communication skills, empathy and understanding.
• Sign-posting clients onto local services providing specialist advice.
• Applying for funding on the behalf of the beneficiary through a specific process and system  
• Arranging for the purchase of goods and services
• Keeping the beneficiary informed of their case progress.
• Liaise with the branch and regional office, regarding your availability.
• Keeping up to date with training and SSAFA news so that you are best able to support clients.
• Being a positive ambassador for SSAFA remembering that anyone you meet could be a potential client, volunteer, or fundraiser.
• Volunteering within the standards and values of SSAFA
• Adhering to SSAFAs policies and procedures at all times, including safeguarding, volunteering policy, equality, diversity and inclusion, health and safety, data protection and confidentiality.  

What can you gain from this volunteering role?

• Use your skills, knowledge, and life experience to benefit others.
• Support from your local SSAFA branch and the wider SSAFA community
• 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!

What training and support would you receive?

• Role specific training to prepare you for your voluntary role – confidentiality and boundaries, personal safety, caseworker training, and caseworker IT system training. The caseworker training takes 3 days and a further half a day for the other training.
• Mandatory on-line training modules to complete at home, so you are up to date on how to keep clients, their families safe and personal information safe.
• Access to a range additional e-learning courses as well as local opportunities for your personal and professional development.
• Local induction including assigning a person from the team who will be your main point of contact.
• Regular opportunities to meet and share best practice with other caseworkers.
• Range of support from central and regional volunteer operations team.
• Reimbursement of out-of-pocket expenses
• Volunteers will be covered by SSAFAs Public Liability Insurance whilst carrying out the role.

What are we looking for?

• Friendly and approachable with good listening skills, patience, and a positive attitude.
• Good communication skills both written and verbally.
• Respectful and non-judgemental approach with beneficiaries, their family, other agencies and SSAFA colleagues
• Willingness and ability to use IT systems for initial and on-going training and to enter cases on the Casework Management System. Willingness and ability to send and receive emails – you will receive your own SSAFA email address which you will be required to use when exercising your role.
• Ability to make enquires on behalf of beneficiaries by phone, email, letter or by filling in forms.
• Ability to keep within boundaries of the role with regards to friendship or giving advice
• Reliable, prompt and trustworthy.
• Access to public transport or a car to travel to appointments with clients.

We welcome volunteers of all backgrounds, abilities, races, sexual orientations, socio-economic backgrounds, and of all faiths and none. SSAFA are committed to making reasonable adjustments to support volunteers with disabilities, so they have access to the same opportunities and experiences as volunteers who do not.

Minimum Age: 18

Safer Recruitment: SSAFA undertakes a systematic approach and utmost care at every step of the process of volunteer recruitment, selection, and retention to ensure that those recruited are suitable and appropriate. Measures taken at points along this journey work together to make volunteering at SSAFA a positive and safe experience.

References Required: Yes. We will ask for two character references, this can be a former employer or someone that know you well (other than a relative)

Is a criminal record check required? Yes, this is provided by SSAFA at no cost to the potential volunteer. This role requires an enhanced check (including checks against the children and adults barred list)

*A disclosure certificate that contains convictions, cautions, warnings, reprimands, or other information may not automatically mean that you are not able to volunteer. All certificates will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis and, where possible, a modified or alternative role will be offered. 

Would you like to support people who have served in the Armed Forces? You just need the ability to listen, strong IT skills and good written and spoken English. If you think this could be the role for you, we’d love to hear from you.

What is a Caseworker?

Caseworkers visit clients to work out what type of support they need. You will listen without judgement to assess and provide tailored support to help those serving, who have served and their families to navigate life in and beyond military service. Some examples of support are securing funding for special equipment for someone with a disability, adaptions to a property so an older client can remain at home or funds for a rental deposit. Caseworkers also sign-post clients onto specialist local services for advice on benefits, housing, mental health, debt, finding work etc.

Why do we need you?

We’ve been supporting the Armed Forces community since 1885. Our clients come from all backgrounds and age groups and may have served in WW2 or in a more recent conflict like the Falklands or Afghanistan. We’d love the general public to understand what we do and how they can help us.

There are SSAFA branches throughout the UK and overseas who support local volunteers to deliver services to veterans, serving personnel and their families. Some branches are divided into smaller divisions to ensure the best local service delivery. Each branch has a team of volunteer caseworkers, support volunteers, executive roles, and fundraisers.

Volunteer Caseworkers are the lifeblood of SSAFA, supporting a growing number of people in need of financial, practical, and emotional support. Clients come from all backgrounds and age groups and may have served in WW2 or in a more recent conflict like Iraq or Afghanistan.

When would you be needed and where would you be based?

The essential part of the role is visiting clients, so you will need access to a vehicle or another way to travel to meet clients at home or in a care home setting. As part of your local branch, you might have access to an office, but you can complete the administration part of the role from home as long as you have access to IT equipment and the internet.

What would you be doing?

• Contacting beneficiaries and arranging to meet them at a mutually convenient time.
• Meeting beneficiaries and completing a form to assess their circumstances, using good communication skills, empathy and understanding.
• Sign-posting clients onto local services providing specialist advice.
• Applying for funding on the behalf of the beneficiary through a specific process and system  
• Arranging for the purchase of goods and services
• Keeping the beneficiary informed of their case progress.
• Liaise with the branch and regional office, regarding your availability.
• Keeping up to date with training and SSAFA news so that you are best able to support clients.
• Being a positive ambassador for SSAFA remembering that anyone you meet could be a potential client, volunteer, or fundraiser.
• Volunteering within the standards and values of SSAFA
• Adhering to SSAFAs policies and procedures at all times, including safeguarding, volunteering policy, equality, diversity and inclusion, health and safety, data protection and confidentiality.  

What can you gain from this volunteering role?

• Use your skills, knowledge, and life experience to benefit others.
• Support from your local SSAFA branch and the wider SSAFA community
• 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!

What training and support would you receive?

• Role specific training to prepare you for your voluntary role – confidentiality and boundaries, personal safety, caseworker training, and caseworker IT system training. The caseworker training takes 3 days and a further half a day for the other training.
• Mandatory on-line training modules to complete at home, so you are up to date on how to keep clients, their families safe and personal information safe.
• Access to a range additional e-learning courses as well as local opportunities for your personal and professional development.
• Local induction including assigning a person from the team who will be your main point of contact.
• Regular opportunities to meet and share best practice with other caseworkers.
• Range of support from central and regional volunteer operations team.
• Reimbursement of out-of-pocket expenses
• Volunteers will be covered by SSAFAs Public Liability Insurance whilst carrying out the role.

What are we looking for?

• Friendly and approachable with good listening skills, patience, and a positive attitude.
• Good communication skills both written and verbally.
• Respectful and non-judgemental approach with beneficiaries, their family, other agencies and SSAFA colleagues
• Willingness and ability to use IT systems for initial and on-going training and to enter cases on the Casework Management System. Willingness and ability to send and receive emails – you will receive your own SSAFA email address which you will be required to use when exercising your role.
• Ability to make enquires on behalf of beneficiaries by phone, email, letter or by filling in forms.
• Ability to keep within boundaries of the role with regards to friendship or giving advice
• Reliable, prompt and trustworthy.
• Access to public transport or a car to travel to appointments with clients.

We welcome volunteers of all backgrounds, abilities, races, sexual orientations, socio-economic backgrounds, and of all faiths and none. SSAFA are committed to making reasonable adjustments to support volunteers with disabilities, so they have access to the same opportunities and experiences as volunteers who do not.

Minimum Age: 18

Safer Recruitment: SSAFA undertakes a systematic approach and utmost care at every step of the process of volunteer recruitment, selection, and retention to ensure that those recruited are suitable and appropriate. Measures taken at points along this journey work together to make volunteering at SSAFA a positive and safe experience.

References Required: Yes. We will ask for two character references, this can be a former employer or someone that know you well (other than a relative)

Is a criminal record check required? Yes, this is provided by SSAFA at no cost to the potential volunteer. This role requires an enhanced check (including checks against the children and adults barred list)

*A disclosure certificate that contains convictions, cautions, warnings, reprimands, or other information may not automatically mean that you are not able to volunteer. All certificates will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis and, where possible, a modified or alternative role will be offered. 

We are based in Camden, Hammersmith & Fulham, Kensington & Chelsea, Lambeth and Westminster.

At Doorstep Library, we’re dedicated to bringing the magic of books and the joy of reading directly into the homes of children who need our support.

With 1 in 4 children in the UK leaving primary school unable to read or write properly, we recruit and train in-person and online volunteers to introduce children from under-resourced areas to the pleasure of reading.

What’s Involved?

As a Doorstep Library reading volunteer, you’ll visit the same families at their homes every week with a backpack full of books to share with the children and encourage their love of reading.

You will:

• Handpick books based on the children’s age, interests, and reading level
• Visit their homes with your volunteer partner for 20-minute reading sessions  
• Leave behind a selection of books for the children to borrow for the week

Our unique home-based approach allows our volunteers to build trusting relationships with families, helping them to connect with the community and equip them with the skills they need to succeed later in life.

When and Where?

We have volunteer opportunities in: Hammersmith, Parsons Green, Fulham Broadway, Shepherds Bush, East Acton, Latimer Road, Euston, Kings Cross, Marylebone, Edgware Road, Queens Park, Pimlico, Brixton, Tulse Hill, and World's End.

• Time commitment: One evening a week (Regular Volunteer), one evening every other week (Semi-Regular Volunteer) or once every 3 weeks (Stand-In Volunteer) during school term times
• Hours per week: 2.5
• Days: Our projects run on Mondays, Tuesdays, or Thursdays depending on where you are based from 4:30pm – 7:00pm

 Why volunteer with Doorstep Library? 

• It's incredibly fun! You get to explore your inner child and share your passion for books and reading. 
• We invest in our team of volunteers to ensure they are valued, supported and are developing. 
• You will be a part of the Doorstep Library community of families, volunteers and staff members. 
•  You can make a real difference to the lives of others. Providing you with a real sense of purpose and achievement. 
•  You give back to the community you live in or the community you visit every week. 
• You build your confidence and improve your self-esteem and mental well-being. 
• You will develop skills and enhance your C.V. 

Doorstep Library is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people, and all those it comes into contact with. All volunteers undergo rigorous safer recruitment processes including specified interview questions, a DBS check, and the collection of written and/or verbal references.  Safeguarding training is a mandatory part of the induction process for all volunteers, and they are expected to always adhere to our safeguarding policies and procedures.

Creative Support is a national not-for-profit social care and supported housing provider with charitable status. We deliver personalised care and support for younger and older adults with learning disabilities, autism, mental health needs, physical disabilities and those at risk of homelessness or social exclusion.

Creative Support is governed by a dedicated Board of Trustees with expertise across social care, health, housing, finance, legal and related fields. As our current Chair approaches the end of her term, we are seeking a new Chair with senior social care experience and a strong understanding of commissioning, quality, risk, workforce, regulation and partnership working. The ideal candidate will champion our values and mission and lead with clarity and compassion.

About Creative Support:

We are one of the UK’s largest social care providers, supporting over 6,000 people each year across 70 local authorities and employing around 5,000 staff. With an annual turnover of £197 million, we are also a registered social housing provider with over 1,000 supported housing units and significant housing assets.

Creative Support is an Investor in People Gold employer, a Stonewall Diversity Champion and an inclusive organisation committed to increasing Board representation from BAME, LGBTQ+ and disabled communities, with zero tolerance for discrimination.

Our Mission and Values:

Creative Support promotes independence, inclusion, and wellbeing. We do this by working with the people we support, their families and others to meet individual needs and aspirations in a person-centred way. We provide high quality homes and support, enabling people to say:

- I live my best life in a place I call home

- I feel listened to, respected and valued

- I enjoy choices and rights and have control over my life

- I am supported to feel safe

- I am doing the things that matter to me

- I enjoy relationships with others

- I am connected to my community

- I am supported with my wellbeing

- I feel able to reach my full potential

Our We Care values underpin everything we do at Creative Support. We are: Welcoming, Empowering, Compassionate, Aspirational, Respectful, Effective.

About the Role:

The Chair is responsible for leading the Board, ensuring effective governance, and holding the Chief Executive and Board to account for delivering our mission, vision and strategy. The role involves providing inclusive leadership, ensuring Trustees understand their responsibilities, and working closely with the Executive Team to offer oversight, support and constructive challenge.

We are looking for a highly motivated individual with senior-level social care expertise, a commitment to our charitable purpose and person-centred values, and a belief in co-production with the people we support. The Chair must demonstrate vision, sound judgement and an inclusive, respectful leadership style.

The Chair is expected to commit sufficient time to:

- Attend six annual Board meetings, and relevant committee meetings (typically 2–3 hours in duration);

- Prepare thoroughly for meetings, including reading papers in advance;

- Lead the induction, support and supervision of Trustees;

- Undertake appraisal and support of the Chief Executive Officer;

- Act as an ambassador for Creative Support at internal and external events.

- Visit national services and engage with staff, the people who we support, and tenants.

The estimated time commitment for the Chair is approximately 4 days per month/48 days per year, although this may increase in response to organisational needs or during periods of change. Appointments are made for an initial period of 3 years and are subject to an annual appraisal. Terms begin at the conclusion of the Annual General Meeting in which the Chair is appointed.

The role of Chair of the Board of Trustees is remunerated in recognition of the significant time, responsibility and contribution required. The current remuneration for the Chair is £12,000 per annum, payable in monthly instalments of £1,000. This payment is taxable and is processed through the organisation’s payroll. Trustees, including the Chair, are appointed as office holders and are therefore neither workers nor employees. Remuneration arrangements are subject to periodic review in line with the organisation’s governance and remuneration policies.

We also pay all reasonable expenses associated with the role, including travel, overnight accommodation, subsistence and child care expenses if needed. Appointment will be made subject to the following satisfactory checks:

- References

- Declarations of Interest

- Fit and Proper Person Check

- Personal Declarations

- Enhanced DBS

- A £1.00 payment for shareholding membership (this can be provided in person when you first attend our Head Office)

We can send you a copy of our most recent Annual Report & Accounts - details on how to request this can be located on this roles listing on our company website or consult the FCA Mutuals Website, type in Creative Support and search under ‘documents’. You will find all previous annual reports and accounts listed and these can be viewed or downloaded at no cost. 

Please note that Creative Support is a Community Benefit Society with charitable status registered with the FCA, not a company or registered charity so you will not be able to access information about Creative Support via Companies House or the Charity Commission.

Recruitment Timeline:

Closing Date for Applications: 13 May 2026

Meet and Greet and Stakeholder interview panel: 17 June 2026

Final panel interviews: 30 June 2026

Offer and recruitment checks: July - August 2026

Co-opt at Board meeting: 10 September 2026

Formal vote at Annual General Meeting: 24 September 2026

Please keep these dates available upon application

Volunteer Ice Cream Bike Operator

About The Role

We’re looking for positive minded individuals who can bring joy and some theatre to Ice Cream sales whilst on the move on our electric trike at Martin Mere Wetland Centre.

Become the face (and wheels!) of Martin Mere Wetland Centre – a mobile, bike‑powered ice‑cream experience that pops up where the crowds are. You’ll steer one of our fully‑equipped electric bikes, to delight customers with ice cold refreshments and Ice-Creams. Use your entrepreneurial flair to maximise daily sales. Expect plenty of sunshine, spontaneous dance‑offs with kids, and the buzz of being on the move. 

Volunteers are an essential part of the WWT team. You’ll get a warm welcome, including information on training, equipment and anything else you need. 
 
If you are interested in volunteering for WWT but don’t wish to apply online, please email us, or give us a call and leave a message with your name and number. 

About You

Skills & Experience:

• Customer-facing experience: Previous experience in retail, hospitality, or customer service is highly beneficial. 
• Communication skills: Ability to interact confidently with customers and promote the business. 
• Physical fitness: Ability to cycle a loaded ice cream bike for several hours and handle the physical demands of the role. 
• Numeracy and basic tech skills: Comfortable with handling cash, using card readers, and potentially using POS apps. 
• Independence and reliability: Ability to work independently, manage time effectively, and ensure the business runs smoothly. 

About Us

We’re WWT, and we’re on a mission to restore the super-powered ecosystems we call wetlands. There’s never been a more important moment for our work, and we’ve got some phenomenal people on the case.

Whether they’re taking a new visitor under their wing, or conducting ground-breaking research further afield, our team are second to none. And there’s nothing we love more than watching them soar.

Whatever you do here, you’ll be helping to restore wetlands and unlock their power. So, the only question left is, what role will you play?

Why you’ll love volunteering at WWT

• Feel good knowing you are helping to restore wetlands, and our world
• Be surrounded and inspired by like-minded wetland lovers
• Hear from the people who inject their energy, passion and expertise into wetlands and wildlife – talks, walks, webinars, tea and cake…
• Free entry to all our wetland centres, including your family
• Volunteer discount on shopping and memberships
• Access to webinars and practical information to help you manage daily life

Time commitment?Flexible over peak periods e.g. summer holidays and at weekends.

How to Apply

For more information on this fun and important role, and others, and to apply please visit our website. 

We look forward to hearing from you!