5 Customer operations coordinator volunteer roles

Friends of Refugees London offers befriending and advocacy services to refugees and migrants - we are looking for an organised, friendly Volunteer Coordinator to help manage our volunteer programme, ensuring volunteers and clients have a positive experience from their first enquiry through to being matched and beyond. 

About the role 

This is a varied and rewarding coordination role that is pivotal to the charity’s work. You'll help guide volunteers through every stage of their journey with us, from initial enquiry through to them being matched with a client and throughout the befriending relationship. 

Working closely with our small, friendly group of trustees, you will be the main point of contact to keep our volunteer programme running smoothly through a mixture of administration, communication, and coordination. As a small charity, we're flexible and collaborative, and you'll have the opportunity to help shape how we grow. 

Key responsibilities 

• Respond to enquiries from prospective volunteers and help guide them through the application process.
• Assess volunteer applications and shortlist candidates. 
• Co-ordinate volunteer interviews with trustees. 
• Manage the volunteer onboarding process, including DBS checks, references and training invitations.
• Coordinate matches between befrienders and clients, with support from the wider team.
• Maintain accurate volunteer and client records using spreadsheets and online systems.
• Keep in regular contact with volunteers throughout their journey, answering queries, providing updates, and flagging any issues to the trustees. 
• Support the organisation of volunteer training sessions and other events as needed.
• Support the charity’s internal and public-facing communications.
• Help identify ways to improve our volunteer processes as the charity continues to develop.

PERSON SPECIFICATION 

• Excellent organisational skills and attention to detail. 
• A warm, reliable communicator who enjoys working with people. 
• Someone who can work independently and manage their own time. 
• Comfortable working remotely as part of a small, collaborative team. 
• An interest in supporting refugees, people seeking asylum, and vulnerable migrants.

EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS 

• Confidence using Google Workspace (essential). 
• Experience in administration (essential). 
• Experience of working with vulnerable groups and/or safeguarding awareness (highly desirable).
• Experience using off-the-shelf content management systems (highly desirable). 
• Experience managing data (highly desirable). 
• Experience in public-facing communications such as writing content and managing social media accounts for organisations (desirable). 
• Experience in voluntary organisations or as a volunteer (desirable). 
• Languages: fluent English (essential); Farsi/Dari/Pashto/Arabic/Spanish/French (desirable). 

If you meet most, but not all, of the requirements outlined above, please feel free to apply! You may have other skills and experiences which can make a positive contribution to our work and we are happy to consider your application. 

What you'll gain 

• Practical experience in volunteer coordination and charity operations. 
• The opportunity to shape a small, growing charity. 
• The opportunity to make a real difference to the lives of refugees, people seeking asylum, and vulnerable migrants in London. 
• A flexible volunteering opportunity that fits around work, study, or other commitments.
• Experience working alongside an experienced and supportive trustee team. 

Join us as a Volunteer Coordinator and help create a welcoming, supportive experience for volunteers across our community programmes.

About us

Cede Foundation is a community-led charity dedicated to reducing poverty by empowering individuals and fostering sustainable communities.

We provide practical, personalised support to people who may be facing barriers to inclusion, independence and participation. Our work includes programmes and activities across employability and skills, health and wellbeing, social inclusion, active citizenship, environmental sustainability, youth engagement, and arts and culture.

Volunteers play a vital role in extending our reach and delivering meaningful support to the communities we serve.

We are seeking a friendly, organised, and reliable volunteer coordinator to recruit, support, and retain volunteers across our programmes.

About the role

As Volunteer Coordinator, you will help ensure volunteers feel informed, valued and supported in their roles.

You will be the main point of contact for volunteers, matching them with suitable opportunities and ensuring a positive, inclusive experience.

This role is ideal for someone who enjoys working with people, is well organised, and is committed to creating a positive volunteering experience.

What you will be doing

You will coordinate daily volunteer activities, including:

• Promoting volunteer opportunities.
• Responding to volunteer enquiries.
• Supporting recruitment, onboarding and induction.
• Matching volunteers to suitable roles.
• Coordinating rotas, schedules, and activities.
• Maintaining up-to-date volunteer records.
• Promoting inclusive volunteering practices.
• Recognising and celebrating volunteers’ contributions.
• Supporting monitoring and feedback processes for volunteers.

What we are looking for

This role is suitable for someone who is:

• Friendly, approachable and reliable.
• Organised and able to follow through on tasks.
• A good listener and confident communicator.
• Comfortable using basic digital tools and systems.
• Able to work as part of a team.
• Committed to equality, inclusion, and treating everyone with dignity.
• Interested in community work, volunteering or the charity sector.

Experience in administration, volunteering, recruitment, HR, community work, or events is helpful but not required. Full guidance and support will be provided.

Time commitment

We are looking for someone who can commit to 4–6 hours per week.

Volunteering times will be agreed based on your availability and organisational needs.

Location

This role is primarily in-person in Manchester, with some agreed tasks completed remotely where appropriate.

What you will gain

This is an opportunity to contribute to community-focused work while developing your skills and experience.

You will:

• Gain experience in volunteer coordination and charity operations.
• Build skills in communication, organisation, recruitment and people engagement. 
• Meet new people and be part of a friendly team.

Support and expenses

You’ll receive an induction and ongoing support so you feel confident in the role.

Reasonable out-of-pocket expenses, such as travel costs, will be reimbursed in line with our volunteer expenses policy.

Safeguarding and checks

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the people we work with. Depending on the nature of the role, references and a DBS check may be required. We will discuss this with you during the application process.

Equality and inclusion

We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds and experiences. We are committed to creating an inclusive, supportive and accessible environment, and we will make reasonable adjustments where possible.

How to apply

To apply, please click 'Apply' below and submit a brief expression of interest.

Please tell us why you are interested in the role, any relevant skills or experience you would like to share, and your general availability.

If you feel this role is a good fit, we would love to hear from you.

Who are LRMN? 

We offer refugees, asylum seekers and other migrants a specialist and holistic service. We  advocate for people’s rights, campaign for wider change, meet their basic needs and help them improve their wellbeing. 

Why do we need you? 

Triage volunteers are an essential part of our team, making sure that clients are able to access the right service. You will deal with initial client enquiries (in person, over the phone or by email), assess what support clients need and help the access the right service for them.  This might be with us, a partner or another external service. 

Our triage team is integral to the smooth running of LRMN. Without them our advisors wouldn’t be able to provide life changing support to the people who access our services. 

Our triage team are the first people that clients will talk to so it is essential that we offer a safe, welcoming and non-judgemental space and give them the right information about the services we offer. Given the demand that we face, volunteers help us do that. 

What activities will you be involved in? 

As part of our triage team, you will volunteer alongside staff and fellow volunteers to: 

• Welcome clients to our Migrant Hub and speak to them about their needs

• Help clients and referrers understand the services we offer and how to access them

• Respond to new referrals and upload them onto our case management system

• Contact clients to book in appointments and follow up referrals 

• Take on other administrative tasks as identified from time to time 

As you become more experienced, you may be involved in giving basic advice, providing  support letters and other duties. 

Our triage volunteers are based at our Migrant Hub drop-in service (in Woolwich on Tuesdays)

You will be supervised by the Migrant Hub Coordinator and liaise with all staff across the organisation as appropriate. 

What can you gain from this opportunity? 

By volunteering with LRMN, you will: 

• Make a difference to the lives of migrants, asylum seekers and refugees living in south-east London 

• Be part of a diverse, knowledgeable and proactive team in an organisation that has been running for over 25 years 

• Gain experience of admin work in a business environment 

• Gain an understanding of the issues affecting refugees, asylum seekers and migrants

• Have regular support and supervision 

• Be provided out of pocket expenses to the value of £6 for lunch per day (4+ hours) &  up to £15 travel expenses (when volunteering in the office for 4+ hours) 

Is there induction and training? 

Yes, we provide a comprehensive induction to all new volunteers. This covers roles and  responsibilities, safeguarding, record keeping and use of our client management system  (Advice Pro).

You will be provided with the training needed to perform the role and will have the opportunity to join training with the whole LRMN team.

Who are LRMN looking for? 

We’re looking for someone who is: 

• Passionate about supporting migrants, refugees and asylum seekers 

• Friendly and approachable and can manage professional boundaries 

• Excellent communicatiuon skills

• Proactive and able to use own initiative 

• Organised and methodical 

• Respectful of client confidentiality 

• Experienced in working with multicultural communities 

• Able to use their digital skills to make referrals and manage online systems 

LRMN is committed to equality and diversity. We pride ourselves on having a diverse team  with a range of experiences. We encourage people with lived experience of the asylum and/or immigration system to apply.

We are part of the Experts by Experience Employment Initiative. The network supports inclusive recruitment of people with lived experience of the UK asylum or immigration system. 

**If you need additional support to apply or volunteer or need adjustments to the recruitment process please contact us, we are happy to help.**

What commitment do you need to make? 

We ask Hub Volunteers to commit to volunteering on a Tuesday, 10am  - 2pm. Other volunteers we look for 4+ hours commitment each week (during office hours), for at least six months. 

Food Service Volunteers

Enthusiastic, hands-on volunteers needed to help provide food to the community. A key role, you will work at the main hub of the food bank and help the food service run as smoothly as possible. An exciting opportunity to make a real, immediate impact to those in need of support. 

Hours: Thursdays, a range of shifts from 9:30am - 5pm

Book shifts to suit your own schedule! No requirement to sign up for the same shift each Thursday or to volunteer consecutive weeks.

Location: St Michael's Church Hall, 37 Bounds Green Rd, London, N22 8SD

About Bounds Green Food Bank: 

Open since June 2020, we serve over 4,600 children and adults in the community. We are committed to improving lives by providing food and essential household items to build a healthy, hunger-free tomorrow. We strive to promote social inclusion by supporting people who need assistance to feed themselves and their families.

Person specification: 

• Aged 18 or above

• Have a basic understanding of spoken English

• Available on Thursdays 

• Able to travel at your own expense (no parking is available)

• Patient and flexible - you will help on different sections on each shift and may need to switch during shifts too

• A team player - the food bank is run completely by volunteers, so we require enthusiasm and cooperation

• Willing to attend training - The Orientation Tour is required before you join us, but other training may be offered.

• Understand and sensitive to the challenges and difficulties faced by guests accessing the food bank e.g. food and fuel poverty, feelings of shame and embarrassment, language barriers.

The role: 

• Take in deliveries and count stock at the start of the day 

• Help with setting up the food service, including getting food out of storage and onto the service tables, decanting and repacking items and replenishing goods when needed. 

• Warmly welcome guests, serving them the number of items advised by Section Leads and Food Service Coordinators during each shift. 

• Pack away once we close. Make decisions about storage of items. Count stock to inform future procurement.

• Follow food bank policies including Health and Safety procedures e.g. wearing gloves when handling fresh food and lifting boxes safely. 

• Keep the hall safe throughout the food service e.g. tidying away boxes and keeping walkways clear. 

Benefits:

• Flexible - book shifts to suit your own schedule!

•  Give back to the community - one of the NHS’ 5 Ways to Wellbeing!

• Upskill on a range of topics, e.g. customer service, interpersonal skills, organisational abilities and health and safety

• Gain a sense of community and meet the huge team of volunteers