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Please note: this role would be based in our Bristol region and would potentially cover HMP Guys Marsh, HMP The Verne and HMP Portland.
Do you want to join an organisation committed to addressing low literacy and numeracy?
Volunteers are essential to Shannon Trust and bring their energy, ideas and skills to train mentors in prisons, support learners in the community and enhance our business support team.
We are looking for volunteers to provide training and support to our mentors in prison. There may be some additional preparation and/ or administrative tasks in between volunteering days at the prison.
Our prison volunteers nurture the growth of the Shannon Trust in their prison. They help unlock the power of reading by delivering training sessions for prison mentors and offering ongoing advice, guidance and support through mentor meetings.
Volunteer recruitment dates
The closing date for applications to attend our next round of training is 26 April 2026. In some circumstances, volunteer vacancies may close early. Successful applicants will be sent interview questions in advance with notice to prepare. We will respond to all applications. Successful applicants will be invited to an interview between 27 April and 8 May 2026. This is an opportunity for you to meet our regional team, to find out more about you and for us to share more information about the volunteering role.
Training:
You'll be given high quality training to prepare you for volunteering with Shannon Trust. This takes place over 4 training sessions and via our online training portal. We ask that volunteers aim to complete the training in one course as this means that you will be ready to start actively volunteering. The next training sessions for volunteering for people applying to be a prison based volunteer will take place as follows.
Please check that you can attend all of the training the dates prior to applying:
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27 May 2026, 10am – 1pm (via Zoom)
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3 June 2026, 10am – 1pm (via Zoom)
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10 June 2026, 10am – 1pm (via Zoom)
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1 July 2026, 10am-4pm (in person session, London)
You’ll also receive the opportunity to attend ongoing training sessions and peer support meetings during your time as a volunteer to build your skills and experience.
Why we want you
Shannon Trust’s vision is of a future where everyone can experience the positive impact of learning. As a prison volunteer your role will be at the heart of our organisation as you support our mentors in prisons. This will include delivering training to new mentors and supporting existing mentors to develop and deliver our Turning Pages and Count Me In programmes. You will be volunteering alongside Shannon Trust facilitators and / or frontline prison staff to empower mentors and ensure no one is left out of learning.
What you will be doing
- Delivering initial, and ongoing, training to mentors in prisons
- Supporting and encouraging the Shannon Trust facilitator and mentors to attract new learners and expand the reach of the Shannon Trust programme
- Arranging and leading mentor meetings to develop mentors’ skills, share good practice and to provide support to mentors to find solutions to concerns
- Supporting facilitators to engage prison staff and people in prison to set-up, maintain and develop the Shannon Trust reading and numeracy programmes across the whole prison, and contributing to progress planning for how to progress and achieve this
- Using your skills to build positive relationships with frontline prison staff, people in prison and other organisations
- Training and supporting mentors to collect and submit data and learner feedback
- Supporting with the planning of, and attendance at, celebration events
- Collecting and sharing good news stories and feedback
- Attending area meetings and sharing good practice with other volunteers
- Engaging with quarterly reviews to receive support and discuss progress
- Acting as an ambassador for Shannon Trust in all that you do, sharing the vision and values of the charity throughout your volunteering
The skills you need
- A commitment to providing non-judgemental support to people in prison
- Able to give a regular, reliable commitment for ideally two years and have flexibility to visit the prison at times required
- Strong communication skills and are able to use these to inspire others
- Able to deliver engaging training and identify training and support needs for mentors
- Able to manage own time and prioritise
- Able to keep up to date with Shannon Trust news and communications and share relevant information with the wider prison team
- Able to use IT
What's in it for you
- Developing and growing your understanding of the HMPPS structure and prison system
- Reasonable, out of pocket, volunteering expenses are
- You will receive induction training and ongoing training to support and develop you in your role
- All volunteers receive ongoing support and quarterly reviews to enable you to gain the most from your volunteering experience
- We recognise and are grateful for the added value that volunteers bring to our organisation
- We provide flexible volunteering opportunities, subject to the requirements of your role
Disclaimer
In some circumstances, volunteer vacancies may close early.
Thank you!
We believe in the power of holidays to transform lives. Time away matters. For many families facing tough times -whether through financial hardship, illness or other challenges - a short break can feel out of reach. Yet, these moments of escape and connection are vital for well-being, resilience, and hope.
Our mission is simple but powerful: to provide families who wouldn’t otherwise get a break with the chance to spend quality time together, make memories, and return home stronger.
As a Trustee, you will play a crucial role in shaping our future. You’ll help guide our strategy, ensure we remain true to our values, and support us in reaching even more families who need our help. Your expertise, insight, and passion can help us grow and innovate, so that no family is left behind when it comes to the simple joy of time away together.
About our Trustee Team
Our Trustees are a team of volunteers who use their diverse skills, experiences, and perspectives to set the strategic direction of the charity and make sure it’s doing what it was set up to do in the best possible way.
Family Holiday Charity has an ambitious strategy over the next few years, which will see us expand our services to families, develop our influencing work within the travel and leisure industry and government, and evolve our ways of working so that we can accept and use gifted breaks, travel and other services at scale, to give families who really need it a holiday.
To help us do all that we’ll need the guidance, challenge, connections, and support of all our Trustees.
Given our goals, we’re particularly looking to add the following professional skills and experiences to our team.
- HR-Focused- a Trustee who will serve as Chair of the Nomination & Remuneration Committee, providing strategic oversight of people, culture and organisational development whilst acting as the Board’s Safeguarding lead and supporting the Charity’s safeguarding assurance framework. Prior safeguarding experience is desirable but not essential.
The Commitment
We’ll ask you to participate in four two-hour Board Meetings per year, typically in person at our office in London or remotely.We also get together for a Strategy Day in September/October, which is held on a weekday in London, and you’d need to attend that in person.
We can support with any access needs for in-person meetings.,
There are two Board sub-committees- one which focuses on our Finances and Risk, and one which considers our people (Trustees and Staff). Once you’ve settled into the role, most Trustees join one of them. They meet remotely around four times a year.
Outside of formal meetings, you’ll be warmly encouraged to get to know the staff team, and attend fundraising events
or other events to meet referrers, families, and supporters wherever possible.
Overall, you’ll need to be able to commit around 6 hours each month for a mix of meetings and events, contributing
your skills and perspective to projects, building your knowledge of the charity and developing as a Trustee.
See the trustee pack for more information and for the application and interview process - click apply to see this. Please note the deadline has been extended to midnight on Sunday 19th April 2026 to ensure the professionals skills and areas of experience (as listed above) are captured.
Applications including CV, cover letter and an initial conversation with Rob Parkinson to be completed by 23:30 on Sunday 19th April 2026.
The initial Interview will take place via Teams whilst a second interview may be an in person meeting.
Initial Interviews with a panel of current trustees will take place on Wednesday 29th April and Thursday 30th April 2026, time to be confirmed.
Second Interviews with Helen Webb, Chair of Trustees, will be scheduled on Thursday 7th May and Friday 8th May 2026, details to be confirmed.
Please note that if you accept the offer of a role, we’ll request relating reference
Registered Charity
11 - 20
We help families get time away together, often for the first time ever, helping to create confidence and hope for the future.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.