Social care volunteer roles

Help Us Become the “Best Wee Hospice in the UK”

Ardgowan Hospice is on a journey of radical transformation. We are an 

extraordinary organisation providing a "cloak" of love, care, and compassion to over 1,000 patients and families in Inverclyde each year.

As we enter a vital new 5-year cycle, we are looking for dynamic, innovative, and proactive Trustees to help shape our future

The Opportunity

Our Trustees are the heart of our governance, ensuring we meet the highest standards of care while navigating a challenging financial landscape. This is your chance to use your professional expertise to make a tangible difference in your community.

We are particularly interested in candidates with backgrounds in:

• Clinical Care/Health & Social Care: To support our goal of becoming a centre of excellence in palliative and end-of-life care.

• Accountancy/Finance: To help us manage our £12 million capital building project and achieve a balanced budget.

• Marketing/Communications: To champion our work and grow our supporter base across Inverclyde and beyond.

• Law: To ensure we remain compliant with legislative requirements and best practices.

Want to learn more? 

 Contact our CEO, Graham Gardiner, to arrange an informal chat or a visit.

Job Description:

Job Summary We are seeking a motivated and creative Social Media Manager to manager our social media team. This role is ideal for individuals looking to share their experience and skills in public relations and social media management. As a Social Media manager, you will be responsible for developing and implementing our social media strategy, helping to enhance our online presence and engage with our audience effectively.

Responsibilities

• Manage and show leadership to our Social media team
• Responsible for creating engaging content for various social media platforms, including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram.
• Monitor social media channels for trends, feedback, and engagement opportunities.
• Help manage the scheduling and posting of content across all platforms.
• Collaborate with the marketing team to develop campaigns that align with our brand voice and objectives.
• Conduct research on industry trends and competitor activities to inform content strategies.
• Support the analysis of social media metrics to evaluate the effectiveness of campaigns and suggest improvements.
• Host team meetings and contribute ideas for enhancing our social media presence.
• Report to senior management

Requirements

• Strong interest in public relations and social media management.
• Excellent written communication skills with a keen eye for detail.
• Familiarity with various social media platforms and their best practices.
• Ability to work collaboratively within a team environment.
• Creative mindset with the ability to generate innovative ideas for content creation.
• Basic knowledge of graphic design tools (e.g., Canva or Adobe Creative Suite) is a plus but not essential.
• A proactive attitude towards learning and personal development.

This internship offers an excellent opportunity to develop your skills in a supportive environment while contributing to meaningful projects that impact our brand's visibility and engagement online.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

This role is an expenses only role. Expenses will be reimbursed

We would require you to work for 3 days a week.

Job Type: Internship

Contract length: 6 months

Work Location: Remote

Connection Support has a range of services providing support to people at risk of homelessness or on the edge of needing social care. We work with people made vulnerable through debt, mental health issues, substance misuse, learning disability, and physical disabilities.

Volunteers play a key role in the provision of vital services to our clients.

Could you prevent loneliness and isolation in your community and become a befriender?

• Do you have 2-3 hours a week to give to a client suffering from loneliness or mental health? Based at our Supported Accomodation, Oasis House
• Can you offer support, through a listening ear and be a positive influence in a client’s life to help build self-esteem and confidence?
• Will you enable our clients to benefit from knowing someone is there to listen, be a friend, and check in on their wellbeing?

If you can answer ‘yes’ to these questions, then we would love to hear from you!

Key responsibilities

Your role will include, but is not restricted to the following tasks:

• Carry out weekly checks with the clients you are supporting. This can be in a variety of settings, e.g., family home, support home, or in the community (via face-to-face meetings, phone or video calls)
• Have fun, take clients on outings, and maybe share a hobby, sport, or an interest
• Collect prescriptions for clients and assist with their weekly shop
• Help clients rediscover social skills and confidence by building up and maintaining a close relationship
• Report any concerns to the Volunteer Coordinator

Skills required

No qualifications or volunteering experience is required; however, the below skills are essential:

• A non-judgemental approach
• Good listening and communication skills
• Reliable and trustworthy
• Respect confidentiality
• Be able to work on own initiative
• Ability to build effective working relationships with clients in a non-patronising way

Connection Support has a range of services providing support to people at risk of homelessness or on the edge of needing social care. We work with people made vulnerable through debt, mental health issues, substance misuse, learning disability, and physical disabilities.

Volunteers play a key role in the provision of vital services to our clients.

Could you prevent loneliness and isolation in your community and become a befriender?

• Do you have 2-3 hours a week to give to a client suffering from loneliness or mental health? (For a mutual agreement of time and locations that meet clients’ needs)
• Can you offer support, through a listening ear and be a positive influence in a client’s life to help build self-esteem and confidence?
• Will you enable our clients to benefit from knowing someone is there to listen, be a friend, and check in on their wellbeing?

If you can answer ‘yes’ to these questions, then we would love to hear from you!

Key responsibilities

Your role will include, but is not restricted to the following tasks:

• Carry out weekly checks with the clients you are supporting. This can be in a variety of settings, e.g., family home, support home, or in the community (via face-to-face meetings, phone or video calls)
• Have fun, take clients on outings, and maybe share a hobby, sport, or an interest
• Collect prescriptions for clients and assist with their weekly shop
• Help clients rediscover social skills and confidence by building up and maintaining a close relationship
• Report any concerns to the Volunteer Coordinator

Skills required

No qualifications or volunteering experience is required; however, the below skills are essential:

• A non-judgemental approach
• Good listening and communication skills
• Reliable and trustworthy
• Respect confidentiality
• Be able to work on own initiative
• Ability to build effective working relationships with clients in a non-patronising way

Join our team of befrienders! You will support us to reach some of the most isolated adults in your community to reduce their feelings of loneliness, build friendships and provide support for mental wellbeing. You will support people to relight a spark to continue a hobby, interest or encourage them to explore and participate in new social activities.

What you will be doing

• Agree a mutual time and frequency to meet in the local community
• To develop and promote a positive relationship with your befriendee
• To encourage your befriendee to engage in social activities and support them in doing so whilst building their confidence
• To support your befriendee in developing their goals and social skills
• Encourage your befriendee to make links with community services, based on their identified goals

The skills you need

• Good listening and communication skills
• Ability to provide a supportive and inclusive atmosphere which motivates and inspires others
• Willingness to engage in activities in the community
• Able to maintain strict confidentiality and follow professional boundaries

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, outings, celebration, and social events for our volunteers to get together and have some fun; We reimburse travel expenses and up to £5 for lunch for your volunteering.

Join our team of befrienders! You will support us to reach some of the most isolated adults in your community to reduce their feelings of loneliness, build friendships and provide support for mental wellbeing. You will support people to relight a spark to continue a hobby, interest or encourage them to explore and participate in new social activities.

What you will be doing

• Agree a mutual time and frequency to meet in the local community
• To develop and promote a positive relationship with your befriendee
• To encourage your befriendee to engage in social activities and support them in doing so whilst building their confidence
• To support your befriendee in developing their goals and social skills
• Encourage your befriendee to make links with community services, based on their identified goals

The skills you need

• Good listening and communication skills
• Ability to provide a supportive and inclusive atmosphere which motivates and inspires others
• Willingness to engage in activities in the community
• Able to maintain strict confidentiality and follow professional boundaries

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, outings, celebration, and social events for our volunteers to get together and have some fun; We reimburse travel expenses and up to £5 for lunch for your volunteering.

Do you enjoy walking, meeting others and having a good chat? If so, we have the perfect volunteering role for you!

Join our team and inspire others to exercise through a weekly walk. You will create an opportunity for people to support each other, provide that additional boost to exercise and go for a walk even when they may not be feeling the motivation.

We work with people who need support with their mental health across London and the South East. Our support ranges from registered accommodation services for people with severe mental health conditions to drop-in community and crisis services.

In the last year, 9,499 adults accessed Hestia’s mental health support.

We help people to feel safe, develop hope for a better future, and achieve their personal goals. These goals may include rebuilding relationships with family members and friends or connecting more with their local community.

What you will be doing

• Coordinate and facilitate weekly walks in local parks to the service alongside other volunteers
• Meet with the walking group weekly
• Hold conversations with people attending the group, checking in on their wellbeing and providing a listening ear/friendly face
• Keep a record of attendees, provide feedback, and report any concerns to the staff team
• Ability to provide a supportive, and inclusive atmosphere that encourages participation

The skills you need

• Inspire and motivate people to attend the walking group
• Ability to identify, manage any possible risks that may arise during the walking group. Training will be provided
• Willing and able to go on a weekly walk lasting approximately 60-90 minutes
• Good communication skills
• Calm and patient approach

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.

The Role

As ORCD UK's founding Social Media Volunteer, you will be responsible for building the organisation's presence on Instagram and LinkedIn from zero and for growing an audience of donors, diaspora supporters, trustees and NGO partners.

You will not be starting from a blank page. ORCD UK has prepared a complete Social Media Toolkit with a 12-week content plan, 30+ ready-to-post captions, Canva design instructions, a hashtag strategy, and WhatsApp broadcast guidance. Your job is to execute it, and to bring your own creativity, judgment, and digital instincts to make it impactful.

This is not a generic charity volunteer role.

ORCD has delivered over $100 million in humanitarian aid across Afghanistan since 2012. It is the first Afghan NGO with UN ECOSOC Special Consultative Status. Its partners include UNICEF, WFP and WHO.

ORCD UK will be the UK entity of ORCD Global. We have no social media presence but we have an extraordinary story, a clear strategy and a ready-made toolkit and we need someone with the skills to tell it.

What You'll Actually Do

Week to week:

• Create and schedule 4–5 Instagram posts per week using ready-made copy and Canva templates

• Post 2–3 times per week on LinkedIn with a more professional tone

• Manage ORCD UK's Instagram Stories daily: polls, facts, countdowns, quotes

• Build and maintain a WhatsApp broadcast list: sending 1–2 messages per week/2 weeks

• Monitor comments and DMs, respond or flag to the ORCD UK Lead

Monthly:

• Report key metrics to the ORCD UK Lead: followers, engagement, reach, link clicks

• Update the content calendar for the coming month

• Create new Canva templates as new content needs emerge

• Coordinate with the Communications Volunteer on captions and copy

• Attend a monthly check-in with the ORCD UK Lead (30 minutes, online)

Essential Criteria

Active Instagram and LinkedIn user, you know how the platforms work. Confident using TikTok, YouTube and Facebook

Confident using Canva (or other tools) to create compelling materials

Reliable, you can commit to 5-7 hours per week consistently

Self-motivated and you can work independently from a written brief

Committed to humanitarian work and Afghanistan

Comfortable with ORCD UK's values: Afghan-led on the ground, honest and respectful

Desirable

Experience managing social media for a charity, brand, or community organisation

Knowledge of Islamic giving culture e.g Zakat, Sadaqah, Ramadan fundraising

Understanding of the Afghan community in the UK

Experience with scheduling tools: Buffer, Later or Meta Business Suite

Photography or video editing skills (for future content)

Are you passionate about helping women build their lives beyond crisis? We are recruiting for volunteers to support victims of Domestic Abuse on a 1 to 1 basis. This is a chance to empower other inspirational women by building their confidence and teaching them new Educational and employment skills in order to achieve their ambitions and goals. You will be supporting women and children to rebuild their lives free from fear!

What you will be doing

• To develop and promote a positive relationship with the service user through regular F2F meetings and phone calls, and facilitate their journey to achieve their goals that align with the aims of the Economic, Empowerment and Security Project.
• To support the service user in developing their educational and vocational aspirations, applying to university, translating previously held qualifications, helping with UCAS applications, researching relevant courses and colleges, helping with English and developing language skills OR/AND,
• To support the service user in developing their career goals and employment skills, including CV building, interviewing skills, work experience and job search.
• To encourage the service user to attend Economic, Empowerment and Security events ran by Hestia’s volunteering team.
• To encourage the service user to engage in further external and internal educational training and activities and supporting them in doing so.
• Manage appropriate boundaries

The skills you need

• Compassionate, caring and patient nature
• Ability to maintain confidentiality
• Knowledge on educational opportunities in the UK, where to look, what is available.
• Knowledge on useful employment and job search skills
• Good 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.

We’re looking for a warm, British Sign Language Volunteer to provide in house support to Deaf women living in our refuge. This role is all about connection, inclusion and helping women feel fully involved in day to day life within the service. As a BSL Volunteer, you’ll support communication between service users and staff, help women engage in activities, and be a friendly, reassuring presence in the house.

What you will be doing

• Providing British Sign Language support to Deaf service users within the refuge
• Supporting women to take part in activities
• Helping women communicate their needs to staff
• Offering support with appointments, as and when needed

The skills you need

• Fluent or confident British Sign Language users
• Friendly, patient, and inclusive, with a genuine interest in supporting women
• Able to communicate professionally and sensitively within a refuge setting

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.

We’re looking for a creative and passionate Social Media Manager to grow our online presence, create engaging content, and support impactful campaigns across multiple platforms.

Join Activists Without Borders and help amplify campaigns for human rights, climate justice, nature, and global activism.

Requirements:
• Experience using Canva
• Basic video editing skills
• Familiarity with all major social media platforms
• Fluency in English

If you care about creating change through media and activism, we’d love to hear from you.

Send your CV and a short introduction, along with links to your creative work or social media channels you have managed.

As a Community Outreach Volunteer, you’ll play a vital role in helping people in Havering know where to turn when they need urgent mental health support. You’ll be out and about in the community spreading the word about the Havering Crisis Café — chatting to local people, connecting with community centres, faith groups and local organisations, and sharing information through leaflets and posters. This is a great role for someone confident, friendly and passionate about making support more visible and accessible in the community.

What you will be doing

• Promoting the Havering Crisis Café within the local community
• Visiting community centres, libraries, GP surgeries, faith settings and other local spaces
• Handing out leaflets and displaying posters
• Helping build positive relationships with local organisations and community groups
• Feeding back any insights, questions or community needs to the team

The skills you need

• Friendly, approachable and confident talking to new people
• An interest in mental health, wellbeing and community support
• Good communication skills and a respectful, non judgemental approach

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 - Valuing You - We hold annual Volunteer Awards, outings, celebration, and social events for our volunteers to get together and have some fun; We reimburse travel expenses and up to £5 for lunch for your volunteering.

As a Community Outreach Volunteer, you’ll play a vital role in helping people in Havering know where to turn when they need urgent mental health support. You’ll be out and about in the community spreading the word about the Havering Crisis Café — chatting to local people, connecting with community centres, faith groups and local organisations, and sharing information through leaflets and posters. This is a great role for someone confident, friendly and passionate about making support more visible and accessible in the community.

What you will be doing

• Promoting the Havering Crisis Café within the local community
• Visiting community centres, libraries, GP surgeries, faith settings and other local spaces
• Handing out leaflets and displaying posters
• Helping build positive relationships with local organisations and community groups
• Feeding back any insights, questions or community needs to the team

The skills you need

• Friendly, approachable and confident talking to new people
• An interest in mental health, wellbeing and community support
• Good communication skills and a respectful, non judgemental approach

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 - Valuing You - We hold annual Volunteer Awards, outings, celebration, and social events for our volunteers to get together and have some fun; We reimburse travel expenses and up to £5 for lunch for your volunteering.

Volunteering as a Social Media Volunteer provides an opportunity for you to help promote the our  Charity causes, You can truly make a difference to our Charity Partners. 

Forces Support is a national charity dedicated to supporting bereaved families of Service Personnel and helping Veterans rebuild their lives. Through our network of charity shops across the UK, we raise vital funds thanks to the commitment of our dedicated staff and volunteers. Every item donated and every purchase made in our stores directly supports meaningful projects delivered by our trusted charity partners.

Founded in March 2010, our mission is to provide relief and support to the families of those who lost their lives while serving in the Armed Forces, and to ensure that all Veterans have access to world-class care and opportunities to thrive in civilian life.

We are also proud to be a national employer, supporting both paid and volunteer roles. Our shops are recognised as centres of excellence for recycling, and we are signatories of the Armed Forces Covenant as well as recipients of the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme.

From donated furniture and clothing to household goods and bric-a-brac, every item we sell helps us make a real difference to bereaved families and Veterans across the UK.  

The role will Support, develop and implement a communications strategy, raising the profile of Forces Support, that supports both community and Charity Partner engagement. Responsible for creating and updating content via social media platforms, increasing awareness and engagement. Maintaining Forces Support website and ensuring that our stores have all branding and marketing literature