Social welfare volunteer roles

Are you passionate about supporting people impacted by substance misuse and involved in the criminal justice system? Join our specialist service dedicated to helping individuals on probation make positive changes in their lives.

As a Dependency & Recovery Support Volunteer, you’ll work closely with our Dependency and Recovery Coordinators and partner agencies based at Kitts Green probation office to deliver tailored support to adult males on probation. Your role will include:

• Assisting with drug and alcohol interventions
• Encouraging motivation and goal-setting
• Supporting individuals to reduce substance misuse and offending behaviour

What we’re looking for:

• Empathy and understanding of the issues faced by those in recovery and the criminal justice system
• A commitment to supporting positive change
• Reliability and a non-judgmental attitude

What we offer:

• Comprehensive training (some via eLearning – laptop access required)
• Valuable experience in a supportive environment
• Ongoing guidance and support
• A chance to make a meaningful impact in your community

If you're ready to be part of something impactful, we’d love to hear from you!

Important Information:

• This volunteer role is based at Kitts Green Probation office on Tuesdays afternoon or all day Wednesday 
• This role is subject to an Enhanced DBS check and HMPPS Enhanced Level 1 vetting
• Please ensure you complete the Personal Statement section of the application – it’s essential for shortlisting

 For full details, please read the attached role description.

At the British Gas Energy Trust, our mission is clear and unwavering: we exist to reduce the harmful impact of poverty, with a dedicated focus on tackling fuel poverty across Britain.

Since our establishment in 2004, we have grown into one of the UK’s largest and most influential charitable funders in this field. Our work spans direct financial assistance, specialist advice, and community‑based programmes, and we continue to deepen our understanding of what truly helps households build resilience. This combination of practical support and system‑level insight places us in a unique and important position within the sector.

The Trust has evolved significantly over recent years. We now operate with a strengthened in‑house team, a clear strategic direction, and a growing reputation as both a funder and an influencer in the national conversation on fuel poverty.

THE ROLE

As we prepare for our next strategic phase from 2026 where we will continue to focus on both immediate assistance and long‑term systemic change, we are seeking a Deputy Chair and two trustees to join our Board. We’re particularly interested in strategic thinkers with non-executive experience who bring strong relationship building skills and a proven track record of leadership within their fields from: the energy sector, technology sector, those with deep understanding of fuel poverty/poverty, and income generation/fundraising.

We are looking for people with sound judgement, emotional intelligence, and a collaborative, inclusive approach who recognise the dignity of the people we serve and the importance of working in partnership to achieve lasting change.

If you share our belief that no one should face energy hardship alone, and you are motivated by the opportunity to contribute to an organisation with both heart and influence, we would be delighted to hear from you.

Volunteers assist the young people we support on camps and local day activities.

Our programme provides young people with the chance to try new things and challenge themselves, experience success, learn to go beyond their expectations and grow in confidence. They have the chance to take part in a range of activities, work in a team, experience group living and challenge themselves in a new environment. The programme is built around three residential adventure camps; Coastal Camp in the Purbecks, Mountain Camp in the Brecon Beacons, and Forest Camp in the Forest of Dean

As a Programme Volunteer at one of our camps you will work with groups of up to 10 young people alongside other experienced volunteers, trained members of staff and activity instructors. You will have the opportunity to take part in all of the activities with the young people, ensuring that they get the most out of their time on our programme.

You will ensure the welfare and organisation of the young people, help them to get involved and overcome issues, encourage and support their social relationships and help guide your team to work together.

With our support you will also help facilitate the young people’s learning and development by planning and delivering regular review sessions.

You will be invited to join our annual volunteer training weekend in Wiltshire over the weekend of 11 and 12 July 2026.

Coastal Camp is from Sun 24 to 26 May or Thurs 28 to Sat 30 May 2026.

Mountain Camp is from Sat 25 to Thurs 30 July or Sat 1 to Thurs 6 August 2026.

Forest Camp is from Sat 15 to Thurs 20 August or Sat 22 to Thurs 27 August 2026.

There will be other opportunities to support us throughout the year at day activities in Wiltshire and Somerset.

Digital Trustee – Prospect Hospice Board

Help shape the future of hospice care through digital leadership

We are seeking a new Trustee with expertise in IT, digital and technology to join the Board of Prospect Hospice.

Our hospice provides compassionate care and support for people with life-limiting illness and their families. As healthcare and society become increasingly digital, technology now plays a critical role in how people find support, access care, and stay connected with services when they need them most.

Hospices increasingly rely on digital systems for clinical records, referrals, fundraising, volunteer coordination, and partnerships with NHS services. Strong board-level digital insight helps ensure these systems are safe, inclusive, secure and aligned with the hospice’s mission.

The Role

As a Trustee you will help provide strategic leadership, governance and oversight of the hospice.

You will support the Board to:

• Provide oversight of digital strategy, systems and data
• Ensure technology supports safe, compassionate and accessible care
• Strengthen cyber security, resilience and business continuity
• Support effective use of data, digital services and emerging technologies such as AI
• Help ensure that the hospice is prepared for future technologies and is aligned with NHS Digital strategies

Who We Are Looking For

We welcome applications from individuals with experience in areas such as:

• Digital leadership or digital transformation
• IT strategy, infrastructure or enterprise systems
• Cyber security, data governance or information governance
• Digital product, data analysis and mining, AI or health technology
• Technology leadership within the NHS, healthcare, public services or the private sector

Previous Trustee experience is not required, however experience at a senior management or Board level is an advantage.

We are particularly interested in individuals who can combine technical expertise with strategic thinking, curiosity and a commitment to the values of hospice care.

What You Will Bring

• Professional experience in digital, IT or technology leadership
• Strategic perspective and sound judgement
• Ability to translate technical issues into board-level insight
• Commitment to improving the experience of patients, families and staff
• A collaborative approach to governance

We welcome applicants from diverse backgrounds and career stages, recognising that charity boards benefit from a broad range of perspectives and experiences.

Why Join Us

Becoming a trustee is a unique opportunity to:

• Use your expertise to improve care for people at the most difficult times in their lives
• Help shape the future of hospice services in a digital world
• Contribute to strategic decisions that affect patients, families and communities
• Gain valuable board experience and broaden your leadership perspective

The experience can be both professionally rewarding and a powerful way to bring new perspectives back into your own career

Interviews will take place on 11 & 15 May 2026

DBS Check

This role requires a DBS check. We consider all disclosures fairly, in line with the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1975 (Exceptions Order).

Equality & Diversity

Prospect Hospice is committed to encouraging a diverse and inclusive working environment. We recognise that promoting diversity and eliminating discrimination in our workplace will bring benefits for our people, our business and the communities we serve.

We welcome applications from all individuals regardless of age, disability, sex, gender reassignment, sexual orientation, offending background, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief and marriage and civil partnerships.

Safeguarding

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all those we support. As part of our SAFER recruitment process, offers of employment will be subject to thorough checks, which may include a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check, satisfactory references, online and social media checks and verification of qualifications. We expect all staff to share this commitment and to adhere to our safeguarding policies and procedures at all times.

You must tell us about any unspent conviction, cautions, reprimands or warnings under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975.

A unique opportunity to teach prison inmates sewing and designing skills while encouraging their own creativity.

Help engender greater self-belief and enhance potential employability upon release.

We will be using surplus fabric from the textile trade which would otherwise go into landfill.

This is not seen as a commercial enterprise so any profit made from selling marketable products would be invested in prisoner welfare.

We are recruiting a team of volunteers to teach cutting and machine-sewing skills in Pentonville prison, with inmates vetted for this project and with strictly applied safeguarding in place. MA students from Saint Martins Arts University, under the auspices of Professor Lorraine Gamman’s ‘Design Against Crime’ project will also be contributing time and creative input.

Ideally we foresee volunteers and inmates exchanging and developing ideas together in a supportive and creative space.

Volunteers will be asked to commit for at least six months to a minimum of 3-4 hours a week and would in a typical session together with at least one other volunteer be working with up to five learners. A one-session training on working in a prison will be provided. 

Do you want to support kidney patients and their families? Do you want to be part of a large team of volunteers, within a national charity? Do you want to make a difference in the lives of Welsh kidney patients and their families?

“I draw on my personal experience of kidney disease to support others during their kidney journey; providing information, advice and emotional support to anyone affected by kidney disease” –Volunteer

Organisation

Popham Kidney Support

Organisation Overview

Popham Kidney Support is a leading kidney charity based in Swansea, dedicated to improving the quality of life for children, young people, and adults living with kidney disease across Wales. The charity was founded in 2013 in memory of Paul Popham and received full charitable status in 2015. Its mission is simple: to ensure that no kidney patient faces their journey alone.

The organisation provides a wide range of services designed to support emotional, physical, and financial wellbeing. These include peer mentoring, counselling, Kidney Café support groups, welfare advice, patient grants, education programmes, and wellbeing initiatives such as activity weekends and involvement in transplant sports.

As a trusted voice for kidney patients in Wales, Popham Kidney Support collaborates with clinical teams, other charities, and Welsh communities to advocate for better services and improved patient experience. Its impact has been recognised nationally — in 2025, the charity was honoured with The King’s Award for Voluntary Service, the highest award for voluntary groups in the UK.

With a growing network of volunteers, peer mentors, supporters, and community partners, Popham Kidney Support continues to expand its reach, championing compassionate, patient‑centred care across Wales

Role Title

Treasurer, Board of Trustees

Location of Position

Wales Wide – Remote. (The Charity is based in Swansea, covers Wales)

Responsible to

Chair of Trustees

Purpose/Summary of Role

The Treasurer is a trustee responsible for overseeing the financial affairs of the organisation, ensuring that finances are managed in line with legal requirements, good practice, and the organisation’s charitable aims.

Key Responsibilities

Financial Leadership

• Ensure the organisation’s financial resources are managed responsibly and sustainably.
• Lead on financial strategy, planning, and risk management.
• Oversee the development of annual budgets and financial forecasts.
•  

Financial Monitoring and Reporting

• Present clear, accurate financial reports to the Board.
• Monitor financial performance and alert the Board to any risks or variances.
• Ensure proper accounting records are kept in line with legal requirements.

Compliance and Governance

• Ensure the organisation complies with financial regulations, charity law, Companies House regulations (if applicable), and funder requirements.
• Support the preparation and submission of annual accounts, reports, and returns.

Internal Processes

• Oversee financial controls, reserves, and investment policies.
• Support staff or volunteers responsible for day‑to‑day financial administration (e.g., bookkeeping, payroll).

Supporting Fundraising & Sustainability

• Provide insight on financial implications of fundraising plans, grants, and new projects.
• Ensure restricted funds are managed and reported correctly.

Time Commitment

Typically 4–8 board meetings per year + financial oversight duties

Person Specification

 Essential

• Financial literacy and experience managing budgets.
• Ability to interpret financial information and communicate it clearly.
• Strong analytical and organisational skills.
• Commitment to the organisation’s values, aims, and governance responsibilities.

Desirable

• Professional accountancy qualification (e.g., ACCA, CIMA, ICAEW).
• Experience in charity finance, SORP, or non‑profit financial management.
• Familiarity with financial software (e.g., QuickBooks, Xero, Sage

Training and Support

· PKS Trustee Induction

· Safeguarding

·Various training courses relating to governance

Reimbursement of Expenses- Voluntary (reasonable expenses reimbursed)

Benefits to being a Trustee

Becoming a Trustee with Popham Kidney Support (PKS) means joining a passionate, award‑winning charity dedicated to ensuring that no kidney patient in Wales faces their journey alone. It is a meaningful way to contribute to a cause that transforms lives every day.

1. Make a Tangible Difference to Kidney Patients Across Wales

As a trustee, you directly influence services that support emotional, physical, and financial wellbeing — including peer mentoring, counselling, grants, Kidney Cafés, activity programmes, and more. Your decisions help improve the day‑to‑day lives of children, young people, adults, and families affected by kidney disease.

2. Shape the Strategic Future of an Award‑Winning Charity

Popham Kidney Support has been formally recognised with The King’s Award for Voluntary Service — the highest honour for volunteer groups in the UK. Joining the Board means contributing to a respected, ambitious organisation that continues to expand its impact and drive positive change.

3. Develop High‑Level Leadership & Governance Skills

Trustees gain valuable experience in:

• Strategic and organisational planning
• Financial oversight
• Governance and risk management
• Charity law and regulatory compliance

This is ideal professional development for anyone seeking board-level experience or aspiring to leadership roles.

4. Be Part of a Warm, Supportive Community

At PKS, lived experience, compassion, and community spirit are at the heart of everything we do. As a trustee, you’ll work alongside:

• Dedicated volunteers and peer mentors
• A committed senior team
• Patients and families whose stories inspire change

You join a community that supports each other as much as it supports the people we serve.

5. Strengthen Your Professional Profile

Being a trustee demonstrates:

• Leadership
• Integrity
• Strategic thinking
• Commitment to social impact

It is a strong addition to any CV, career portfolio, or personal development journey.

 6. Use Your Skills — or Lived Experience — for Good

Whether your strengths lie in finance, governance, HR, communications, community engagement, healthcare insight, or lived experience as a kidney patient or carer, your voice matters. Trusteeship gives you the chance to use what you know to create real, lasting change.

7. Enjoy Personal Fulfilment Through Purposeful Work

Trustees often describe the role as:

• Inspiring
• Emotionally rewarding
• A unique opportunity to “give back”
• A chance to leave a positive legacy

Your contribution helps ensure that every kidney patient in Wales has access to the support they need — emotionally, physically, and practically.

8. Contribute to a Legacy of Compassion and Progress

PKS was founded in memory of Paul Popham and has grown into a national support organisation. As a trustee, you help carry that legacy forward, ensuring that every person affected by kidney disease feels supported, valued, and empowered.

Application Procedure

·CV to Lynne Orton Chair of Trustees

·Informal interview with Chair of Trustees and CEO

·Trustee application form, DBS & references

·Application presented to board

·Decision communicated in writing from Chair of Trustees

Overall Responsibility for Coordinating the service delivery and impact measurement of a chosen charity project on a day-to-day basis.

This is an exciting and unique opportunity to be instrumental in the growth and development of a fast-growing women & children’s charity. We are looking for someone to be an integral part of our team by ‘masterminding’ all aspects of running a chosen community project.

With your positive approach, you will enjoy working proactively and have the ability to juggle multiple tasks and respond to the day to day needs of the programme. You will be a confident communicator with the ability to build rapport and get conversations going with a wide range of people. You will lead and coordinate a team of volunteers in the implementation and provision of a responsive, high quality and service user-focused project.

Please find full Job description and Person Specification Attached.

The effective provision of a welcoming client administration service to WFRC. To undertake all administrative tasks relating to the WFRC services.

The successful candidate will be an enthusiastic and a highly organised administrator with excellent interpersonal and communication skills. They will possess a creative mind and the ability to think innovatively to solve problems and operate at a fast pace whilst ensuring accuracy. This will be demonstrated by the ability to take initiative and work independently.

This varied role will be pivotal to the support of a core team and the successful candidate must be able to deal competently and professionally with all administration requirements.

Please download full Job Description & Person Specification 

At CISWO, The Coal Mining Charity, our mission is to improve the lives of individuals and communities facing disadvantage due to the impact of the coal mining industry, delivering services across all former coalfield areas in the UK. We do this through the provision of practical support and advice for former miners and their families, community investment, and the protection and improvement of recreational land.

We are currently seeking to broaden the skills and experience of our Board of Trustees and would particularly welcome individuals with previous trustee experience, and strong charity governance knowledge. We would also welcome applicants with expertise in fundraising, marketing and communications, or risk management, and from those with an interest in serving in a Chair or Vice Chair position.

Successful candidates will have experience operating at a senior level within a large and/or complex organisation (in either a paid or voluntary capacity). You will be able to demonstrate effectiveness in your field, bring strategic insight, and take a solutions-focused approach to supporting the work and future direction of the charity.

The role in unremunerated but expenses are covered.

To find out more and apply, please download the full Trustee Candidate Information Pack available from our website. 

Background for Citizens Advice Salford’s Chair of Trustees:

Citizens Advice Salford is looking for a new chair for our board of trustees. The service is an independent charity, employing 35 people and benefiting from the support of about 70 highly trained volunteers. We are a full member of the National Association of Citizens Advice, our membership organisation, which supports our work.

Our chair plays a critical role in leading both the board and the organisation, as well as in representing the Salford service within the broader Citizens Advice movement. They will also provide strategic leadership and support the service’s chief executive.

The service provides advice to about 18,000 people each year, and is regulated by various bodies. Our offer is primarily through face to face contact, telephone advice, web access and we are looking at what new digital approaches such as AI can do for us.

We hold the specialist advice giving quality mark. Citizens Advice Salford has a strong reputation as a campaigner for change, for fighting against poverty, lobbying and campaigning on behalf of our clients, together with working across Greater Manchester with our colleague local citizens advice services.

Financially we have a range of contracts with public bodies such as the Council, together with a range of other grants and funding for specific projects.

The current chair is reaching the end of her six year term, but will still be a member of the board. It is a strong board consisting of ten people, with a diverse range of skills and experience.

If you would like to have a more general discussion about the role please feel free to contact the current Chair, or the Chief Officer. Contact details are available on our vacancy page via the apply button.

• What's in it for you?

• use your experience to make a positive impact for people in Salford by ensuring Citizens Advice Salford is sustainable and meeting the needs of the community
• meet people and build relationships with trustees, staff and other volunteers
• build on your governance, leadership and strategy knowledge and skills
• increase your employability
• be a part of infl uence and change work that looks to reduce poverty in Salford, and to make it and the country a better place for all.

How much time do you need to give?

Trustee boards usually meet in the evenings and you’ll likely need to give two or three hours, six times a year and you may need to attend other meetings if you’re involved in specifi c projects, or meet with volunteers and staff occasionally within Citizens Advice Salford. We can be fl exible about the time spent, so come and talk to us.

Valuing Inclusion

Our volunteers come from a range of backgrounds and we particularly welcome applications from disabled people, people with physical or mental health conditions, LGBT+ and non-binary people, and people from global majority communities.
If you are interested in becoming a chair of trustees and would like to discuss fl exibility around location, time, ‘what you will do’ and how we can support you please contact us.

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. 

It’s shaping up to be a busy year at Locate International, with a lot of important stories to tell. We need people who can help us tell them – and play a huge part in resolving cases.

We’re looking for more people to join as volunteer media officers – this will involve writing press releases for our missing and unidentified appeals, giving interviews and forging partnerships with broadcasters and publishers.

The right people will be able to write well, will ideally have a journalistic background, and will have experience dealing with different media outlets and their demands. But they must also be able to work with sensitivity and care.

We meet for an hour every Tuesday night on Zoom, and volunteers are expected to contribute an average of six hours a week.

HEAD OF VOLUNTEERING (VOLUNTEER ROLE)

SUNSHINE Charity – Because No One Should Live in Lockdown Forever

Do you remember lockdown?

1. The anxiety.
2. The silence.
3. The walls closing in.
4. The feeling of being cut off from the world.

Now imagine living like that every single day — not because of a pandemic, but because loneliness has quietly taken over someone’s life.

At SUNSHINE, we refuse to accept that.

• Not on our watch.
• Not in our city.
• Not in our communities.

We’re here to bring back warmth, connection, and joy — and we need someone extraordinary to help us do it.

Who We Are

SUNSHINE is a brand‑new, grassroots, 100% volunteer‑powered charity on a mission to end loneliness for Londoners and beyond. We’re small, scrappy, passionate, and building something hopeful from the ground up. We’re currently awaiting our charity number — but our hearts, our mission, and our momentum are already very real.

Our volunteers will be the heartbeat of everything we do. And you will be the one who brings that heartbeat to life.

Your Role: Head of Volunteering

• This isn’t just a role.
• This is a chance to shape the soul of a charity.

We need someone who can be the driving force behind our entire volunteering programme — someone who can build it, nurture it, and infuse it with the SUNSHINE spirit.

You will:

• Design and launch our volunteering programme from scratch.

• Create a culture that is warm, supportive, energising and full of sunshine.

• Recruit, onboard and train volunteers who want to make a real difference.

• Build systems and processes that help volunteers thrive.

• Champion retention and motivation, ensuring people feel valued and inspired.

• Set the tone for what a joyful, people‑centred, volunteer‑run charity can be.

Your work will shape how SUNSHINE grows, how we support people, and how we bring connection back into lonely lives.

Who You Are

1. You’re someone who believes deeply in people.
2. You light up when talking about community.
3. You understand the power of kindness, purpose, and human connection.
4. Maybe you’ve led volunteers before.
5. Maybe you’ve built teams.
6. Maybe you’ve worked in community spaces, HR, training, or people‑focused roles.
7. What matters most is your heart, your drive, and your belief that loneliness should never win.

If you’re creative, proactive, and excited by the idea of building something meaningful from the ground up, you’ll fit right in.

Why Join Us Now?

Because this is the moment everything begins.

We’re at the start of our journey — the fragile, hopeful, electric beginning where every idea matters and every person shapes the future.

Your leadership will help someone feel seen again. Your programme will help someone smile again. Your work will help someone feel less alone.

If your heart is saying yes, we want to hear from you.

How to Apply

Send us your CV and a short statement about why this role speaks to you.

We welcome people from all backgrounds, experiences and walks of life.

Let’s bring sunshine back into people’s lives — together.