Support volunteer roles

Birmingham Cathedral is seeking a dedicated and compassionate individual to join its Chapter as a non-executive member. This is a unique opportunity to contribute as a trustee to the cathedral's strategic direction, provide governance and oversight, and share responsibility for the stewardship and sustainability of the resources that support its mission and ministry.

As a member of the Cathedral Chapter, you will share with the Dean in the oversight of cathedral life. Chapter members are invaluable in shaping the direction of the cathedral and ensuring we continue to fulfil our mission and purpose. You will work collaboratively with clergy, staff, volunteers and external partners to uphold the cathedral’s mission, vision, values and strategic priorities. 

What will you be doing?

As part of the Management team you will be responsible for ensuring that the group is acting in a way that recognises its safeguarding responsibilities in all its activities.

This will include carrying out Enhanced DBS checks on behalf of the group when appropriate and provide an induction for new Management Team Members so they are aware of the safeguarding requirements of the group and to initiate an annual short Safeguarding Refresher Session at a coach meeting.

Management team meetings are held typically every six to eight weeks, alternating on line and in person.

What are we looking for?

• Experience of adult safeguarding (desirable but not essential).
• Ability to work with discretion and confidentiality when required.
• A strong commitment to improving the lives of the people Read Easy works with.
• Good communication and people skills, with a commitment to maintaining confidentiality.
• Reasonable confidence in using IT.
• The ability to use initiative and work independently.
• A willingness to abide by Read Easy policies and procedures.
• A non-judgemental attitude and respect for others, with a commitment to equality and diversity, so that you can make everyone feel valued and included.
• Energy and enthusiasm with an average of two hours a week to commit to the role. 

What difference will you make?

Read Easy provides free, confidential, one to-one reading coaching for adults who struggle with reading, through a network of volunteer groups. Read Easy groups are changing the lives of individual adults across the country by providing them with the support they need to learn to read, and in turn opening doors for them to all sorts of new opportunities in life.

NYAS' Side by Side care leaver programme supports care-experienced young people leaving care. When young people leave care, they often struggle with isolation, homelessness, and living independently because they are often thrown into independence way before they're ready. Side by Side bridges the gap between care and adulthood. We want to give young people the support they need to really succeed, but just as importantly, we want to make them feel confident in knowing that somebody is by their side.

There's a lot you can do as a volunteer for Side by Side, including assisting young people with their transition to adulthood, discovering their aspirations and goals, and generally supporting and signposting them to help achieve these.

You do not need any special qualifications, but we are looking for dedicated people of all ages who are comfortable with mentoring and being a good role model for a  young person who may have experienced difficult times during their childhood. We ask that you are able to commit to a few hours each week for a minimum of 1 year.

This is a worthwhile opportunity where you will make a positive difference to the life of a vulnerable young person, become part of a leading national children's charity, gain valuable experience and meet new people.

· You will have an hour or two to spare each week for the minimum of 1 year

• You will have good communication skills
• You will receive training in boundaries, goal setting and reflective check ins.
• You will enjoy meeting with others and supporting them to achieve their goals.
• You will receive all the support and training you need to make the most of your role.
• Volunteers will be supported in their own professional development and you will gain experience that could help in your future career goals.
• Expenses will be reimbursed.

Please note: This opportunity is for people over the age of 25 years.

The Dementia Services supports people to live independently and safely at home for as long as possible, stay socially engaged and carry on doing what they love. The service supports Camden residents over the age of 55 in the early or moderate stages of dementia.

We offer clients from the Dementia Services (befriending and wellbeing) a short performance or creative activity delivered by a volunteer visual artist, musician, dancer, actor, performer, and other creative artforms. You may choose to share a creative hobby or an art form you practice professionally.

What does the role involve? 

·Share your creative talent or hobby with older people living with dementia by delivering a short performance to an older person at home or providing an opportunity for them to participate in a creative activity.

·Visit a minimum of 4 times per year for up to 1.5 hours each time, including 20/30 minutes for the performance/activity.

·Provide opportunities for connection with older people during your visit through conversation and engagement.

• Liaise with service coordinators to link with clients who have asked to receive these visits/calls.
• Provide feedback after every performance, including positive impact, improvements to the delivery of visits or concerns regarding the client. 

What will you get out of it?

·An opportunity to create meaningful experiences for all

·Be part of something rewarding and fulfilling

·Training in dementia awareness, safeguarding and more

·Supervision and support

·Reimbursement of expenses

·Opportunities to meet other volunteers

What are the benefits for people living with dementia?

 Many of the clients we support in this service are housebound or do not have the confidence or opportunity to attend events. Some clients may be artists, performers and creatives in their own right who do not get an opportunity to engage with or experience this aspect of their lives anymore.

Giving people who are living with memory loss an opportunity to be part of creative activities is a stimulating, fun way of putting them in touch with memories, other people and the wider community.

Bringing your artform into peoples’ homes can have a huge impact on reducing isolation, encouraging connection and bring a sprinkle of joy to those living with dementia.

We are looking for people who have:

• An interest in sharing or performing their creative, artistic skill whether you are a hobbyist or a professional: 
• Singing

·Playing a musical instrument

·Visual art activity

·Poetry/acting

·Dancing

·Culture-specific art/music/dance/poetry

These are just a handful of examples, but we will consider applications from a variety of artists/musicians/ performers and are open to suggestions.

What other attributes do you need?

• Good verbal and written skills in English 

• Enjoy conversation.
• A desire to learn more about an individual and their interests and their past, and life history
• Consistency and reliability 
• An ability to empathise and understand the needs and experiences of an individual with dementia and memory loss.
• Understanding of confidentiality
• Patience and sensitivity
• Confidence to deal with emergencies
• Requirement to undertake induction training and follow guidelines and policies of Age UK Camden

Volunteering Hours 

Performances/activities:Usually approx. 20 -30 minutes but 1-1.5hrs are assigned to the visit

 Minimum of 4 - 6 visits a year (you can opt to do more). 

Visits will be a time agreed between you and the older person you are matched with.

Please note, early morning and late evenings are generally not suitable times for visits. 

Training and induction are provided for the role and includes: 

• Online Dementia Awareness course 
• Age UK Camden organisational induction 
• Induction to Dementia Befriending and Dementia Wellbeing Services and relationships, how to deliver a performer visit
• Safeguarding Adults online course
• Data Awareness online course

We will give you:

• Ongoing support including regular supervision by the coordinator of the service.
• Reimbursement of agreed expenses 
• Access to Volunteer Forum events

 If you are interested, we will ask you to: 

• Complete an application form

• Meet with Dementia Services staff member
• Provide details of two Referees
• Complete an Enhanced DBS check (we arrange this with you)
• Induction and training (as laid out above)

We understand that completing the various steps takes time, and we support and keep in touch with you through the process. 

As this role brings our volunteers into regular contact with vulnerable older people, we make sure that all volunteers understand their role and have completed our recruitment procedures to both our and their satisfaction. 

Volunteer Operations and Compliance Volunteer

Where Fawcett Estate Community Hall, Clapton, Hackney

Hours: 6 to 8 hours a week, across 2 to 3 days in the office

Who we are

Children with Voices started over 20 years ago with one woman, a community hall and a belief that no child in Hackney should be forgotten. Our founder Michelle began with a Winter Wonderland for local children at London Fields School, covered by the Hackney Gazette, after being named Family Mosaic Inspirational Tenant of the Year. She has not stopped since.

Today we are a registered charity at Fawcett Estate Community Hall in Clapton, running a Community Food Hub, Jumping Beans, SEND support, alternative education and work in local schools. Over 100,000 children and families have come through our doors. Our work has been featured on BBC, ITV and Channel 4, and we have been recognised with a Pride of Britain Award and a Points of Light Award. What we are proudest of is that families still knock on our door knowing someone will answer.

Who this role suits

A retired operations, compliance or quality manager. Someone from a regulated sector who knows what good governance looks like in practice. Anyone who has kept an organisation running smoothly and would enjoy doing it again somewhere it matters.

What you will be doing

• Helping coordinate day to day operations across our programmes so the week runs smoothly

• Reviewing our processes and suggesting where we could work better with what we already have

• Keeping our policy library current, including safeguarding, data protection and health and safety

• Helping prepare clear information for our CEO and Trustees so they can see how things are running

• Flagging anything that looks like a compliance or safeguarding risk, promptly and to the right person

What you will need

Experience of running or coordinating operations somewhere with real accountability. An eye for detail and a habit of writing things down. Comfort with documents, spreadsheets and shared drives. Discretion, because you will see sensitive information about families and staff.

What you will get from us

Real influence over how a growing charity works. A seat at the table with our leadership team. Proper support, so you are never left to figure it out alone. A personal reference, and the satisfaction of seeing an organisation run better because you are in it.

Description

Our Shop Volunteers raise money for the people we support with a Learning Disability. Do you have a few hours a week to spare and share your time with us?

Our retail roles are varied and fun. You could be sorting donations from the public, dressing our window or serving customers on the till. There are many people from different walks of life and it's a great way to get practical experience and to meet new people.

This role will take place on a weekly basis for a few hours We will try our best to be flexible around the best time for you, but also need to consider the store opening times and volunteer rota. It could be a weekday or weekend, morning or afternoon, our stores are usually open 7 days a week. We’d appreciate any time that you can spare.

Whilst in the store, you will help with activities based on the needs of the Store Manager.

Tasks you could get up to whilst volunteering could include:

• Serving customers on the till
• Taking stock donations from the public
• Tagging and steaming stock for the shop floor
• Dressing the window displays
• Asking people to join us as a volunteer

As a Retail Volunteer you will be:

• Friendly and Approachable
• Reliable, Kind and Patient
• A good communicator (including listener)
• Willing to volunteer within guidelines and to take direction where necessary
• Accepting of others who might be different to yourself

As a Mencap volunteer you will:

• Make new friends and raise important funds for people with a learning disability
• Get reasonable out-of-pocket expenses in line with our policy e.g. travel
• Receive full Training and support
• Volunteer alongside other people
• Have a chance to give back your local community

About Mencap Mencap is the leading learning disability charity in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. We work with people with a learning disability and their families to challenge prejudice and change laws, and we directly support thousands of people to live their lives as they choose.

We have an ambitious vision for the UK to be the best place in the world for people with a learning disability to live happy and healthy lives.

Volunteering with us is YOUR opportunity to help us achieve this, whilst having the chance to develop your skills, meet new people and join a passionate and dedicated team.

If you have questions about volunteering with Mencap, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us!

Ministries Committee Lay Members - The Methodist Church in Great Britain

About You

Are you a member of the Methodist Church in Britain seeking to use your skills, expertise and gifts in a new way? Could you make a significant contribution to an important committee in the Methodist Church?

We are seeking new lay members of the Ministries Committee for 2026-27, initially for a term of three years, renewable for a further 3 years if appropriate.

The Role

The Ministries Committee reports to the Connexional Council, the trustee body of the Methodist Church in Great Britain. The Committee is charged with responsibility to keep in constant review the life of the Methodist Church as it relates to Ministries, ordained and lay, to reflect strategically and review ministries related work that will enable the ministry and mission of the Church to be more effective, and to review the formational and support needs of those who exercise lay and ordained ministry on behalf of the Church. 

Working collaboratively with other committee members and with the Mission Committee and Resourcing Committee, you will be experienced in chairing committees and bring a range of circuit experiences and other experiences of the Methodist Church to the work of the Ministries Committee.

In order to ensure a diverse mix of lay and ordained members of the committee, applications are particularly invited from lay members of the Methodist Church in Britain including Local Preachers, Worship Leaders and Local Lay Pastors. You are encouraged to apply if you feel that overall your skills and experience meet the person specification requirements. You will have some experience of serving on a church body and some experience or interest in cross-cultural ministry, stationing, candidating or training.

The Methodist Church is an inclusive and supportive employer. We are actively committed to encouraging applications from all backgrounds, including Black, Asian and other Minority Ethnic groups. We also welcome applications from people living with disabilities and those still developing their careers. We are committed to fairness, and all applications will be assessed on merit.

Closing Date: 18 September 2026

Interviews: 28 September 2026 to be held in person at Methodist Church House in London

West Midlands Area – based around local treatment services 

Closing date: 24/08/2026

Job reference: LEP-261

Are you a proactive, collaborative and compassionate individual with proven experience of working positively with adults to engage successfully despite ‘challenging’ behaviour?Do you have the ability to be a positive role model, demonstrating the virtues of engaging with treatment support services? 

If so, St Giles is looking for a Lived Experience Peer Volunteer to join our team and provide interventions and build meaningful, peer-led relationships with service users to encourage them to engage in drug and alcohol treatment following arrest.

About St Giles Trust 
An ambitious, well-established charity that helps people facing adversity to find jobs, homes and the right support they need.  Central to our ethos is our belief that people with first-hand experience of successfully overcoming issues such as an offending background, homelessness, addictions and gang involvement hold the key to positive change in others. 

About this key role 

As a Peer Volunteer, you will increase client engagement with drug and alcohol treatment services by providing vital peer-led support and building trust and motivation among a client group that has been historically disengaged/not offered support previously.You will provide holistic, short-term intervention to bridge the gap between referral and full treatment engagement, capture client experiences and barriers to improve service design and accessibility and develop a strong service user voice to inform future service improvements. 

Areas of support from Peer Volunteers may also include initial engagement and motivation such as welcome calls, check-ins, peer-led conversations and motivational chats over coffee.You may also offer practical support such as appointment reminders, transport assistance and paperwork support, plus help to build positive routines such as activity-based engagement and supporting small lifestyle changes, including meal planning, budgeting, and time management. 

What we are looking for 

• Personal experience of the criminal justice system or lived experience of the issues facing this client group (i.e. experience of substance misuse and recovery) 

• Proven experience of working in a high-intensity environment, being self-motivating, with an ability to effectively manage your own wellbeing 

• Knowledge of the issues facing those arrested for potential criminal offences 

• Knowledge of, and commitment to, safeguarding practices and policies 

• The ability to use monitoring systems to record all aspects of the work 

• Excellent interpersonal, relationship-building and communication skills, verbal and written.

Please note:  as an organisation that works with adults at risk we are committed to safeguarding, protecting and promoting the safety of our clients and successful applicants will be subject to an Enhanced Adult DBS check.

We are an equity and inclusion-confident employer. We welcome all applications, and we particularly encourage applications from people of the global majority (black, brown, multi- heritage) and those who identify as disabled, neuroexpansive, neurodiverse, with any protected characteristics and/or social barriers or challenges. We value the empowering and informative impact that all lived experiences and diversity of thought can offer the organisation. 

St Giles will guarantee to interview all disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria set out in the Job Description for the vacancy. 

We will be reviewing applications as they are received and reserve the right to close this advert early if a suitable candidate is appointed. We therefore strongly encourage early applications to avoid any disappointment     

Interviews to be held on a rolling basis.

Join our amazing volunteer team in this flexible opportunity that puts you at the heart of our work supporting blind and partially sighted people. You’ll make taking part in events and carrying out volunteering easier and more enjoyable for our customers and volunteers with sight loss.
You’ll take some of the stress and anxiety out of getting around and taking part in activities as a blind or partially sighted person. The help you give will encourage people to do more.

What you’ll be doing
• Sighted guiding / giving practical help to individuals in and around venues, so they can take part in events.
• Supporting volunteers with sight loss with their volunteering activities which range from facilitating a regular community group to delivering a talk about sight loss to a local business. Your role would involve things like guiding; Meeting and greeting at group activities or creating a welcoming and interesting display stand at events.

In this role you will only be helping individuals in places open to the public, often in a group setting. We will provide training in sighted guiding techniques and understanding sight loss.
We would particularly like to recruit support volunteers within the Downpatrick area (last Wednesday of every month)

What you’ll gain from the role:
• An opportunity to give something back.
• A chance to build a strong community.
• A sense of achievement through the difference you make.
• A chance to be part of a team of like-minded people
• An opportunity to develop and explore different roles with RNIB, including our internal job vacancies.

In return for donating your time we will provide:
• A rewarding experience.
• A great Induction and training.
• A supportive manager.
• Regular updates and catchups.
• Expenses.
• An opportunity to connect with other volunteers.

How often will I be needed?

• 4 Hours per Event

Key requirements

• This role requires one reference

Location

Region

• Northern Ireland

Additional location information

• We are particularly looking for Volunteers to Support the West Belfast walk every Friday in Falls Park 10.30 am-12pm We are particularly looking for volunteers to provide support and sighted guiding for the 18-35 meet ups that happen once a month usually in Belfast but may travel from Belfast to other areas for example Hillsborough. It’s one Saturday per month

Who this opportunity will suit

Minimum age

• You must be at least 18 years old to apply

What skills and experience are needed?

• • An outgoing, friendly approach to meeting new people. • An empathetic and professional manner. • The ability to take the supportive and helpful role.

We’re Mind, the leading mental health charity. We won’t give up until everyone experiencing a mental health problem gets support and respect. We provide advice and support to empower anybody experiencing a mental health problem and we campaign to improve services, raise awareness, and promote understanding.

Our volunteers are a fundamental part of our shops. Any time which they volunteer at our shops, help us be there for more people who are experiencing a mental health problem. 

About the volunteer role

To provide our volunteers with opportunities to gain a variety of skills and experience, we offer them a range of volunteer roles to choose from, which include:

• Stock preparation volunteer
• Volunteer shop sales assistant
• Volunteer stock generation assistant
• Volunteer window dresser/Merchandiser
• Specialist knowledge volunteer (antiques and collectables)
• Specialist knowledge volunteer (books and entertainment)
• Housekeeping volunteer

Key tasks

There is a variety of tasks within the above mentioned roles that our volunteers get involved with, including:

• Welcoming and assisting customers with their purchases, providing them with great customer service and a delightful shopping experience
• Receiving donated items from members of the public
• Sorting, steaming, tagging and preparing donated items for sale
• Creating visually appealing window and in-store displays
• Keeping the shop floor well stocked, clean and coordinated
• Processing sales and serving at the till
• Signing up gift aid donors
• Stock rotation
• Identifying special or valuable items within donated stock

About you

• Passionate about customer service 
• Good communication skills 
• Friendly and helpful
• Respectful of others and their diversity

Experience & skills you will gain

• Experience of working as part of a team
• Retail experience 
• Stock organisation
• Selling skills 
• Customer service skills 

Our Commitment

We are committed to becoming actively anti-racist in everything we do. This is a critical priority for Mind. We embrace diversity and understand that being an inclusive organisation, recognising different perspectives, will enable us to provide excellent services. We are committed to ensuring all our employees are treated fairly and equitably at work and promoting equity in physical and mental health for all.

How to Apply:

Please apply for our Volunteer role by emailing the following information to our shop team on: SHOP EMAIL ADDRESS

· Your full name (first name and surname)

· Your date of birth (all of our Volunteers must be a minimum of 18 years of age)

· Your email address

· Your phone number

· How many hours a week you’d be interested in volunteering in our Volunteer role for

Any personal information you share will be used solely for processing your application for volunteering.

A bit about this role

As a charity we can continue to help cats and kittens in need thanks to the donations we receive at fundraising events from generous members of the public. Our fundraising event helpers have the exciting and varied role of helping at local fundraising events - such as cakes sales, barn dances, quiz nights – and everything in between!

You can expect us to

• make you feel welcome, included and respected in line with our values and behaviours
• support you in having a positive and impactful experience at Cats Protection
• cover agreed out-of-pocket expenses in line with our Expenses Policy
• provide you with access to learning, development and engagement opportunities

What we need from you

• help set up and/or man stalls at events
• help on collection days like supermarket collections events or street collections
• help at fundraising events such as quiz nights, cake sales and dances
• promoting a professional image of Cats Protection at events

Time expectation

This role is really flexible! You could choose to volunteer at one event for a couple of hours or attend multiple fundraising events.

We’ll keep you up to date with upcoming local events where volunteers are needed. You’ll then be able to choose which events you’d like to volunteer at and how many hours you’d like to give. However much time you can give, your contribution will help raise much needed funds to continue the work of Cats Protection.

You may be just the volunteer we've been looking for!

We are committed to building a diverse, compassionate and inclusive organisation where everyone can be themselves and do their best. We are courageous and compassionate in our purpose of helping people see the world through cats’ eyes. Together, we can make a difference. Together, we are all for cats. Join the UK’s leading cat welfare charity and help make a better life for cats, because life is better with cats.

Volunteers needed for the friendliest club in London!

Can you spare two hours a week to work with some of the friendliest, welcoming people

you’ll ever meet? If so, then please come and help our volunteers organise fun, engaging

activities at our ever-growing club for people with learning disabilities. No previous experience

is needed; you just need a caring attitude and sense of fun!

Our club is split into two age groups: 14-25 years and 25 years +. You have a chance to make a real

difference to either group by creating new experiences, helping our members to grow in

confidence, build friendships and learn new skills. Our specialist club leaders will support and

train you, and you’ll benefit from working in a very rewarding environment!

To telephone befriendees at their home for approximately 10 to 30 minutes, you will arrange the specific times of your future calls directly with them. These calls are intended to occur once a week, but individual needs will be matched with your availability.To provide a telephone conversation, a listening ear and chat about interests and hobbies, helping to alleviate loneliness and feelings of isolation. To provide companionship and human interaction at a time when this may be limited. To provide an update after each call to the Telephone Befriending support Team. This is so we can keep a track of the amount of befriending calls each volunteer is undertaking, the type of support being offered during these calls and if there is anything further required.

It is important to note telephone befriending is not counselling or therapy and other services must be sought if this is required.

Benefits

• FREE DBS.
• Discounted food.
• Store discount.
• Volunteer from home.
• Above all you will be making a positive difference in your befriendee’s life.
• As a volunteer telephone befriender, you will learn how to support others, make friends, become more confident, and practice communication skills.
• You will gain new and transferable skills. We offer support for you to increase your own job-readiness and personal development.
• Training opportunities,
• Volunteering experience
• Detailed references will be provided.

​

Are you passionate about wanting to help young people? 

Do you have 2 to 4 hours to spare, once a month? 

Are you ready to make a long-term, regular, commitment? 

If the answer is yes and you would like to support a child or young person currently in the care of their local authority, then we would love to hear from you. 

Our Independent Visitor Service is looking for volunteers in or near to Telford.

For many children and young people living in foster care can be unsettling. You can make a difference by volunteering as an Independent Visitor. 

We are looking for fun, reliable, and pro-active volunteers from all different cultures, backgrounds and experiences who have a genuine interest in making a difference to the lives of children and young people. 

You will decide with your young person what to do, but activities could include going to the cinema, bowling, playing football, going to a restaurant, riding a bike, or walking in a park. We will match you with a child you share common interests with. 

You do not need experience of working with children and young people, just an interest in their development and welfare. Full training and support are provided 

Here’s a few of the young people we have waiting for a volunteer: 

• Amy (12) lives with an older carer, she would like an active Independent Visitor who can do sports with her. 

• Brad (13) lives in residential care with other young people, he doesn’t have anyone in his family visit. He would like an Independent Visitor to take him out and have fun, like the other young people. 

• Cassie (16) lives with carers in a new town, she doesn’t have any friends in the area yet. She would like an Independent Visitor to help with her confidence and going out in the local area, she loves hot chocolate and cake. 

• Danny (11) lives with foster carers and attends a special school. He would like an Independent Visitor to help him be more independent, he likes parks, aeroplanes, and animals. 

• Emma (9) lives with her carer in a very busy household, she would like an Independent Visitor to spend some time with her on her own trying different activities together. 

*names have been changed 

The Application 

• Volunteering mainly happens at weekends and after school hours as the young people are usually in school during the daytime 

• The role requires commitment of at least 24 months with one visit per month; this ensures stability for the Child or Young Person 

• Complete the Personal Statement section on the application formas fully as possible; tell us all about you; it forms part of the shortlisting process