Walking volunteer volunteer volunteer roles in Cheshunt, hertfordshire

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.s

We’re looking for a patient and kind volunteer to support an active and energetic man in Streatham. He’ll take some time to get to know you, so you’re first few visits will likely be spent going for walks around the local area with a member of his support team. This gentleman is non-verbal and will communicate with you through sounds, gestures and movements.

He takes a little while to warm up to new people, so you will need to be patient while he takes his time becoming comfortable with you. It would be great if his new volunteer had some experience with people with learning disabilities, though this isn’t at all necessary as long as you have a positive attitude. It’s important to know that his care team would always be on hand, and that his not-so-secret kryptonite is chocolate!

We offer a lifelong befriending service for adults with learning disabilities. Matching the skills and interests of passionate visitors with the specific hobbies and interests of the people we visit. Visitors visit six times a year to create a 1-2-1 connection, offer companionship, encourage people to do the things they enjoy and check-in on their wellbeing. In many cases, the visitor is the only person in someone’s life who isn’t paid to be there for them.

This is a Stop and Stay visit role, meaning that the person you’ll be visiting might have some verbal communication skills or they use sounds and/or facial/body expressions to communicate with you. The person you visit might choose to take part in simple activities or watch you doing the activities. Your volunteer manager will be happy to help you with ideas and suggestions for things you can do. Visits will vary in length but tend to be around half an hour to an hour long.

In this role you will spend quality time with the person you visit and could do a range of different activities like:

• Sitting and having a chat
• Checking in on their well- being
• A craft activity at home
• Reading a book/magazine together

As a Mencap volunteer visitor you will be:

• Friendly and approachable
• Accepting of others who might be different to yourself
• Reliable and patient
• Passionate about supporting people with a with a learning disability.

As a Mencap visitor you will:

• Have the opportunity to help make a difference to the life of the person you visit
• Receive a personalised volunteer induction and training
• Have agreed out of pocket expenses reimbursed
• Meet new people
• Get on-going support, and feel appreciated and valued

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.

***Please note that this is an opportunity based in Nottingham (shire) in the United Kingdom and we don’t offer sponsorship or accept overseas applicants***

Age UK Notts are seeking individuals who would like to be considered as a volunteer for our Companion Service.

Volunteers will be supporting people in their own homes and in the community within Nottingham and Nottinghamshire and ideally, we ask all applicants to provide a minimum of 1 hour volunteering a week.

The companion service volunteer can choose to be:                                                           

• A companion within the person’s home

• A companion outside the person’s home

Examples of the type of support the service offers include:

• Supporting an older person/s hobbies and interests or simply chatting with them in their own home on a regular basis.

• Supporting with digital access & building confidence skills & motivation to access the opportunities of the internet.

• Supporting the person outside of their home e.g., by accompanying them on a walk, to the shops, to a café, garden centre, theatre or cinema or other social activities / community groups. 

• Where appropriate, supporting the older person to access other services through information and signposting or referring to the Companion Service Coordinator for support.

We are looking for the following skills/interests:

• Individuals with a genuine interest in the wellbeing of older people who are committed to volunteering on a regular basis.

• Commitment to complete our Volunteer Report Form accurately and regularly. 

• Ability to travel for visits in the local community either by car or public transport for those volunteers who choose to participate in this type of activity.

• Digital literacy for those volunteers who choose to participate in this type of activity.

We are looking for volunteers with good daytime availability in specific areas of Nottingham and Nottinghamshire.

Please contact the volunteering team for further information on where specifically in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire.

What does the role involve?

Working in ever changing environment Active Response Volunteers respond to demands across a site. The role is very varied and involves:

• Helping staff prepare documents at essential times, including creating and printing

• Helping staff with basic information entry and calls

• Helping set up and maintain meeting rooms

• Helping collect/deliver items between teams and nearby sites

• Surge support during event days at the Head office

 • Keeping things organised on the go such as keeping the kitchen area clear, supporting sustainability actions like switching off lights

• Supporting staff with lunch and refreshment runs

• Supporting staff with simple wellbeing initiatives that help break the day via active response initiatives

• Attend a site meeting every 3 months with staff regarding site updates and contribute to ideas for active response volunteering solutions.

• Help develop awareness of the new active response service and proactively find tasks too.

• There may also be opportunities to get involved in other areas of the Trust’s work, including our NHS careers

Exclusions:

• Volunteers will not carry out clinical duties (i.e. doing the tasks which the staff have been trained to do.

• Supporting patients directly (this role is based in the Head office where direct patient care is not delivered).

• We won’t ask you to carry heavy loads

What skills and qualities do you need?

West London NHS Trust is committed to equal opportunities and welcomes applications from all sections of the community. We are looking for volunteers who are:

• Can do approach and comfortable supporting a new service starting from scratch

• Have a good level of fitness as the role requires lots of walking

• Understand and comply with confidentiality requirements (training on data protection offered)

• Friendly and approachable

• Reliable and willing to help

• Comfortable supporting different teams and tasks

• Able to follow guidance from staff

• Able to work as part of a team

• Organised and able to complete tasks efficiently

• Volunteers are expected to uphold Trust core values (Togetherness, Responsibility, Excellence, Caring) and NHS policies

What we can offer you: 

• A full induction, training or brief to your role

• On-going support and guidance from a designated member of staff

• The opportunity to develop your personal and professional skills

• The opportunity to get involved in other areas of The Trust’s work, including NHS careers

• Provide you with a uniform

• Reimbursement of reasonable expenses

• The opportunity to contribute to our mission supporting outstanding patient care. 

Our small friendly Charity Shop in South Westminster

As well as being an important source of revenue for the Centre, the shop on Horseferry Road is the public face of the Cardinal Hume Centre to the residents and workers of Westminster. It can be a very busy environment with lots of regular customers. You will be part of a friendly, international team!  You will receive excellent support and opportunities to learn team skills and customer service.  You can obtain a reference for future employers.

How does this role make a difference?

You will be part of the fundraising team, raising funds to support the work of the Cardinal Hume Centre and promoting the work of the Centre to the public. Typically, the Charity Shop raises in the region of £50,000 per year.

What will you be doing?

Flexibility will be given where possible, but in general, volunteers will undertake the following tasks as part of this role:

· Customer service on the till

· Cashing up at the end of the day and walking the takings round to the reception and handing in to Finance Team

· Greeting and helping customers

· Replenishing the stock on the shop floor

· Sorting donations

· Helping present top items in window display and around the shop

· Promoting the work of the Centre to the public

Want to increase your skills in retail?

If you want to develop in this role, we are keen to support you.  There are more responsibilities you can take on in the shop, for example; opening and closing the shop, cashing up at the end of the day and helping with the induction of new volunteers.  Let us know if this interests you.  We also have employment advisors who can provide employment support.  Furthermore, if you want to expand your experience in the voluntary sector, you can combine your role in the shop with a volunteer role elsewhere in the organisation.

What are we looking for?

No special qualifications are needed to work in our shop, as relevant training will be given, however, we will be asking for the following qualities:

· Over 16+

· Good spoken English needed – at least Entry Level 3

· The ability to contribute to a positive team culture and atmosphere

· Be able to provide a friendly, high-quality service to customers

· A commitment to equal opportunities and to treating all individuals who visit or work in the shop with dignity and respect

· Physically fit - able to lift light bags and boxes and to comfortably use the stairs between the shop floor and the stock room.  Manual handling training will be given.

What is the time commitment?

The shop opening hours are 10am – 4.30pm, Monday – Friday.  A full or half day (10 – 1pm or 1 – 4.30pm) is ideal, but we are flexible and are grateful for even a couple of hours help each week. Ideally, volunteers will commit to a period of at least 4 months.

How will you be supported?

· You will be supported and trained in all areas of retail and customer service by the Charity Shop Manager and the Assistant Shop Manager.

· You will receive a Centre induction from a Volunteer Coordinator

· You will be reimbursed for reasonable and agreed ‘out-of-pocket’ expenses such as travel and also lunch if working a full day.

· For volunteers who stay for more than three months, we are happy to provide a reference.

Volunteer Drivers 

Enthusiastic, hands-on volunteers needed to help provide food to the community. Bounds Green Food Bank is fortunate in receiving food and other donations from local supermarkets, businesses and individuals. We are grateful to our team of volunteer drivers who both collect and deliver on the food bank’s behalf each week. 

Hours: At any time during the week - this is a very flexible role and there is no minimum time commitment, can choose deliveries to suit your own schedule.

Location: Around the Enfield and Haringey area

About Bounds Green Food Bank: 

Open since June 2020, we serve over 1,500 children and adults in the community. We are committed to improving lives by providing food and essential household items to build a healthy, hunger-free tomorrow. We strive to promote social inclusion by supporting people who find themselves in a crisis situation where they need assistance to feed themselves and their families.

Requirements:

• A driver's license and your own vehicle

• WhatsApp, as this is how deliveries are organised

The role: 

• Each week a timetable showing scheduled food donations by local stores and businesses is posted on the volunteer drivers’ WhatsApp group

• Drivers indicate to the group that they are able to make a particular collection, adding their name to the schedule (this is editable by all chat members)

• Once collected, the donation will need to be delivered either to the hall or to a nearby storage facility according to instructions

• The food bank also makes up parcels for guests unable to access the hall in person. Drivers collect from the hall and deliver  to guests, all of whom live within the surrounding area

Person specification: 

• Flexible

• Attend training as required (Zoom Induction)

• A patient and cheerful approach are helpful! 

Benefits:

• Flexible - book deliveries to suit your own schedule!

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

• Gain access to free workshops for volunteers and upskill on a range of topics (conflict resolution, mental health first aid, arts and crafts, and more)

• Join free social events for volunteers (such as picnics, walks, games nights and celebration events)

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

If you are a history buff, a lover of London or are passionate about museums then we want to hear from you!

London Canal Museum is dedicated to educating and inspiring our visitors with the history of London’s canals – how they’ve shaped London’s development, the ordinary people that lived and worked on them, as well as the entrepreneurs who profited from them. We want to pass on the heritage of the canals so that future generations can learn about London’s industrial and social past. 

Role Location:

London Canal Museum, 12-13 New Wharf Road, London, N1 9RT. We are a 5-10 minute walk from Kings Cross St Pancras tube and rail stations.

Role hours:

- One shift a fortnight, from 9.45am until 4.45pm

- The Museum is open Tuesday - Sundays

Role purpose:

The role of the Front of House volunteer is vital to the life of London Canal Museum – in small teams, volunteers in this role ensure the building is open and ready to welcome visitors each day, greet visitors and educate them about the museum’s exhibits and history, keep visitors safe and answer enquiries to keep the museum running smoothly across the day.

Key Tasks:

- Open and close the museum and ensure it is presentable and ready to receive visitors
- Greet visitors, welcome them into the museum and engage with them about the exhibits and history of the building
- Sell admissions, gifts and books, and ensure the till procedures are followed correctly
- Answer telephone and in-person enquiries
- Provide refreshments and assistance during group visits
- Maintain the various museum areas and ensure they are presentable
- Follow museum policies and procedures to ensure the building, volunteers, staff and visitors are safe and well at all times
- Training and support

All volunteers are line managed by the Volunteering and Training Manager, who provides comprehensive inductions and training to all Front of House volunteers in core areas including: 

- Visitor Engagement
- Customer Service
- Health & Safety
- Accessibility in Museums
- Child Protection
- Retail Skills (including using the till)

Benefits to you:

- Learn about the history of London’s canals, the people who lived and worked on them, and their place in the industrial revolution, as well as the ice trade and history of the building

- Meeting new people and having opportunities to socialise with fellow volunteers at events – you will be a part of a community of over 70 volunteers of all ages and backgrounds

- Build your experience of working in museums, heritage and visitor engagement

- Develop your skills in customer service, team work, communication and other key workplace skills

- Opportunities for further involvement with the museum – including archiving and collections care, events, administration, education and guiding walks and boat trips.

- Free entry to the museum and museum events, 10% off in our shop, discounted venue hire and 50% off museum entry for up to 4 friends and family at a time.

- We also have volunteer events, parties and trips that you can enjoy!

- References can be given for all volunteers who volunteer regularly for 6 months or more

Why we need your help

We provide free games and activity sessions with tailored support for children with additional needs and disabilities. We support over 100 children, known as our ‘athletes’, with a wide range of additional needs, including autism, cerebral palsy, non-visible disabilities, and global development delay. At KEEN London, we strive to use fun and games to improve young people's wellbeing, and personal, social and emotional development as well as broadening experiences to increase skills and confidence.

Purpose of the role

Our Volunteer Coaches are the backbone of a KEEN London session! You’ll provide one-to-one support to an athlete, helping them to access all the activities on offer, achieve their personal development goals, and of course have tons of fun! You can expect to get involved with a wide range of playground games, ball games, nature walks, and creative activities. From time to time, we also run trips for our athletes, and previous trips have included trampoline parks, high ropes courses, pedalo boating and slime-making classes.

Tasks and activities

● You’ll support our athletes to engage with the session, and have fun while they’re doing it.

● You’ll help our Service Coordinators develop goals for our athletes, track their progress, and give them lots of encouragement along the way.

● You’ll work with your Service Coordinators and fellow Coaches to come up with new games, develop resources, and plan activities.

● We want our athletes to enjoy being active, making friends, and trying new things - and we want you to join in the activities with them!

● Our athletes love working with energetic and enthusiastic people, and we’ll ensure that all your hard work will be rewarded with a great time.

Please note: To ensure that you are equipped and ready to take on this role, there is a thorough application process which includes but is not limited to: an information session, an in-person onboarding training evening, an enhanced DBS check, reference checks and a safeguarding quiz. All elements of the onboarding process have to be completed satisfactorily before you can start volunteering in this role. 

Why Volunteer with KEEN London?

KEEN London would not be what it is without the volunteers who support our work, and we want to ensure that all our volunteers gain just as much from their volunteering journey as they put into the charity. Here’s what you’ll get in return for supporting us:

● Regular volunteer social events, and opportunities to meet other coaches

● We will provide you with ongoing feedback and support to enable you to reach your full potential at KEEN, you will receive an induction and handbook prior to starting your role and you will receive access to a virtual training portal with additional resources.

● We will give you opportunities to access other roles to help you broaden your skills, such as becoming a Captain or Session Leader.

● Long-term volunteers receive t-shirts, badges, and advance sign-ups to our popular events

● We have a budget set aside to cover volunteer expenses (see Volunteer Agreement below)

● We will provide job/character references to volunteers after a reasonable period of volunteering with us.

Volunteer Agreement

All KEEN London volunteers are asked to observe the Volunteer Agreement. This agreement is binding in honour only, is not intended to be a legally binding contract between us and may be cancelled at any time at the discretion of either party. Neither of us intends any employment relationship to be created either now or at any time in the future.

As a volunteer with KEEN London, you can expect:

● To be a part of a unique and evolving charity that is providing a valuable service to children and young people with additional needs.

● To be introduced to how the organisation works and your role within it.

● A supportive and reciprocal environment that ensures a positive experience for you as a volunteer.

● To be invited to volunteer at special events and fundraising activities.

● Reimbursement of any reasonable travel expenses.

● To be treated fairly and equally with dignity and respect, regardless of race, ethnicity, gender or gender identity, age, (dis)ability, religion or sexual orientation.

● A safe and healthy environment for you to volunteer in.

● Any problems or complaints to be investigated quickly and resolved fairly.

● Recognition for your efforts and successes – celebrating achievements and rewarding loyalty and dedication.

● To receive, if required, a reference after a reasonable time of volunteering.

● Access to free Charity Worker Discounts.

Our expectations of volunteers:

● To maintain and uphold the reputation and good name of the charity.

● To treat other volunteers, staff and service users fairly and with dignity, and to respect everyone equally, regardless of race, ethnicity, gender or gender identity, age, (dis)ability, religion or sexual orientation.

● To ensure appropriate levels of confidentiality and data protection are upheld.

● To uphold our Child Protection and Safeguarding Policy. This includes ensuring that when out of sight of other adults a ratio of 2 adults to 1 athlete is in place, and that you report any concerns you have about the safety and wellbeing of athletes to the Coordinator as soon as possible.

● To adhere to all health and safety instructions.

● To be punctual and reliable when attending sessions, and inform the coordinator via phone call as soon as possible if you are unable to attend.

● To attend at least 2 sessions per month for at least 6 months.

● To bring energy, enthusiasm and a willingness to learn to all sessions.

Role Description Internal Ref Number: COACH4

Are you a dog lover? Do you have the time to help raise a life-changing puppy? Would you like to make a difference to someone's life? If you've answered yes to these questions, then this role could be perfect for you! 

As a Puppy Raiser, you'll provide a 6-8 week-old puppy with the vital foundation for its future role as a guide dog. You'll be looking after a puppy for 12-16 months and will guide him or her through training, socialisation, the introduction of new environments and experiences while providing a loving home.

There might be the odd chewed slipper along the way, but nothing beats the rewarding feeling of loving and raising a puppy who will go on to make an enormous difference to someone living with sight loss.

What you'll be doing:

• Engaging with our world-class training programme to prepare your puppy for the next stages of becoming a guide dog.
• Providing care and support for your puppy at home e.g., loving, grooming and feeding him or her. 
• Socialising your puppy and introducing him or her to a variety of environments to increase confidence – this can be as simple as taking your puppy with you to the shops, office or park as you go about your everyday life.
• Teaching your puppy to be comfortable alone - gradually building up from a few minutes to a maximum of four hours.
• Taking your puppy to monthly puppy classes, and interacting with other puppy raisers in your community whilst refreshing your training and sharing tips.
• Meeting with your volunteer manager as frequently as needed to discuss any changes or issues with your puppy.
• Completing short questionnaires about your puppy’s development.

You'll ideally have:

• A loving home with enough time to invest in raising a puppy and attending to their needs (e.g. toilet training). If you work from home or have hobbies, you'll need to be available to give the puppy regular attention alongside these.
• Someone at home who is physically able to handle large breed dogs (around 25-40kg).
• Access to a car, so that you can get your puppy used to travelling.
• The agreement of your landlord to have a dog in the property if you rent your home. 
• A safe secure area outside for your puppy to go to the toilet.

What you'll get:

• The satisfaction of knowing you're supporting people with sight loss to live actively, independently, and well.
• The rewarding feeling of watching a mischievous puppy learn new training techniques to help them develop into a guide dog.
• The opportunity to participate in our bespoke world-class training programme – this can help you train your own dogs or advance a future career in dog handling.
• The opportunity to have a loveable, canine companion, proven to reduce feelings of stress and improve fitness – you’ll be out walking rain or shine!
• The chance to be part of the inspirational Guide Dogs community, meeting like-minded people and interacting with a community of puppy raisers in your area.
• A dedicated volunteer manager and fellow peers who will help support you throughout your role.

s a volunteer you'll have access to our world-class training programme, to implement with your puppy in training, a great bonus for any dog owner! This is delivered in an interactive and engaging manner, using a mixture of different learning techniques virtually e.g., videos, documents and e-learning modules. Examples of the modules you'll have access to include:

• Food manners
• Greeting new visitors
• Being home alone
• Settling in new environments

You'll receive plenty of support from your volunteer manager who will help you work through these training modules with your puppy. We also offer puppy classes for puppy raisers in the local area to get together, share stories and provide refreshers on training techniques. 

Volunteering for Guide Dogs should never leave you out of pocket. We’ll make sure we pay any pre-agreed expenses related to volunteering with us, including veterinary costs, food costs for the puppy and other materials needed for the puppy’s training. We will also pay an optional allowance of up to £100 a year to offset additional costs, and we have working agreements with certain bus and train operating companies, letting you take your puppy on short training journeys free of charge.

Minimum age of applicant: 18.

To find out if this role is available in your area, please click 'Redirect to recruiter' at the top of the page, and use the postcode search function on the Guide Dogs website to explore local opportunities. 

Food Service Volunteers

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

Hours: Thursdays, a range of shifts from 9:30am - 6pm

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

Location: St Michaels Church Hall, 37 Bounds Green Rd, London, N22 8SD

About Bounds Green Food Bank: 

Open since June 2020, we serve over 1,500 children and adults in the community. We are committed to improving lives by providing food and essential household items to build a healthy, hunger-free tomorrow. We strive to promote social inclusion by supporting people who find themselves in a crisis situation where they need assistance to feed themselves and their families.

Person specification: 

• Aged 18 or above

• Have a basic understanding of spoken English

• Available on Thursdays 

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

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

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

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

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

The role: 

• Take in deliveries and count stock at the start and end of the day (depending on your shift time)

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

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

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

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

Benefits:

• Flexible - book shifts to suit your own schedule!

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

• Gain access to free workshops for volunteers and upskill on a range of topics (conflict resolution, mental health first aid, arts and crafts, and more)

• Join free social events for volunteers (such as picnics, walks, games nights and celebration events)

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

Many of the men we support experience isolation, low confidence, and barriers to engaging with community life. As a befriender volunteer, you’ll build a consistent, trust based relationship that encourages social connection, helps set and pursue personal goals, and supports wellbeing and independence.

What you will be doing

• Offer regular one-to-one befriending - meeting for a walk, coffee, or a planned activity to reduce isolation and build confidence.
• Provide light, goal focused mentoring - agree simple goals (e.g., joining a group, practicing a routine, building life skills) and check progress together.
• Encourage safe community participation - libraries, local groups, leisure activities, volunteering, or learning opportunities.
• Share clear information and signpost to staff or local services where appropriate
• Accompany to non clinical community appointments, help read/understand letters, complete wellbeing “welfare check ins,” and promote general engagement in the community.
• Keep brief session notes or a simple check in with your supervisor and escalate any concerns immediately in line with safeguarding guidance.

The skills you need

• Warm, patient and non judgemental approach; able to build rapport with adult men from diverse backgrounds.
• Good listening, clear communication and reliability
• Respect for confidentiality and professional boundaries; comfortable following guidance and asking for support.

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.

Action Tutoring is a national education charity that offers free maths and English tutoring to pupils facing disadvantage. 

By volunteering as a tutor at a local school or online, you'll be supporting children to build their confidence and help ensure they leave school with the grades needed to build a bright future.

What will I be doing?

• Tutoring 1-3 pupils in Year 5 or 6, or Year 7, 10 or 11.

• Commit to one hour a week, for up to 20 weeks. You choose the day and time to sign up to.

• Use our tutor workbooks to guide your pupils through activities that will boost their confidence and grades.

What you'll gain:

• Receive induction training, tutor workbooks and ongoing support.

• Develop skills like communication, leadership, and problem-solving.

• Meet like-minded people in our volunteer community.

• Travel expense reimbursement (up to £5 per session).

• Free DBS check.

This volunteer role is perfect for you if you:

• Are passionate about making a difference and helping young people succeed, particularly those facing disadvantage.

• Seek valuable experience working with children and are eager to hone essential skills such as communication, mentorship, and leadership – all highly valued in any career path.

• Have a busy schedule but are keen to contribute to your community, as this flexible role requires just one hour a week, either in-person or conveniently online.

We look for volunteers with:

• Solid subject knowledge in the area they wish to tutor, which may be demonstrated by a degree or grade B at A-level qualification (or equivalent) or relevant experience.

• The ability to explain concepts clearly and patiently.

• A commitment to supporting pupils’ academic progress.

We recognise that valuable experience can be gained through diverse routes, so if your qualifications differ from those mentioned - we still encourage you to apply! Please highlight any relevant experience or skills in your application.

We welcome applications from volunteers across England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland. (Please note: this is a volunteer, unpaid position.)

Our volunteers say:

" The Action Tutoring team has been fabulous in their support: timely updates, always available, closely following progress, and ready to intervene where needed, very professional indeed!"

"Volunteering is very rewarding. I would say the skills that one develops from teaching the pupils are transferable to any walk of life and make you a better person. I would highly recommend it."