Volunteer roles in Dorset

 As an Outreach & Hub Support Volunteer you will make a difference by supporting clients to engage with us in different ways including providing hands on street outreach in line with our assertive outreach approach, and supporting clients in our Hub.

Could your leadership skills help shape the future of a charity that supports the UK's nursing and midwifery workforce?

Charity People is excited to be partnering with Cavell, the UK's largest funder of nurses and midwives in hardship and crisis, as they recruit several new Trustees to join their Board at an exciting moment in the charity's growth.

Location: UK-wide
Time Commitment: Approx. 4 Board meetings + 1 strategy day per year
Term: Initially four years, with option for renewal
Renumeration: Voluntary, with reasonable expenses covered

With an ambitious new vision and mission, underpinned by a three-year strategy, Cavell is entering a significant new phase of development, strengthening its role in supporting the wellbeing of nurses and midwives and contributing to the resilience and retention of the UK healthcare workforce.

Cavell's vision is a future where nursing and midwifery professionals are celebrated, championed and supported to thrive. Its mission is to champion their wellbeing through tailored support, recognition and advocacy.

As living costs rise and workforce pressures grow, more people are turning to Cavell for help. Through person-centred emotional support, financial guidance, grants and wellbeing conversations, Cavell provides vital support when it is needed most. By helping nurses and midwives stay in the profession they care deeply about, Cavell also strengthens the workforce that underpins patient care across the UK and ultimately improving care for everyone.

About the role

Trustees play an active role in shaping strategy, addressing key opportunities and risks, and offering support and constructive challenge to the Executive Team. You will join a supportive, engaged and professionally diverse Board to provide strong governance and strategic leadership, working closely with a talented internal team.

We want to be crystal clear that previous Trustee experience is not required - Cavell welcomes both first-time Trustees and experienced Board members. They are committed to building a Board that reflects the diversity of the UK nursing and midwifery workforce.

Applications are warmly welcomed from people of all backgrounds, particularly those currently under-represented on charity boards.

Who are we looking for?

The Board already benefits from the significant expertise of medical professionals and qualified nurses. For these vacancies, we would love to see applications that strengthen the board's capability around:

• Charity sector leadership and governance
• Income generation and fundraising - particularly in areas such as business development, partnerships, philanthropy, or revenue diversification
• Commercial and business leadership and acumen
• Relevant business or high-net-worth networks

Personal attributes matter just as much. Cavell is looking for people with:

• A strong and visible passion for the charity's purpose and mission
• An open, collaborative and inclusive leadership style
• Excellent judgement, independence of thought and the highest levels of integrity
• Ability to build a collegiate board environment, always valuing diverse perspectives

How to apply

A short CV or profile is a great starting point, but not essential. If you'd like the full application details or to arrange an informal conversation about the role, please get in touch.

Our Regional Director, Amelia Lee, is leading this opportunity and an exploratory call with her forms part of the process ahead of shortlisting.

Deadline: 9am on Friday 3^rd April
Interview dates to be confirmed soon, likely to be happening late April.

Charity People is a forward thinking, inclusive organisation that actively and deliberately promotes equity, diversity and inclusion. We know organisations thrive when inclusion is at the forefront. We evidence our commitment by matching charity needs with the skills and experience of candidates irrespective of background e.g. age, disability (including hidden disabilities), gender, gender identity or gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, or sexual orientation. We do this because we believe that greater diversity leads to greater results for the charities we work with.

The Commonwealth Education Trust (CET) provides professional development and training to teachers in low- and middle-income settings through our ed-Tech, award winning, low-cost platform, Teach2030. Easy-to-use and low data, teachers in under resourced settings receive contextualised, assessed, and certified foundational materials to underpin and advance their practice. 

As an Education Specialist, you'll need a background in education, with a high level of teaching proficiency and ability to engage with pedagogical content. You'll write, design and deliver engaging, interactive, and impactful resources and course materials that suit our teachers worldwide.

Your role will include: 

-  Writing courses and educational content for blogs

- Checking and editing current courses to improve educational content 

- Enhancing the educational content provided to our users worldwide

- Leading digital workshops and Q&As

- Contributing and participating in NGO contracts

What We're Looking For

-  Expertise with pedagogy in primary or secondary school

- A PGCE and QTS

- Enthusiasm for teaching, learning, training and education

- Technical proficiency or willingness to learn

- Initiative and willingness to contribute new ideas

- Record in designing high-quality, measurable learning solutions

-  Ability to present complex ideas clearly and creatively.

- An education background is essential. 

Why we want you

As branch chair you and your branch members will create a range of activities to help spread the word about SSAFA within your community. To ensure that our Armed Forces community know that SSAFA are here to help and that we need the public’s support to continue offering our services.

What you will be doing

• Overseeing an appropriate programme of awareness raising activities so that potential beneficiaries, volunteers and supporters are aware of SSAFA as first in mind for support.
• Building relationships with the regional and national SSAFA team, local voluntary organisations and, if applicable, SSAFA serving community teams, local military establishments, etc.
• Attending events as a key SSAFA representative.
• Providing timely reports and information to SSAFA’s central office
• Overseeing a programme of meetings including an AGM, branch meetings, committee meetings, training etc.
• Working with other volunteers, regional and national team members to attract and recruit new volunteers as required.
• Work closely with the community engagement co-ordinator to recruit, welcome, induct, support, and manage volunteers in line with SSAFA policies, such as the Volunteering Policy, Volunteer Code of Conduct, Data Protection Policy, and Safeguarding Policy.

The skills you need

• Motivating leadership with an ability lead a team of volunteers.
• Friendly and approachable
• Great written and verbal communication skills
• Basic IT skills

What's in it for you

• Gain experience of holding a key local role with oversight of all SSAFA activity in the local area.
• Support and friendship from your local SSAFA branch and the wider SSAFA community.
• Use your skills, knowledge, and life experience to benefit others.
• Support in your role from the team at SSAFA
• Develop your experience and skills which you can highlight on your CV and in job interviews.

Disclaimer

SSAFA is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all those involved in our work and expects volunteers to share this commitment.

Why we want you

As branch chair you and your branch members will create a range of activities to help spread the word about SSAFA within your community. To ensure that our Armed Forces community know that SSAFA are here to help and that we need the public’s support to continue offering our services.

What you will be doing

• Overseeing an appropriate programme of awareness raising activities so that potential beneficiaries, volunteers and supporters are aware of SSAFA as first in mind for support.
• Building relationships with the regional and national SSAFA team, local voluntary organisations and, if applicable, SSAFA serving community teams, local military establishments, etc.
• Attending events as a key SSAFA representative.
• Providing timely reports and information to SSAFA’s central office
• Overseeing a programme of meetings including an AGM, branch meetings, committee meetings, training etc.
• Working with other volunteers, regional and national team members to attract and recruit new volunteers as required.
• Work closely with the community engagement co-ordinator to recruit, welcome, induct, support, and manage volunteers in line with SSAFA policies, such as the Volunteering Policy, Volunteer Code of Conduct, Data Protection Policy, and Safeguarding Policy.

The skills you need

• Motivating leadership with an ability lead a team of volunteers.
• Friendly and approachable
• Great written and verbal communication skills
• Basic IT skills

What's in it for you

• Gain experience of holding a key local role with oversight of all SSAFA activity in the local area.
• Support and friendship from your local SSAFA branch and the wider SSAFA community.
• Use your skills, knowledge, and life experience to benefit others.
• Support in your role from the team at SSAFA
• Develop your experience and skills which you can highlight on your CV and in job interviews.

Disclaimer

SSAFA is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all those involved in our work and expects volunteers to share this commitment.

As Chapter President, you will provide strategic leadership to your local Make a Smile chapter, overseeing volunteers, events, and fundraising activities. You will be responsible for guiding the chapter’s development, ensuring effective governance, and supporting your committee to deliver the charity’s mission.

The Community Officer is responsible for creating an engaging and welcoming environment for volunteers. This encourages and motivates volunteers to get involved and stay involved. This includes encouraging engagement in shared social spaces (Discord and Whatsapp), organising a range of regular socials and supporting with the Ball at conference. 

The Widening Participation Officer tries to recruit, engage and support as many 16-18 year old volunteers as possible across all of our chapters, with particular focus on those that’d benefit the most from additional WP volunteers, often those
chapters doing the most events.

Due to the sizable scope of the role, the WP Subcommittee is there to help as needed. This is primarily through admin work. You should ensure that you have a suitable number of keen volunteers within the subcommittee that you can delegate tasks to, ensuring that they were well informed, supported and any tasks followed up. This is likely to involve plenty of messaging and occasional meetings.

A primary part of the role that you can delegate is to conceptualise and write the policy for managing 16-18 year old volunteers. This should have a focus on appropriate safeguarding and you can get input from the subcommittee and other Trustees/Officers but should include things like recruitment methods, required paperwork, risk assessments, management at events etc. These policies need to then be communicated effectively to committee and volunteers. 

There are several ways that WP volunteers should be recruited. Schools/6th Forms should be proactively reached out to and a long-term connection formed, ideally through a named person such as a head of year, head of medicine applications or career progression advisor. They can then pass the information on to their students using a range of methods ranging from email to sending a video to, if the local chapter is keen or a member of the subcommittee is nearby, an  in-person visit to an assembly or lunchtime/after-school training session.  

Efforts should be made to build relationships with National bodies that provide volunteering or work experience to 16-18 year olds such as In2MedSchool and Medic Mentor, working closely with them to advertise our volunteering to their
students. 

Once students are interested, they should be able to register as volunteers and attend an Introduction Training session. This can be a WP-specific session with particular focus on benefits and support for WP volunteers such as Duke of Edinburgh hours.

Once volunteers are involved, they should be supported through their time with us including email updates, check-ins, social media posts and training sessions around key times such as university applications.

Finally, of particular note, you should work with the Conference Officer to ensure that WP volunteers are supported in attending the Annual National Conference, in a safe way and have talks of interest to them.
 

Organisation: Make a Smile
Location: Remote (with opportunities for in-person collaboration depending on projects)
Commitment: Flexible, approx. 4–6 hours per week

About Make a Smile

At Make a Smile, we believe in creativity and innovation to ensure children and volunteers alike have the best experience possible. We’re constantly looking for fresh, forward-thinking ideas to improve how we work, and our Innovations Officers play a vital role in bringing those ideas to life.

The Role

As an Innovations Officer, you’ll take the lead on a unique innovation project—overseeing it from idea to reality. Each project is designed to keep our charity current, exciting, and impactful, whether that’s through new activities, resources, or systems that improve how we operate.

You’ll work with and manage a dedicated Innovations Subcommittee, guiding the project through planning, testing, reviewing, and rolling out across chapters. This is a brilliant opportunity for someone who enjoys problem-solving, project management, and bringing creative ideas to life.

The Innovations Officer will:

• Create a clear project outline (aims, budget, timeline, required skills, and success criteria).

• Recruit and manage a subcommittee, ensuring the right mix of skills to make the project a success.

• Oversee project administration, including risk assessments, task logs, and reflection templates.

• Design, test, and pilot the project, gathering feedback from volunteers and chapters.

• Evaluate and improve the project through multiple testing rounds before rollout.

• Support full implementation, ensuring it becomes embedded into the charity’s work.

• Keep trustees updated with regular progress reports and updates at leadership meetings.

What We’re Looking For

• Strong organisational and project management skills.

• Creativity and a problem-solving mindset.

• Ability to lead and support a team of volunteers.

• Willingness to adapt, reflect, and improve upon feedback.

• An interest in developing new ideas and approaches.

• No specific technical background is required—just enthusiasm and commitment!

What You’ll Gain

• Hands-on experience managing a project from start to finish.

• Skills in leadership, delegation, and innovation.

• The chance to bring your ideas to life and see them make a real difference.

• A collaborative, supportive environment with other volunteers.

Time Commitment

This role is flexible and can be done remotely. We ask for around 4–6 hours per week, though this may vary depending on the stage of your project.

Regional Officers oversee chapters within a certain region. They provide support and guidance to the Presidents (and the rest of committee if needed) including advice and signposting as needed. They can also provide hands on support if requested. They should encourage chapters to collaborate including the sharing of resources, socials, fundraisers, training and events.

About Make A Smile

Make A Smile is a UK charity dedicated to bringing joy, play, and magical experiences to children facing illness, disability, or disadvantage. Volunteers dress as beloved characters and deliver uplifting activities, from hospital visits and care‑centre sessions to arts, crafts, stories, and games - ensuring every child gets the chance to enjoy their childhood. Our Trustees and Central Officers help keep the charity running smoothly across the UK, acting “in the best interests of Make a Smile” and ensuring volunteers are well‑trained, supported, and empowered.

About the Role

The Sign Language Officer leads Make A Smile’s British Sign Language (BSL) and Makaton training programme, ensuring volunteers gain the communication skills needed to create magical, inclusive interactions at events. You will oversee teachers, develop engaging lesson plans, and ensure volunteers progress through training effectively.

Key Responsibilities

You will play a central role in developing and delivering high‑quality sign language training. Responsibilities include:

● Overseeing BSL and Makaton teachers and supporting them in running weekly sessions.

● Recruiting suitable teachers or supporting new teachers to develop their skills to the required level.

● Ensuring the charity can offer training at multiple levels (Beginners, Improvers, Novice, Intermediate) for both BSL and Makaton.

● Reviewing and approving lesson plans, ensuring content focuses on vocabulary and phrases useful for Make A Smile events.

● Managing volunteer applications for training, selecting participants based on commitment and likelihood of attending events.

● Supporting weekly sessions by ensuring attendance is taken, volunteers are engaged, and teachers have the resources they need.

● Stepping in to run a session or arranging cover if a teacher is unavailable.

● Monitoring volunteer engagement and removing volunteers from the programme if attendance or participation is consistently poor.

● Ensuring asynchronous training materials on the dashboard remain relevant and accessible.

● Reporting on training progress, volunteer engagement, and teacher needs at monthly Charity Leadership Meetings.

Skills and Qualities We’re Looking For

This role suits someone organised, supportive, and passionate about inclusive communication. You’ll thrive if you bring:

● Strong organisational and coordination skills.

● Confidence in supporting and guiding teachers.

● Creativity in helping shape engaging, event‑focused lesson plans.

● A proactive, solution‑focused mindset. 

● Professionalism, dedication, and alignment with Make A Smile’s ethos (“Show dedication… Enjoy it!”).

● An interest in BSL or Makaton (you do not need to be fluent - teachers deliver the content).

Time Commitment

Sign Language Officers are expected to contribute around 4 hours per week, including supporting teachers, reviewing lesson plans, managing training groups, and attending monthly Charity Leadership Meetings.

Training and Support

You will receive:

● Full Trustee Training (online).

● A comprehensive handover and access to all systems (OneDrive, Simvoly, WhatsApp communities).

● Guidance from the Chair and fellow Trustees.

● Access to existing lesson plans, training materials, and templates.

● Opportunities for personal development through CPD and charity‑funded training.

What You’ll Gain

● Experience managing a training programme within a national charity.

● Skills in coordination, leadership, and inclusive communication.

● The chance to shape how volunteers interact with children who use BSL or Makaton.

● A meaningful role that directly enhances the accessibility and impact of Make A Smile events.

● The joy of helping volunteers develop skills that create magical, inclusive moments for children.

Safeguarding and Eligibility

Sign Language Officers must act in line with charity standards, including professionalism, confidentiality, and reliability. You must be able to attend monthly meetings and engage actively in communication channels. A DBS check may be required depending on involvement with events.

How to Apply

To express your interest, please send a CV along with a short message outlining your experience, interest in sign language, and why you’d like to support Make A Smile’s training programme.

We welcome applicants from all backgrounds who share our passion for helping children smile.

Overview of the role

Play2Give is seeking a technically confident volunteer to support a project to design and set up the charity’s digital workspace using Microsoft 365 and SharePoint. This role is ideal for someone with experience in Microsoft 365 administration, SharePoint configuration, or IT systems setup who wants to make a meaningful contribution in a focused, time‑limited way.

You will work closely with the IT Officer and Business and Operations Manager to create a well‑organised, secure, and easy‑to-use digital environment that supports our volunteers and improves how we collaborate.

What you will do

SharePoint Structure & Setup

• Create a clear, intuitive SharePoint architecture aligned to Play2Give’s new organisational structure.
• Build document libraries, folders, and metadata to support efficient file storage and retrieval.
• Set up site navigation, permissions, and access controls.
• Implement naming conventions and templates for consistency.

Microsoft 365 Configuration

• Review and optimise Teams channels and integration with SharePoint.
• Help organise Microsoft Lists (volunteers, tasks, risk register, partnerships etc.).
• Assist with setting up Microsoft Forms for internal processes.
• Support basic automation opportunities using Power Automate (optional).

Documentation & Handover

• Produce a simple user guide for volunteers on how to use SharePoint and related tools.
• Provide a handover briefing to the IT Officer so ongoing maintenance is smooth.
• Make recommendations for future improvements or training needs.

What you will bring

• Practical experience with SharePoint site creation and/or Microsoft 365 configuration.
• Good understanding of document management, permissions, and user access.
• Ability to create simple, user-friendly structures and workflows.
• Strong organisational and problem‑solving skills.
• Confidence working independently on a defined project.
• A desire to support a charity making a positive community impact.

What you will gain

• A chance to make a big difference in a short period of time.
• Project experience in a charity environment.
• An opportunity to shape digital systems that volunteers rely on every day.
• A reference or LinkedIn recommendation if helpful.

Fundraising events helper

Fundraising hub - South west

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

You'll be

• 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

A bit more information about this role and the team

This volunteer opportunity is perfect for anyone who enjoys being part of local community events and wants to make a meaningful difference for cats across the South West. As a fundraising events helper, you will support a range of enjoyable activities such as craft fairs, coffee mornings, quiz nights, county shows and supermarket collections. Your support at these events helps raise the vital funds needed to care for cats and kittens in need.

Every event you take part in truly makes a difference. Even small amounts go a long way. Just £5 can feed a cat in our care for 25 days, helping us provide the food, warmth and comfort they rely on.

You do not need previous experience. All you need is a friendly attitude, a willingness to get involved and an interest in helping cats. Whether you prefer setting up stalls, chatting to members of the public or supporting activities throughout the day, there is a place for you on the team. Any time you can give will help us continue our work and support cats who need it most.

This role is very flexible. You can choose to volunteer at a single event for a couple of hours or join multiple events throughout the year. We will keep you updated with upcoming opportunities so you can choose what suits you best.

Wherever you are based in the South West, you will have full support from your fellow volunteers and the Fundraising Hub team. They are always available to offer guidance, resources and encouragement.

We will support you every step of the way.

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.

"Hosting breaks down barriers and helps you realise how similar everyone is."  

Do you have a spare room in your home?

We are looking for people with a spare room who are willing to offer a temporary home and a helping hand to a refugee or person seeking asylum as they plan their next steps in the UK. Hosting is only ever temporary and you decide how long you are willing to host for; it can vary from a few nights to several months and anything in between. 

Who can be a host?

Anyone with a spare room, or even a sofa bed, that is well connected and has good public transport systems can apply to host. This enables guests to travel to college, school, support groups or jobs, and retain their independence.

All hosts will need to complete an application form, provide two references and have a home visit. 

Support available

We carefully assess each guest and host, match according to preferences, advise on hosting arrangements and preparations, and provide ongoing support to hosts throughout the placement. We stay in contact with you when you have a guest staying with you, and someone from the team is available seven days a week if you have any questions or problems.

We will discuss with you any preferences, such as if you would prefer not to host someone who has not been vaccinated against covid, or who smokes. This will be recorded on your profile on our database so that our whole Placement Team can access this and match you with a guest who fits your circumstances.

All guests, hosts and households are different. Some hosts share meals and do activities with guests; others just give guests a key, show them round and get on with their busy lives. Our team are available to support you through every stage of the process.

Why is hosting needed?

Refugees and people seeking asylum are fleeing war or persecution in their own countries. But many who come to the UK in search of safety find themselves facing homelessness and destitution. They may be without statutory support for long periods, or need some additional help to build new lives.

Hosting is such a practical way to support refugees and it sends a powerful message of welcome, that the UK is in fact kind and compassionate to those who are trying to rebuild their lives here.

Don't have a spare room?

Maybe you have a friend or family member who does. Consider speaking to them about hosting.

"There are so few times you can do something practical to help. Hosting refugees felt like a practical thing to do."

Refugees at Home is the UK’s largest independent hosting charity, connecting those with a spare room in their home to refugees and people seeking asylum in need of somewhere to stay. Our vision is for every refugee and every person seeking asylum to have a safe place to stay. 

Many of our guests come to us on the verge of homelessness – some have already spent time sleeping on the streets. Since starting in 2016, we have supported over 7,500 guests into hosting, but the need is not going away.