362 Volunteer roles in Durham

Lead Volunteer

Mind Retail

About the role

Without the help and support we receive from our Lead Volunteers and volunteer teams we wouldn’t be successful at what we do. Our Lead Volunteers play a key role by supporting the shop management team with the day to day running and management of our shops - helping us to raise crucial funds from the sale of pre-loved, donated stock to fund Mind's vital mental health support services.

Our shops are vibrant hubs in local communities across England and Wales. In our Lead Volunteer role, you’ll play a key part in building this community, helping to create a culture where every person is valued and supported - and where people have fun!

You can gain a wide variety of knowledge, skills and experience by becoming one of our valued Lead Volunteers, including:

· Experience working as part of, and leading, a diverse team

· Shop management, retail management and key holder experience

· Opportunities to improve your management, leadership and interpersonal skills

· Stock organisation, processing, pricing and merchandising skills

· Cash handling skills, including management cash functions

· Understanding of sales information, including takings

· Commercial knowledge and skills

· Understanding of policies and procedures

· Administrative skills

· IT skills

· Additional learning and development opportunities, including your own eLearning account with access to personal and professional development courses

Our Lead Volunteer roles are also flexible, so they're perfect for fitting in around your commitments. We value any time that you can give us, so whether it’s a few hours a week or a few days – we’d love to hear from you!

We need great people like you to help us in the fight for mental health. Will you join us?

Click on the role profile to find out more about our Lead Volunteer role and read on to hear some stories from our existing Lead Volunteers!

About You

• Commitment to our values & behaviours
• Enthusiastic and committed to achieving shop targets
• Flexible and adaptable approach
• Ability to work as a team and on your own initiative
• Able to build good working relationships
• Ability to work within Mind Retail’s policies and procedures
• Willingness to learn
• Good customer service skills
• Good communication skills

About Mind Retail

Mind Retail are a network of almost 200 shops across England and Wales, generating a net income of around £21 million per year. We have ambitious plans to grow over the next few years and we're going to be fighting for mental health in a way we never have before. We won't stop until everyone with a mental health problem gets the support and respect they deserve.

Safer Recruitment at Mind Retail

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of our employees and volunteers and we expect anyone working or volunteering with us to share this commitment. This role may involve the supervision of young volunteers who are under 18. Because of this, the minimum age for this role is 18 and under our Safer Recruitment Policy, you’ll also be required to agree to an enhanced DBS check.

Our Commitment

We embrace the different perspectives that each of us bring. We want our staff and volunteers to be authentic and bring their whole selves to work. We want Mind to be a workplace that truly reflects the diverse backgrounds and experiences of the people we support. Where everyone is appreciated – regardless of race, gender, age, religion, identity and experience.

Hear from some of our existing Lead Volunteers…

Stuart, Lead Volunteer at our North Shields Mind Shop

Why did you want to become a Lead Volunteer?

I chose to volunteer at Mind, specifically because of the cause – I support the charity in what they want to achieve. Mind also supported me through the lockdown period during the pandemic, which I found very isolating.

I’ve volunteered for Mind for 20 years - I started volunteering for Mind in 2005. At the time, I had a full-time job, but I wanted to try volunteering. I’ve volunteered in a number of Mind shops, including Wallsend, Whitley Bay, Gateshead (which was where I became a Lead Volunteer) and finally, North Shields.

I wanted to become a Lead Volunteer to gain more experience, which I can then pass onto others. I now undertake key holder duties in my current shop. It was a little scary to begin with, but there was plenty of support from the wider region and I feel really proud to now be doing the role.

What knowledge and skills have you gained or developed whilst being in the Lead Volunteer role?

I’ve developed my technology skills – I’ve learnt how to use the till, how to use the computer including emails and Microsoft Teams, how to complete eLearning and the new Gift Aid hub. I struggled a bit before with technology, so it’s really helped me to be exposed to it more. I’ve also developed cash handling skills and how to deal with external contractors. My confidence has really grown and I’m also now able to cover local stores too!

What do you enjoy most about being a Lead Volunteer?

I really enjoy giving amazing customer service and working with the team of staff and volunteers – we have lots of fun whilst we work! The shop has a great atmosphere. My Shop Manager has said she couldn’t do without me! I would really recommend for anyone to come and volunteer with Mind – it’s a great way to meet new people.

Lead Volunteer at our Turnham Green Mind Shop

Why did you want to become a Lead Volunteer?

I wanted to become a Lead Volunteer because I wanted to take on more responsibilities and keep myself as productive as possible. By taking on more responsibilities, I’m able to support the wider team with certain activities within the shop. It’s also helped me become less focused on my myself and my own problems. I suffer from low self-esteem and felt that by becoming a Lead Volunteer, it would help strengthen my self-worth.

What knowledge and skills have you gained or developed whilst being in the Lead Volunteer role?

As I have never worked in retail, becoming a Lead Volunteer has given me more insight into how the retail industry and how Mind Retail operates day-to-day. I have become more patient and not as isolated as before. My communication skills have improved too.

What do you enjoy most about being a Lead Volunteer?

Certain customers are confiding in me about their mental health. I find it great to be able to assist and provide some support. We all just need an ear to listen…

It’s also great to be able to make decisions too. The team I work with at the shop are very supportive and understanding – they look after me and I feel like a belong to a small family. The team really understand that our shops are not just shops! They’re a place where everyone, including those with mental health problems, can feel safe and listened to.

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.

Are you a HR professional? Could you give an hour a week to tackle pregnancy and maternity discrimination? Then we need you!

We’re not going to sugar-coat it, things aren’t great for working parents and pregnant women. It can feel frustrating and a bit depressing at times, but by being part of the Pregnant Then Screwed volunteer team, you get to turn that frustration into something positive. In the last year the fantastic volunteers on our Advice Line have spoken to over 5000 women and parents, collectively providing around 40 hours of free support and advice every week. Hundreds of women and parents call our Advice Line every day, but with a small team of volunteers we are only able to answer a fraction of those calls—this is where you come in.

We are looking for brilliant HR professionals who want to help Pregnant Then Screwed tackle the Motherhood Penalty by becoming a Volunteer HR Advisor.

Our Volunteer Advisors give around 1-2 hours a week of their time to the Advice Line. They use their HR knowledge to offer a kind, empathetic support and advice to help people to identify and challenge pregnancy and maternity discrimination in the workplace.

About the role

Role Title: Volunteer HR Advisor 
Location: Home-based (UK)
Reporting To: Head of Support Services

Time Commitment

The Advice Line is open Monday-Friday, 9am-3pm, with various available shifts during those times. We ask volunteers to give 1-2 hours per week on the Advice Line for a minimum of three months. 

Alternative time commitments can be considered and discussed as part of your application, so please do include any information that might be useful in your application form.

Main Role Purpose

The Advice Line HR Advisors play a vital role in providing support and guidance to working parents facing unfair treatment or discrimination in the workplace via our advice line. Volunteers will offer advice, listen empathetically, and provide information about employee rights and available resources. This role is critical in empowering parents to make informed decisions and navigate workplace challenges effectively.

Essential requirements

• Minimum CIPD level 5 Diploma in People Management with one professional reference.
• Knowledge of employment laws, regulations, and policies related to pregnancy, maternity leave, and discrimination.
• Access to a mobile phone/laptop/tablet to receive calls. You will not be charged for calls and your number will not be shared.
• Access to a reliable and secure WIFI connection. Public WIFI is not suitable for this role.
• Excellent active and empathetic listening skills.
• Good written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to convey information clearly and concisely.
• A kind and welcoming telephone manner.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality and handle sensitive information with discretion.
• Comfortable using online communication tools.

Key Responsibilities

• Answer incoming phone calls to the PTS Advice Line from individuals seeking support and advice.
• Listen actively, empathise, and provide HR advice and guidance to support callers with their enquiries.
• Signpost to further information and other support organisations if necessary.
• Make referrals to our legal partner if required.
• Record all details of the call on our CRM system.
• Maintain professionalism in all interactions, adhering to all Pregnant Then Screwed guidelines and policies.

What you can expect from PTS

• The opportunity to use your skill set to tackle the Motherhood Penalty and make a meaningful impact.
• An onboarding and induction period which can be completed at your own pace.
• Support from the PTS staff team and volunteer network.
• Access to our Volunteer Training Hub.
• Opportunities to help us further develop and shape our Support Services.

Across the UK, our volunteer groups play a vital part in supporting people affected by MS, bringing people together and connecting our local MS communities.

As an Administration Volunteer you’ll play an essential role in your local group.

You’ll act as the first point of contact for the group and circulate information to other volunteers and members. You’ll ensure that data and details are kept up to date, to comply with data protection legislation.

In this role you’ll develop your administration and organisation skills.

Why we want you

As one of our wonderful volunteers, you can get involved in:

• providing support and services to the MS community
• increasing awareness of, and delivering resources to people affected by MS
• raising vital funds to help stop MS
• boosting our community voice by advocating for MS research and policy

What you will be doing

• Keeping records and data up to date and taking notes at meetings
• Preparing mailouts and answering enquiries from the group inbox
• Booking venues for meetings and activities
• Keeping other group volunteers informed of current agreements and activities
• Supporting the development of the group’s activity plan
• Supporting the group’s shared responsibility for designing and delivering services and activities.

The skills you need

• Skills and/or experience in what you'll be doing
• Commitment to MS Society policies and procedures
• Confidence in using Microsoft Office, the internet and email will be required for some volunteer roles
• Compassion and sensitivity
• Ability to maintain confidentiality when required
• A willingness to support the work of MS Society and be a positive representative for the MS community.

What's in it for you:

• You’ll be part of our amazing volunteer network
• You’ll develop new skills, which can improve your CV and employability
• You'll be making a real difference to people's lives
• You’ll get a say in influencing our work
• You’ll receive a Volunteer Welcome Pack
• You’ll have an induction to your role
• You’ll get support from your Volunteer Manager
• You’ll gain access to Learning and Development opportunities
• You’ll be reimbursed for any related expenses while carrying out your role

Volunteer Graphic Designer

We’re looking for a talented and creative Volunteer Graphic Designer to help us bring our ideas to life and make sure our communications look as good as the work we do. You’ll work with our team to create a wide range of materials, including posters, leaflets, newsletters, fundraising appeals, social media graphics, adoption materials, event promotions and other communications.

What you’ll do

• Take ideas and creative briefs from our team and turn them into strong visual designs.
• Create eye-catching posters, flyers, leaflets and other printed materials.
• Help us produce attractive and engaging newsletters.
• Design graphics for social media and digital communications.
• Create materials for fundraising campaigns, appeals and events.
• Help us tell the stories of the animals we rescue and the people we support through compelling visual content.
• Work within our existing brand and help develop a consistent and recognisable visual style.
• Suggest your own creative ideas and approaches.
• Make amendments and develop designs based on feedback.
• Prepare artwork for both digital use and professional printing.

What we’re looking for

We’re looking for someone who is creative, reliable and has a great eye for design. You’ll ideally have experience in graphic design and be able to show us examples of your work or a portfolio. You’ll be able to take a fairly simple idea or brief and turn it into something polished, professional and visually engaging. You’ll have a good understanding of design principles including layout, typography, imagery and colour, and be comfortable adapting your approach for different audiences and purposes.

Experience using Canva or similar software would be useful, but we’re more interested in your creativity and the quality of your work than the particular software you use.

You’ll need to be able to work independently, manage agreed deadlines, take feedback positively and pay attention to detail.

You don’t need previous charity experience, but an interest in animal welfare and a desire to use your skills to make a difference would be a real advantage.

Why volunteer with us?

Your work will have a direct and visible impact. Good design helps us reach more people, raise more money and ultimately do more for animals and the people who care for them. Your designs could help someone decide to adopt an animal, encourage someone to donate, attract a new volunteer or help us reach a family who needs support with veterinary costs. This is an opportunity to use your creative skills for a local charity where your work will genuinely make a difference.

The role is flexible and can largely be carried out remotely. We can agree projects and deadlines around your availability, so it could suit an experienced designer, someone returning to design, or a creative professional looking to volunteer their skills for a worthwhile cause. If you have a creative eye, enjoy turning ideas into great-looking finished products and would like to use your skills to support local animal welfare, we’d love to hear from you.

What are we looking for?

We’re looking for a creative, reliable and enthusiastic person who can take an idea and turn it into a professional, engaging and visually appealing finished product.

The most important thing is strong graphic design ability and a good eye for design. We’re not necessarily looking for someone with a particular qualification or a specific career background. We’re looking for someone who understands what makes good visual communication and can create designs that catch people’s attention, communicate a message clearly and encourage people to take action.

Our ideal volunteer will have experience creating materials such as posters, leaflets, flyers, newsletters, social media graphics, fundraising materials or promotional content. We’d particularly welcome someone who can show examples of their previous work through a portfolio or examples of designs they have created.

We’d like someone who can take a relatively simple brief from us - for example, an idea for a fundraising appeal or an adoption campaign - and use their own creativity to develop the concept into something really effective. We will often provide the content, photographs and key messages, but we need someone who can think about how best to present these visually.

The ability to work with an existing brand and maintain a consistent look and feel is important. You’ll need a good understanding of layout, typography, imagery, colour and visual hierarchy, as well as an ability to adapt designs for different audiences and formats.

Experience with Canva or similar design software would be useful. However, we’re more interested in what you can create than which software you use.

We’re also looking for someone who is:

• Creative - able to bring fresh ideas and suggest different ways of presenting our messages.
• Visually aware - with a strong eye for composition, typography, imagery and detail.
• Reliable - able to agree realistic deadlines and deliver work when promised.
• Independent - comfortable taking a brief and developing it without needing constant direction.
• Collaborative - happy to work with our team, listen to feedback and make revisions where needed.
• Organised - able to manage several projects and keep track of agreed deadlines.
• Adaptable - comfortable creating different types of materials for both print and digital use.
• Passionate about making a difference - interested in using their skills to support animal welfare.

Previous experience working with charities would be useful but is not essential. We’d welcome applications from professional designers, freelance designers, people looking to build their portfolio, or experienced creatives who simply want to use their skills for a local cause. Most importantly, we want someone who cares about producing work they can be proud of and understands that great design can help us reach more people, raise more funds and ultimately make a greater difference to animals and families in our community.

What difference will you make?

Good design can make a real difference to a local charity. Every day, we have important stories to tell about the animals we rescue, the families we support and the difference our volunteers, donors and supporters make. But having a good story is only part of the challenge. We need to make sure people notice it, understand it and feel motivated to take action.

As a local RSPCA branch, we rely heavily on our own fundraising and community support. The money we raise enables us to rescue animals, provide veterinary treatment, care for animals while they recover and find them safe and loving homes. We also provide financial support to local pet owners who are struggling to afford essential veterinary treatment, helping animals receive the care they need and remain with the people who love them.

A skilled volunteer graphic designer can help us communicate all of this far more effectively.

Your designs could help us create fundraising appeals that encourage more people to donate, adoption materials that help animals find their new homes, volunteer recruitment campaigns that bring new people into our team and social media content that reaches a much wider audience. You could help turn an idea for a campaign into a professional poster, transform information into an engaging leaflet or bring an animal's story to life through compelling visual content.

For a charity like ours, every additional person reached and every additional donation generated can make a tangible difference. Your work will also help us present ourselves consistently and professionally across our communications. This will strengthen our local presence, build recognition of our branch and help people understand that their support is making a direct difference to animals and families in our community.
Most importantly, you will be able to see the results of your contribution. A design you create could help raise the funds needed for an animal's veterinary treatment, attract a new fosterer, recruit a volunteer, find a home for an animal or encourage someone to support our work for the first time.
This isn't simply an opportunity to create attractive designs. It is an opportunity to use your creativity and professional skills to help animals and the people who care for them.

By volunteering your time and expertise, you will become an important part of our team and help us communicate our work more effectively, reach more people and ultimately do more for animals across our local community.

Before you apply

We’re hoping to build a small team of creative volunteers who can work with us on different projects, so we’d love to hear from anyone with graphic design skills and a creative eye.

We’ll review applications and portfolios as they come in and will contact all applicants. We’d particularly like to see examples of previous graphic design work, so please include a link to your portfolio, website or relevant examples where possible.

We’ll arrange a short informal conversation with applicants to talk about the role, your experience and the type of creative work you enjoy.

We’re hoping to start building our creative team as soon as possible, so applications will be reviewged on an ongoing basis rather than waiting for a fixed closing date.

The Alec Dickson Trust is a grant making charity looking to recruit one volunteer to join its Board with expertise in Fundraising. The Trust supports young people who, through volunteering or community service, aim to enhance the lives of others, particularly those most marginalised by society.

The difference you will make to cats and people

Our publicity volunteers use their passion and expertise to generate publicity for local volunteer groups and teams. They directly help our cats by raising awareness of the fantastic ways Cats Protection helps cats in need. By raising our profile they help us raise the funds we need to continue our work, raise awareness of adopting a cat, help promote neutering and make sure as many people as possible learn more about feline welfare.
 

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

Our vision for volunteering

Volunteering is and always will be at the heart of Cats Protection. It is joyful and inclusive. As a charity, working in partnership, together we transform the lives of cats, people and communities.

The difference you will make to cats and people

Without the passionate and committed teams of volunteers across Cats Protection we wouldn’t be able to help the thousands of cats and kittens each year that rely on us for help. The purpose of this role is to support the organisation with communications and administration at a local level. You’ll play an active part in the branch committee and support the branch with record keeping and planning, thus enabling more cats to be helped.

You 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

Touch Grass has come a long way over the past few years. What started as a community-led idea has grown into an organisation creating joyful opportunities for queer women, trans and non-binary people of colour to reconnect with nature, creativity and one another through nature, creativity and community.

As we continue to grow, we're looking to strengthen our governance and are recruiting a small number of volunteer Board Directors to help guide the next chapter of our journey.

As a founder-led organisation, we're looking for people who are excited to support and steward our long-term vision. The Board's role will be to provide strategic oversight, accountability and thoughtful challenge, while the day-to-day running of Touch Grass continues to be led by our Founder & CEO, alongside the core team.

Our Board will meet once every quarter (four meetings a year), with occasional input between meetings where appropriate.

We're looking for someone with experience in:

🌱 Finance & Accounting (Treasurer)

We're particularly interested in people who believe in equity, collective care and community-led change. We know that stronger governance comes from diverse perspectives, and we'd especially love to hear from people whose lived experiences reflect the communities we exist to serve.

This is a voluntary opportunity to help shape the long-term future of an organisation working to make the outdoors more welcoming, representative and accessible for queer women, trans and non-binary people of colour.

If this sounds like something you'd be interested in—or you know someone who would be a brilliant fit—we'd love to hear from you.

A bit about this role

At Cats Protection we passionately believe that neutering cats before they can breed is an essential part of cat ownership, and without neutering the UK’s cat population would quickly get out of control. Our neutering volunteers help spread positive neutering messages and make it easier for owners on low incomes to get their cats neutered. They help raise awareness of the benefits of neutering, promote our neutering schemes and respond to enquiries from members of the public.

What can you expect to be doing?

• Promoting the benefits of neutering and our neutering schemes
• Responding to enquiries about neutering
• Completing relevant neutering paperwork and distributing neutering vouchers
• Following up with cat owners to make sure that vouchers are used
• Ensuring all cats and kittens are neutered in line with Cats Protection policies and procedures 

Our vision for volunteering

Volunteering is and always will be at the heart of Cats Protection. It is joyful and inclusive. As a charity, working in partnership, together we transform the lives of cats, people and communities.

The difference you will make to cats and people

At Cats Protection we help thousands of cats and kittens each year thanks to our dedicated and passionate volunteer groups. We have branches across the UK, all of which help our cats in different ways. Branches take in stray and abandoned cats and ensure they receive the veterinary care and attention they deserve; help raise funds, promote neutering and help spread cat welfare messages. Our branch team leader volunteers lead their local team by supporting and managing volunteers within their group, maintaining communications with both volunteers and employees, and helping promote a positive and professional image of Cats Protection.

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

About the role:

Strong HR support:

• Ensures volunteers are welcomed, supported, and guided effectively.

• Maintains safeguarding, confidentiality, and compliance standards.

• Creates visibility and consistency in volunteer management.

• Strengthens the organisation’s ability to grow and sustain impact.

Without this role, volunteer onboarding and support can be inconsistent and unclear. With it, volunteers experience a clear, safe, and structured pathway to meaningful engagement.

Experience Qualification and Requirements

Technical & Administrative Skills

• Experience in HR support, administration, or volunteer coordination.

• Proficient in record-keeping and document management.

• Ability to draft clear role descriptions, agreements, and HR communications.

Analytical & Organisational Skills

• Strong attention to detail and accuracy.

• Ability to organise multiple tasks and maintain structured records.

Communication Skills

• Clear written and verbal communication.

• Ability to liaise sensitively with volunteers and staff, respecting confidentiality.

Preferred Background

• Human Resources, Administration, Volunteer Management, or related fields.

• Experience with safeguarding and supporting volunteers.

• Previous work in remote or community-driven organisations is a plus

Main Responsibilities/ Key Duties

Volunteer Recruitment & Onboarding

• Assist HR Manager in attracting and onboarding new volunteers.

• Prepare volunteer agreements, role descriptions, and induction materials.

Record-Keeping & HR Administration

• Maintain accurate volunteer records and documentation.

• Support HR processes, including tracking training and compliance requirements.

Safeguarding & Policy Support

• Ensure volunteer engagement complies with safeguarding policies.

• Support confidential HR processes and reporting.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Work with team leads and operations staff to ensure volunteers are integrated and supported. 

Our Cat Fosterers play a vital role by providing a temporary, loving home for cats that are in the care of the RSPCA.

Why we want you 

We are the RSPCA South Bucks Branch and it's our vision to live in a world where all animals are respected and treated with compassion. Our volunteer fosterers are incredible, they play an essential role in helping us carry out our important animal welfare work by caring for cats and enabling them to be rehomed. 

You could be fostering an animal for just a few weeks, or it could be a longer term placement for several months and in a few cases it can be longer. 

What you will be doing 

• Providing care and suitable housing in a safe environment for cats while they are in foster care in accordance with Society policies and guidelines.

• Feeding, watering, providing enrichment, socialising and grooming cats (as appropriate).

• Liaising with your Cat Co-ordinator regularly. For cats ready for rehoming: sharing photos and videos to the cat coordinator to enable them to raise awareness and rehoming. 

• If the animal has specific needs you will be supported by your local team of fosterers to enable you to provide the care needed.

• Offering a separate room to keep the cat/s in and separate from your own animals.

• Some cats may have had surgery and will need a period of cage rest. This will be provided.

• Transporting your foster cat for vet appointments.

• Allowing a potential adopter to enter your home to view a cat up for adoption after they have been assessed by the cat co-ordinator, a volunteer can support you in this. 

• Completing the local branch paperwork relating to the cats in your care.

The skills you need 

• Volunteers must be aged 18 or over. 

• Ideally you will be living within a 30-minute drive of High Wycombe, for logistical reasons.

• Previous experience of fostering would be beneficial, and experience caring for cats is essential. 

• If you have existing cats, they must be spayed/neutered and vaccinated. 

• If in rented accommodation, permission from the landlord must be obtained. 

• Your family/household must be fully supportive (and checked/confirmed that there are no cat allergies within the household).

• All members of the household should discuss with their GP whether a tetanus vaccination is required, and make a decision based on this.

• Due to the length of time it can take to find their forever home, we ask that you commit to fostering for a minimum of six months. 

• All volunteers must complete an online induction, you will need basic IT skills and access to a PC or laptop.

Whay volunteer with us? 

• Meet like-minded people and get to know more about the work of the RSPCA South Bucks Branch.

• Regular contact with your cat coordinator to support you.

• Add an important animal welfare role to your CV.

• Learn new skills through our comprehensive induction and training programme. 

• Support from our local and national teams.

• You’ll be making a huge difference to the welfare of animals. 

• We provide all the food, litter, medication and equipment needed to foster cats in our branch. Any additional expenses must be approved by the Finance Manager before they are incurred.

Disclaimer 

Our fosterers are subject to an informal interview, home assessment visit, two satisfactory references and completion of online induction training including Health and Safety. 

About the Role

We are Buttons & Bubbles C.I.C. and our mission is to increase inclusion and representation for the disability community across society. We offer a variety of services including bespoke characters, workshops, free resources, events, sensory trails, and more.

We want to collaborate with more organisations, schools, and hospitals to spread the word about our work and services. To do this, we are looking for volunteers to join our outreach team and support these efforts.

Who Are We Looking For?

• Enthusiastic about increasing representation and inclusion

• Interested in development, with possible experience working with schools, hospitals, or in business development

• Strong communicator (verbal or other forms such as Sign Language, Eye Gaze, etc.)

• Creative thinker who can bring fresh ideas to the team

• Collaborative and team-minded

What Do We Expect?

• Willingness to undertake our virtual training programme

• Have an Enhanced DBS check (preferably on the update system) or be willing to complete one with us

• Sign our volunteer contract (we are happy to discuss reasonable adjustments if needed)

• A positive and inclusive attitude toward disability and illness

What Can You Expect?

• A supportive, kind, and nurturing team that values its volunteers

• Flexibility- contribute at times that suit you

• Supportive approach to accessibility and accommodations

Benefits of Volunteering with Buttons & Bubbles C.I.C

• Make a tangible difference in your community

• Develop skills in outreach, communication, and partnership building

• Enhance your CV and demonstrate reliability to future employers

• Explore new areas of interest and take on additional tasks if desired

• Build confidence while contributing to meaningful work