Volunteer roles in Livingston

Role Purpose

This is a senior volunteer leadership role designed to provide strategic and operational resilience across the department.

The Deputy Head works across both the Ethics Team and the Research Reporting Team, ensuring that ethical standards, research integrity and high‑quality reporting are upheld across all departmental activity.

Core Duties

• Support the Head of Department in delivering strategic and operational leadership.

• Provide continuity, stability and leadership resilience across the department.

• Lead delegated strategic initiatives or operational areas as assigned by the Head of Department.

• Share responsibility for departmental planning, performance monitoring and reporting.

• Support Senior Managers and Managers, offering guidance, oversight and problem‑solving support.

• Contribute to departmental policy development, risk management and quality assurance.

• Act as a key point of contact for cross‑departmental collaboration and organisational alignment.

• Step into leadership when required to ensure smooth, uninterrupted departmental operations.

Competency Requirements (Deputy Head)

To succeed in this senior volunteer leadership role, the Deputy Head should demonstrate:

• Strategic leadership capability, with the ability to translate organisational goals into departmental plans.

• Advanced ethical awareness, including deep understanding of research ethics, integrity and responsible data management.

• Clear, confident communication, suitable for volunteers, senior leaders and Trustees.

• Collaborative leadership, fostering a positive, inclusive and supportive departmental culture.

• Professionalism and integrity, modelling fairness, consistency and ethical behaviour.

• Sound judgement and decision‑making, especially in complex or sensitive ethical scenarios.

• Operational oversight skills, including planning, resource management and performance monitoring.

• Risk awareness, with the ability to identify, assess and mitigate ethical, operational and reputational risks.

• Ability to support and develop others, including Senior Managers, Managers and wider volunteers.

• Commitment to GDPR compliance, responsible data handling and good governance practices.

• Adaptability, particularly during the interim leadership period and subsequent transition.

Role Requirements (Deputy Head)

Given the seniority and responsibility of this volunteer role, the following experience is required:

• A PhD is required, along with postdoctoral research experience, or significant academic or practical research experience at an equivalent level, demonstrating advanced expertise in research design, ethics, governance or reporting.

• Substantial experience in research ethics, research governance or research leadership, ideally across multiple projects or teams.

• Experience in strategic planning, departmental oversight or senior‑level decision‑making, whether in a volunteer, academic or professional context.

• A strong track record of ethical decision‑making, particularly in roles where judgement, integrity and risk assessment were central.

• Experience with research reporting, research communication or academic publication processes is highly beneficial.

• A strong interest in ethical governance, research integrity and maintaining high standards across research projects.

• Familiarity with GDPR and responsible data management practices, or willingness to develop this knowledge quickly.

• Experience working with volunteers or mixed‑experience teams is advantageous.

Starfish is an international development charity aiming to bring life, hope and opportunity to children in South Africa who have been orphaned or made vulnerable through HIV/AIDS and poverty. Starfish are looking for an enthusiastic person who is passionate about international development with good writing skills. The internship will be varied and include: researching trusts and foundations, writing applications, sending out applications & reports, managing data, and supporting event preparations. The Starfish UK London office is small and therefore you will become very much part of the team, being able to experience the operations of a dynamic international charity. This is a great opportunity to gain invaluable experience and enhance your CV. Desired experience - Use of Microsoft packages, organisational skills, good communication skills, research skills and the ability to work well in a team. Role starting May 2026. 

This position is for minimum 3 days a week, working from home with a March event in central London. 

A friendly chat could make all the difference

We are seeking dedicated volunteers to support our organisation’s mission, to end social isolation and loneliness in older people.

Our telephone befriending services connects a volunteer with an older person, aged 75 or over, who is experiencing loneliness and isolation. As a Call Companion volunteer, you’ll make a regular phone call, typically once a week, to foster friendship, enjoyment and conversation.

Your Role

• Call the older person you’ve been matched with for approximately 20-30 minutes, usually once a week.
• Provide companionship over the phone by talking about interests, experiences and by providing a listening ear.
• Maintain the boundaries set out in our training and report any concerns to Re-engage.
• Keep your knowledge and training up to date by reading our volunteer newsletter – Re-engage Matters – sent monthly by email.

Skills

• Excellent communication skills in English, with a compassionate approach
• Basic IT skills
• Empathy, patience, and a genuine desire to make a positive impact on others’ lives.

To become a Call Companion you’ll need to:

• Complete an induction – you might choose to attend a group induction or watch our pre-recorded video.
• Submit an ID check – you’ll need either a passport, driving licence, national insurance number or national identity card to do this.
• Provide a character reference – your referee can be an employer, a colleague, a friend, neighbour or community representative.
• Complete online training – these modules will help you get the most out of the role and take approximately one hour to complete.

Practical details:

• A flexible, homebased volunteering role that fits around your availability.
• No personal details are ever shared with your match, with calls made via our secure befriending platform.
• To keep our services free for older people, we can’t pay expenses for this role.
• You’ll be over 18 and able to commit to 12 months of volunteering (approximately 26 hours over a year).

This volunteer role provides an enriching experience for those passionate about supporting a lonely person. We welcome applicants who are committed, caring, and patient.

THIS IS AN ON GOING ROLE

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

Unfortunately cats can occasionally stray or get lost, which can be extremely distressing for their owners. Our lost and found volunteers are passionate about reuniting lost cats and bringing families back together. They help cats and their owners by advertising lost cats and providing support, advice and guidance to people searching for their cats.

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

This Role Builds Strategic Alliances That Multiply Impact

At Tell My Truth and Shame the Devil C.I.C., building sustainable partnerships with businesses and organisations is central to our mission. The Corporate Sponsorship and Partnerships Officer ensures that our vision connects with external supporters who share our values and want to contribute meaningfully to systemic change. You will identify, cultivate, and manage relationships that provide financial support, in-kind contributions, and strategic collaborations, helping the C.I.C thrive while maintaining ethical and values-aligned partnerships. This is not a transactional sales role. It is a strategic, high-impact, and relationship-focused role critical to the C.I.C’s sustainability.

Purpose of the Role

This role exists to:

• Research, identify, and approach potential corporate partners and sponsors
• Develop partnership proposals and sponsorship packages aligned with CIC priorities
• Manage relationships with sponsors, ensuring transparency, alignment, and mutual benefit
• Support the Fundraising Director in building strategic alliances that amplify impact
• Ensure all corporate engagements uphold CIC values, trauma-informed practices, and anti-exploitative principles
• You are the connector that turns shared values into actionable support.

About the role:

To create, manage, and optimise content and communications that engage donors and the community, ensuring consistent messaging, ethical standards, and alignment with campaigns and organisational values.

Experience Qualification and Requirements

Essential / Highly Valued Experience

• Experience in copywriting, communications, journalism, or similar.
• Familiarity with email marketing platforms and newsletter creation (e.g., Mailchimp, CiviCRM, or equivalent).
• Experience developing content for fundraising or donor engagement.
• Social media content creation for organisational impact.
• Strong editing, proofreading, and content planning skills.
• Ability to write clearly, persuasively, and in a tone consistent with the C.I.C’s values.
• Understanding of audience segmentation and personalised communications.
• Awareness of data protection, confidentiality, GDPR, and safeguarding requirements.
• Experience tracking engagement metrics and refining communications based on results.
• Collaborative skills to work with multiple teams and volunteers.
• Ability to adapt content for different audiences, ensuring inclusivity and accessibility.

Desirable / Can Be Developed

• Experience producing multi-channel campaigns (email, social media, print).
• Knowledge of design and layout tools for content (e.g., Canva, InDesign).
• Volunteer coordination and mentoring experience.
• Analytical skills to interpret donor response data.

Qualifications

• Formal qualifications not required.
• Equivalent professional experience in communications, content creation, or donor engagement is highly valued.

Main Responsibilities/ Key Duties

• Develop compelling, clear, and accurate content for donor and community communications, including:

 Emails and newsletters

 Campaign materials and updates

 Fundraising appeals and donor acknowledgements

• Maintain consistent organisational voice and messaging across all communications channels.
• Collaborate closely with the Fundraising Director to align content with fundraising campaigns and donor engagement strategies.
• Work with the Social Media Team to ensure content complements online campaigns and wider communications.
• Track donor engagement and responses to communications, using feedback to refine messaging, segmentation, and targeting.
• Support segmentation and personalisation of donor communications to maximise relevance and impact.
• Ensure all communications comply with data protection, confidentiality, and ethical standards (GDPR, safeguarding, and organisational policies).
• Adapt content for different community audiences, ensuring accessibility, clarity and inclusivity.
• Proofread, edit, and review communications for accuracy, tone, and impact before distribution.
• Contribute to content planning and calendars, coordinating timing and messaging with campaign schedules.
• Provide guidance and support to other volunteers involved in communications or content creation.
• Maintain documentation of communications templates, processes, and donor engagement metrics.
• Actively participate in team meetings to share insights, track performance, and improve communications strategy.

What You Gain

• Founding-level experience in corporate partnerships and sponsorship strategy
• Leadership exposure in high-stakes negotiation and collaboration
• Opportunity to shape sustainable funding models for a high-impact C.I.C
• Priority consideration for future paid roles
• Direct contribution to community empowerment and systemic change

This role builds strategic influence, partnership management, and ethical fundraising skills.

This role is not suitable if you:

• Prefer transactional sales over relationship building
• Avoid high-responsibility or strategic thinking roles
• Are seeking immediate paid employment
• Are uncomfortable negotiating or representing an ethical, trauma-informed organisation

Important to Be Clear

• This is a volunteer role during the C.I.C’s build phase
• It carries real responsibility for relationship-building and fundraising sustainability
• Paid roles will emerge as funding and sustainability allow

Formal qualifications are not required, but desirable.
Essential equivalent experience mandatory.

Next Steps:

Shortlisted applicants will be invited to:

• A values-led conversation
• A practical discussion about event planning, coordination, and execution

If you believe that well-organised, purposeful events can change communities, and that experiences inspire action, this role is for you.

A Final Word
Partnerships are about values, not logos.

If you know that:

Ethical funding protects the mission

Who we align with reflects who we are
 

Long-term impact beats short-term gain

This Is Not a Typical Content Creator Call-Out

Tell My Truth and Shame the Devil C.I.C. is building a truth-telling media engine and community-owned digital infrastructure to confront CSA, centre survivor truth, and create real economic and leadership pathways for young people. To do that, we are intentionally recruiting hundreds to thousands of content creators globally.

This is not about chasing virality.

This is not influencer culture.

This is not one brand voice.

This is about collective creation at scale, community ownership of narrative, and building systems that give many people opportunity, just a few. If you want to contribute your creative skills to something bigger than yourself, keep reading.

Purpose of the Role

Volunteer Content Creators are the production engine of our Social Media Management Team.

You will help create, remix, and repurpose content that fuels:

• Donor growth
• Volunteer mobilisation
• Survivor-led storytelling
• Community trust
• Cultural disruption

Content is created once and then reused across:

• CIC platforms
• Ambassador networks
• Community organisers
• Campaigns, education, and outreach

This role exists at scale because our strategy is scale.

Experience Qualification and Requirements

Essential experience

• Experience creating digital content on a consistent basis, meeting agreed briefs and deadlines.
• Experience working with at least one content type: video, design, writing, or AI-assisted content.
• Experience adapting content for different social media formats and platforms.
• Experience contributing to purpose-led, community-focused, or sensitive storytelling.
• Experience collaborating with creative, campaign, or insight-driven teams.

Essential skills

• Ability to produce high-quality content consistently and at scale.
• Strong understanding of social media formats, trends, and audience behaviour.
• Ability to work within brand, ethics, safeguarding, and trauma-informed frameworks.
• Openness to feedback, iteration, and collective ownership of work and outcomes.
• Strong self-management, reliability, and accountability without close supervision.
• Understanding of content as a tool for impact and change, not personal ego.

Training & qualifications

• Formal qualifications are not required.

Main Responsibilities/ Key Duties

• Produce high-volume, high-quality content consistently, aligned with campaign priorities and platform requirements.
• Repurpose long-form content (e.g. podcasts, interviews, stories) into short-form assets optimised for social platforms.
• Work within C.I.C brand guidelines, ethical standards, safeguarding requirements, and trauma-informed frameworks at all times.
• Submit all content for approval, structured storage, tagging, and future reuse in line with C.I.C workflows.
• Collaborate closely with the Social Media Director, Campaign Managers, Analysts, and Automators to align content with strategy, insight, and distribution.
• Contribute creative ideas, concepts, and improvements, not just output, supporting experimentation and continuous improvement.

This role is not suitable if you:

• Need immediate income
• Want a low-commitment volunteer role
• Are only looking for exposure
• Prefer to work alone without feedback
• Are uncomfortable with heavy or sensitive subject matter

Important to Be Clear:

• A volunteer role within a Community Interest Company
• Unpaid during the build phase
• Not a replacement for paid employment
• Paid opportunities will be introduced as the organisation becomes financially sustainable.

Formal qualifications are not required, but desirable.
Essential equivalent experience mandatory.

Next Steps:

Shortlisted applicants will be invited to:

• A values-led conversation
• A practical discussion about content, storytelling, and donor engagement

If you believe that words can transform communities, and that authentic storytelling drives action, this role is for you.

A Final Word
Words carry weight.
They can heal or harm.

If you know that:
Survivor stories deserve care, not clicks

Donors deserve honesty, not spin

Communication is part of safeguarding

PR )Help us raise awareness, grow our community and bring more smiles to children across the UK.

Make a Smile is looking for a proactive, creative PR Officer to help share our story. If you enjoy communicating, building relationships and spotting opportunities, this role offers a meaningful way to make an impact.

What You’ll Do

• Seek out PR opportunities locally and nationally
• Build relationships with newspapers, radio, TV, university media and online platforms
• Pitch stories, arrange interviews and support chapters with media engagement
• Help organise university Instagram/TikTok takeovers and newsletter features
• Attend networking events and build connections with supporters and public figures
• Ensure our social media pages are high‑quality and on‑brand
• Work with the Website and Video Officers to share media features and create inspiring content
• Add interested contacts to our mailing list and help produce a monthly newsletter

Who This Role Suits

You don’t need formal PR experience - just enthusiasm and confidence. You’ll thrive if you:

• Enjoy writing, storytelling or creating content
• Feel comfortable reaching out to people and building relationships
• Are proactive and organised
• Have an interest in media, marketing, journalism or communications
• Want to gain experience in PR within a supportive charity environment
• Care about Make a Smile’s mission and want to help us reach more families

What You’ll Help Us Achieve

• Greater visibility for Make a Smile 
• Stronger volunteer recruitment and fundraising 
• Consistent, high‑quality branding across chapters
• More opportunities to showcase the impact of our work

Fundraising Events Organiser Volunteer

Would you like to be part of a dedicated and friendly team of volunteers and make a real difference to the lives of cats and kittens in our care?  Do you enjoy planning and organising for events?  Maybe you have a particular skill that you would like to put to use?
 
Then this could be the role for you! 
 
Our Fundraising Events Team are at the heart of what we do, raising essential funds for the cats. 

Our Fundraising Events Organisers share ideas, tasks and inspiration, planning and delivering local events, with the support of the Fundraising events helpers, such as Open Days (usually 2 per year) at the centre and our annual Christmas Bazaar. 

Time Expectation:  This role can be varied and time commitment can be flexible. 

Without volunteers, Cats Protection Berkshire Cat Centre simply wouldn't exist. Our amazing, friendly volunteers are a diverse group with a shared love of cats who fit volunteering around their home lives and personal commitments.

We're often looking to welcome new volunteers to join our brilliant team. As well as meeting great people and making an incredible difference to the cats of Berkshire.

Please note:  Although we do welcome everyone, unfortunately our centre is not set up to accommodate young volunteers under the age of 18, including those on the Duke of Edinburgh programme.

Full training and support will be given for all roles.  We look forward to hearing from you!

The role of a Treasurer is an unpaid, voting role sitting on the UK Board of Trustees and reporting to the Chair of Trustees. In line with our policy, all trustees initially start in a non-voting advisor role to ensure that both they and the board are happy to formalise the trusteeship before transitioning to a full voting trustee position.

The Treasurer will work with the UK Operations Manager and the UK board of trustees to share the responsibility for overseeing the financial health and sustainability of Sreepur Village and will liaise with the Overseas Director based in Sreepur Village.

Treasurer Role

· Oversee the financial affairs and ensure they are legal, constitutional and within accepted accounting practice 

· Review the appointment of new auditors and work to ensure financial reports are clear and timely 

· Hold monthly budget review meetings with the UK Operations Manager to oversee accounting and financial controls

· Ensure appropriate risk management is in place and is reviewed by the board on a regular basis

· Introduce new financial forecasting and reporting systems and ensure protocols and processes are appropriate

· Be main point of contact with the investment fund managers and oversee investment policy

Governance Role

• Contribute to the strategic planning process
• Be an ambassador for Sreepur Village representing the organisation and linking it to its stakeholders.
• Attend at least three meetings a year (virtual or in person) or as advised by the Chair of Trustees if the number of meetings changes.
• Attend or host fundraising events, where possible.
• Respond to emails and other correspondence within five working days or an agreed time frame

We are looking for passionate Animal Advocates to join our Events Team and help raise vital funds for animals in need in their local community. This role is ideal for someone who loves animals, enjoys connecting with people in their community, and wants to make a meaningful difference.

Animal Advocates organise and host small fundraising stalls within their local area, helping to raise awareness and funds to support animals who need our help.

Key Responsibilities

As an Animal Advocate, you will:

• Identify opportunities to hold a fundraising stall in your community at least once a month (for example at markets, fairs, community events or outside local businesses).
• Research and approach local businesses who may wish to donate items that can be sold to raise funds to support our work.
• Encourage people in your community to donate good-quality second-hand items that can be sold on the stall.
• Set up and run fundraising stalls to engage with the public and promote the charity’s work.
• Help raise awareness about the animals we support and the difference donations make.
• Be a vital part of our Events Team.

Support and Resources

As part of our team, volunteers will receive:

• A welcome pack containing everything you need to get started.
• Ongoing support from advice on organising stalls, collecting donations and growing your impact.
• Encouragement to build a small local team of volunteers, if you prefer working as part of a team, to support your activities.

Essential Experience / Skills:

• Passionate about helping animals.
• Friendly and confident speaking to people in their community.
• Organised and motivated to plan local fundraising opportunities.
• Happy to approach local businesses and community members.
• Enthusiastic about making a difference.

What You’ll Gain

This is a fantastic opportunity to:

• Help animals in need
• Meet like-minded people
• Become a positive voice for animals in your community
• Develop fundraising, community engagement and leadership skills.

Every stall you organise helps us provide care, safety and a brighter future for animals who need it most.

Closing Date: The job advert will close as soon as suitable candidates have been found. We encourage you to apply as soon as possible!

��️ Join the Heart of the High Street – Volunteer at Oxfam Nicolson Street! ��

Do you love meeting people, making a difference, and bringing a little sparkle to someone’s day? Then we’ve got the perfect opportunity for you!

We're looking for friendly, enthusiastic volunteers to help us sort donations, stock shelves, and serve customers with a smile. Whether you're a master organiser or a natural chatterbox, your talents will make a real impact.

�� What You’ll Be Doing:

• Sorting through generous donations and discovering hidden treasures
• Creating eye-catching displays that brighten the shop
• Helping customers find their perfect purchase
• Sharing laughs, stories, and cups of tea with a welcoming team

�� What You’ll Gain:

• New friendships and community connections
• Confidence and retail experience
• The joy of helping others while having fun

Come as you are—whether you’ve got a free afternoon or a regular slot in mind, we’d love to have you!

Pop in for a chat, give us a ring, or apply today to start your volunteer journey. Let’s turn donations into action and kindness into community! ����

Join now-u as a Volunteer Social Media Officer and support the delivery of a social media strategy to increase brand awareness, grow our user base, and enhance engagement. You will create content, manage social media channels, and support campaigns across multiple platforms.

An opportunity to join the Board of the Vivensa Foundation dedicated to radically improving how we all age.

About Vivensa Foundation

In the spring of 2025, the Dunhill Medical Trust changed its name to the Vivensa Foundation as part of a wider plan to better reflect its work as a funder and impact-intentional investor.

The name ‘Vivensa’ is inspired by the Latin word vivens, meaning to live, be alive, or to reside in — a reflection of the work we support our award-holders and investees to do. But this is more than a change of name — it reaffirms our commitment to funding the remarkable science and radical social change needed for people to age well on their terms.

It was back in the 1980s that the Board of the predecessor charity recognised that the shifting demographics would drive a need for investment in a high-quality research base to improve our understanding of the mechanisms of ageing and ageing-related disease and the delivery of innovation in the health and social care of older people. Since then, the Foundation has been funding some of the very best of the UK’s researchers and community innovators to do just that. 

The Foundation plans to play its part in three broad ways:

• investing in ideas
• connecting research and practice and
• fostering flourishing communities.

With our new identity and with our refreshed Strategic Framework and priorities for the next five years launched in April, we are looking forward to writing our next chapter.Our next five years will involve scaling our impact‑intentional investment portfolio, deepening our role in evidence-to-practice ecosystems, and strengthening our partnerships with communities across the UK.

About the Trustee opportunity:

Owing to a retirement, we welcome applications for the position of Trustee from candidates with expertise in one of the priority areas set out in our new plan. 

We will prioritise applications, from either:

• research active clinicians and academics with demonstrable expertise in translating research and evidence into practice or;
• professionals with a background in delivering innovative change in NHS or local authority settings, social care or housing provision with the experience and networks to turn the latest evidence into practice.

Vivensa Foundation values skills potential and lived experience. The work they fund means that they know all too well the negative impacts of inequity. They are therefore committed to promoting equity, diversity and inclusion in all areas of their work and improving the diversity of representation on their Board of Trustees and on their Committees and they welcome applications from global majority backgrounds.

Applications are invited from across the UK and Board and Committee meetings are held quarterly, with dates set in advance (the time commitment for each is around six days per year). The Board is collaborative and evidence-driven with a commitment to learning and good governance. While our office base is in central London, we offer the opportunity to attend meetings either in person or virtually. Although the role is unpaid, reasonable expenses, including travel and the need to cover caring responsibilities, will be reimbursed.

As an Adventure Ambassador, you will act as the face of Adventures for Animals on our UK and overseas trips. This role offers an exciting opportunity to combine your passion for travel with your commitment to animal welfare, while inspiring others to take part in meaningful challenges. Your primary focus will be on promoting trips, building community engagement, supporting fundraising and delivering an exceptional participant experience before and during each adventure.

Key Responsibilities

Promote Inspiring Adventures

• Generate interest and excitement through social media, community outreach, and personal networks.
• Encourage registrations, and later fundraising, by sharing the purpose and impact of Adventures for Animals and the work of IAPWA.

Host and Represent on Trips

• Act as the official Adventure Ambassador on each trip, representing Adventures for Animals and IAPWA.
• Foster a welcoming, inclusive, and supportive group environment.
• Support participants throughout the journey to help ensure a smooth and memorable experience.

Incentives and Rewards

• Once a trip reaches an agreed capacity, you will secure a free place on the expedition.
• At the next agreed benchmark, you will receive free return flights for the adventure.
• At full capacity, you will also then receive a generous trip allowance.

Represent the Mission

• Embody the values and mission of the charity.
• Share insight into the charity’s work and inspire participants to support animal welfare initiatives.
• Strengthen the sense of community and shared purpose across each adventure.

Team Collaboration

• Attend monthly team meetings with fellow Adventure Ambassadors.
• Share insights, feedback, and ideas to support programme growth and fundraising best practice.
• Optionally organise UK-based hikes or local events to promote upcoming trips and engage the community.

Essential Experience / Skills

• A genuine passion for travel, adventure, and animal welfare
• Strong communication skills and confidence engaging groups
• Self-motivated with the ability to proactively promote trips
• Excellent interpersonal skills and a natural leadership presence
• Organised, reliable, and positive in approach

What You’ll Gain

• The opportunity to explore exciting destinations while supporting meaningful animal welfare initiatives.
• Personal and professional development in leadership, public speaking, and community engagement.
• The chance to play a key role in raising awareness and funds to support animals worldwide.

Closing Date: The job advert will close as soon as suitable candidates have been found. We encourage you to apply as soon as possible!