Volunteer roles

Volunteer Company Secretary – Join the SUNSHINE Board of Trustees

Help us build a charity that brings light into lives dimmed by loneliness

Across our communities, thousands of people face each day alone, not by choice, but because loneliness has crept into the spaces where connection should be. It steals confidence, joy, and belonging from people who deserve to feel held and seen.

SUNSHINE was created to change that.

We are a small, grassroots, community‑led, 100% volunteer‑run charity with one mission: to bring sunshine into the lives of people who feel forgotten.

We’re building something human. Something hopeful. Something that can grow into a lifeline for thousands.

And right now, we need a Company Secretary who can help us build strong foundations for that future.

Join Us as Our Volunteer Company Secretary

This is a pivotal role at a pivotal moment.

As a brand‑new charity, we’re shaping our governance, our culture, and our identity from the ground up. The Company Secretary will be at the heart of that work — ensuring we are safe, compliant, organised, and ready to grow with integrity.

This isn’t just administration. It’s stewardship. It’s safeguarding our mission. It’s helping us build a charity that people can trust.

You will:

• Guide our governance and ensure we meet our legal responsibilities.

• Support the Chair and Board to run effective, meaningful meetings.

• Maintain accurate records and filings that protect the charity’s future.

• Help us build systems that are clear, transparent, and people‑centred.

• Shape the early architecture of a movement designed to fight loneliness with warmth and dignity.

Why this role matters

Every charity needs someone who holds the centre — someone who keeps things steady while the mission grows.

Your work will ensure that:

• Our volunteers feel supported.

• Our beneficiaries are protected.

• Our decisions are sound.

• Our future is secure.

Behind every moment of connection we create, your quiet leadership will be there — making it possible.

Who we’re looking for

You don’t need to have all the answers. You don’t need decades of experience. You just need:

• Experience in governance, administration, or Company Secretary duties.

• A calm, organised, reliable approach.

• A commitment to good practice and transparency.

• A heart for people and a belief in community.

• A desire to help shape a young charity at the very beginning of its journey.

If you’ve ever wanted to use your skills to build something meaningful — something that will outlast you — this is your moment.

Bring your light. Help us bring theirs.

SUNSHINE is more than a charity. It’s a promise that no one should have to face life alone.

If this role speaks to you — even quietly — we’d love to hear from you. Your steady hand could help us build a future where every person feels seen, valued, and connected.

SUNSHINE

The Loneliness and Wellbeing Charity

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We're looking for a trustee with experience or knowledge of working within the criminal justice system. This is an important area of our work that isn't currently represented on our board.

Step Together Volunteering is a small but mighty charity. Through our unique, person-centred approach we support people to build the confidence and skills they need to look towards a positive future.

We work with young people, people in contact with the justice system, and the Armed Forces community, through 1-1 support, coaching and volunteering placements in the community. Our support doesn't have a time limit, we work with our clients until they have the confidence and skills they need to look forward to a more positive future.

We work nationally, our Head Office is Bristol, and our frontline staff are home-based in the regions they cover.

As a trustee, alongside your fellow board members you'll be responsible for the strategic leadership and administration of Step Together, and we're keen for you to contribute your perspectives and experiences to discussion. Alongside this, we'd specifically like you to:

• Provide expertise relating to the criminal justice system, and support to the rest of the Board and senior staff to ensure the charity operates a best practice model.
• Help identify opportunities for the charity to expand its work and impact within the criminal justice sector, including those funded by statutory and voluntary funders.
• Remain abreast of key developments within the criminal justice sector, ensuring these are brought to the attention of the rest of the Board and senior staff.
• Leverage support for the charity’s work (financial or otherwise) from your own networks and contacts where possible.
• Advise on implications of any current or planned projects within the criminal justice sector to aid good decision-making at board level.

What are we looking for?

Your experience will ideally have been gained through professional work in the Criminal Justice Sector. This could be through employment within the Prisons or Probation Service, other Ministry of Justice role, Youth Justice teams, Police, or with another charity or agency working in the sector.

Good networks within the justice system in the southwest would be advantageous. You will be knowledgeable about the criminal justice sector, the role the voluntary sector plays, and the challenges faced by the different organisations working in the sector.

Ability to work at a strategic level is essential.

We are looking for someone who is passionate about the work that we do, and someone who is happy to advocate for and represent the charity to key stakeholders to help further our work and impact.

What difference will you make?

Your knowledge and experience of the criminal justice system will help shape our strategic direction and decision-making in this important area of our work.

More broadly, as a trustee, you'll play an important role in ensuring Step Together is sustainable, well run and has a clear, strategic direction so that it continues it's brilliant work, supporting people who are otherwise left behind.

Commitments

We have two in person meetings per year (one in London, one in Bristol) and two online, plus an 'away day' in the autumn. We're ideally looking for trustees who based in Bristol or the surrounding areas.

Our board meetings and away day are fixed but there may be times we need to get in touch on an ad-hoc basis, or ask you to be involved in task-focussed committees.

Before you apply

Please get in touch if you've any questions, or to find out more, and we'll arrange a time for you to have a chat with the CEO or Chair.

If you'd like to apply, please get in touch - we'd love to hear from you! It would be helpful to hear a bit about you, what you'd like to bring to the board, and why you're interested in Step Together Volunteering.

Volunteer Trustee – Help Shape SUNSHINE’s Future

Be part of a new movement bringing light into lives dimmed by loneliness

Across our communities, thousands of people wake up each day to silence, not the peaceful kind, but the kind that aches. Loneliness has become an epidemic, quietly eroding confidence, joy, and connection from people who deserve to feel held, seen, and valued.

SUNSHINE was created to change that.

We are a small, grassroots, community‑led, 100% volunteer‑run charity with one simple mission: to bring sunshine into the lives of people who feel forgotten.

No corporate gloss. No distant hierarchy. Just humans helping humans, with warmth, dignity, and heart.

And now, at the very beginning of our journey, we are searching for Trustees who want to build something meaningful from the ground up. We've held our first meeting and need a few more amazing people to join our board.

Join Us as a Volunteer Trustee

This is not a passive board role. This is a chance to shape a start-up charity at a defining moment, to lay foundations, build culture, and create a legacy that will brighten thousands of lives.

We are especially interested in Trustees with experience in:

• Fundraising / Grant Writing – helping us grow sustainably and reach more people.

• Previous Trustee Experience – guiding us with wisdom and steady leadership.

• Company Secretary Experience – ensuring good governance as we establish our structure.

• Finance – supporting our Treasurer and strengthening our financial resilience.

• Or any other skills that can help a brand‑new charity find its feet and flourish.

But above all, we’re looking for people with heart.

What this role means

Being a Trustee at SUNSHINE means stepping into a space where your skills become someone else’s lifeline.

It means:

• Helping us build systems that protect and empower the people we serve.

• Shaping a culture rooted in joy, belonging, and human connection.

• Ensuring our mission stays pure, people‑centred, and community‑led.

• Using your expertise to help us grow with integrity and impact.

• Standing with us as we fight the silent epidemic of loneliness.

Every decision you make will ripple outward into real lives — real people — who need us.

Who we’re looking for

You don’t need to be perfect. You don’t need decades of experience. You just need:

• A skillset that can strengthen a young charity.

• A belief in community, compassion, and connection.

• A willingness to roll up your sleeves and help us build.

• A heart that refuses to let loneliness win.

If you’ve ever wanted to be part of something at the very beginning — to help shape a movement, not just join one — this is your moment.

Bring your light. Help us bring theirs.

SUNSHINE is more than a charity. It’s a promise — that no one should have to face life alone.

If this speaks to you, even quietly, we’d love to hear from you. Your skills could help us build a future where every person feels seen, valued, and connected.

SUNSHINE

The Loneliness and Wellbeing Charity

​

Description

You'll be raising awareness, & improving understanding of sight loss through delivering RNIB’s Awareness to Action sessions in your local community. Through these engaging sessions, you'll inspire participants to make small changes to their behaviour that make a massive difference in the day-to-day lives of people with sight loss. As a Community Change Champion, this will involve:

• Talking directly with community leaders, businesses, & local groups about ways they can get involved & inviting them to join an Awareness to Action session.
• Delivering RNIB’s Awareness to Action sessions either in person or online, using our resources. You may do this on your own or with a team of other local volunteers, both sighted and with sight loss.
• Sharing RNIB’s information & initiatives so people know we’re here for them.
• If you have a personal link to sight loss, sharing your experience during the session to help give a tangible example of how local people can make a real difference.
• Telling us about any activities you have engaged in via a Microsoft form.

What will you gain from the role?
• First-hand experience in grassroots community engagement & charity outreach.
• The opportunity to develop communication & networking skills.
• Support to learn & or use presentation skills to deliver the Awareness to Action Session in person and virtually.
• If you have lived experience of sight loss, support to tell your story to make the most positive impact.
• Know that your efforts are improving the public’s understanding, perceptions & behaviour towards blind and partially sighted people.

We will provide:
• Induction to the role & organisation.
• Training and support to help you thrive in your role.
• A resource pack/toolkit to help deliver the message.
• Opportunities to connect with other RNIB volunteers across the UK.
• The chance to get involved in other activities that interest you & to apply for our internal-only job vacancies.
• Support from a volunteering manager.

How often will I be needed?

• 4 Hours per Action

Key requirements

• One reference

• Additional location information

  • Home and local area.

We are excited to be launching our first-ever volunteer led Armed Forces Community project in the North West and are now recruiting for a bank of volunteers across the region to help us reach veterans who are in need of support to enhance their wellbeing and quality of life.

If you are a veteran, or family member with experience of military life and are free to volunteer and give something back in your community, we would love to hear from you. You may have had personal experience of being medically discharged or since leaving the Armed Forces have found it difficult to transition to civvy street and want to help others to have a better experience. You may already have a reasonable understanding of what is available or lacking in your neighbourhood for veterans in your community. Our Volunteer Ambassadors will report into our experienced Volunteer Coordinator and will work remotely in their community, helping veterans by signposting them to organisations and charities that can help improve their circumstances.

Roles are on a voluntary basis and therefore unpaid. A car is essential and any business mileage or meeting costs will be reimbursed. A mobile phone will also be provided with training in Safeguarding and Confidentiality/Data Protection, Professional Boundaries and Lone Working. Applications are initially open to those living in Lancashire and particularly Chorley, Preston or Wigan. However, we also welcome interest further afield from those living in Liverpool/Merseyside or Cumbria.

Volunteer Treasurer – Join the SUNSHINE Board of Trustees

Help us bring light back into lives dimmed by loneliness

Every day across our communities, people sit in silence, not because they want to, but because no one is there to sit beside them. Loneliness has become an epidemic, stealing joy, confidence, and connection from thousands of people who deserve so much more.

SUNSHINE exists to change that.

We are a small, grassroots, community‑led, 100% volunteer‑run charity with one mission: to bring sunshine into the lives of people who feel forgotten. No bureaucracy. No ego. Just heart, humanity, and hope.

And right now, we need someone extraordinary.

We’re searching for our Volunteer Treasurer

A trustee who believes that numbers can tell a story, a story of impact, possibility, and lives transformed.

This isn’t just about balancing books. It’s about helping us build a future where no one has to face life alone.

As our Treasurer, you will:

• Guide SUNSHINE’s financial health with clarity and care.

• Help us grow sustainably so we can reach thousands more people.

• Bring wisdom, integrity, and steady leadership to our new Board.

• Shape a start-up charity at a pivotal moment in its journey.

• Ensure every pound becomes a moment of connection, comfort, or joy for someone who desperately needs it.

Why SUNSHINE?

Because we are building something human. Something gentle. Something powerful.

We are neighbours helping neighbours. Volunteers giving time, not for recognition, but for love. A community of people who refuse to let loneliness win.

Your skills could be the difference between someone staying invisible… and someone finally feeling seen.

Who we’re looking for

You don’t need decades of experience. You don’t need to be perfect. You just need:

• A good understanding of UK finance or accounting.

• A steady, trustworthy approach.

• A heart for people.

• A belief that small acts of kindness can change lives.

If you’ve ever wanted to use your skills for something that truly matters, this is your moment.

Bring your light. Help us bring theirs.

Join SUNSHINE as our Volunteer Treasurer and help us build a world where no one has to face loneliness in the dark.

SUNSHINE

Loneliness and Wellbeing Charity

Grand Union Orchestra is a music-led charity that brings together world-class artists and diverse communities to create powerful, socially engaged work through collaborative, cross-cultural performances. Through a wide range of productions, recordings, and educational programmes, we celebrate cultural heritage while empowering new generations of artists.

As we enter 2026, we are embarking on a new structure to expand our impact and define a long-term strategy to create new live music, foster creativity, and stand up against intolerance.

As a Trustee, you will play a pivotal part in ensuring the charity is meeting its goals and has a solid operational base.  We are looking for candidates to take an active role, and share expertise in income-generation, marketing, communications and community engagement. 

We would particularly welcome applications for the role of Treasurer to take responsibility for overseeing our finances, and helping with budgeting and management accounts. Knowledge of Charity finance would be extremely beneficial to us.

Are you happy to listen to others talking about their experience of building or carpentry? We are looking for someone like you to facilitate our monthly special interest group for blind and partially sighted people who are interested in these topics and who would like to share their experience with others.

You will contribute to the group to ensure that all participants feel comfortable and that the group runs smoothly.
This group will run monthly either over the telephone or as a video call.

How often will I be needed?

• 2 Hours per Month

Key requirements

• This role requires one reference.

Location

Region

• North West, Scotland, Wales, East Midlands, North East, Northern Ireland, West Midlands, Greater London, East of England, Yorkshire and the Humber, South West, South East

Home based

• This role is home based

Additional location information

• The groups meet during the day from Monday to Friday.

Who this opportunity will suit

Minimum age

• You must be at least 18 years old to apply

What skills and experience are needed?

• Empathy with blind and partially sighted people. Good listening skills. Experience of working in the building or carpentry trades, or a keen interest in these topics. Ability to work with wide range of people. Ability to use the telephone or video call system to talk to groups of people.

Description

You'll be raising awareness, & improving understanding of sight loss through delivering RNIB’s Awareness to Action sessions in your local community. Through these engaging sessions, you'll inspire participants to make small changes to their behaviour that make a massive difference in the day-to-day lives of people with sight loss. As a Community Change Champion, this will involve:

• Talking directly with community leaders, businesses, & local groups about ways they can get involved & inviting them to join an Awareness to Action session.
• Delivering RNIB’s Awareness to Action sessions either in person or online, using our resources. You may do this on your own or with a team of other local volunteers, both sighted and with sight loss.
• Sharing RNIB’s information & initiatives so people know we’re here for them.
• If you have a personal link to sight loss, sharing your experience during the session to help give a tangible example of how local people can make a real difference.
• Telling us about any activities you have engaged in via a Microsoft form.

What will you gain from the role?
• First-hand experience in grassroots community engagement & charity outreach.
• The opportunity to develop communication & networking skills.
• Support to learn & or use presentation skills to deliver the Awareness to Action Session in person and virtually.
• If you have lived experience of sight loss, support to tell your story to make the most positive impact.
• Know that your efforts are improving the public’s understanding, perceptions & behaviour towards blind and partially sighted people.

We will provide:
• Induction to the role & organisation.
• Training and support to help you thrive in your role.
• A resource pack/toolkit to help deliver the message.
• Opportunities to connect with other RNIB volunteers across the UK.
• The chance to get involved in other activities that interest you & to apply for our internal-only job vacancies.
• Support from a volunteering manager.

How often will I be needed?

• 4 Hours per Action

Key requirements

• One reference 

• Additional location information

  • Home and local area.

Description

You'll be raising awareness, & improving understanding of sight loss through delivering RNIB’s Awareness to Action sessions in your local community. Through these engaging sessions, you'll inspire participants to make small changes to their behaviour that make a massive difference in the day-to-day lives of people with sight loss. As a Community Change Champion, this will involve:

• Talking directly with community leaders, businesses, & local groups about ways they can get involved & inviting them to join an Awareness to Action session.
• Delivering RNIB’s Awareness to Action sessions either in person or online, using our resources. You may do this on your own or with a team of other local volunteers, both sighted and with sight loss.
• Sharing RNIB’s information & initiatives so people know we’re here for them.
• If you have a personal link to sight loss, sharing your experience during the session to help give a tangible example of how local people can make a real difference.
• Telling us about any activities you have engaged in via a Microsoft form.

What will you gain from the role?
• First-hand experience in grassroots community engagement & charity outreach.
• The opportunity to develop communication & networking skills.
• Support to learn & or use presentation skills to deliver the Awareness to Action Session in person and virtually.
• If you have lived experience of sight loss, support to tell your story to make the most positive impact.
• Know that your efforts are improving the public’s understanding, perceptions & behaviour towards blind and partially sighted people.

We will provide:
• Induction to the role & organisation.
• Training and support to help you thrive in your role.
• A resource pack/toolkit to help deliver the message.
• Opportunities to connect with other RNIB volunteers across the UK.
• The chance to get involved in other activities that interest you & to apply for our internal-only job vacancies.
• Support from a volunteering manager.

How often will I be needed?

• 4 Hours per Action

Key requirements

• One reference

• Additional location information

  • Home and local area.

To create lasting social change, we need to give the public the right information and tools to inspire real, sustainable behaviour changes.

We have a team at RNIB working on this, and we’d love you to join us. To succeed, we need a diverse group of volunteers, who reflect the people we’re trying to reach. You will also work alongside our panel of blind and partially sighted community members.

In this role, you will:
· Share ideas on the best ways to encourage behaviour change.
· Help make sure our messaging connects with the public.
· Co-design and co-produce materials that support behaviour change and maximise the panel’s impact.
· Review content, giving feedback and suggestions.
· Support the production of other resources as needed.

An understanding of sight loss is not required before taking on the role.

How often will I be needed?

• 2 Hours per Month

Location

Home based

• This role is home based

Additional location information

• · We estimate that we will be in touch a couple of times a month with opportunities to collaborate on our projects. · Feedback can be provided by email, phone or in an online meeting depending on the work. · You can join meetings by computer, mobile phone or landline and we can support you to do this. · We will arrange meetings out of office hours, for those who need it. · This role is for 2 years.

Who this opportunity will suit

Minimum age

• You must be at least 16 years old to apply

What skills and experience are needed?

• · An interest in making society more accessible and inclusive. · Communication skills: the ability to express ideas clearly and listen actively. · Empathy and cultural awareness: an understanding of diverse perspectives and experiences. · Collaboration and teamwork: enjoy working with others to co-design solutions. · Problem-solving and creativity: good at generating practical ideas for behaviour change. · Analytical thinking: the capacity to assess barriers and suggest improvements.

Description

You'll be raising awareness, & improving understanding of sight loss through delivering RNIB’s Awareness to Action sessions in your local community. Through these engaging sessions, you'll inspire participants to make small changes to their behaviour that make a massive difference in the day-to-day lives of people with sight loss. As a Community Change Champion, this will involve:

• Talking directly with community leaders, businesses, & local groups about ways they can get involved & inviting them to join an Awareness to Action session.
• Delivering RNIB’s Awareness to Action sessions either in person or online, using our resources. You may do this on your own or with a team of other local volunteers, both sighted and with sight loss.
• Sharing RNIB’s information & initiatives so people know we’re here for them.
• If you have a personal link to sight loss, sharing your experience during the session to help give a tangible example of how local people can make a real difference.
• Telling us about any activities you have engaged in via a Microsoft form.

What will you gain from the role?
• First-hand experience in grassroots community engagement & charity outreach.
• The opportunity to develop communication & networking skills.
• Support to learn & or use presentation skills to deliver the Awareness to Action Session in person and virtually.
• If you have lived experience of sight loss, support to tell your story to make the most positive impact.
• Know that your efforts are improving the public’s understanding, perceptions & behaviour towards blind and partially sighted people.

We will provide:
• Induction to the role & organisation.
• Training and support to help you thrive in your role.
• A resource pack/toolkit to help deliver the message.
• Opportunities to connect with other RNIB volunteers across the UK.
• The chance to get involved in other activities that interest you & to apply for our internal-only job vacancies.
• Support from a volunteering manager.

How often will I be needed?

• 4 Hours per Action

Key requirements

• One reference

Location

Additional location information

• Home and local area.

Who this opportunity will suit

Minimum age

• You must be at least 18 years old to apply

What skills and experience are needed?

• • Positive attitude towards blind and partially sighted people. • Effective communication skills. • An outgoing friendly approach to meeting new people. • A willingness and ability to complete the Microsoft feedback form.

A Community Research volunteer gets involved in several tasks throughout the course of a research study. These tasks will vary based on project, timing, and the skillset of the volunteer:

● Drafting project planning documents and carrying out background research

● Carrying out face-to-face or telephone surveys and interviews

● Leading focus groups, webinar discussions and activities. Writing up notes from these sessions

● Carrying out audits of service information available online

● Logging surveys and inputting data

● Analysing data/feedback

● Using databases and spreadsheets to create charts and pivot tables

● Contributing to the production of engaging and accessible research reports

● Participating in working groups, planning and debrief sessions

● Producing infographic summary reports, highlighting, and simplifying the key findings from our report.

● Attend meetings with externals partners to discuss, promote and showcase the study/report

This role includes face-to-face engagement which requires travel across the borough, sometimes up to 3 hours to a location.

We're keen to hear from you if you'd like to share your experiences as a blind and partially sighted person and help build a world which understands the impact of living with sight loss.

In this role, you will be:

• Delivering talks to groups of sighted people about your lived experience of sight loss to challenge their perceptions and behaviours. Audiences will vary but may include local businesses, community, faith and voluntary groups.

• Making links with your own existing groups and networks in your local community that may want to be involved in reducing barriers to blind and partially sighted people.
• Building relationships with people or local businesses you know.
• Taking part in and sharing information about specific campaigns and initiatives to help remove barriers to blind and partially sighted people.
• Delivering talks on behalf of RNIB’s Social Action Team.

What you'll gain from the role:
• A chance to make a difference to the lives of blind and partially sighted people with a sense of achievement.
• A chance to be part of a team of like-minded people.
• To make an impact by speaking to groups of people.
• An opportunity to develop your role into delivering talks independently as your confidence and skills grow.
• An opportunity to improve public understanding, helping change perceptions and behaviours, building a world which understands sight loss.
• An opportunity to explore different volunteer roles within our organisation and have access to internal employment opportunities.

In return for donating your time we will provide:
• Induction to the role and organisation.
• Training in public speaking and telling your story.
• A supportive volunteer manager.
• Regular catch-ups.
• Expenses.
• An opportunity to connect with other volunteers.