Volunteer roles

Love fashion? Know your brands? Know your retro from your vintage? We are looking for people that love clothes and accessories to help us select, research, prepare, photograph and list our stock for sale on Oxfam’s bespoke online shop. No previous experience is necessary, we will provide full training.

During these uncertain times Oxfam’s work to tackle global poverty is more vital (and more challenging) than ever before. Can you use your fashion knowledge to help us raise money to support and empower some of the world’s most vulnerable communities?

What you can do at the shop:

You can get involved with any of the following:

· Selecting the best stock from the amazing donations we receive

· Researching rare and valuable stock

· Preparation and presentation of stock

· Photography and editing

· Creating accurate and engaging online listings

· Creating engaging content for the shop's social media platforms

· Upcycling items, or creating new items from waste textiles

What we can offer:

Oxfam's core values are empowerment, inclusiveness and accountability, and we stand by these in all aspects of our work. We provide a safe, friendly and supportive environment and we have a range of tasks to suit all potential volunteers. When you volunteer with us you will have the opportunity to develop your skills (and enhance your CV) and bring your own ideas into the shop. You will be warmly welcomed and you will feel a sense of ownership over the work you do. We will provide full training, giving you the benefit of our experience. We provide references for our volunteers, and we believe nobody should be out of pocket to volunteer with us, so if you live outside the Cotham area we can help with reasonable travel costs.

What our team have to say about working at the shop:

“Oxfam has given me my first relevant volunteering experience – I’ve learnt about a range of different items as well as how an organisation works – and it gives me a chance each week to switch my focus away from uni work!”

“You come across lots of interesting items, but it can be a thrill when you find something rare or out of the ordinary”

“I’ve been here for four years and I love it – very friendly team, very varied – dealing with high end clothing, antiquarian books, household items and much more – it’s great to find new homes for unwanted goods”

What we ask for:

· Enthusiasm for selling stuff online!

· A willingness to learn and to work within Oxfam's core values

· A commitment of a 3 hour shift per week for at least 3 months

· A commitment to abide by all shop health and safety processes

What your help will enable us to do:

Every pound raised in these incredibly challenging times supports Oxfam’s aim of ending extreme poverty. This income is vital to empower people to help themselves out of poverty, and, crucially, it allows us to act immediately when a disaster happens - saving lives and providing essential resources to help rebuild communities.

Can you help us raise as much as we can to continue our work this year? We won't live with poverty. If you feel the same way we would love to work with you!

For more than a century, the RAF Benevolent Fund has stood beside the RAF Family; through
war and peace, hardship and change. From the first day in uniform to the final years of life,
we have been a constant source of emotional, practical and financial support. Today, our work
reaches serving personnel, veterans, families and the bereaved in more than 30 countries.

We are seeking an individual to join our Finance, Audit and Investments Committee which
provides advice, guidance and support to our Board who has Investment management / portfolio
experience.

The successful candidate will:

• advise on matters relating to the Fund’s investment policy and strategy; 
• assist the Committee in monitoring and advising on the performance of the Fund’s Investment Managers; and 
• offer advice and guidance on investing funds on behalf of the Fund

The full role description can be found on our website. These roles are voluntary, however
reasonable out-of-pocket expenses are paid. We will provide the successful candidate with a bespoke
induction programme and relevant training / development.

Interested?

If you have the experience we are seeking and are as passionate about the RAF Family as we are, we 
would love to hear from you. 

Please send an up-to-date CV and covering email / letter outlining your background, skills, 
experience and interest in the role to the email address noted on our website.

We welcome applications from anyone who has the experience we are seeking, irrespective of 
background, community, industry or protected characteristics. If you require any reasonable 
adjustments as part of your application process, please let us know. We operate safer selection 
practices; this will involve the successful candidate being required to have a Disclosure and Barring 
Service check. 

Applications will be considered on a rolling basis, and this position will remain open until we have
found our ideal candidate. No agencies please.

Volunteer with us!

At Acorns we provide care and support for life limited or life threatened children and their families. We are a charity, so most of the care that we provide is funded through fundraising and through our shops.

To help us to continue to provide the care that we do, we are looking for fun and enthusiastic volunteers to join us in our Acorns charity shops. Our shops are exciting and dynamic, with no two days being the same. From our walk-in customers, to receiving donations, and everything in between!

Unfortunately, we’re unable to offer work experience from 6th July to 16th July as we’re already at full capacity during that period.

We are also seeking an individual with the potential to progress into a Key Volunteer position.

As a Shop Volunteer with us, you will be:

• Engaging with customers
• Accepting and sorting donated stock
• Pricing donations for sale
• Working on the till

Fox and Goose shop is open Monday to Saturday 9am to 5.30pm and Sunday 10am to 4pm. You can volunteer the hours that suit you, but it would be great if you could support in the shop for at least 3 hours a week.

Customer Support Volunteer -   Acorns Children's Hospice in Knowle 

As part of our network of shops across the West Midlands, the Knowle store helps us generate vital funds to support children and their families. By volunteering in our store, you’ll play a key role in this mission while sharing your passion.

Step into a dynamic and exciting environment where no two days are the same!

The Role?

• Are you friendly, approachable, and enjoy helping people? We’re looking for a Customer Service Volunteer to join our team!
• In this role, you’ll support with customer interactions, helping our visitors find the perfect pieces while providing a warm, welcoming experience.

How much time will it take?

Our shops are open Monday to Saturday (some open on Sundays too) 9am to 5pm.  You can volunteer the hours that suit you, but it would be great if you could support in the shop for at least 3 hours a week.

Why volunteer at Acorns? 

• To help a local charity
• To make a difference in your local community
• To connect with like minded people and make new friends
• Boost your CV
• Opportunities to progress to other roles
• All training will be provided

Am I right for the job?

For this role, you'll need to:

• Be welcoming and friendly
• Have a good eye for merchandising
• Be a team player that thinks of others
• Be sensitive to the needs of our customers/donators

Full training will be provided

The difference you will make to cats and people

As a charity we are able to help thousands of cats each year thanks to the generous donations we receive from members of the public. Our fundraising team leaders have the exciting and varied role of inspiring our fundraising volunteers to plan and deliver local fundraising events. Using their passion and imagination, they oversee a small team of fundraising volunteers who come together to raise the vital funds needed to cover costs such as veterinary bills and food. Our fundraising team leaders support their team of volunteers in all aspects of their roles, making sure our volunteers are happy, confident and supported.
 

You can expect us to

• make you feel welcome, included and respected in line with our values and behaviours
• support you in having a positive and impactful experience at Cats Protection
• cover agreed out-of-pocket expenses in line with our Expenses Policy
• provide you with access to learning, development and engagement opportunities

What we need from you

You'll be:

• supporting and encouraging a team of fundraising volunteers
• planning fundraising events and activities with your team
• allocating tasks before and during fundraising events
• keeping financial records from fundraising events
• encouraging and promoting a professional image of Cats Protection 
• following policies and guidelines and ensuring licences and permits are obtained for events

Time expectation

Our fundraising team leaders usually spend three to four hours per week in this role, which is flexible and can be shared by more than one volunteer if needed.

You may be just the volunteer we've been looking for!

We are committed to building a diverse, compassionate and inclusive organisation where everyone can be themselves and do their best. We are courageous and compassionate in our purpose of helping people see the world through cats’ eyes. Together, we can make a difference. Together, we are all for cats. Join the UK’s leading cat welfare charity and help make a better life for cats, because life is better with cats.

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

As a charity we are able to help thousands of cats each year thanks to the generous donations we receive from members of the public. Our fundraising volunteers use their passion for cats and people to raise the vital funds needed to help more cats and kittens in need. As a fundraising volunteer we want to support you to fundraise in whatever way suits you best, whether that’s organising a fundraising event, fundraising online, promoting fundraising activities on social media, completing administration or supporting the development of new fundraising ideas! Whatever your skill set, this could be the role for you! 

What you can expect us to

• Make you feel welcome, included and respected in line with our values and behaviours
• Support you in having a positive and impactful experience at Cats Protection
• Cover agreed out-of-pocket expenses in line with our Expenses Policy
• Provide you with access to learning, development and engagement opportunities

What we need from you

This is a really flexible role – you can choose what you’d like to get involved with, for example:

• face-to-face fundraising. Organising or helping with fundraising events, running supermarket collections and fundraising stands, monitoring collection tins 
• online fundraising. Setting up online appeals and writing impactful cat case studies that maximise donations
• marketing. Spreading the word about our fundraising activities, for example on social media and with the local press
• completing administration. Processing donations, sorting and recording donated goods, completing Gift Aid paperwork
• championing our work. Getting involved with developing new fundraising ideas and increasing community engagement
• photography. Capturing images of cats in care, cats we are helping, events and all things Cats Protection
• You’ll need to be aged 18+ to volunteer in this role. If you’re aged 16-17, you’ll need to be supervised by a friend, family member, or guardian over the age of 18 in order to carry out any fundraising activity.

Time expectation

This is a flexible role that can fit around your other commitments to suit you. You’ll be part of a team raising vital funds while having fun in the process!

You may be just the volunteer we've been looking for!

We are committed to building a diverse, compassionate and inclusive organisation where everyone can be themselves and do their best. We are courageous and compassionate in our purpose of helping people see the world through cats’ eyes. Together, we can make a difference. Together, we are all for cats. Join the UK’s leading cat welfare charity and help make a better life for cats, because life is better with cats.

Job description

What is the befriending service?

• The Befriending Service links volunteers 1:1 with a disabled child/young person.
• Links are based on shared interests and activities, which you can enjoy doing together, either in the young person’s home or out in the community.

What experience do I need?

• You do not need any previous experience with disabled children or young people
• We ask that you are friendly, caring, reliable and able to make a commitment to visit a young person regularly.

What will I be doing?

You will volunteer within WECIL’s befriending service for disabled children/young people and their families. This involves:

• Spending time regularly with a disabled child or young person in their home or their local community.
• You will not be asked to administer medication or deliver personal care in this role.

Who am I responsible for?

• You are responsible for the safety and wellbeing of the child or young person you are linked with.
• All links are risk-assessed and carefully monitored by your Coordinator.

How often will I be needed?

• We typically ask for volunteers to commit to 1-4 hours a week
• The days / times are agreed between the volunteer and the family.
• We ask for a minimum commitment of 6 months to ensure the child and their family are able to benefit fully from the relationship.

What about expenses?

• Volunteer travel expenses can be reimbursed on receipt of a claim form. You won’t be left out of pocket.

Any Perks?

• Ongoing training and support to develop skills and confidence
• Professional references provided for committed volunteers
• Volunteer socials to meet like-minded people and build friendships
• Expenses are covered
• A welcoming and supportive environment

Time2Share@WECIL is committed to the safeguarding and welfare of children and young people and expects its staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Our first priority is to ensure the safety of the children we support. 

Unfortunatly we are unable to provide visa sponsorship for this role. 

Would you like to help tackle loneliness, one conversation at a time?

Loneliness and isolation can have devastating effects on a person’s mental and physical health. We are a registered charity providing a pathway of support to alleviate the hurt and distress, and the impact on mental and physical health, caused by loneliness and social isolation. 

We are seeking Volunteer Drivers, to provide transport in their own vehicle, bringing Friends (people who use our services) to and returning them home from an Archway supportive social group. Occasionally we organise Archway Fundraising activities or events where may be asked to provide transport to an Archway Fundraising activity or event.  Some Archway Friends (people who use our services) are unable to attend a supportive social group independently, mainly due to physical barriers to public transport. Transport delivered by volunteers enables Friends to access the supportive social group, in turn alleviating loneliness. The groups may be the only opportunity for Friends to meet with others. Each Friend is invited to one group per month either in Oxford or Abingdon so transport volunteers usually offer one trip per month or more if they like.

We ask volunteers to think of this as a longer term volunteer role due to the training and time we take in order to give our volunteers, and Friends, the very best service. You will also need to consider occasional time spent in training for your role and for continuous development. 

For all our roles:

Due to our Safeguarding regulations, unfortunately we are only able to accept applications from UK residents. 

Enhanced DBS checks for working with vulnerable adults (formerly called criminal records bureau checks)  which we will organise (no cost to this) and two references are required.

For any roles involving driving Archway Friends, we will need to see evidence of insurance and driving license as well as MOT and tax documents for the vehicle to be used.

We will happily cover out of pocket expenses (eg mileage).

We provide training relevant to the roles as well as ongoing supervision, guidance and support for all volunteers.

Would you like to help tackle loneliness, one conversation at a time?

Loneliness and isolation can have devastating effects on a person’s mental and physical health. We are a registered charity providing a pathway of support to alleviate the hurt and distress, and the impact on mental and physical health, caused by loneliness and social isolation. 

The aim of face-to-face Individual Support is to provide in-person supportive social contact for people who are hurt by loneliness.

Volunteers support Friends (people who use our services) on a one-to-one basis. After completing training, volunteers will be linked with a Friend who they will phone for around one hour every two weeks. This is arranged at a mutually convenient time. 

We ask volunteers to think of this as a longer term volunteer role due to the training and time we take in order to give our volunteers, and Friends, the very best service. You will also need to consider occasional time spent in training for your role and for continuous development. 

For all our roles:

Due to our Safeguarding regulations, unfortunately we are only able to accept applications from UK residents. 

Enhanced DBS checks for working with vulnerable adults (formerly called criminal records bureau checks)  which we will organise (no cost to this) and two references are required.

For any roles involving driving Archway Friends, we will need to see evidence of insurance and driving license as well as MOT and tax documents for the vehicle to be used.

We will happily cover out of pocket expenses (eg mileage or costs for coffee out with Archway Friend).

We provide training relevant to the roles as well as ongoing supervision, guidance and support for all volunteers.

Our Warehouse is at the very heart of the Woodgreen Retail operation and ensures all our shops have stock in the right place, at the right time.

The income from our shops, directly supports pets and their people and we would love you to join our friendly volunteering team, as a Warehouse Volunteer.

What better way to spend your spare time, supporting us and helping us to raise money through our shops and the sale of our donated items.

What will I be doing?

We can offer a wide range of roles within our warehouse to suit all sorts of interests, skills and abilities;

• Maybe you are interested in fashion and can help with sorting our clothing donations?
• Maybe you love books, or homewares and can help sort these for our shops?
• We often require PAT testers for our donated electrical items; (we give free PAT test training)?
• Do you love music? We need people to check and sort our CDs, Vinyl and DVDs.
• Are you interested in antique and collectable items? We often get interesting items donated to us which we need to research and value.  These are then passed to our Ebay team to raise more money for Woodgreen.

If none of this sounds exciting you could also prepare packages of stock for our shops, sort bags of textiles for recycling and help load our vans for shop deliveries. Some heavy lifting may be required but assistance will always be available.

Where is this role based?

Our distribution centre, Godmanchester, PE29 2NH

What is Woodgreen looking for?

Essential Attributes

• You must be over 18 years old
• Reliable and punctual

• Positive and friendly manner
• Be able to work as a part of a team as well as on your own

Desirable Attributes

• Good written and spoken English
• Reasonable level of fitness
• Computer literacy

What will I gain from this role?

For just a few hours of your time each week you will have the chance to ...

• Help pets and their people in need
• Learn new skills and gain experience
• Make new friends
• Become part of a friendly, diverse & committed team
• Put your spare time to good use and add meaningful & respected content to your CV
• We offer 25% discount within our shops to all volunteers
• Uniform will be provided
• Free onsite parking

How many hours per week would I be required to volunteer?

We work around you!  All voluntary hours are negotiable, and we are very grateful for any time you can give to us.

Our distribution centre operates between Monday - Friday 7am - 3pm.

If this sounds of interest, please apply now. 

Woodgreen is committed to safeguarding children and adults at risk and protecting anyone that comes into contact with us from harm. We expect all employees and volunteers to share this commitment.

We're looking for volunteers to assist with the day to day running of our shops located across north east Essex. Volunteer vacancies are available in various shop locations.

Duties of the role include the following:

(Note - Not all the tasks apply to every shop and will be dependent on which shop; type of tasks required for that area and your level of experience)

• Customer service
• Operating till & cash handling
• Signing customers up to Gift Aid scheme & inputting gift aid data if required
• Preparing donated goods for sale
• Ensuring recyclable goods are put in appropriate place
• Pricing as outlined by the shop manager
• Display and merchandising (may include transferring items from one display to another)
• Stock control
• Sorting donated goods (this may include lifting or moving moderately heavy items such as sacks of donated clothes or boxes containing books in some areas)
• Light cleaning duties and using an iron or steamer to press donated clothes

For coffee shops only:

• Operating coffee machines, serving customers and clearing and wiping down tables
• Ensure good food hygiene, health and safety and fire regulations are adhered to at all times

Training & supervision

• All required training, including till operation, gift aid and health & safety will be provided.
• For coffee shops you will be required to undertake online food hygiene training courses.

Knowledge & experience required

• Some customer service experience would be advantageous
• Ability to remain calm while listening to a customer complaint
• Ability to handle cash
• Excellent communication skills
• Previous experience of working or volunteering in a retail environment desirable
• Ability to use electronic tills and devices
• Friendly and approachable manner

Personal attributes

• Passionate about St Helena
• Attention to detail
• Comfortable handling cash
• Excellent communication skills
• Personable and approachable
• Reliable, trustworthy and flexible to meet the demands of the business
• Team player with a friendly outlook

 Role summary

To work as part of a team and assist the manager/assistant manager to maximise income from the sale of cold food and beverages. 

Main duties of the role

• Customer service

• Operating till & cash handling

• Preparing beverages for sale

• Ensuring recyclable goods are put in appropriate place

• Pricing as outlined by the café manager/supervisor

• Light cleaning duties of the café serving and seating areas

• Operating coffee machine

• Ensure food hygiene, health and safety and fire regulations are always adhered to

Training & supervision

All required training, including till operation will be provided. Online health and safety training is mandatory and includes food hygiene level 2 for Café volunteering (renewed annually) 

Could you use your social media, marketing and communications experience to raise the profile of a small charity? Help us to increase our social media presence and engagement, generate greatr content and help promote existing activities.

Our charity delivers a range of awareness campaigns and support services to patients, relatives, partners and carers who have been affected by a poorly understood pain condition; Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS). We are looking for 3 experienced social media and communications volunteers who are able to develop posts including graphics and campaigns from inception to design, create fresh and engaging content, increase engagement and to increase awareness of the charity and of the condition we represent.

Even though we are a small organisation we have big ideas and would like to draw on your experience in the communications world to help the charity deliver engaging content and communications to help us spread our aims and message to all our audience.

What Will You Be Doing?

• Engagement: Help increase engagement, improve the number of followers/likes, create & execute a content calendar
• Content Creation: Produce fresh, branded and engaging content for our social media channels 
• Graphics: Prepare graphics and text for sharing across channels 
• Engage with our followers and encourage interaction 
• Manage and maintain social media channels on a regular basis
• Support charity campaigns, marketing, events and fundraising activities by promoting them on our social media feeds
• Use your creative skills to support strategies to engage, grow, and widen our target audiences
• Develop publicity materials and communication techniques for social media to raise awareness of our chronic condition 

You will be with a small team of volunteers who will provide an overview of our existing social media content, our brand and how we have approached our social media content to date. 

Experience
We are looking for a volunteer who has experience in:

• Different types of marketing and communications media, including electronic and social media
• Writing and editing marketing content for social media platforms including Facebook, X, Pinterest, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and LinkedIn (especially TikTok, Instagram Reels & posts and YouTube)
• Building strategies to increase social media following and /or build fundraising or awareness campaigns
• Developing a coherent brand voice for social media, from content creation to community interactions
• Using and setting up tools such as Buffer, Canva etc
• Creating and executing content calendars to help plan social media activity 

Skills Required

• Excellent written communication skills
• Accuracy and attention to detail 
• Creative writing and design abilities
• Good computer and digital skills
• Enthusiasm for communications and marketing and willingness to learn
• Ability to quickly understand the needs of our team / organisation / users
• Ability to transform small snippets of information into interesting and engaging stories suitable for X, Facebook, Instagram etc.
• Understands the resource constraints of a small charity and is able to work with these
• Open to feedback 
• An interest in helping Burning Nights CRPS Support achieve its aims
• Good organisational skills
• Excellent interpersonal skills, and able to work as part of a team

What Difference You Will Make
You will join the charity during a critical and challenging period and your expert knowledge and experience will be invaluable to our success. You will have a key role in ensuring we can maintain our support services and become a sustainable charity to allow us to fulfil our aims.

Benefits

You would be a part of our small, friendly and forward-thinking charity team, focused on reaching people who may not have heard about the charity or about the condition. You would have a key role in developing a socoal media strategy for a small charity. This is a fantastic opportunity for you to make a real difference to a rare condition.
You will further develop your communication skills, gain PR and marketing experience and develop your social media skills.

This is a remote volunteering role, volunteering from your own home.

Are you passionate about supporting and managing volunteers in a small charity? Our Volunteer Coordinators will recruit, support & develop a team of volunteers, to enhance our work supporting people impacted by a chronic pain condition

What will you be doing?

We are looking for 2 volunteer coordinators to join the coordinators team who will volunteer to support our volunteers in various roles. The volunteer coordinators will 

• Help to recruit, and assure the adequate training of suitable, reliable volunteers
• Co-ordinate the volunteers to ensure that there is always someone available to support all our services 
• Help to create and distribute information regarding volunteer policies and procedures
• Monitor volunteers during their appointments to retain or replace candidates
• Meet with volunteers to assess their progress and satisfaction, as well as to conduct evaluations or skills audits
• Help to assess organisational and programme needs to determine number and range of volunteers needed for particular projects
• Induction of new volunteers
• Maintain regular communication among volunteers and between an organisation and its volunteers, in order to share news, progress, and available positions
• Maintains a database of volunteers and projects and track metrics
• Help to promote the charity and its volunteer accomplishments 
• Set up and arrange any relevant training required for volunteers

What are we looking for?

The Volunteer Co-ordinators role requires proactive and detail orientated individuals with an organised approach and an interest in supporting small charities. They will have good communication skills. The Volunteer Co-ordinators are responsible for the volunteer aspects of Burning Nights CRPS Support to ensure the smooth running of the charity’s services and ensuring that the volunteers are used optimally.

Our Volunteer Co-ordinators are also responsible for ensuring that suitable volunteers have DBS checks where needed and they are adequately trained to do their role working with our Charity Administrator.

Essential

• Experience in volunteering or HR and recruitment
• Managing and supporting volunteers
• Time manage effectively
• Supporting and advising others on policies and procedures
• Ability to motivate and encourage
• Working knowledge of databases
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
• Excellent organisation and team building skills

Desirable

• Facilitation and/or training skills
• Personal experience of volunteering

What difference will you make?

You most likely will not have heard of Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS), and you wouldn’t be alone in this! But we see and know first hand the impact it has on those living with it and on those caring for someone with the condition. We know the huge challenges they face even with simply getting a correct diagnosis, let alone the appropriate treatment and relevant support. 

You will join the charity during a challenging period and your expert knowledge and experience will be invaluable to our success. You will have a key role in ensuring we can maintain our support services and become a sustainable charity to allow us to fulfil our aims. 

What's in it for the volunteer?

This role is a fantastic opportunity to volunteer with a small but ambitious charity, developing and honing your skills.

You could gain experience in the charity sector, a broader C.V, or a sense of accomplishment from using your skills to help people affected by a very painful condition.

You would be a part of our small, friendly, forward-thinking charity team, focused on reaching people who may not have heard about the charity or the condition. You would have a key role in developing a volunteering team. This is a fantastic opportunity for you to make a real difference to a rare condition.

A few more details

If you don't have the exact experience, but are interested to volunteer with us, please apply! We would be thrilled to find out about how your interests and experience match with our needs or what we are doing. 

This role is done remotely using Zoom, phone and email. You would be working closely with the volunteers and trustees. However we would have regular updates and remote meetings with the Chair and/or Trustees.

We have an induction process to help successful applicant to understand how our Charity operates.