Advice, Information Volunteer Roles in Flexible Location

Citizens Advice Portsmouth are currently seeking volunteers in a variety of Departments to support our services, we promote inclusivity and want to attract more people from ethnic minorities, veterans, retirees, and those with disabilities.

Our aim to be able to provide a diverse service of advice and utilise the local community to do so. The roles we are looking to recruit for cover various areas, I have listed below some of the roles and a guide to the sort of skills we require:

Volunteer Roles:

• Business Development 
• Fundraising
• Marketing 
• Social media 
• Bid Writing 
• IT Systems Support 
• Finance
• Money Advice 
• Administration support
• HR Administration 

All we ask of our volunteers is that commit a minimum of 6 hours per week up to unlimited hours, but we are happy for volunteers to agree the hours with the hiring managers, there will be a requirement to commit to 12 months agreement.

We are looking for individuals with a passion to help improve the lives of our local community, by helping with a positive, proactive attitude to drive change. It will provide a platform to increase your skills, knowledge, and experience for the future.

We are a fully inclusive, accredited disability confident, living wage employer.

Please apply to this job ad with your CV and cover letter.

This role is advertised as part of TPP's Free Giving Back Services. This volunteer advertisement copy has been supplied to TPP and applicants apply direct to the organisation. Please contact the organisation directly if you have any questions about this volunteer role.

Become a GamCare Online Peer Supporter

Make a difference by using your own experiences

For over 25 years, GamCare has been there for people experiencing gambling harms, whether that be people who gamble themselves or someone impacted by someone else’s gambling. We offer support over the phone, face-to-face or online and our treatment is free, flexible and confidential.

We are currently recruiting for Online Peer Supporters, to provide one-to-one and group support to both individuals who gamble and those affected by someone else’s gambling. Using their own experiences of gambling-related harms, volunteers will support others digitally as part of our Online Support Services and will include email support as well as facilitating our Forum and Chatrooms.

Full training and ongoing support will be provided to enable you to use your lived experience to work with our team as an Online Peer Supporter, providing support to all of those affected by gambling.

We believe that peer support is essential in the recovery journey. It provides:

• Shared understanding
• Reduces stigma
• A non-judgemental environment
• Practical insights and tools
• Continued motivation and hope

Our online platforms are designed to provide social connection to those who could be isolated or feel they have no one else to talk to. People accessing our services have identified that receiving support from someone who has had similar experiences can really benefit them when overcoming the challenges they may face on their recovery journey. It also provides a sense of community and belonging and contributes to the long-term support of those accessing these services.

Training

A comprehensive training programme will be delivered by our Lived Experience Volunteering team to provide you with the skills and confidence to use your experiences to support others while protecting your own recovery. Training includes:

• Safeguarding
• Motivational interviewing
• Facilitation skills

Role Responsibilities

Online Peer Supporters will:

• Navigate and guide contacts through existing services at GamCare and the National Gambling Support Network.
• Use motivational interviewing skills while drawing from their own lived experience to provide a supportive, non-judgemental space for those affected by gambling harms.
• Facilitate discussions via our online support services, including:

Email – you will be paired with an individual for regular email correspondence (up to 3 emails per week for 6 months)
Chatrooms – you will facilitate group discussions and supporting conversation between people at various stages of recovery
Forum – you will initiate discussions, respond to posts, and provide encouragement, signposting and support to forum users

• Help individuals set aims and goals to move to a more positive, sustained recovery whilst also providing resources to support people with these plans.
• Recognise the purpose and remit of our service and signposting to other internal and external support where appropriate.

What can I expect from GamCare?

In return, GamCare will:

• Provide a full, comprehensive induction and training programme
• Give you access to a dedicated Volunteer Coordinator
• Offer and arrange 1:1 and group supervision
• Fully support your own wellbeing and recovery journey
• Give ongoing training and development opportunities
• Provide access to some internal job opportunities within our services team
• Provide a reference after 3 months of regular volunteering

Role Requirements

For any of our volunteering roles we ask that you have lived experience of gambling-related harms. This includes being affected by someone else’s gambling (friend or family member).

We ask that you’ve been in positive, sustained recovery for at least one year before volunteering with us.

This role is completely remote, so you’ll need access to a reliable internet connection, a computer and a confidential space.

For full role requirements, please see the Role Profile on our website.

Please note that this role is subject to a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check. Please do not let that deter you from applying as all applications will be considered.

Availability & Commitment

We ask that you have availability at a regular time for around 1-2 hours per week for a minimum of 6 months.

Before volunteering with us, you will need to complete a mixture of self-directed online training and live online group training sessions delivered by our Volunteer Coordinators over a period of approximately 4 weeks.

Full details of the induction, including the next available dates will be sent to you by a member of the team within one week of receiving your application.

You will be supporting older people through weekly visits to their home. The role involves providing short term (6-8 weeks only) practical support (no personal care) to vulnerable adults.

· Support can include low level support such as having a cup of tea and a chat, light shopping, light snacks.  

· Support with companionship and support to rebuild confidence to regain or develop independence.   

Some clients may require additional support for tasks such as digital inclusion which volunteers (if they want to be) can be trained to provide.

Interested in volunteering with Cumbria Wildlife Trust on the ‘The Bay: A Blueprint for Recovery’ project? The Bay is a nature and wellbeing programme of events, offering people living around Morecambe Bay area, the opportunity to get outdoors, connect with nature, and take part in a range of activities.

Do you love coastal wildlife? Barrow-in-Furness at the northernmost point of the Bay project area, is home to Earnse Bay. Low tide here reveals rockpools teeming with life- from anemones to starfish. These are amazing creatures that when observed or handled, help reconnect people with nature through their sound, scents and textures.

Are you a people person? Help bring coastal wildlife to people who don’t know about Earnse Bay rockpools, or the people who aren’t able visit the beach.

Becoming a rockpool roadie, is a unique opportunity to learn new conservation and people skills. Help Cumbria Wildlife Trust bring wildlife to more people, and more people to wildlife.

We’re looking for volunteers to shadow friendly members of staff to:

 -visit the rockpools at Earnse Bay, collect rockpool creatures and take them to places like care homes for people to enjoy.

-engage with organisations such as care home residents, providing information on Earnse Bay’s coastal wildlife and promoting the work of the Cumbria Wildlife Trust in general.

-allow people to engage with rockpool creatures. The aim is for people to ‘connect’ with the creatures and one another, increasing peoples’ mutual happiness, health and sense of nature.

-after their day out, all rockpool creatures will then need to be put safely back onto the beach.

Do you think you have what it takes to be a rockpool roadie? Want to learn more about this role? We'd love to hear from you.

Can you lead the way by helping to set up a new Wildlife Watch club for young people in your local area?

Help us engage the next generation in taking action for wildlife!. We are looking for people to help with our existing groups in Barrow, Cockermouth, Gosling Sikes (Carlisle), and Grange. We are also looking for a Watch leader and helpers for our Penrith group.

What is a Wildlife Watch Leader Volunteer?

Wildlife Watch is the junior branch of the Wildlife Trusts and is the UK's leading club for young environmentalists. Our local Wildlife Watch clubs across Cumbria run a varied programme of fun environmental and wildlife focused activities, aimed at 6–12 year-olds and their families.

As a Wildlife Watch Leader you will be a key player in Cumbria Wildlife Trust’s work with young people. You will have the opportunity to engage with a group of young people  on a regular basis, to getting to know them and helping to shape their learning and understanding about the environment. This role can extremely rewarding for you.

 What’s in it for you?

• Becoming part of a friendly and dedicated team of volunteers and staff at Cumbria Wildlife Trust

• Getting out and about in nature

• Health and wellbeing benefits

• Passing on your wildlife knowledge and enthusiasm to our next generation environmentalists

• Learning new conservation, administration and life skills that will help your future career/learning opportunities.

• Access to support and resources from Cumbria Wildlife Trust. Materials and training will be provided. Helpers will also support you with planning, preparation, delivering and administration of activities

What’s involved?

As a Wildlife Watch Leader you will:

• Publicise the presence of the group to local children, young people and their families

• Plan and organise a fun programme of activities throughout the year with, and for, the group, using themes relevant to Cumbria Wildlife Trust. You will deliver regular, hands on, informal outdoor activities, enabling young people to explore the wildlife around them more closely

• Adopt guidelines to assist you in running safe and enjoyable meetings. These include safeguarding, H&S, risk assessments and participation registration

• Promote Wildlife Watch and Cumbria Wildlife Trust, using templates and posters provided

• Keep in regular contact with Cumbria Wildlife Trust, young people and their families

• Support young people gaining Wildlife Watch awards, celebrating their activities and achievements

Who would suit this role?

This role will suit anyone interested in volunteering with Cumbria Wildlife Trust, who loves wildlife and wants to make a real difference in their local community. It would especially suit those who:

• Are keen and confident working with young people

• Have a natural enthusiasm for wildlife and nature of Cumbria (You DON’T need to be an expert)

• Are full of creative and fun activity ideas

• Are willing to learn how to organise and plan the leadership of safe sessions

• Able to work well with other volunteers and share tasks as a team

• Eager to have a real impact to support our next generation environmentalists

• Enjoy working in an outdoor environment (in all weathers!)

 This is a very flexible volunteer role. As a leader you can decide with your helpers how often - and when - you wish to run sessions

Volunteer handbook and Trust induction.

Health and safety and safeguarding training will be mandatory.Risk assessment, participant registration, Wildlife Watch templates, posters, email etc.. will all be provided

Volunteers are able to receive travel expenses of 0.45p per mile agreed in advanced with their staff contact.

First aid training will be provided for volunteer leaders.

The Trust will apply for a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check for volunteers undertaking this role because it involves working with children and young people or vulnerable adults.

In the second stage of the volunteer recruitment process, we will take up two references.

 Is this for you? Want to learn more about this role? We'd love to hear from you.

Would you like to help us monitor our restored hay meadows? Do you have some plant ID skills or are keen to develop your skills? Then join our team of meadow surveyors.

Surveying grassland hay meadows that Cumbria Wildlife Trust has restored, or has the  potential to restore. This involves counting the cover of wildflower species and grass species within celled quadrats at random locations across the site.

• Previous botanical ID skills would be ideal but not essential if the participant is happy to learn.
• Survey skills using quadrats will be required to carry out the task but these skills can be taught too.
• A willingness to work with other volunteers as a pair to carry out the survey.
• We would like to ask for a minimum of one botanical survey (2 full days of surveying) per year.

Our grassland team works on many grassland sites; some being our own sites, on partner organisations sites, various landowners and farmers holdings etc.  With the help of our grassland survey volunteers, we are able to revisit more of our restored sites to monitor its progress and success which can support our future restoration work.

Fancy doing something different and making a difference?

Explore and record our coastal and marine wildlife.

All welcome!

Our marine projects (‘My Local Catch’ and ‘The Bay’) run a range of regular coastal surveys along the Cumbrian coast.

From ‘Shoresearch’ citizen science projects, rocky shore walkovers, sediment cores, plankton surveys, shark egg case hunts and land-based dolphin spotting, there are many ways you can volunteer and learn about our amazing coastal and marine life.

For our organised coastal events, please wear suitable outdoor clothing and stout footwear.

If any of these events are for you, then we’d love to hear from you.

Cats Protection is the UK’s leading feline welfare charity and our vision is a world where every cat is treated with kindness and an understanding of its needs. Cats are at the centre of everything we do and our objectives are: homing, neutering and educating people about cats and their care. We help thousands of cats across the UK each year thanks to our network of dedicated volunteers, staff and supporters.

A bit about this role

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 events organisers have the exciting and varied role of helping plan and deliver local fundraising events to raise the vital funds needed to help our feline friends. Our fundraising events organisers use their passion for cats and people to plan cake sales, barn dances, quiz nights and everything in between.

What can you expect to be doing?

• Planning fundraising events and activities like cake sales, quiz nights and barn dances
• Providing the treasurer with information on funds raised 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

What are the benefits to you and the cats?

You will develop new skills, expand your knowledge and make a significant contribution to improving the lives of cats and kittens by helping raise funds through events. You will also meet new people, make new friends and be part of a dedicated group of volunteers.

We’re looking for someone with

• Good organisational skills
• Strong interpersonal skills
• The ability to prioritise and delegate
• An appreciation of the importance of handling money and charity resources responsibly
• Knowledge of your local community

Time expectation

Our fundraising events organisers usually spend two to three hours per week in this role, which is flexible and can be shared by more than one volunteer.

Additional information

At Cats Protection we believe our volunteers should be happy and confident in their roles. To make sure this is the case, we provide support and guidance both remotely from our National Cat Centre and face to face through our regional and local volunteer groups and teams. We also offer varied online and face-to-face training and have wide-ranging policies covering all aspects of volunteering. We hope the support we provide will ensure our volunteers have a great experience with Cats Protection.

About Pain Concern: Pain Concern is a charity providing information and support to people with pain and those who care for them, whether family, friends or healthcare professionals. Visit our website to find out more about what we do, including our Airing Pain radio programme, podcasts, Pain Matters magazine, information helpline, and our research and campaigning work. All pain is unpleasant, but for the 7.8 million people in the UK living with long term pain it is a part of everyday life. It diminishes quality of life more than any other condition, leading often to loss of work, depression and disability. Anyone at any age can develop persistent pain and you will very probably know somebody affected. Although there is usually no cure, people who receive the appropriate treatment, information and support can manage their condition effectively with life-changing results

Role Purpose: Pain Concern are seeking an individual who can support the Information Officer volunteer and operational team to devise a classification/indexing scheme for Pain Concern's online resources.

What you would be doing:

▪ Working with (including audio and video resources)

▪ Drawing insights from data and other sources to help shape a scheme that is useful and understandable to a range of stakeholders (patients, friends/family, medical professionals, helpline volunteers)

▪ Support with indexing/classifying website resources

▪ Assisting with user testing of the scheme

▪ Documenting the process for knowledge capture

▪ There is potential for delivering training to other Pain Concern volunteers and staff on using the classification scheme

Is this role right for me? We are looking for:

• Strong attention to detail

• Knowledge of classification and/or cataloguing/indexing basics, or of using a controlled vocabulary to label resources (this could be from study or through practical experience)

• Strong communication skills

• Good organisational skills

• Fluency with using Microsoft Office

• Knowledge/Interest of chronic pain and long-term conditions (advantageous)

• Knowledge of/interest in health literacy

Availability and location:

• Minimum commitment of 3 months

• Volunteer flexibly for a minimum 2-3 hours per week

• Volunteer from your own location or from our office at Newcraighall Road, Edinburgh EH15 3HS

Benefits to you: 

• Experience volunteering as part of a friendly team

• Supported by a professional editor and a dedicated volunteer line manager looking after you  

• Meet new people 

• Build on your employability skills 

• A job reference after 3 months of volunteering

• Satisfaction of giving a valuable service to the community

• On-site car parking

• Reasonable travel expenses will be reimbursed in accordance with our Volunteer Policy  

How do I apply: Download and complete an application form our website 

Volunteer with Citizens Advice Staffordshire North and Stoke on Trent

What will you do?

• complete an introduction to Citizens Advice and training for your role.
• talk to clients over the phone to explore what problems they’ve come for help with. If you are able to speak or hear over the phone you can train to give advice by email or webchat.
• find information about the clients’ problems and help them to understand their options.
• support clients to take action to resolve their problems. This might include drafting or writing letters, making phone calls, or referring the client to another organisation.
• write a summary of the clients’ problems and what action you’ve taken.
• look out for problems’ that are common, or are unfair, and write a short report about the problem or a letter to an elected official like an MP, AM or local councillor.

Some examples of what you could do: 

• explore what benefits a client is entitled to and help them to complete a benefit application form.
• help a client who has problems with their landlord to understand their housing rights.

What’s in it for you?

• make a real difference to people’s lives.
• learn about a range of issues such as benefits, debt, employment, and housing.
• build on valuable skills such as communication, listening and problem solving, and increase your employability.
• work with a range of different people, independently and in a team.
• have a positive impact in your community.

And we’ll reimburse expenses too.

No prior experience is necessary in these areas as you’ll receive full training.

For individuals who are doing advice giving roles, and who are also training to be a solicitor, if you started training to be a solicitor before 1st September 2021, you may be able to get up to six months reduction in your training contract. 

If you started training to be a solicitor after 1st September 2021, you may be able to include time spent volunteering (or working) in advice giving roles as part of (or all of) your qualifying work experience. See Solicitors Regulation Authority for more information.

What do you need to have?

You don’t need specific qualifications or skills, but you’ll need to:

• be friendly and approachable.
• be non-judgmental and respect views, values and cultures that are different to your own.
• have good listening skills.
• have good verbal and written communication skills.
• have good maths and IT skills.
• be able to understand information and explain it to others.
• be willing to learn about and follow the Citizens Advice aims, principles and policies, including confidentiality and data protection.
• be willing to undertake training in your role.

How much time do you need to give?

We ask for a minimum of 3 hours per week, for at least 12 months.

Many of our volunteers give one full day or two half days per week.

Valuing inclusion

Our volunteers come from a range of backgrounds, and we particularly welcome applications from racially minoritised people/people of colour, disabled people, people with physical or mental health conditions, LGBTQ+ and non-binary people.

If you are interested in becoming an adviser and would like to discuss flexibility around location, time, ‘what you will do’ and how we can support you please contact us.

Contact details

Contact Margaret Collin for more information or to request an application pack.

Location

You can volunteer at any of our offices in North Staffordshire: Hanley, Newcastle under Lyme, Biddulph, or Leek.

You can complete e-learning at the office of your choice, but you will need to be available to attend two training days at the Hanley office.

Head Office
Advice House
13-15 Cheapside
Hanley
Stoke-on-Trent
ST1 1HL

This role is advertised as part of TPP's Free Giving Back Services. This volunteer advertisement copy has been supplied to TPP and applicants apply direct to the organisation. Please contact the organisation directly if you have any questions about this volunteer role.

Central England Law Centre provides specialist legal support to clients in Coventry and Birmingham. We use our legal expertise to improve the lives of those who are often vulnerable and socially excluded due to poverty, illness or disability.

What will you be doing?

We are looking for up to three Trustees to join our Board. We are seeking applications from individuals who represent a range of backgrounds, and especially those with an interest in how embedding a knowledge of rights within communities can help reduce inequalities and challenge unfair systems, ultimately empowering people to live better lives.

As a member of our Board, your purpose is to work with other Trustees to form an effective governing body which holds the Law Centre senior leadership team to account for its work, providing leadership for all activities and performance of the organisation.

Alongside your fellow Trustees, your responsibilities will consist of:

• Shaping and agreeing the strategic direction of the organisation
• Monitoring and evaluating performance with the objective of fulfilling the Law Centre’s vision, mission and aims
• Safeguarding the Law Centre’s reputation, vision and mission
• Ensuring that the Law Centre remains financially stable, and is managing its assets effectively in pursuance of its objectives
• Overseeing compliance with all relevant legislation including employment, company, charity and health and safety law
• Ensuring all work is conducted within the framework of the Law Centre’s Memorandum and Articles of Association
• Assuming legal responsibility for the Law Centre’s staff and volunteers
• Acting as employer of the Law Centre’s staff

In undertaking these responsibilities, we would look to you to: 

• Prepare for and attend trustee meetings (1 main Board meeting per month, plus any meetings of sub-committees which you opt to join) 
• Understand and be fully committed to the vision, mission and aims of the Law Centre
• Lend your specific expertise either for one-off advice and projects or to work on a sub-committee
• Support all decisions following agreement by the Board
• Maintain the highest levels of confidentiality on all Law Centre matters

What are we looking for?

Our ideal Trustee would have: 

• A strong commitment to reducing inequalities and advancing social justice
• An understanding of the strategic, policy and political environments that affect the Law Centre’s work
• An understanding of the role of a Trustee, or a demonstrable willingness to learn
• A broad knowledge of leadership, management and charity governance
• An awareness of and commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion
• An ability to think strategically and challenge where necessary
• An effective and responsive communicator who is willing to speak their mind
• A team player who respects different views and can work with others
• An ability to build strong relationships and champion the Law Centre
• Willingness to devote sufficient time, preparation and effort require of a Trustee

We welcome interest from individuals who demonstrate a range of the above interests, skills and experiences. In addition, we would be particularly interested if you have any of specific expertise or knowledge of:

• HR and workforce development
• Governance and finance
• Legal Aid
• The voluntary and community sector

We are keen to diversify our Board membership and actively encourage applicants that will continue to build a Trustee Board that accurately reflects the diversity of communities the Law Centre serves. In keeping with our charitable objectives. Trustee roles are unremunerated.

What difference will you make?

You will have the opportunity to shape the current and future strategy of one of the Midland's largest and most influential advice charities. You will see first hand how the work of a committed group of staff and volunteers can change the lives not only of individual clients but also, of communities across the UK as a whole through the work we undertake in influencing policy makers and challenging legal decisions. We will look to you to guide us as we realise our strategic ambitions, bringing your unique set of skills, experience and knowledge to our table to valued trustees. We also offer opportunities for development - facilitating your learning should you have specific areas of charity governance that you are interested in exploring further. 

Before you apply

Please apply through Reach in the first instance. We will then get in touch to arrange a time to discuss your interest in the role and answer any questions you may have.

Amy’s Place is a partnership between the Amy Winehouse Foundation and Clarion Housing, providing supported living accommodation for young women aged 18-30 in recovery from drugs, alcohol and other addictive behaviors.

An enthusiastic, reliable and compassionate volunteer with good interpersonal skills and a desire to help others. The volunteer must be a fully qualified Dietitian or Nutritional Therapist and have training and/or experience working with individuals with eating disorders.

Activities

• Supporting the nutritional needs of young women with health issues on a limited budget.
• Providing support with meal planning, cooking skills, food safety, and day-to-day problem solving around food and eating.
• Providing wisdom and accurate nutrition education around healthy eating for the individual.

Qualifications/ Experience

• Must be a fully qualified Dietitian or Nutritional Therapist.
• As many of the residents have eating disorders it is essential for the volunteer to have training and/or clinical experience working with individuals with eating disorders.
• Must have professional liability insurance and be a member of a professional body ie. HCPC, BANT
• This role requires us to carry out a check through the Disclosure and Barring Service for the Enhanced DBS

Commitment 

This is a flexible opportunity and volunteering times and frequency will vary depending on the volunteer’s availability and the needs of the residents. We recommend weekly one-to-one sessions for a minimum of 3 months.

Support 

•  Volunteers receive a thorough induction and have access to any relevant in-house and external training
•  Reasonable travel and lunch expenses will be reimbursed
• The role is based at the service in East London. The exact address cannot be given until the volunteer starts due to safety and privacy reasons.

Amy’s Place is a partnership between the Amy Winehouse Foundation and Clarion Housing, providing supported living accommodation for young women aged 18-30 in recovery from drugs, alcohol and other addictive behaviors.

An enthusiastic, reliable and compassionate volunteer with good interpersonal skills and a desire to help others. The volunteer needs to hold a professional level diploma in counselling and have training and experience working with individuals with eating disorders.

Activities

• To provide therapeutic support to young women (aged 18-30) with eating disorders
• One-to-One counselling sessions will aim to support the individual to improve self-confidence, identify and resolve negative thought processes, implement constructive coping strategies and empower them to fulfil attainable life goals
• To develop and promote a positive relationship with the women within allocated caseload
• To keep up-to-date with development in the field of counselling and eating disorder therapy
• To manage appropriate professional boundaries in the relationship
• To maintain records for monitoring, evaluation and tracking purposes plus service evaluation
• To take responsibility for own professional development

Requirements

• Hold a professional level diploma in counselling
• Hold professional membership with BACP, UKCP or equivalent
• Have own regular supervision with a qualified supervisor
• Fully trained in eating disorder therapy and previous experience supporting individuals with eating disorders
• This role requires us to carry out a check through the Disclosure and Barring Service for the Enhanced DBS

Commitment 

This is a flexible opportunity and volunteering times and frequency will vary depending on the volunteer’s availability and the needs of the residents. Ideally weekly one-to-one sessions for a minimum of 3 months.

Support 

•  Volunteers receive a thorough induction and have access to any relevant in-house and external training
•  Reasonable travel and lunch expenses will be reimbursed
• The role is based at the service in East London. The exact address cannot be given until the volunteer starts due to safety and privacy reasons.

We are looking for Volunteers based in either:

Gloucester, Bristol., South Wales, Devon, Somerset, Hertfordshire and Leicester.

To help run our family hubs, where tasks involve making refreshments and interacting with families.

Help with fundraising events: include selling raffle tickets, helping at the charity awaremeness stand, talking to people etc.