Volunteer roles

Book Aid International is the UK’s leading international book donation and library support charity. Every year we work with our partners to provide over one million brand-new books worldwide.

We are looking for volunteers to support our small, friendly warehouse team in Swindon.

If you’d like to make a hands-on contribution to sharing the power of books worldwide, and you have a few hours a week you can offer on a regular basis, we’d love to hear from you.

The role includes assisting in preparing book shipments by selecting titles accurately from a provided pick list and using handheld scanners.

You will contribute to the overall safety of the working environment by following health and safety practices, and contribute to a positive team environment.

You must be able to stand for extended periods and perform light lifting duties, including handling and placing individual books.

You must be over 18.

Please visit our website for more information including how to apply. 

The ‘be you’ project aims to provide a safe and inclusive space in every Hestia refuge to support women to gain confidence, socialise, develop and most importantly enjoy themselves!

Each refuge will have a weekly or bi-weekly meeting, where all the women will be invited to join. There will be tea, coffee, juice, cake and fun activities such as knitting, colouring, jewellery making and much more.

What you will be doing

• facilitating an agreed time table of weekly activities for the women in the refuge to include set up, explaining any instructions, assisting women to complete the activities, keeping track of activity materials and keeping a note of needed replacements for staff to re-order
• Visit a refuge or refuges on a regular basis (once a week or once every other week).
• Purchase and bring refreshments and snacks (you will be given the money to do this)
• Facilitate each group – this will include chatting with the women about that week’s topic and what support the ‘be you’ project can offer them.
• Engaging with the women to find out how the activities are going and keeping staff up to date on feedback and on any suggestions for new activities or improvements
• Keep records and feedback important information to your supervisor.

The skills you need

• Compassionate, caring and patient nature
• Ability to maintain confidentiality
• Knowledge on useful life skills
• Good communication skills

What's in it for you

• Supporting You - You will have a dedicated volunteer supervisor to support you in your role; Quarterly volunteer forums with the central Volunteering team and volunteers across Hestia; References for job applications
• Developing You - You will gain knowledge and insight into issues that impact Domestic Abuse, Modern Slavery and Mental Health; You will have access to our extensive Learning and Development Programme; 40% of our departed volunteers secured a paid role at Hestia last year!
• Valuing You - We hold annual Volunteer Awards and Celebration events; We reimburse travel expenses and up to £5 for lunch for your volunteering; We hold social events and outings for our volunteers to get together and have some fun.

Would you be interested in supporting women to improve their numeracy abilities? Through your support, encouragement and tutoring you will make a difference to the people you work with!

What you will be doing

• To support women who are not confident with numeracy to develop these skills through tutoring sessions
• Agree a mutual agreeable time and frequency that works for both parties
• Engage in conversation, problem solving examples, maths based support
• To keep records of conversations and update the support worker on progress of sessions

The skills you need

• Interest in supporting people to develop their math skills. Background in teaching maths/numeracy is desirable
• Good communication skills
• Ability to provide a supportive and inclusive atmosphere

What's in it for you

• Supporting You - You will have a dedicated volunteer supervisor to support you in your role; Quarterly volunteer forums with the central Volunteering team and volunteers across Hestia; References for job applications.
• Developing You - You will gain knowledge and insight into issues that impact Domestic Abuse, Modern Slavery and Mental Health; You will have access to our extensive Learning and Development Programme; 40% of our departed volunteers secured a paid role at Hestia last year!
• Valuing You - Valuing You - We hold annual Volunteer Awards, outings, celebration, and social events for our volunteers to get together and have some fun; We reimburse travel expenses and up to £5 for lunch for your volunteering.s

Education Volunteer Role Description 

Are you passionate about changing the way we treat animals? Do you want to help reduce environmental damage? Do you want to inspire people to enjoy healthy vegan food that both looks good and tastes great? 

The Vegan Society aims to make veganism more accessible. We help people to adopt a vegan lifestyle by supporting individuals, policy- and decision-makers, caterers, manufacturers, healthcare professionals and the media. 

Why do we need you? 

Laura Chepner is our Education Officer, and she is looking for a volunteer to support her in her role. Laura has a background in education, with a degree in Primary Education which preceded a decade of teaching and a short stint in the role of SENco (Special Educational Needs Coordinator). Shortly after that, Laura theorised vegan-inclusive teaching, published An Educator’s Guide for Vegan-Inclusive Teaching and worked as the UK’s first vegan-inclusion education specialist until joining The Vegan Society. 

At The Vegan Society, Laura supports vegan learners in education who have been discriminated against by acting as an intermediary between their families and the institution. Additionally, Laura supports educators by creating resources and delivering training sessions on what it means to be vegan-inclusive in their practice. Furthermore, Laura empowers parents/guardians to ask for vegan-inclusion by creating documents, with the help of The Education Network, that they can present and highlight their rights. 

What does this role involve? 

We support vegan learners and their families by offering practical resources, including tips for discussing veganism with schools, understanding legal protections and addressing concerns like catering and inclusivity. Our resources aim to help create an educational environment where vegan families feel respected and valued. This role will involve creating resources for families and educators. For example, template letters, guidance on legal protections, policy review requests, learning materials for children and much more.

What training and support is available? 

The ideal candidate for this role will have a background in Primary Education and be comfortable working independently. However, we are always willing to invite volunteers along to staff training when possible and to deliver training on specific skills in-house, as identified throughout the volunteering period. This role is remote, so support from the Education Officer will be available through email and phone calls as required. Monthly reviews with the Volunteering and Engagement Officer will also be conducted to ensure the volunteer is happy in their role. 

What skills would be useful in doing this role? 

• Qualified teacher

• Good written English

• Competent using Microsoft Office

• A strong understanding of the aims, campaigns and tone of voice of The Vegan Society 

• The ability to work independently. 

What does my availability need to be?  

This is an ongoing role and tasks will be requested by Laura on an ad hoc basis, volunteers can accept or decline each task. Volunteering can be done outside traditional working hours and in any time zone, although meetings and staff support will only be available between 9am and 5pm UK time. We ask volunteers to commit to a minimum of six months to make the best use of recruitment and induction time and to get the best out of their volunteering experience.

Who does this role report to?

Laura Chepner, Education Officer and Kaya Gromocki, Senior Volunteering and Engagement Officer.

Orchards is looking for a reliable and organised volunteer to support our vision to see more women free from sexual exploitation. This role offers hands-on experience in the VAWG sector and the chance to contribute to the smooth running of our supported accommodation services.

We’re looking for a passionate drama or amateur dramatics teacher/facilitator to help our young people (aged 16–25) create a fun and inclusive production. If you have experience in theatre, performance, or creative arts and can spare a couple of hours on a Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday afternoon, we’d love your support. Even if you can only offer limited time, your creativity and enthusiasm could make a huge difference!.

When do I need to be available? The role is flexible, if you can only give us a few hours a week on either Wednesday, Thursday or Friday afternoon we would really appreciate it. We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds.

As a weekly activity support volunteer, you will need to provide us with two references and a DBS. By volunteering with us you will be helping local people with a learning disability have fun, learn new skills through activities, and you will be making a huge difference!

About Mencap Mencap is the leading learning disability charity in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. We work with people with a learning disability and their families to challenge prejudice and change laws, and we directly support thousands of people to live their lives as they choose.

We have an ambitious vision for the UK to be the best place in the world for people with a learning disability to live happy and healthy lives.

Volunteering with us is YOUR opportunity to help us achieve this, whilst having the chance to develop your skills, meet new people and join a passionate and dedicated team.

We offer a lifelong befriending service for adults with learning disabilities. Matching the skills and interests of passionate visitors with the specific hobbies and interests of the people we visit. Visitors visit six times a year to create a 1-2-1 connection, offer companionship, encourage people to do the things they enjoy and check-in on their wellbeing. In many cases, the visitor is the only person in someone’s life who isn’t paid to be there for them.

We are looking for a patient and caring volunteer to visit a man in his 50s who lives in a supported living home in central Leicester. He enjoys browsing holiday brochures, watching sports and films, and singing along to karaoke. A big fan of planes and football, he also likes cooking simple meals, gardening, and listening to music. He’s independent with many things like making drinks and snacks, and has a great sense of routine, plus, an impressive mug collection! If you enjoy good company and light-hearted activities, this could be a lovely match.

This is a Stop and stay, let’s get busy visitor role which means the person you will be visiting can communicate actively with you and take part in choosing or planning activities. As you get to know each our you may choose to ‘go out’ either with or without support from the staff that supports the person you visit. Your volunteer manager will be happy to help you with ideas and suggestions for things you can do. Visits will vary in length but tends to be around an hour or longer, depending on what you do.

In this role you will spend quality time with the person you visit and could do a range of different activities like: • Sitting and having a chat • Checking in on their well- being • Going out to a local café/pub for a meal/drink • Enjoying a walk • A craft activity at home • Reading a book/magazine together

As a Mencap volunteer visitor you will be:

• Friendly and approachable
• Accepting of others who might be different to yourself
• Reliable and patient
• Passionate about supporting people with a with a learning disability.

As a Mencap visitor you will:

• Have the opportunity to help make a difference to the life of the person you visit
• Receive a personalised volunteer induction and training
• Have agreed out of pocket expenses reimbursed
• Meet new people
• Get on-going support, and feel appreciated and valued

**About Mencap ** Mencap is the leading learning disability charity in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. We work with people with a learning disability and their families to challenge prejudice and change laws, and we directly support thousands of people to live their lives as they choose. We have an ambitious vision for the UK to be the best place in the world for people with a learning disability to live happy and healthy lives.

Volunteering with us is YOUR opportunity to help us achieve this, whilst having the chance to develop your skills, meet new people and join a passionate and dedicated team.

We are looking for volunteers who can join our Me Time groups on weekdays for a few hours to support with our activities.

Our Me Time service provides local people with a learning disability the chance to learn through activities - indoor and in the community - have fun, and make new friends during the week.

The role would involve supporting us with our activities during the day. We have lots of different activities, these could include:

• Gardening
• Arts and crafts
• Bowling
• Cooking
• Physical activity
• Technology skills sessions
• Poetry
• And lots more!

You don’t have to have experience in any or all of the sessions we run, just willing to keep an open mind and a friendly attitude.

When do I need to be available? The role is flexible, if you can only give us a few hours a week on certain weekdays we would really appreciate it. We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds.

As a weekly activity support volunteer, you will need to provide us with two references and a DBS. By volunteering with us you will be helping local people with a learning disability have fun, learn new skills through activities, and you will be making a huge difference!

About Mencap Mencap is the leading learning disability charity in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. We work with people with a learning disability and their families to challenge prejudice and change laws, and we directly support thousands of people to live their lives as they choose.

We have an ambitious vision for the UK to be the best place in the world for people with a learning disability to live happy and healthy lives.

Volunteering with us is YOUR opportunity to help us achieve this, whilst having the chance to develop your skills, meet new people and join a passionate and dedicated team.

We offer a lifelong befriending service for adults with learning disabilities. Matching the skills and interests of passionate visitors with the specific hobbies and interests of the people we visit. Visitors visit six times a year to create a 1-2-1 connection, offer companionship, encourage people to do the things they enjoy and check-in on their wellbeing. In many cases, the visitor is the only person in someone’s life who isn’t paid to be there for them.

We are looking for a patient and caring volunteer to visit a man in his early 60s who lives in a supported living home in central Coventry. He enjoys going to watch the football, woodwork and crafts, gentle walks, and watching sports and films.

Watch a video about this role here

This is an Out and about visit role which means your visits are likely to be longer, very active and the person you visit will often take an active part in planning your outings and activities in the community. Your volunteer manager will be happy to help you with ideas and suggestions for things you can do. Visits will vary in length but tends to be around a couple of hours, sometimes shorter or longer, depending on what you plan to do.

In this role you will spend quality time with the person you visit and could do a range of different activities like:

• Sitting and having a chat
• Checking in on their well- being
• Going out to a local café/pub for a meal/drink
• Take part on community activities like visiting a place of interest, go shopping etc.
• Enjoying a walk
• A craft activity at home

As a Mencap volunteer visitor you will be:

• Friendly and approachable
• Accepting of others who might be different to yourself
• Reliable and patient
• Passionate about supporting people with a with a learning disability.

As a Mencap visitor you will:

• Have the opportunity to help make a difference to the life of the person you visit
• Receive a personalised volunteer induction and training
• Have agreed out of pocket expenses reimbursed
• Meet new people
• Get on-going support, and feel appreciated and valued

**About Mencap ** Mencap is the leading learning disability charity in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. We work with people with a learning disability and their families to challenge prejudice and change laws, and we directly support thousands of people to live their lives as they choose. We have an ambitious vision for the UK to be the best place in the world for people with a learning disability to live happy and healthy lives.

Volunteering with us is YOUR opportunity to help us achieve this, whilst having the chance to develop your skills, meet new people and join a passionate and dedicated team.

We offer a lifelong befriending service for adults with learning disabilities. Matching the skills and interests of passionate visitors with the specific hobbies and interests of the people we visit. Visitors visit six times a year and, in many cases, the visitor is the only person in someone’s life who isn’t paid to be there for them.

We’re looking for a kind, patient, and confident volunteer to spend time with a lovely gentleman in his early 60s who lives in Crosby. His previous volunteer has recently retired, and he’d really appreciate some friendly company again.

He has profound and multiple learning disabilities, and while he communicates in his own way, he absolutely lights up around people he trusts. He enjoys good food, classic 80s TV shows, and the comfort of familiar faces. Your visit would be a gentle check-in — sharing a cuppa, a chat, and simply being present.

This is a Check in visit role, meaning that your visits are likely to be short - on average 30 minutes or less. Some of the people we visit may be unable to communicate with words. Sometimes the person might choose not to meet with their visitor. Your visit is however very important, and these are some of the things you could be doing on a visit: • Checking in on their well-being and speak to support staff to get an update on how the person is doing • You might be able to bring a treat that the person enjoys, like chocolates or fruit. • Some people we support enjoy sensory experiences so items that will stimulate their senses can also help you create a sense of connection with the person you visit. Your volunteer manager will be happy to help you with ideas and suggestions.

As a Mencap volunteer visitor you will be:

• Friendly and approachable
• Accepting of others who might be different to yourself
• Reliable and patient
• Passionate about supporting people with a with a learning disability.

As a Mencap visitor you will:

• Have the opportunity to help make a difference to the life of the person you visit
• Receive a personalised volunteer induction and training
• Have agreed out of pocket expenses reimbursed
• Meet new people
• Get on-going support, and feel appreciated and valued

**About Mencap ** Mencap is the leading learning disability charity in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. We work with people with a learning disability and their families to challenge prejudice and change laws, and we directly support thousands of people to live their lives as they choose. We have an ambitious vision for the UK to be the best place in the world for people with a learning disability to live happy and healthy lives.

Volunteering with us is YOUR opportunity to help us achieve this, whilst having the chance to develop your skills, meet new people and join a passionate and dedicated team.

ScotsCare's reception is run by a team of friendly volunteers who each cover one shift per week. 

We are looking for a volunteer to join the team who can commit to a weekly shift  on Mondays from 12:30 to 4pm

As our receptionist you will:

• Use Outlook to check staff availability and wherabouts 
• Screen and transfer phone calls to staff or pass messages on by email
• Provide a warm welcome to visitors and ensure they sign in and out 
• Deal with requests to send information out, mainly application packs andletters
• Assist with outgoing mail, franking, posting and ocasionally going to the post office
• Assist with other admin tasks as they arise - skills and interests dependent. 

You will need to be confident answering the phone, clearly spoken (English language,)  and ideally have experience of using Outlook and Excel  although we can provide training if necessary. Most importantly, you will need to be reliable,good with timekeeping, non-judgemental and committed to helping Scots living in London who are struggling with life. 

If you have the time to spare, can commit to volunteering  with us on a regular basis for at least six months, preferably longer, want to meet new people or gain experience of working in an office /charity environment, please get in touch. 

Applications are welcome from adults aged 18 and over. Our office has no step free access. 

In return, we can offer:

• Travel expenses with proof of purchase
• Training and induction to help you feel confident in your role
• A 4-weeks trial period 
• Regular newsletters and annual volunteer social events
• An opportunity to work within a small friendly team (23 staff working from home , office and in the community) 
• Opportunities to help in other areas of our work if interested in doing more
• A very warm welcome, plus an endless supply of tea, coffee, fresh fruit and biscuits!

We offer a lifelong befriending service for adults with learning disabilities. Matching the skills and interests of passionate visitors with the specific hobbies and interests of the people we visit. Visitors visit six times a year to create a 1-2-1 connection, offer companionship, encourage people to do the things they enjoy and check-in on their wellbeing. In many cases, the visitor is the only person in someone’s life who isn’t paid to be there for them.

We are looking for a patient and caring volunteer to visit a man in his 50s who lives in his own cottage within a larger care home outside of Denbigh. He does not communicate verbally but understands you as well as using some signs. He likes to have choice about what he does. He has many photos of activities that he's been up to and will happily show you them. He loves colouring and drawing and can spend hours doing it. He has lots of CD's and loves a comfy pair of pyjamas. He likes to go on long drives out and when encouraged to, will enjoy a long walk. You would either do activities together at home or go out with him and his support staff for a meal or for coffee.

This is a Stop and stay, let’s get busy visitor role which means the person you will be visiting can communicate actively with you and take part in choosing or planning activities. As you get to know each our you may choose to ‘go out’ either with or without support from the staff that supports the person you visit. Your volunteer manager will be happy to help you with ideas and suggestions for things you can do. Visits will vary in length but tends to be around an hour or longer, depending on what you do.

In this role you will spend quality time with the person you visit and could do a range of different activities like: • Sitting and having a chat • Checking in on their well- being • Going out to a local café/pub for a meal/drink • Enjoying a walk • A craft activity at home • Reading a book/magazine together

As a Mencap volunteer visitor you will be:

• Friendly and approachable
• Accepting of others who might be different to yourself
• Reliable and patient
• Passionate about supporting people with a with a learning disability.

As a Mencap visitor you will:

• Have the opportunity to help make a difference to the life of the person you visit
• Receive a personalised volunteer induction and training
• Have agreed out of pocket expenses reimbursed
• Meet new people
• Get on-going support, and feel appreciated and valued

**About Mencap ** Mencap is the leading learning disability charity in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. We work with people with a learning disability and their families to challenge prejudice and change laws, and we directly support thousands of people to live their lives as they choose. We have an ambitious vision for the UK to be the best place in the world for people with a learning disability to live happy and healthy lives.

Volunteering with us is YOUR opportunity to help us achieve this, whilst having the chance to develop your skills, meet new people and join a passionate and dedicated team.

Mencap’s goal is to make the UK the best place in the world for people with a learning disability to lead happy and healthy lives. To help us with this, we are currently looking for a volunteer to help support a person with a learning disability to travel to meetings or events.

The Travel Buddy Volunteer will support a Voices Council member who is a person with a learning disability (and possibly other disabilities) to attend a Voices Council meeting 4 times a year to travel from Wales to London and one regional meeting a year that is not in London. 

As a Travel Buddy Volunteer, you’ll support one person to attend:
• Four national Voices Council meetings a year in London
• One regional meeting a year in a different UK location

Even if you can only commit to one meeting a year, we would absolutely love to hear from you. Every bit of support makes a huge difference.

This role involves travelling with her on public transport the day before the meeting, staying overnight in a hotel, and supporting the person to get to Mencap’s London office on the day of the meeting. But it’s so much more than a journey of A to B, you’ll be:

• Enabling the Voices Council member to show up, share their voice, and shape decisions at Mencap
• Helping the Voices Council member to feel confident, calm and safe during the journey
• Encouraging the Voices Council member to build skills to travel more confidently over time

This is an ad-hoc opportunity with plenty of advance notice, giving you the flexibility to volunteer when you are able. All travel and hotel expenses for both you and the journey and the person you are supporting will be covered.

The 2026 dates are as follows:

24-25 February

5-6 May 

8-9 September

24-25 November

You’ll also have free time to explore London for the day while the member attends her meeting.

If you want to support someone’s independence, confidence and involvement in shaping Mencap’s future, this is a fantastic and truly rewarding opportunity.

About Mencap Mencap is the leading learning disability charity in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. We work with people with a learning disability and their families to challenge prejudice and change laws, and we directly support thousands of people to live their lives as they choose.

We have an ambitious vision for the UK to be the best place in the world for people with a learning disability to live happy and healthy lives.

Volunteering with us is YOUR opportunity to help us achieve this, whilst having the chance to develop your skills, meet new people and join a passionate and dedicated team.

Would you like to help end food poverty and tackle climate change and CO2 emissions in Greater Manchester, whilst at the same time gaining valuable CV-enhancing experience and skills?

What we offer you

Induction, training and support from the staff of FareShare and its parent charity, EMERGE 3Rs.

Practical experience and transferable skills in warehousing and food redistribution.

A reference after 2 months with us.

An understanding of warehousing and logistics, and the importance of food surplus and recycling initiatives.

Expenses:
We reimburse travel expenses up to £6 for car drivers, and up to £5 for public transport costs.
Up to £3 is given towards the cost of lunch if a volunteer has special dietary requirements. (We provide lunch for our volunteers, so will contribute towards the cost of a volunteer's meal, should they bring their own, if what we are offering in the canteen isn't considered suitable; for example, a diet that's restricted for reasons of health, religion, or ethics).

As a sustainability charity, we take surplus food that's donated to us and redistribute it to people in need. The front line initiatives we support include food banks, schools, community groups and charities who, in turn, help people who are disadvantaged by poverty.

Our vital work supports people experiencing extreme hardship and prevents perfectly good food going to landfill, where it would otherwise contribute to climate warming. 

We need helping hands in our busy warehouse to receive and catalogue supplies, to load and unload vans, and to prepare orders for delivery. In return we offer training and support to help you obtain skills and experience to boost your CV if you are seeking work. If you're not looking for employment, volunteering with us is rewarding in many other ways; offering an opportunity to make friends, keep physically active and support your community.

This role is vital to the work of FareShare, ensuring that the food in our warehouse is correctly sorted, labelled and organised into orders placed by our charities and community groups.

It is perfect for someone who is:

a) Looking for a practical activity.

b) Looking for experience and skills to gain employment in the food industry, warehousing and customer service.

c) Wanting to help their community and/or help tackle global warming.

d) Wanting to make new friends.

e) Wanting to keep busy and/or physically fit.

Our volunteer opportunities are available Monday to Friday, for a whole or half day, with shifts between 8:30-am - 12:30pm and 12:30 - 4:30pm. Volunteers are typically involved for one day a week.

What will I be doing?

Receiving, sorting, cataloguing and storing chilled and ambient surplus food in a warehouse, and preparing orders for delivery. You may also be assisting customers when they pick up their orders.

Ensuring food quality and safety by checking ‘use by’ and ‘best before’ dates.

Sorting and unpacking deliveries, categorising and recording food.

Assembling food orders placed by charities and community groups.

Assisting our Community Food Members with their food order collections. 

Maintaining health and safety and food hygiene standards. 

Helping with cleaning and other tasks identified by warehouse staff.

Person Specification: 

Must be reasonably physically fit to carry out tasks, including lifting and loading.

Have a good command of English in order to understand and follow instructions and health and safety rules. 

Have basic literacy and numeracy skills to record quantities and types of food donated.

Able to work in a manner that respects Health and Safety standards.

Be happy to complete tasks independently according to instruction.

Be positive, friendly and enthusiastic about tackling food waste and food poverty.

Must be reliable and able to commit to an agreed session/day.

We are located in our brand new depot at Maynard House, New Smithfield Market, Openshaw, Manchester M11 2WJ.

​IMPORTANT NOTE:
You must be resident in the UK and living in Greater Manchester, or within easy commuting distance of our base, in order to volunteer with us.
This is because we require volunteers to be able to reliably commit to regular shifts for some of our roles.
We are unable to offer sponsorship for overseas applicants.

Know someone else who might be interested in volunteering with us?
Please pass our details on to them as we always welcome new people on our teams. :)