Environment Volunteer Roles

Why do we need you?

Caerlaverock Wetland Centre is a spectacular 1,400 acre wild reserve situated on the north Solway coast. From dawn until dusk, from January to December, in fair weather and not so fair, its open coastal landscape and wide skies are full of the sights and sounds of nature – and very little else.

The centre is deservedly famous for its vast flocks of over-wintering water birds, including around 30,000 barnacle geese from Arctic Svalbard and large numbers of pink-footed geese and whooper swans. Summer offers the opportunity to explore rolling wildflower meadows, watch ospreys hunting over the Solway and even spot barn owls and badgers.

We are involved in the maintenance of this internationally important wetland site. This involves maintaining and developing the various habitats that attract large numbers of migratory birds but also help develop the reserve to increase general biodiversity.

What will you be doing?

• Maintenance of visitor facilities including paths, hides etc
• General habitat management work across a multitude of habitat types
• Maintenance of screens and stock fences
• Maintenance of bird feeding stations
• Maintenance of hedges and trees
• Assist with wildlife monitoring
• General visitor engagement
• Occasional assisting with management of livestock/visitor centre work

Who are we looking for?

• Practical experience on a nature reserve and good identification skills is desirable although training can be given
• Able to work alone or as part of a team
• Good people skills
• Confident with communicating with the public
• Good level of physical fitness
• Ability to work outdoors in all weather

How will you benefit?

• Training opportunities will be provided along with the opportunity to visit other WWT centres across the UK

• You will be able to become part of the small but friendly reserve team
• You may be involved in role specific training such as strimming and brush cutter.
• You will be involved in the workings of this centre and will therefore be able to take up any opportunities that become available
• Suitable uniform and personal protective equipment is provided to all regular volunteers
• Discount is available in the shop for all volunteers

Outdoor Learning Volunteer Officers are a key part of our team at Skelton Grange Environment Centre and are involved in:
- Supporting and leading environmental activities with young people and the local community.
- Planning and preparing sessions - and sometimes even developing new activities to help young people connect with nature.
- You will be trained and supported by experienced project staff and work as part of a team with paid staff, trainees and other Volunteers.

Typical activities for the Outdoor Learning Volunteer role include:
- Running environmental education sessions for school visits during term time.
- Running play activities for groups of children and young people during the school holidays.
- Keeping education day resources up to date and developing new resources, activities or materials as required.
- Helping with the general running of the centre and the project, including both development work and routine maintenance to ensure we are an inspiring location for visitors to experience nature.

Benefits to you:
We aim to involve our Outdoor Learning Volunteer Officers in:
- Running a range of outdoor education and play activities and events with schools and community groups on the Skelton Grange Environment Centre site.
- Planning, risk assessing and running safe and engaging activities outside for children.
- All the necessary skills and knowledge to be able to run the sessions, from bushcraft skills to plant identification to working with children.

The role will give you the opportunity to use your skills and experience in a supportive environment and aims to support you into being able to run activities and lead groups independently.
It's a chance to do something very satisfying and worthwhile and have lots of fun with some great people!
If you want to use this role to move on into employment in the environmental sector we can also provide you with a range of useful training courses, job opportunity information, interview guidance and references.

We will provide expenses to cover volunteer travel costs.

What you need:
We are looking for enthusiastic individuals who are keen to work with young people and to connect people with green spaces.
People volunteer with us for all sorts of reasons: you may have lots of skills that you are keen to share, or you might be looking for something worthwhile to do with your time, or you might be wanting to launch a career in the environment sector.

Volunteer Officers are a key part of our team, working with young people and the local community at Skelton Grange Environment Centre. You will be trained and supported by experienced project staff and work as part of a team with paid staff, trainees and Volunteer Officers.

Typical activities for a Volunteer Officer include:
- Running environmental education, play and engagement activities for groups of children and young people on the Skelton Grange Environment Centre site.
- Leading or assisting groups of volunteers on practical conservation tasks, including preparing and organising activities, supporting and training volunteers (including some with additional support needs), looking after tools, refreshments and group welfare.
- Assisting with public events and related activities.
- Working to develop and maintain the wildlife area as an exciting and inspiring location for visitors to get a hands on experience with nature. This will include both development work and routine maintenance.
- Helping with the general running of the centre and the project.

Benefits to you:
We will aim to train Volunteer Officers in:
- Running a range of outdoor education and play activities and events with schools and community groups on the Skelton Grange Environment Centre site.
- All the necessary skills and knowledge to be able to run the sessions, from bushcraft skills to plant identification to working with children.
- Leading a range of practical tasks and events with volunteers on the Skelton Grange Environment Centre site.
- Practical development and maintenance of the wildlife area at Skelton Grange - including habitat management, practical conservation and surveying skills.
-Planning, risk assessing and running safe and engaging activities outside.

The role will give you real responsibility in a supportive environment and aims to support you into being able to run activities and lead groups independently.
As well as valuable practical experience with an organisation recognised for its quality by employers in the environmental field, we will provide you with a range of useful training courses, job opportunity information, interview guidance and references. It's also a chance to do something very satisfying and worthwhile and have lots of fun with some great people!

We will provide expenses to cover volunteer travel costs.

What you need:
We are looking for enthusiastic individuals who are keen to work with young people and to connect people with green spaces.
People volunteer with us for all sorts of reasons: you might be wanting to launch a career in the environment sector, or you may have lots of skills that you are keen to share, or you might be looking for something worthwhile to do with your time.

We work with hundreds of adult volunteers every year at Skelton Grange Environment Centre, running practical and wellbeing based volunteering sessions and managing and improving our beautiful wildlife area in South East Leeds.

Volunteer Officers are a key part of our team, working both independently and with volunteer teams and the local community at Skelton Grange Environment Centre, helping to plan, prepare and run sessions. You will be trained and supported by experienced project staff and work as part of a team with paid staff, trainees and Volunteer Officers.

Typical activities for Volunteer Officers include:
- Leading or assisting groups of volunteers on practical conservation tasks, including preparing and organising activities, supporting and training volunteers (including some with additional support needs) looking after tools, refreshments and group welfare.
- Assisting with public events and related activities.
- Working to develop and maintain the wildlife area as an exciting and inspiring location for visitors to get a hands-on experience with nature. This will include both development work and routine maintenance.
- Keeping the activity days and resources up to date and developing new resources or materials as required.
- Helping with the general running of the centre and the project.

Benefits to you:
We will aim to train Volunteer Officers in:
- Leading a range of practical tasks and events with volunteers on the Skelton Grange Environment Centre site.
- Practical development and maintenance of the wildlife area at Skelton Grange - including habitat management, practical conservation and surveying skills.

The Volunteer role will give you real responsibility in a supportive environment, and aims to support you into being able to run activities and lead groups independently.
As well as valuable practical experience with an organisation recognised for its quality by employers in the environmental field, we will provide you with a range of useful training courses, job opportunity information, interview guidance and references.

It's also a chance to do something very satisfying and worthwhile, and have lots of fun with some great people!

We will provide expenses to cover volunteer travel costs.

What you need:
We are looking for enthusiastic individuals who are keen to work with other people and to connect people with green spaces.
People volunteer with us for all sorts of reasons: you might be wanting to launch a career in the environment sector, or you may have lots of skills that you are keen to share, or you might be looking for something worthwhile to do with your time.

How much time:
2-4 days per week.

To maximise your experience and make the most of your new skills, many people aim to complete 100 days of volunteering within 6 to 12 months.

Being a Trustee for the Commonwork Trust is an opportunity to make a tangible difference in areas that matter—regenerative farming, sustainability, and education. Whether you’re experienced or exploring your first Trustee role, you’ll work alongside a passionate team committed to inspiring sustainable living and fostering community impact. The role will enable you to play a vital role in shaping our strategy, ensuring good governance, and helping us achieve our mission of making a positive impact on people and the planet.

What We’re Looking For:

• Commitment: A strong belief in the Trust’s mission and values.

• Strategic Thinking: The ability to focus on long-term goals and balance priorities.

• Collaboration: A willingness to work as part of a diverse and committed team.

• Integrity: A commitment to acting ethically and transparently.

• Openness to Learn: An interest in building your knowledge of charity governance and the Trust’s work.

Hours: quarterly Board meetings (typically 3–4 hours) and occasional committee or working group sessions. While remote access is possible, in-person attendance is preferred.

Salary: This role is unremunerated, however, reasonable expenses may be covered

We’re in search of a dynamic Chair for our Board of Trustees who is passionate about our natural world and – importantly - shares our conviction for the need for positive, inclusive responses to the climate and ecological crises that threaten it – and us.

We are looking for someone who can bring a strong strategic and commercial skillset to the charity and who is comfortable that they can deliver the key responsibilities listed above. No specific experience or qualifications are required.

We welcome applications from all backgrounds – especially those underrepresented in the environmental or charity sector at large. We are particularly interested in applications from individuals who have been personally affected – or have had family and friends affected by the issues we work on, including air pollution; harms through social media; climate change or climate justice related issues.

Key responsibilities:

• Chair board meetings
• Help grow charity impact, funding streams and profile
• Be an ambassador for Global Action Plan
• Ensure good governance

Are you passionate about wildlife in Cornwall?

 Would you like to join us in shaping and driving our vision for a wilder Cornwall?

If you answered “yes” to the above, we would be delighted to hear from you!

Cornwall Wildlife Trust is the leading conservation membership charity in Cornwall and as we take forward our new strategy for nature recovery in the Duchy, we are looking for enthusiastic and committed new Trustees who share our values and vision to join our Board of Directors and work with us to shape the future of conservation in Cornwall.

We are looking for up to three new trustees with skills, knowledge and senior level experience in one or more of the following areas:

• Conservation and environmental land management, particularly in relation to practical conservation activities and the engagement of diverse stakeholders in the delivery of our nature recovery vision, and with a critical understanding of the challenges and opportunities that face Cornwall’s nature conservation sector.
• Leadership and management involving responsibilities in areas such as financial control, governance and compliance, and advocacy and representation in either the private, public or not-for-profit sectors.
• Commercial/business sector development and income generation.

Our trustees work collectively as a Board with responsibility for governing and directing how the Trust is managed and run. The roles are voluntary and unpaid and whilst prior experience of the trustee role is not required (and training is available) we are looking for people who are willing and able to commit time to both a programme of regular meetings and ongoing engagement in a range of Board activities.  

Diversity within our Trustees group is essential. As a progressive charitable organisation, we champion equal opportunities and welcome applications from all sections of the community, regardless of any protected characteristic.

For more information about the Trust, the role and responsibilities of a charity trustee and the work of our Board please  download the attached recrutiment pack. 

Prior to application we invite interested candidates to arrange an informal discussion with Oliver Blount, Chair of the Board.

To arrange an informal discussion about these roles please contact Joanne Greaves, Head of People & Culture.

Following this, formal applications for appointment to our Board should be made in the form of your CV and a covering letter by midnight on the 28 February 2025.

We look forward to hearing from you.

GreenKPI

We empower employees to drive change through pre-loaded sustainability actions, and custom actions to capture great ideas.

Organisations must incorporate sustainability into operations to reduce negative environmental and social impact. The barriers to change are time, cost and knowledge. It takes time to work out the how to change, and time is money. It costs money to hire consultants or train staff to drive change, who may leave at any time. Lack of knowledge and systems to drive change has held back action on sustainability.

GreenKPI is a B2B SaaS integrating sustainability with company operations by empowering staff to drive change with hundreds of pre-loaded sustainability actions, and custom actions to capture great ideas. Automated Sustainability reports share the story of action and change metrics. Reports can be any combination of actions completed, uploaded metrics and locations. Metrics include environmental metrics from procurement data, plus social and economic indicators. Reports are interactive dashboards with shareable URLs that remain updated with each new action and metric upload. A project management system ensures GreenKPI is actionable, repeatable, measurable and reportable.

Thank you for considering to volunteer with GreenKPI. I appreciate the time you make available for helping startups like GreenKPI to make the world a better place for everyone today, and tomorrow.

Graphic Designer

Volunteer Role Description (remote, unpaid)

GreenKPI needs to review its branding and has a number of presentations that needs that special touch of a designer that can bring our message to life with the right colours and images, telling the story of action on sustainability leading to positive change for planet and society. We have a number of presentation templates that need a visual boost, which are the basis of communicating with particular organisations we would like to help with their transition to sustainability.
Preference is for experienced designers, and in sustainability would be fantastic! but not a requirement. Passion about all things sustainability is the thread that ties here at GreenKPI, so that's the main ingredient to bring to our team. UK/Europe based is preferred, but not necessary.

Weekly Time Commitment

4-6 hours per week

Duration of Volunteer Role (remote)

3-5 months

Do you believe in a future where everyone has access to reliable and affordable renewable energy in warm and efficient homes? Join the MCS Charitable Foundation and be part of their work to make this happen.

Applications close at 9 a.m. Monday 17th February.

Location: Flexible within the UK

Who we are.

The MCS Charitable Foundation, founded by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), today operates as an independent charity nationwide and is at the forefront of efforts to address climate change.

We are working for a carbon-free future for heat and energy and acting as a catalyst for change. Our goal is to make every UK home—old or new—carbon-free, with energy that’s effective, efficient, and affordable. This means examining both the renewable energy technology in our homes and the energy sources that supply them.

Who we are looking for.

We seek Trustees who share our values, keen on contributing to the forefront of decarbonisation efforts in the UK and bringing their strategic skills and experience to an organisation working to overcome the many practical challenges of making net-zero emissions in homes and buildings a reality.

We are looking for three new Trustees with senior-level experience with expertise in the following areas:

•  Public Policy 
•  Renewables Expertise and Vision 
• Commercial within the trades that MCS uses 

All Trustees are also Ambassadors for the Charity externally. Looking ahead, we also welcome interest from individuals with experience who may have a future interest in becoming a Chair when the term of our current chair concludes.

Diversity on our Board is important to us, and we welcome hearing from people with different perspectives and lived experiences.

Please click 'Apply via website’ to be redirected to the Peridot Partners website, where you can find full details of the candidate profile and register your interest to apply.

Applications for this role close at 9 a.m. Monday 17th February.

Nature Reserves Student Placement

Duration of placement: 10 months starting in early June 2025

We have an exciting opportunity for a student to join us on our 2025 Nature Reserves student placement programme.

The 10 month programme includes a monthly bursary and will enable the successful applicant to gain hands on experience along with access to a range of training and development opportunities.

As part of the Nature Recovery Directorate, you’ll support the team of reserve staff in managing nature reserves across Cumbria. This will involve hands-on practical work, including habitat management, habitat management and estate maintenance, habitat and species monitoring, working with volunteer groups and visitors, and supporting the production of site management plans, reports, and data analysis.

A diverse and rewarding opportunity to champion nature reserves and important habitats across Cumbria. Develop practical skills to support and deliver important conservation works to enable nature’s recovery. You’ll gain skills and experience in habitat management whilst exploring and learning on a variety of sites from remote to popular visitor areas. 

The opportunities will be highly varied so the successful candidate will be well placed for a future career in nature conservation. Full training will be provided, including career development and outdoor first aid training, alongside our bursary package. 

It is expected that the placement will start around June 2025 (dates flexible) for a maximum of a 10-month period or to fulfill the requirements of your course. The successful student will join us for a 4 days a week. However, we offer flexible working to suit the candidate, including flexible time for leave and other commitments to enable and support you in your role. 

Due to the nature of the work a full UK driving licence and your own transport are essential. Travel expenses are provided.

To apply, please Click on the link below

The deadline for applications is 09:00 on Friday 7 March 2025

Interviews will be held on 24 March 2025 at our offices in Kendal.

Please note that all sandwich placements need to be filled by individuals on a recognised sandwich programme or equivalent, while the individuals are enrolled at a university. working towards their undergraduate degree.

Cumbria Wildlife Trust is devoted to the conservation of the wildlife and wild places
of Cumbria.

Are you a keen gardener? Could you help us keep our Animal Centre grounds neat and tidy?

We're looking for volunteers who can help us with tasks such as weeding, pruning and general maintenance of garden areas and borders. You will also be helping with any new projects such as wildlife garden areas or play areas for children and preparing the grounds for open days and other events. You may also help with lawn mowing and strimming, keeping our grassy areas looking presentable.

Why we want you

We are the RSPCA and it's our vision to live in a world where all animals are respected and treated with compassion. Our volunteers are incredible, they play an essential role in helping us carry out our important animal welfare work every day. Our Volunteer Gardeners play an important role in keeping our Animal Centre grounds looking spick and span. Freeing up time for our staff focus on looking after the animals in our care.

What you will be doing

• Assisting with a wide range of exterior maintenance tasks including
• Lawn mowing and strimming
• Weeding, pruning and general maintenance of garden areas and borders
• Helping with any new projects such as wildlife garden areas or play areas for children
• Preparing the grounds for open days and other events

The skills you need

• Volunteers must be aged 18 or over
• Willingness to pitch in, help out, and get your hands dirty
• Experience in a relevant trade is desirable but not essential as full training will be given
• Some heavy lifting will be involved but full H&S training will be given
• Enjoy gardening and being outdoors

What's in it for you

• Meet new people and make new friends
• Learn great new skills to add to your CV
• A great induction and training relevant to your role
• Volunteer in a fun environment at the heart of the local community
• You’ll be making a huge difference to the welfare of animals
• We are happy to reimburse any reasonable travel expenses you may incur whilst volunteering with us

Disclaimer

Please ensure that you have asked your referees’ permission to provide their contact details and for us to contact them. Our voluntary roles are subject to an informal interview and introductory period. Before you can start volunteering you’ll need to complete our simple online Health & Safety assessment. Tetanus is a life threatening bacterial disease caused by an infection in an open wound. In view of this everyone should be vaccinated to prevent infection and we require that all RSPCA staff and volunteers must be suitably protected. Tetanus vaccination is carried out in infancy (3 doses), at pre-school and in adolescence so everyone should have had 5 doses by the time adulthood is reached. This is considered to give lifelong protection although a booster might be considered if an injury is deemed to be high risk. We request that volunteers must check their vaccination history with their GP’s and if fully immunised no further action is required. If a volunteer has not had the required doses, the GP should offer them free of charge as part of the UK vaccination schedule.

Who we are

Create The Future is a UK-based and youth-led creative climate non-for-profit project that seeks to create a vision of a better future to empower action and inspire optimism through storytelling, education and imagination activities. Our work is based on the research of leading environmental communications agencies such as Climate Outreach and the Common Cause Foundation.

We run free activities and workshops for children, young people and adults, ranging from creative writing workshops, poetry prompts and school activities. Our flagship 'postcards from the future' activity, an imaginative art and writing exercise for children aged 5-12, helps to combat eco anxiety by helping young people to imagine the future they want to see and send a postcard back to parents, teachers and community members.

We have also published a 100+ page anthology featuring short stories, poetry, artwork and interviews, with wide-ranging contributors including Octopus Energy, Rewilding Britain, the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, Lammas Ecovillage and more.

Find out more about the project online: www.createthefuture.earth

About the role

We are looking for an enthusiastic, creative individual with social media, design and content creation skills to join our Comms & Engagement team.

Our Engagement Team is essential to ensuring our work and message reaches the right people at the right time. You will work closely with volunteers from the Creative Content team and the Projects team, attending close-knit meetings with your team-mates as well as getting to know colleagues from other teams. You will be responsible for creating weekly social media graphics, illustrations for our blog, and/or posters to help advertise our free creative climate events, workshops and opportunities.

As part of a team of volunteers, you will also (optionally) have the opportunity to feed into our new Engagement and Social Media Strategy, giving you experience of strategy development and working within a voluntary organisation governance structure.

More information about the role can be provided by contacting us or over an informal video call after completing the short application form.

Core responsibilities

1. Visual content creation (essential): Create visually captivating graphics, images, and videos that align with our mission and style guide to complement written content and enhance our online presence, leveraging social media and digital platforms, newsletters, blog posts and web updates to reach and inspire diverse audiences.
2. Video and visual content creation (desirable): Create short video and Instagram reel content to boost engagement and participation in events, activities and campaigns, and communicate the climate crisis in a creative way.
3. Storytelling (essential): Craft narratives that capture the essence of our work, highlighting the impact of our activities and initiatives on empowering individuals to envision and create a sustainable future.
4. Collaboration (essential): Collaborate with team members to brainstorm ideas, develop content strategies, and coordinate content calendars, ensuring alignment with organizational goals and priorities.

The ideal volunteer candidate

• You are based anywhere in the world and happy to work as part of a fully remote team, communicating via messages and emails

• You will be willing to volunteer between approx. 3 hours per week contributing to our ongoing projects

• You will be willing to attend 1-hour team meetings (weekday evenings or weekend afternoons, UK time) at least once or twice a month

• You will have some experience of working as part of a team and/or working remotely

• You will have some experience with creating social media graphics and/or illustrations, using graphic design software (for example, Canva Pro), and adhering to a style guide to ensure consistency across our platform

• You will have some experience with creating short video content and reels using video editing software and/or Instagram reels, or you are willing to learn and give this a go

We are very happy to provide as much or as little guidance as you feel you need to carry out your chosen volunteer role, and will support you to develop your existing skills. We can also provide references for paid work applications.

You will recieve:

• Induction training on how to communicate about the climate crisis in a positive, values-focused way
• Further training/guidance as and when needed for your role, tailored to suit your work and skills gaps
• Access to our team Discord and chats, allowing you to get to know your team mates and build a community with like-minded individuals
• New skills and experiences in your area, as well as opportunities to get involved with the work of other teams, including in areas you are interested in exploring - we will support you to try new things wherever possible
• Access to creative writing workshops, education activities and team-building exercises

The role is fully remote and the volunteer post is suitable for all adults 18+. All you need is a computer/laptop, an internet connection, and availability to attend team meetings and respond to messages - no fixed hours, no commuting, no expenses, no specialist software.

To join our friendly team, you will need to provide the following:

• Your name, location (time zone), and pronouns (e.g she/her, he/him, they/them)
• Your CV
• A short paragraph outlining why you are interested in volunteering for Create The Future, and why you would be a good fit for the team

Application Instructions

If you have examples of your graphic design or illustration or video creation work, please provide a link to your portfolio or another method of sharing your work with us.

FareShare Greater Manchester is looking for volunteer Driver's Assistants to join our busy friendly delivery team with redistributing tonnes of surplus food a month to charities and community initiatives across Greater Manchester.

FareShare is a national charity fighting food poverty and global warming by tackling food surplus. We source overstocked food from retailers and manufacturers and engage many volunteers to help re-distribute it to over 220 frontline charities and community groups across Greater Manchester. These groups, in turn, provide meals to vulnerable people experiencing food poverty, individuals who are homeless, families, and people who are unemployed or socially isolated. This food would otherwise have gone to waste, so we are simultaneously supporting people in need and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Key responsibilities

Working closely with the driver of a temperature-controlled 3.5 tonne Mercedes Sprinter van to deliver surplus food orders to the premises of the benevolent projects we support. 

Loading and unloading the vehicle and carrying out a range of tasks, from basic vehicle checks to delivery administration.

The required skills and attributes are:

• Reliability and ability to commit to pre-agreed volunteer shifts (ESSENTIAL)

• Physical fitness, to take on moving and handling of food orders

• Ability to follow procedures and instructions

• Good verbal communication skills

• Interest in the work of FareShare Greater Manchester and our values

• High respect for Health & Safety procedures and standards

In return you will gain:

Career and CV advice and support

A reference for future employers

Reimbursement of travel and lunch expenses 

The opportunity to give practical help to fight food poverty and reduce food waste (and associated CO2 emissions)

The opportunity to meet like-minded people and make new friends

Our operating hours are Monday - Friday, 8:30am to 4:30pm. 

Driver and Driver’s Assistant shifts begin at 8:30am. 

We welcome volunteers who can commit to one day a week. 

The days and rota hours of volunteering are agreed around your availability.

​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. There are no exceptions to this rule. 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. :)

Whether you’re a jobseeker interested in a career in construction or woodwork, a student or recent college graduate seeking experience, or just someone with spare time on your hands, wanting to do something positive and meet new people, volunteering with the Touch Wood project at EMERGE 3Rs may be just the ticket!

Touch Wood is a wood recycling and upcycling initiative, which collects surplus and waste wood and timber and gives it a new lease of life, preventing it from being burned, chipped, or dumped in landfill.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

* Preparing wood for resale

* Assisting with the construction of wooden products, from small household items to pieces of furniture

Our Touch Wood volunteers are able to gain skills in practical woodworking, as we offer hands-on experience of working with reclaimed timber; from making basic lumber products ready for resale, through to assisting with the creation of bespoke items, such as kitchen equipment and home and garden furniture.

Full training in woodworking and health and safety is provided, along with Personal Protection Equipment.

The UK generates around 5 million tonnes of wood waste every year, but less than 1% is reused. Touch Wood rescues waste timber that would otherwise be landfilled or turned into woodchip; creating jobs and training opportunities for disadvantaged local people at the same time. We collect from construction sites, industrial estates and other commercial sources, reclaiming everything from pallets to indoor cycle tracks – you name it, we take it! Anything we can’t reuse is locally recycled, so nothing goes to waste. This reduces the carbon emissions associated with disposing of waste wood, offers cost savings for DIY enthusiasts, and provides training and job potential to volunteers in the workshop. Some of the timber we work with comes from high profile sources, including the entire track of the Manchester Velodrome cycling centre and wood removed in the recent refurbishment of Manchester’s historic Town Hall!

Our skilled team of staff and volunteers often use reclaimed timber to create beautiful and practical products, such as home and garden furniture. We regularly create bespoke pieces to order; some of it for famous clients like Olympic cycling champions Jason and Laura Kenny, for whom we made a table from the Manchester Velodrome track.

Please be advised that our volunteers require a fair level of physical fitness and manual dexterity as the role is entirely practical.

Our Touch Wood workshop and wood store is open Mon-Fri, 8.30am - 4pm.
We occupy a unit at Maynard House, inside New Smithfield Market, in Openshaw, North Manchester, which is accessed from the main entrance on Whitworth Street East (off Ashton Old Road). The site is served well by buses, and we have free parking onsite, as well as secure storage racks for pushbikes.

​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. There are no exceptions to this rule. 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. :)