Volunteer roles

As a Volunteer Hospice Driver, you’ll help transport children and young people for respite stays and fun day trips. You'll be part of the team making these memorable moments possible.

What You’ll Do:

• Drive the Claire House minibus to and from the hospice

• Transport children for activities, outings, and planned respite

• Check the vehicle is safe and roadworthy before each trip

• Support the care team by ensuring passenger safety

Requirements:

• Hold a full clean UK driving licence (checks will be completed prior to starting)

• A confident driver who is happy to drive a minibus

• Aged 21–74 (for insurance purposes)

• Empathetic, professional, and friendly

• A good communicator

• Willing to complete training and follow safety protocols

• Be based in the local area (Merseyside or Cheshire). 

What We Offer:

✅ Free MiDAS driver training (renewals every 4 years)
✅ In-house induction
✅ Ongoing support
✅ Claire House vehicles to use
✅ The chance to make a real difference

�� When? Ad-hoc, flexible

�� Where? Claire House Children’s Hospice, Clatterbridge Road, Bebington, Wirral CH63 4JD (with travel around Merseyside and Cheshire)

You will need to be already based in the local area (Merseyside or Cheshire). 

Purpose

Young Carers’ Crew is a registered charity (number 1176778) and runs a group which meets to provide emotional and practical support to Young Carers through recreational activities. We give support to local children and young people, who perform a caring role supporting another member of their household. 

Young Carers’ Crew is a small grassroots community group. We are hoping to bring in more people with diverse skills and experience to build sustainability.  

We are looking for Volunteer Trustees with a range of skills, to help steer and direct the organisation. 

The Board of Trustees takes on the ultimate legal and financial responsibility for all the activities of the organisation. They maintain an overview of policy and strategic direction rather than being involved in day-to-day operations. This position will not have any regular contact with the children or the volunteers running the Group activities. 

Role Description 

Volunteer Trustee for Young Carers’ Crew 

Volunteering is an unpaid position. Appropriate out-of-pocket expenses will be re-imbursed.

Location: Most tasks will be home-based.  Meetings will be held in and around Hitchin, Herts.

Hours: Up to 2.5 hours per month for Board meetings. Additional time for position is estimated to be 3 to 4 hours per month.

Reports to: Chair of Board of Trustees for Young Carers’ Crew

DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) requirement: Appointment to these posts is subject to an up-to-date, satisfactory, enhanced DBS check with a check against the barred lists for children and adults.

Duties and Responsibilities

We are seeking to fill these specific positions which are currently available:

• HR lead
• Safeguarding lead
• Fundraising
• Website Development

It is anticipated that the successful applicants will help to define the details of the position.

For all positions the following will be expected:

• Attend Board meetings as arranged. 
• Work as flexibly as may be required, also to carry out any other reasonable duties that may be required from time to time. 

The broad role of the Board of Trustees is summarised below:

• Be committed to the vision, mission and values of the organisation.
• Provide strategic direction, including agreeing and monitoring strategic plans.
• Keep informed of the activities of the organisation and the wider issues that affect its work.
• Ensuring that the work of the organisation is monitored and evaluated.
• Maintain that the organisation complies with its governing documents, e.g. constitution.
• Ensure the organisation complies with current Safeguarding Guidelines and Core Standards set out in the Children Act 2004 and Working Together 2013
• Ensure the organisation operates within the law.
• Safeguard the organisation in making efficient use of resources, in particular that all monies are applied to its objectives, agreed plans and budgets.
• Mitigate and manage the risks to the organisation, volunteers and service users.
• To be accountable to membership, funders and other stakeholders.

Person Specification

Please note all items are essential:

• Ability to maintain absolute confidentiality.

• Excellent organisational and time management skills.
• Good IT skills including Microsoft Office.

• Ability to work effectively, both individually and as part of a team.
• Excellent attention to detail.
• Impartiality and fairness.
• Understanding of and commitment to the organisation’s mission & values.
• Ability to work in a way that promotes the safety and well-being of children and young people.
• Ability to work in a way that promotes equality of opportunity and respect for diversity.
• Commitment to continuing learning and training.

Experience

No experience is necessary for a general position on the Board of Trustees, just enthusiasm and a willingness to help the organisation grow and support the young carers.

For more specific positions; it would be highly desirable that you bring some experience in the charity sector, social care or in business development. 

So, for example, we would welcome someone with experience of working in a safeguarding role with young people specifically or from an HR background or someone who can help us raise money for the charity. .

Selection Process 

To ensure equal opportunities in recruitment, we request that all applicants complete the application form provided. A shortlist will be created and suitable applicants will be invited to interview.

Our core Befriending Project supports people who are socially isolated in Ealing and Hounslow. They may have a physical or sensory disability, or they may have mild dementia, and are sometimes housebound.

This is an opportunity to become a Befriender.

On successful completion of the training, Befrienders are matched with someone who lives close to them.

They make a weekly 1-2 hour visit to the client's home, where they might stay in and chat over a cup of tea or, where possible, go out for a walk together, visit a cafe or undertake a local activity.

These visits make such a difference for the client, but volunteering with BEfriend not only enriches the lives of those who are isolated, it also offers immense personal rewards.

As a Befriender, you’ll get to know inspirational people with fascinating stories, develop new skills and be part of a supportive team that values compassion and connection.

Our Linked Minds Befriending Project supports people who are socially isolated in Ealing and Hounslow due to a diagnosed mental health problem.

This is an opportunity to become a Befriender.

On successful completion of specialist mental health training, the Befriender is matched with someone suitable, by a Co-ordinator who then acts as a (non-clinical) supervisor for the befriending period, which is limited to a year. (Where applicable, this can count towards continuous professional development).

Befriender, client and supervisor make a plan together with a goal to work towards, and the Befriender makes a weekly 1-2 hour visit to the client's home, where they might stay in and chat over a cup of tea, go out for a walk together, visit a cafe or undertake a local activity. 

These visits make such a difference for the client, increasing their confidence and helping them explore and work towards getting a job, joining a club, meeting other people or whatever their goal may be.

The aim is that, by the end of the year, clients feel better about themselves, more valued, resilient, empowered, more linked to their community and better equipped for their journeys in recovery.

But volunteering with BEfriend not only enriches the lives of those who are isolated, it also offers immense personal rewards.

As a Befriender, you’ll get to know inspirational people with fascinating stories, develop new skills and be part of a supportive team that values compassion and connection.