Volunteer roles

Mencap Volunteer Visitor

Are you someone who loves getting creative, catching a show, or simply enjoying a good chat over coffee and cake? Maybe you enjoy painting, crafting, or exploring local galleries, or perhaps you love trying new cafés, going for walks, or just sharing stories and laughs. As a volunteer visitor, you can turn your passions into friendship, spending quality time with someone who’ll appreciate your company, your hobbies, and your enthusiasm.

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.

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.

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.

Are you the new Chair-designate for Reading Community Learning Centre?

Do you have enthusiasm, skills and time to cooperatively govern and lead our charity that supports women learners?

You could be the Chair-designate of Reading Community Learning Centre, a charity serving the needs of local refugee, asylum-seeking and migrant women. We stand proudly for equality and women’s rights, and are looking for a woman Chair-designate to take on the role of leading our Board, supported by our outgoing Chair for a handover period of up to 6 months.

About us:

Set up in 2007, we are a Charitable Company that helps often-marginalised women to achieve their individual potential, through helping them improve their English, building confidence, making friends, volunteering locally, gaining qualifications or securing a job.

In 2025 we supported over 595 women from 41 different countries of origin, through our charitable spending of £244k.

About the role:

We’re looking for a woman to volunteer to lead our Board of Trustees, to work with other trustees and our CEO to shape our future supporting and empowering women. Women from global-majority/minority-ethnic communities are especially encouraged to apply.

If you can think and lead strategically, help us plan long-term, you have the primary skills needed by our Chair. Support from our employees is always available, as they will be dealing with the day-to-day running of the organisation.

Experience of committee or similar work, an understanding of cooperative leadership and a strong focus to shape the forward-looking Board, are what we are looking for. You don’t necessarily need prior experience of charity trusteeship, as induction will be provided, plus specialist guidance as a new trustee, including access to external training.

This is a high-profile appointment, with strong commitment to the future of Reading Community Learning Centre an essential quality, and having a good understanding of the value for the women we help. Trustees make the top-level decisions for our charity: our Board includes women with understanding, skills and experience of our support, and we require new trustees to have empathy with our cause. 

We are a charity not a business, but we apply business principles to governing our organisation. We encourage women from all backgrounds to apply, particularly Black, Asian and global-majority women, and those who have previous experience of engaging and working collaboratively with our beneficiaries.

The Board meets online every six weeks, and we ask you for up to sixteen hours per month; this includes all meetings, correspondence, communication, etc. Our Chair does need to be able to visit the Centre regularly, so should have access to Reading.

How to apply:

This high-profile appointment is being managed for us by inVOLve Community Services, a charity-support organisation, who offer an informal no-obligation discussion by video. A detailed Role Description and Skills Specification can be made available to you by request before that discussion.

Trustee appointments are subject to satisfactory references to satisfactory completion of an Enhanced DBS check.

Your CV and supporting statement will be read by our current Chair and trustees; an informal discussion followed by a more-formal interview can be offered as soon as mutually convenient.

I need to know more:

Contact Mike Allen via Apply Now, below, for more information and arrange to have a no-obligation initial informal discussion (Teams or Zoom), explanation about this important role and any assistance or advice you may need to apply.

Mencap Volunteer Visitor (Woodwork, Football and Walking - Coventry)

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.

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.

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.

Volunteer Opportunity: Squirrels Section Volunteer

Location: URC Baker Street, Alvaston
When: Mondays, 1 hour per week, 4.30pm-5.30pm

Do you have an hour to spare on a Monday and a willingness to make a big difference to young children? We’re looking for friendly volunteers to join our Squirrels team and help support our weekly sessions.

About Squirrels

Squirrels is the youngest section of Scouts, designed for children aged 4–6. Sessions are fun, active, and varied… from crafts and games to simple challenges that build confidence, teamwork, and curiosity about the world.

The Role

As a Squirrels Volunteer, you’ll support the session leaders during our weekly one hour meetings. Typical tasks include:

• Helping small groups of children take part in activities
• Offering encouragement and gentle guidance
• Supporting games, crafts, and simple challenges
• Helping create a safe, welcoming, and fun environment

You won’t be expected to plan sessions or lead activities, unless you’d like to! This role is all about support and teamwork.

Who We’re Looking For

You will be a great fit if you:

• Are friendly, approachable, and reliable
• Have patience and a calm manner
• Enjoy helping others and being part of a team
• Are happy to get involved and have fun

No previous experience with children is required.
All we ask is a positive attitude and a willingness to learn.

Training & Support

You’ll receive full training provided by Scouts HQ, including:

• Safeguarding
• Data protection
• Safety and wellbeing

Training is straightforward, supported, and designed to fit around busy lives. 

Why Volunteer?

• Make a real difference in your local community
• Gain confidence and transferable skills
• Be part of a friendly, supportive team
• Have fun while helping children grow and thrive

If you’re curious, kind, and can spare an hour a week, we’d love to hear from you. Helping at Squirrels is hugely rewarding… and the smiles are guaranteed!

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.

Overseas Support Volunteer

Hospices of Hope is the only UK charity dedicated to the development of hospice care services throughout South and East Europe. We are dedicated to improving the lives of terminally ill patients in Romania and surrounding countries by supporting local hospice partners. We believe that everyone deserves the best possible care at the end of their life. However, in developing countries like Romania, many patients still die in pain without being offered any physical, spiritual, or emotional comfort.

We are looking for some enthusiastic volunteers with a variety of skills and interests to join us on our Summer Trips to Romania in 2026, which provide a much-needed break for children. There are two different groups of children that enjoy the trips. Some are affected by rare or life-limiting illnesses, others have experienced trauma through the death of a close relative. The other group of children who attend are relatives of patients in our care.

The children who benefit from our trips are often completely neglected by health care and social service systems. Our Summer Trips are an opportunity for them to relax, have fun, share stories, and find comfort in each other.

The trip includes airfares from London, transfers to and from the airport in Romania, your disclosure and barring service check, training, and accommodation. If you opt for the first trip, only breakfast and lunch are provided on the days you are at the hospice. You will need to pay for evening and weekend meals. If you opt for the second trip, whilst at the camp, all meals are provided. Again, you will need to pay for weekend meals.

The hours you attend will differ depending on which trip you attend; however, your role as a volunteer will involve you engaging with the children doing enjoyable activities, crafts, games, and much more. It is a chance for them to enjoy being children and just have some fun.

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.