Volunteer roles

Community researchers wanted to help East London Waterworks Park ensure our community-owned park is inclusive and welcoming for all.

East London Waterworks Park is a volunteer-led charity that has won a 2024 New London Architecture award and raised £2m towards buying land from the Department for Education to transform the 14-acre Thames Water Depot on Lea Bridge Road on the border of Waltham Forest and Hackney, into a new biodiverse park with natural swimming ponds, forest schools and community spaces. 

We are looking for community researchers specialised to contribute to our community-led working circle who are working on on a listening project to ensure often underrepresented voices in conservation and environmental projects are heard and centred. 

There is opportunity to lead on projects and facilitate the direction of the working circle.

The Inclusivity Circle currently meets monthly on a Wednesday evening on Google Meet and spends voluntary time outside of the meeting completing agreed tasks remotely.

While your experienced research skills are crucial, we also value your ability to engage with the community and build partnerships. Experience in conducting community-based research or working with community organisations is important. A strong understanding of community dynamics and the ability to collaborate effectively will be invaluable in ensuring your research findings are relevant and impactful. Our roles are quite flexible. We hope that people bring radical imagination, peace with nature, and courageous inclusiveness to the role. 

Contribute to the creation of a new biodiverse community-owned park with free access natural swimming ponds. Your research expertise will be vital in shaping our new biodiverse park. By conducting listening research on community needs, and potential park uses, you'll help us create a sustainable and inclusive space. Your findings will inform our design, programming, and outreach efforts, ensuring the park meets the needs of our community and contributes to biodiversity conservation.

Educational partnerships and community developers wanted to help East London Waterworks Park deliver its environmental learning goals

East London Waterworks Park is a volunteer-led charity that has won a 2024 New London Architecture award and raised £2m towards buying land from the Department for Education to transform the 14-acre Thames Water Depot on Lea Bridge Road on the border of Waltham Forest and Hackney, into a new biodiverse park with natural swimming ponds, forest schools and community spaces. 

We are looking for a volunteer to lead partnership development and community outreach efforts for East London Waterworks Park. This role focuses on building and nurturing relationships with learning bodies to increase the opportunity for partnership opportunities. 

The role would include:

• Researching and identifying new opportunities for environmental learning initiatives
• Building and nurturing relationships with schools, education bodies, and nonprofit organizations
• Supporting outreach efforts to promote ELWP’s existing learning programmes

Schools, universities and youth groups we've collaborated with include:

• Waltham Forest College 
• Henry Maynard Primary School, Walthamstow
• Buxton School, Leytonstone
• Kingsmead Primary School, Hackney
• Daubeney Primary School, Hackney
• UCL 
• Royal College of Art
• University of Westminster 
• Project Zero
• Voyage Youth 
• Loyola University Chicago 
• Vanderbilt University Nashville 

We're looking for people to lead on these projects and facilitate the direction of the learning working group.

The Learning Circle currently meets monthly on a Wednesday evening at 8pm for an hour on Google Meet and spends voluntary time outside of the meeting completing agreed tasks remotely.

We welcome individuals with experience in outreach, partnership building, education, or nonprofit engagement. Strong communication and relationship-building skills are key. Our roles are quite flexible. We hope that people bring radical imagination, peace with nature, and courageous inclusiveness to the role.

Your support will help young people and learners improve their environmental knowledge of design and research as well as contributing to our community-owned park. This will in turn provide a sense of stewardship over the land once the park is created and student's ideas have been built into the park. Creating learning projects with educational institutions will also help our charity with the strategy to buy the land through showing the value of our environmental education programme before we create the park. 

You will have a significant impact on the creation of a new biodiverse community-owned park with free access natural swimming ponds. By volunteering in this role, you will help shape the future of East London Waterworks Park as a community-led environmental learning space. This will also help our charity with the strategy to buy the land through showing the value of our environmental education programme before we create the park. If you’re interested in joining us, we’d love to hear from you! 

Volunteer with us at Stonnall Village Hall in Walsallfor our Celebrate Your Star on Sunday 7th December

Celebrate your star is an Christmas In Memory event, the day will consist of choir performances, speeches and opportunity to remember lost loved ones and to celebrate Christmas with their memory at the heart of the event. 

At Acorns we provide care and support for life limited or life threatened children and their families. We are a charity, and our fundraising is vital to enable us to continue providing care and support to the children: it costs around £11 million a year to run our care services.

 What's involved?

Volunteer opportunites include:

• Hall set up and pack down
• Registration
• Selling refreshments
• Collecting donations
• Selling Christmas cards

How much time will it take?

1pm to 6pm either for the whole event or a few hours 

Light refreshments will be available and free parking spaces in car park or surrounding area. 

Am I right for the role?

We’re looking for volunteers who are

• Approachable and happy to raise awareness about Acorns
• Versatile and willing to adapt and help out

Why volunteer at Acorns?

• To help a local charity and make a different in your community
• Connect with likeminded people and make new friends
• Learn new skills to boost your CV
• Opportunities to progress to other roles

We are recruiting Youth Helpers to assist at our various Cadet and Badger groups in the North East.

Youth Helpers work directly with young people in St John Ambulance Badger Setts and Cadet Units by supporting our Youth Leaders to deliver a sessions across our range of programmes. In this role, you'll support the learning and development of young people into the next generation of health citizens. Youth Helpers also help young people develop their confidence, teamwork skills, self-discipline, and generally encourage them to strive to be the best they can be, as well as supervise and support other adult volunteers in their team.

You’ll get a huge sense of satisfaction and pride delivering an essential service. It’s great for you, great for your community and great for our nation, and it requires only a small commitment of your time. 

Pursuing the role

If you are successful you will need to undertake induction & training for role at these dates:

• Welcome Event (Induction) - to be discussed with candidate.

Closing date for these opportunities is: 10/11//2025

To apply for this opportunity please follow the link below:

We are recruiting Youth Helpers to assist at our various Cadet and Badger groups in the Barking Dagenham and Newham Network.

Youth Helpers work directly with young people in St John Ambulance Badger Setts and Cadet Units by supporting our Youth Leaders to deliver a sessions across our range of programmes. In this role, you'll support the learning and development of young people into the next generation of health citizens. Youth Helpers also help young people develop their confidence, teamwork skills, self-discipline, and generally encourage them to strive to be the best they can be, as well as supervise and support other adult volunteers in their team.

You’ll get a huge sense of satisfaction and pride delivering an essential service. It’s great for you, great for your community and great for our nation, and it requires only a small commitment of your time. 

Pursuing the role

If you are successful you will need to undertake induction & training for role at these dates:

• Welcome Event (Induction) - to be discussed with candidate.

Closing date for these opportunities is: 14/12/2025

To apply for this opportunity please follow the link below:

About the organisation

Salterns Academy Trust is a flourishing community of three schools committed to providing exceptional education and opportunities for every young person in our care. We are a collaborative family of schools focused on driving continuous improvement for all our learners and staff., We are now seeking additional Trustees to join our Board and help shape the next phase of our journey.

We warmly welcome applications from people of all backgrounds, regardless of race, gender, disability, age, religion, sexual orientation, or any other characteristic. We are proud to champion equality, diversity, and inclusion in all that we do. We encourage applications from a wide range of professional fields and backgrounds. As part of our Board’s succession planning, expertise in Estates, IT and Facilities, Secondary Education, or Legal fields would help to strengthen and balance our collective experience. While being local to Portsmouth is not a requirement, an understanding of the local context would be advantageous.

As a Trustee, you will guide the Trust’s strategic direction, ensuring effective oversight and supporting our mission to deliver high-quality education across all our schools. This is a rewarding opportunity to make a meaningful difference in local education and contribute to the success of a forward-looking Trust.

The Trust oversees two secondary settings, Admiral Lord Nelson School and Trafalgar School, as well as Mayfield School, which is a through-school serving pupils aged 4 to 16. Together, these schools form a close-knit community that values inclusion, ambition, and continuous improvement.

Since our formation, the Trust has built a strong reputation for partnership working, effective leadership, and steady school improvement. Each school retains its own identity while benefiting from the collective strength, shared expertise, and resources of the wider Trust. The focus is firmly on delivering high-quality teaching and learning, fostering aspiration, and ensuring that all students are well-prepared for the next stage of their education and beyond.

Underpinned by values of respect, responsibility, and resilience, Salterns Academy Trust is forward-looking and community-minded, working closely with local partners and families to make a lasting, positive difference. The Trust benefits from an experienced and dedicated leadership team, continues to build on its successes and strives to provide the very best outcomes for children and young people across Portsmouth.

About the role

Time commitment: 8 hours / 1 day a month

Trustees work collectively to provide strong governance, effective oversight, and constructive challenge to the executive team. You will use your professional expertise and strategic insight to help us maintain high standards of performance, financial sustainability, and educational excellence as it continues to evolve and expand.

In this role, you will:

• Provide strategic oversight and governance as Salterns Academy Trust continues to develop into the primary education sector.
• Offer insights and guidance based on your experience to ensure the highest standards of teaching and learning.
• Support the development and implementation of policies that promote a nurturing and inclusive environment for primary school students.
• Collaborate with fellow trustees, the executive team, and school leaders to drive continuous improvement and innovation.
• Champion the Trust’s vision, mission, and values within the community and among stakeholders.
• Attend evening Board meetings (up to 6 per year) and committee meetings (up to 6 a year), as well as occasionally undertake school visits and meetings with senior leaders in

Who we are looking for

We are seeking individuals with the vision, integrity, and strategic insight to contribute to the continued success and growth of the Trust. The ideal candidate will bring professional expertise, sound judgment, and a genuine commitment to improving outcomes for children and young people. You do not need prior board experience; what matters most is the ability to think strategically, ask constructive questions, and share your experience in a way that supports the Trust’s development.

We are particularly interested in candidates who can demonstrate:

• Strategic thinking skills with the ability to contribute to long-term planning and development.
• Strong commitment to educational equity and a passion for making a positive impact on children’s lives.
• Excellent communication and teamwork skills, with the ability to engage effectively with a diverse group of stakeholders.
• Professional expertise in areas such as Estates, IT and Facilities, Secondary Education, or Legal services, though other relevant backgrounds will also be considered.
• Integrity, independence of thought, and the confidence to both support and challenge constructively.

This is an opportunity to apply your skills and experience to help shape the future of a forward-looking, values-driven Trust.

Please click 'Apply’ 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 8th December

Arvon, the UK's oldest and most celebrated creative writing charity, is recruiting up to two finance trustees to join its dynamic board and help shape the charity's future. If you have a passion for the arts and literature, and believe in the positive, even transformative impact creative engagement can have for everyone, then we'd love to hear from you. We have run creative writing courses for young people, disadvantaged adults and the general public at our three writing houses – located in beautiful rural settings across England and now also online – for nearly 60 years. This is an opportunity to play a part in supporting and influencing the future of a unique charity at a time of exciting change.

Help Us Support Local Families - 

Do you want to help local families thrive during challenging times? Join Home-Start Guildford and help us build a stronger, more connected community.

As our Fundraising Trustee, you’ll shape the direction of our income generation strategy, helping us reach more families in need.

About Home-Start Guildford

We’re a local charity supporting families with young children through challenging times. Our trained volunteers offer emotional and practical help in the home and connect families with specialist services. We’re part of the Home-Start UK network, benefiting from their quality framework - but we raise our own funds locally.

The Role

We’re seeking a Fundraising Trustee to help shape and deliver our fundraising strategy. You’ll work alongside our small, passionate staff team and fellow trustees to ensure we have the resources to continue supporting families in need.

A little bit about the role…

• To maintain strong relationships with existing donors and supporters.
• To identify, assess and progress new grant sources and fundraising opportunities.
• To coordinate and support the work of the fundraising committee.
• To contribute to fundraising events.
• To maintain knowledge of current fundraising procedures and legislation affecting fundraising activities within the charitable sector.
• To raise awareness of Home-Start Guildford and the work we do with families, galvanizing support from the local community, businesses and organisations.

A little bit about you…

• Passionate and dedicated individual with experience of fundraising in charity, public, and/or corporate sectors, with a successful track record of achieving and exceeding fundraising targets.
• Enthusiasm to work collaboratively as part of a small, ambitious team.
• Eager to take the initiative and get hands-on with a positive “can do” attitude to bring fundraising projects to fruition.
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to build and maintain relationships with a diverse range of stakeholders.
• Strong organisational skills, with the ability to prioritise.
• Friendly and approachable; honest and trustworthy.

Training and Support

• Trustees are fully inducted into Home-Start at the start of their new role; they will receive:
• An online welcome event and e-learning, introducing Home-Start’s service and your responsibilities.
• Training in key areas including safeguarding.
• Reimbursement of paid expenses.
• Access to Home-Start’s online community via Home-Start UK intranet – full of information and guidance on running a local Home-Start.
• Tailored support by other trustees and staff.

Barefoot and Free is a small UK-based charity that gifts unforgettable staycations to families with neurodivergent children or children affected by trauma.

We are seeking creative and committed Volunteer Fundraisers to help us grow our small charity.

This is a remote volunteer role ideal for someone looking to use their creative fundraising knowledge to make a meaningful impact.

Role Overview
As a Volunteer Fundraiser at Barefoot and Free, you will be reuired to come up with fun ideas to fundraise, be able to engage people to fundraise and encourage new supporters.

Key Responsibilities

• Plan, organise and execute virtual and in-person fundraising events (eg raffles, quizzes, sponsored challenges)
• Liase with fundraisng volunteers (eg sponsored runners etc)
• Ensure events run smoothly by preparing, schedules, materials and plans. 
• Act as a main point of contact for invividual fundraisers and teams
• Regukar communication to offer encouragement and guidence.
• Procatively check they have everything they need (eg fundraisng pack, marketing materials) 
• Create.design a central fundraising tracker (eg excel or similar) 
• Log all fundraising activities, targets, deadlines ad progress updates 
• Collaborate with the social media volunteers (if applicable) to amplify campaigns
• Support the recruitment of new fundraising volunteers

What You’ll Bring

• Clear friendly written and verbal communication
• Ability to confidently engage with fundraisers, donors and team members remotely
• Excellent time management and ability to co-ordinate multiple activities at once
• Structured approach to planning events and tracking fundraising progress
• Strong communication skills, self-motovated with the ability to work independently with minimum supervision
• A passion for charitable work and a willingness to contribute time and skills

Time Commitment
This is a flexible remote role. We ask for a commitment of 2 to 5 hours per week. We are happy to work around your availability.

What You’ll Gain

• A chance to use your skills for a good cause

• Hands-on experience in event planning, fundraising, and project coordination, ideal for CVs, job applications, or future charity roles.

• Remote, flexible volunteering that fits around your schedule — ideal for students, parents, or professionals looking to give back.

• Experience working in the charity sector

• Portfolio development and references on request
• Being part of a friendly supportive team making a difference

To apply please send a recent C.V along with a short note about yourself & with examples of any fundraising, event planning you have carried out.

We look forward to hearing from you.

Join the University of Cumbria Students’ Union (UCSU) as an External Trustee

About UCSU

UCSU is a vibrant, student-led charity representing over 10,500 students across our campuses and partner locations. We exist to ensure every student — from undergraduates and postgraduates to work-based learners — has the opportunity to make the most of their university experience. Whether it’s through societies, volunteering, representation, campaigns, or support services, UCSU works to amplify student voices and help them thrive academically, socially, and personally.

We’re looking for an External Trustee with experience in finance, accountancy or strategic business leadership to join our board - someone passionate about student life, who can bring fresh ideas, listen actively, and contribute thoughtfully to the future direction of our union. This is a fantastic opportunity to influence and enhance the student experience across our diverse community — from London to Ambleside, Carlisle to Lancaster — and help shape a union that truly reflects its members.

Key Responsibilities

• Contribute to the strategic oversight, governance, and decision-making of UCSU.
• Provide challenge, guidance, and support to ensure sound governance and financial sustainability.
• Work collaboratively with Student Officer Trustees, Student Trustees, and senior staff to deliver UCSU’s mission and strategic goals.
• Champion UCSU’s values and promote a culture of inclusivity, transparency, and student empowerment.
• Act as an ambassador for UCSU within the University, local community, and wider higher education sector.

Candidate Profile

• Experience of operating at Board or senior management level within a charitable, public, or commercial organisation.
• Skills and experience in finance & accountancy – this will complement the existing skill-set of our current board
• Strong understanding of effective governance and the responsibilities of trusteeship.
• Strategic vision, sound judgment, and a commitment to UCSU’s values and student-led ethos.
• A commitment to equality, diversity, and inclusion, and an understanding of the needs and experiences of students today.
• An interest in and passion for the local area would be a big advantage

UCSU’s Commitment to Diversity

UCSU is committed to building a Trustee Board that reflects the diversity of its membership and the communities it serves. We actively encourage applications from underrepresented groups, including racially and ethnically minoritised individuals, women, non-binary people, and people with disabilities.

Time Commitment

• Approximately 5 Board meetings per year plus 2 finance sub-committee meetings (all remote)
• Trustees may also be invited to attend training, strategy sessions, and UCSU events.
• The role is voluntary, though reasonable travel expenses will be reimbursed.

How to Apply

If you’d like to have an informal conversation about the role, please contact Jamie Reynolds at Marble Mayne Recruitment.

To apply, please send your CV to receive the full recruitment pack and application details.

Key Dates

Applications close: Friday 14th November at 12 noon
Interviews: TBC – likely week commencing 17th November (online)

Looking for a rewarding opportunity to support young people in your community whilst developing your own skills and experience? 

At ReachOut, we believe that socio-emotional skills are overlooked foundational skills which improve success at school and the everyday, personal lives of children. Our aim is to transform outcomes for young people constrained by circumstance by building their socio-emotional skills. We define these skills as empathy, responsibility, problem solving, initiative, teamwork and emotion management.

We exist because not all children have the opportunity to just ‘pick up’ socio-emotional skills. Just like with maths or English, socio-emotional skills can be influenced by a wide range of formal and informal learning opportunities, which many children just don’t have access to the services and opportunities necessary to develop these skills. The 9-14 age bracket is a crucial juncture in childhood development, which is why we focus our efforts on this age range. Our approach combines positive peer support with supportive adult role models, allowing us to have the most impact. 

What do volunteer mentors do?  

• Volunteer on our after-school projects that take place for 2 hours a week over 12 weeks during term-time. Choose projects that work around your schedule, with projects at our partner schools running on different days.  

• Our sessions are led by our Youth Development Leads and involve collective mentoring activities from our curriculum and fun group games and activities that develop young people’s socio-emotional skills. The role of our volunteer mentors is to get stuck into session activities, typically supporting a small group of mentees, and helping the Youth Development Lead with facilitating activities with your fellow mentors.  

• Sessions are designed to be exciting and engaging for our young people, so by showing up weekly and bringing confidence and enthusiasm, you’ll be helping your mentees to grow in confidence, develop their skills and have fun! 

Volunteer with us at Acorns Children's Hospice Black Country for our Christmas Fete on Saturday 6th December 2025!

At Acorns we provide care and support for life limited or life threatened children and their families. We are a charity, and our fundraising is vital to enable us to continue providing care and support to the children: it costs around £11 million a year to run our care services.

 What's involved?

We are looking for volunteers who will come a long to support Acorns and engage with members of the public. 

Join our team for a day of festive fun! We're looking for volunteers to help with a variety of stalls and activities, including:

• Stall holders
• Admissions
• Refreshment stand

The event will take place at Yewtree and Tamebridge Community Centre WS5 4LB

How much time will it take?

9.30am - 15.30 either for the whole event or a few hours 

Am I right for the role?

We’re looking for volunteers who are

• Approachable and happy to raise awareness about Acorns
• Versatile and willing to adapt and help out

Why volunteer at Acorns?

• To help a local charity and make a different in your community
• Connect with likeminded people and make new friends
• Learn new skills to boost your CV
• Opportunities to progress to other roles

Join an award-winning charity in Macclesfield, celebrating 20 years of empowering young people and building community. We’re looking for a volunteer Finance Trustee with experience in finance or accountancy, and a willingness to apply their skills to the charity sector.

You’ll join a strong, experienced board with expertise in business, law, safeguarding, and management, supported by robust policies, safeguarding training, and a culture of creative thinking. Our finances are in good shape, and you’ll be supported by our skilled Operations Manager and admin team. Cre8 is a responsive, values-driven organisation with diverse funding streams, including a pioneering social enterprise. If you share our vision and passion for community, we’d love to hear from you.

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.