Voluntary Social Work Volunteer Roles

Location: London

Salary: Unpaid 

Commitment: 10 to 15 hours per week, planning and strategy work can be done at times to suit you with occasional time bound interviews and team meetings scheduled to suit your schedule (corporate speak for: ‘we’ll ask when works for you first!), events would require your attendance.

Role length: 12 months +

About us

Go Inspire International C.I.C. is a women founded charity with the purpose of bringing women together to grow and thrive as a community. We believe that the world will be a better place when all women are supported to become the best versions of ourselves, and that this will allow us to better challenge the discrimination we face.

We do this by creating community centres for women, delivering wellbeing education through our events and media platform and creating a resource hub to connect women to all the information and support they need. 

Our core values are equality, intersectionality, sustainability, social connection, excellence and fun. These values permeate everything we do here at Go Inspire UK. 

If you’ve ever wanted to experience working in a place where you and your ambition are fully seen, appreciated and supported, and you want to join a really fun, high energy, full of laughs and mega supportive team then this is the opportunity for you. 

Job Description 

You will work alongside our CEO and Managing Director throughout 2024/5 to:

• Create our events calendar for 2022 in line with our purpose, including workshops, classes, talks, fairs, festivals and anything else you can think of! 

• Build and manage our events team 

• Take ownership of managing the events

• Build systems and processed to plan, execute and review all events

• Report on plans and past events to the leadership team and trustee board

Note: This role has been designed for a year to support in building and managing our events  but we would love to have you longer if it works for us both. 
 

About you 

• Be a rogue thinker, willing to come up with bold and innovative ideas. We love creativity and ridiculousness here. 

• Leadership skills are important as you’ll be building a team to work with, so you need to be able to organise, engage and support a team. 

• Time management and delegation skills are vital to make sure you’re keeping to the agreed hours! 

• Organisation nerds are wanted :D that and any events management and planning experience.

• Above all, to thrive in this role you need to be energetic, enthusiastic and willing to work in a fast paced environment as it’s a hectic but exciting one. 

Note: please do apply if you don’t tick all the above boxes. More than experience, we make decisions on team fit, willingness to grow and ambition

What we can give you 

We care deeply about creating a team and environment that people love to be a part of, and not just so we can say that in our marketing! As such, we work hard to make sure that you:

• Are part of a connected team with regular meet ups and social events.

• Get the support to achieve your personal and professional goals.

• Get regular feedback to make sure you’re on track and growing. 

• Have the opportunity to flex your creativity and propose and drive ideas forward.

• Be part of building an organisation that creates real positive impact in empowering women to not just survive, but to thrive.

• Work in a way that suits you and your unique needs, with support to identify your needs and implement solutions to meet them.

• And more than anything else, a team that sees you for who you are, and works to make sure you are reaching your true potential, your way.

• Amazing references.

And of course it goes without saying that fellow neurodiversies and those who think differently are so very welcome and celebrated in this space! 
 

How to apply and what happens next

Please fill in the following application form, no need to attach a CV. If we think you could be a good fit we will invite you for an interview with the relevant member of the leadership team.

We will do our best to get back to you if we don’t think this role is for you but due to the high number of applications this isn’t always possible. If you don’t hear from us for two weeks do feel free to reach out, but often this means you didn’t get through to interviews this time. 

Please don’t let this put you off from applying for other roles with us in the future though :) We love to hear from you and appreciate the time you put into the applications.

Any questions?

Get in touch with us!

Looking forward to hearing from you, 

Marina (CEO)

Are you a reliable, empathetic, tech-savvy individual with an eye for detail? Caudwell Children are looking for friendly and professional volunteers to help with our Service Delivery Department.
The Service Delivery Department is responsible for ensuring the beneficiaries of the charity receive high quality services. We offer services to children and support to families, including:

- Advice and signposting to local services (available to individuals anywhere in the UK),

- We accept applications for and (subject to a set of financial criteria) will contribute funding towards some specific therapies, provision of resources such as specialist wheelchairs, car seats, tricycles, sensory stimulating equipment and sports equipment

- We have specialist autism services and accept referrals to assess and diagnose autism in 4 to 11 year olds and provide information, workshops and advice to families with a child with autism

- We have an employment service for autistic young people up to age 25 years to support the transition into the digital skills workforce.

As a volunteer in our Service Delivery department, roles and responsibilities may include:

- Providing practical and emotional support to children and their families across the country

- Processing and completing applications for specialist equipment, therapies and treatment

- Data inputting onto our metro system

- Providing an information and signposting service

- Communication with other organisations via telephone and email

- Meeting and greeting visitors (including visitor sign in)

- Answering telephone/ email enquiries

- Monitoring our online chat service ensuring families receive the support that they need

We’re looking for somebody approachable, dedicated and responsible, with a good level of written and verbal communication, and telephone and computer literacy.

If you’re interested in gaining administration, communication and IT experience, and want to know that you’re helping the families of disabled children across the UK, please apply!

Are you a looking to do something worthwhile during the summer holiday? Are you a creative, friendly, open minded person who has experience working with children?

Caudwell Children are looking for volunteers to help with our summer holiday project!

These Sessions (Holiday and Food - HAF) enable disabled children to access fun, inspirational and challenging leisure activities that build life skills and promote independence whilst providing carers with vital short break respite.

Volunteer Responsibilities include:

• Assist Caudwell Children staff member(s) in running the short break activity sessions
• Help to ensure all children are safe during the activity sessions
• Support staff members with planned activities
• Participate in setting up an activity and helping with the set down
• Communicate and work with the children to ensure they have fun

This role takes place during August 2024. We are looking for volunteers that can commit to 8 days for this role (2 days per week ideally) – full training and support will be provided.

Over 18’s only can apply for this role.

Current areas we are enrolling: Newcastle and Cheshire East

Purpose of role:

With an ageing population, more and more older people are at risk of isolation and loneliness as partners and friends pass away, family members move away and the community around them changes at a fast pace.  As a Befriender, you will become part of the solution to tackling the issues of isolation and loneliness by developing strong relationships with clients and encouraging them to engage in a variety of ways.

Main activities/tasks:

• Visit or call an older person once a week for around an hour
• Spend time getting to know them and understand what things they may like to do at home (e.g. chess, knitting, reading)
• Offer healthy and fun conversation and encourage them to talk
• Give support to enable them to get out in the community and encourage participation in activities
• Promote healthy living and wellbeing
• Accompany them on visits out of the home e.g. going for a walk, shopping
• Support them to find information
• Make monthly reports on visits carried out

Become an activity lead

As a volunteer activity lead you will run a local Re-engage group who meet on a monthly or fortnightly basis. You will deliver or facilitate regular physical activity sessions for people aged 75 and over in community centres, pubs or church spaces.

This is a flexible role and each group will host activity guests, along with our volunteer drivers who pick up and drop off our activity guests.

Activities can vary from boules and skittles, dancing or singing, or coming up with your own activity to get people moving. In some groups we may have another person coming in to run a specific class so we would ask you to facilitate this and support the activity guests who are attending on the day.

You will be required to complete a DBS check for this role, for which Re-engage will cover the cost.

 Tasks include:

• Facilitating or delivering an inclusive activity with the focus on physical health and social wellbeing.
• Making activity guests feel welcome to the groups and ensuring people can participate in the activities. Activity groups are coordinated by a volunteer group coordinator.
• Following the guidance in your training to ensure that your group sessions are enjoyable, appropriate and in line with our charitable aims.

Your role as an activity lead will be to plan and deliver a session that is achievable for all the activity guests attending. Your session should be inclusive, fun and safely delivered to activity guests. Group activities can stay the same or change on a monthly or fortnightly basis.

This is a long-term voluntary role, so we are ideally looking for individuals who can commit to volunteering with us for at least 12 months.

We are looking for activity leads with the following skills and attributes: 

• Well organised 
• Good conversation skills 
• An enthusiasm for making genuine connections with older people in your community 
• A friendly, empathetic approach 
• The ability to really listen to people 
• Patience 
• A good sense of humour 
• A passion for improving the lives of lonely and isolated older people.  
• The ability to volunteer with others 
• Basic computer literacy (including the ability to use email) 
• As one of our valued volunteers, you’ll receive training from Re-engage, and support and regular communications from your group coordinator. This is a fun and rewarding role which will enable you to connect with lonely older people and make a real and lasting difference to their life.

Creative Support are looking for a Gardening Volunteer to develop and run sessions for service users with learning disabilities and complex needs in Leicester. Our service users are really keen to make use of our fantastic garden space. We have a very large back garden with several planters for growing.

We are looking for people who have a good knowledge of gardening, in particular growing and looking after plants and would like to pass on that knowledge.

The gardening sessions will run weekly and will also involve our service user families. The volunteer role will also involve an element of fundraising for our gardening project and we would welcome your ideas and support with this.

If you love gardening and have experience of allotments, or planting and growing vegetables in your back garden then this is the volunteering opportunity for you!

We support our volunteers with an Induction, training for the role, a named volunteer supervisor, a monthly newsletter and a monthly online peer support group.

Suggested Time Commitment: 3 hours per week on a Thursday

Volunteer Duties

· Coming up with ideas for gardening sessions

· Sharing knowledge of how to grow plants and look after the garden space

· Helping to fundraise for our garden project

· Clearing away at the end of the session

· Helping to promote the sessions to service users

Creative Support is a passionate, inclusive, and anti-racist organisation. We are a Stonewall Diversity Champion, Disability Confident Employer who have recently received Investors in People Silver award. We actively encourage applications from candidates from all backgrounds and cultures.

We are looking for volunteers to join our team at Oakley, 4 High Street, Bedford at our residential care service for adults with Learning disabilities. If you’re a car driver with some spare time each week, join us in our Volunteer befriender role to take our residents on day trips.

We are looking for people who are committed, reliable, and friendly. You will need to be a confident driver with a full, clean driving licence.

Whether it’s a trip into Bedford town centre to enjoy a wander down the river, a cup of tea and a cake in the local cafes, a visit to the library, or leisure activities, or even a little bit further afield. If you can commit to volunteering with us once or twice a week we’d love to hear from you!

As a volunteer with Creative Support we offer training for your role, access to a volunteer supervisor, an induction, a monthly Volunteer newsletter, and an online volunteer’s peer support group. Together we can make a difference.

Suggested time commitment: 2-4 hours a week.

Creative Support is a passionate, inclusive, and anti-racist organisation. We are a Stonewall Diversity Champion, Disability Confident Employer who have recently received Investors in People Silver award. We actively encourage applications from candidates from all backgrounds and cultures.

Dove Lane is a 24 hour residential care service for adults with Learning Disabilities. We currently have 5 residents, male and female.

We have a volunteer opportunity available at Dove Lane, Harrold, Bedfordshire. We are located in Harrold, and as we are a rural area with limited public transport, if you are a car driver with access to your own vehicle you may find it easier to travel to us, we have onsite parking available. We are flexible on the days and times for your volunteering sessions.

We are looking for volunteers to deliver fun and engaging activity sessions. If you have a particular skill, or a general enthusiasm for all things arts and crafts we’d love to hear from you! The sessions can include board games, baking sessions, knitting clubs, music lessons, origami, gardening, our residents are keen to get involved!

There are other ways to volunteer too, our service has a lovely garden and we’d love help to build a sensory garden and really make the most of the space. You would be helping a member of staff to create an area where our residents can enjoy the outdoors during the spring and summer months.

As a volunteer with Creative Support we offer training for your role, access to a volunteer supervisor, an induction, a monthly volunteer newsletter, and an online volunteer support network group on Zoom. Together we can make a difference!

Suggested Time Commitment: 4 hours a week

Creative Support is a passionate, inclusive, and anti-racist organisation. We are a Stonewall Diversity Champion, Disability Confident Employer who have recently received Investors in People Silver award. We actively encourage applications from candidates from all backgrounds and cultures.

We currently have a volunteering opportunity in the Adlington area of Chorley for a volunteer Befriender. If you have a couple of hours to spare on a Wednesday or at the weekend and can commit to volunteering with us on a weekly basis, we’d love to hear from you!

Our service user enjoys going for walks in the local area including walking around the Rivington Reservoir, loves animals especially dogs, is currently learning to swim, and enjoys anything arty with colouring in a favourite hobby. We are looking for a female volunteer who is warm and chatty and would like to help our service user to explore the local community and enjoy her hobbies together.  If you are interested and would like to apply, you can apply via our website or get in touch for further info.

As a volunteer with Creative Support we offer training for your role, access to a volunteer supervisor, an induction, a monthly Volunteer newsletter, and an online volunteer’s peer support group. Together we can make a difference.

Suggested time commitment: A couple of hours on Wednesdays, or at weekends.

Creative Support is a passionate, inclusive, and anti-racist organisation. We are a Stonewall Diversity Champion, Disability Confident Employer who have recently received Investors in People Silver award. We actively encourage applications from candidates from all backgrounds and cultures.

Are you a reliable and friendly individual who is looking to volunteer some of your time in the local community?

Walkden Road is a service based in Worsley, Greater Manchester. At this property, we support two gentlemen with a learning disability, autism and sensory requirements, as well as limited verbal communication skills. The service users live in their own flats and receive 24 hour support. While out with their support workers, the service users enjoy taking part in a range of activities. They have their own vehicles, which we are looking for a volunteer to drive. This will allow the service users to access local amenities, as well as planned days out further afield!

We are looking for an enthusiastic individual to become a Volunteer Driver for our Walkden Road service. As a Volunteer Driver, you will enable service users to attend activities that they are otherwise unable to access. Some activities are only accessible by car, so your role will be essential in supporting our service users enjoy meaningful activities. The role involves driving the service user’s own vehicle, taking themselves and a member of staff to activities they enjoy.

While undertaking your role you will be accompanied by a support worker, who will assist the service user in attending their chosen activity. Depending on the activity, there may be an opportunity for you to participate if this is something you are interested in. This can be discussed and arranged with your named supervisor.

Duties:

· Collect the service user and support worker promptly from the front of their residence, location prearranged.

· Safely drive passengers to activity.

· Collect promptly after scheduled activity has finished, OR, remain at activity to watch or participate as agreed with the supervisor.

· Return passengers to their residence unless pre-arranged otherwise.

· Engaging with service users and staff in a positive, friendly manner.

· Maintain confidentiality regarding our service users

Creative Support is a passionate, inclusive, and anti-racist organisation. We are a Stonewall Diversity Champion, Disability Confident Employer who have recently received Investors in People Silver award. We actively encourage applications from candidates from all backgrounds and cultures.

Suggested Time Commitment:

Monday to Friday, 12-3pm

Our Leicester services would love to have some Volunteers join our team. We are looking for Activities Assistant volunteers to provide fun and interesting sessions for our service users. The sessions can be arts and crafts, music lessons, or board games. Our service users will be involved in deciding the types of activity sessions we hold, and you will be helping us to provide opportunities for people to relax, try new activities, to meet new people and much more. We are looking for people with enthusiasm, willing to try new things, the ability to be patient and show empathy, and to provide non-judgemental support.

We support our volunteers with an Induction, training for the role, a named volunteer supervisor, a monthly newsletter and a monthly online peer support group.

· Setting up for the activity, moving tables and chairs if necessary.

· Assisting with the activity

· Coming up with ideas for new sessions.

· Clearing away at the end of the session.

· Helping to promote the sessions to service users.

As a volunteer with Creative Support we offer training for your role, access to a volunteer supervisor, an induction, a monthly volunteer newsletter, and an online volunteer’s peer support group.

Together we can make a difference.

We are a passionate, inclusive and anti-racist organisation. We embrace diversity and encourage applicants from all backgrounds and cultures. As a Disability Confident Employer we welcome applications from people with a disability, and as a proud Stonewall Diversity Champion we actively encourage applications from the LGBT+ community.

The Creative Support Disco in Stockton is a popular weekly social night for adults with support needs. 

We are looking for Volunteers to help us at the weekly Stockton disco held at The Oxbridge. We would like support with selling tickets on the door, running the tuck shop, handing out the refreshments, and helping to set up the room.

The disco has a core group of service users who help out on the night, your role will be to support the service users in completing activities, and helping Creative Support staff to make sure the event runs smoothly.

To support you in your role you will be offered training and regular supervisions with an assigned volunteer supervisor.

Volunteer Duties:

· Help with duties on the night including setting up tables and chairs.

· Selling tickets on the door

· Helping run the tuck shop and handing out refreshments

· To follow Health and Safety guidelines and alert staff to any concerns.

Suggested Time Commitment: Tuesday 6:30pm till 9pm

Creative Support is a passionate, inclusive, and anti-racist organisation. We are a Stonewall Diversity Champion, Disability Confident Employer who have recently received Investors in People Silver award. We actively encourage applications from candidates from all backgrounds and cultures.

We can only accept applications from candidates who are located in and eligible to work within the UK.

Our service users love to go out walking and we’d like to set up a weekly walking group. We are looking for a volunteer to act as leader for the group and map out interesting local routes to enjoy some fresh air around the parks of Hinckley and the surrounding area.

As part of your role you will plan the route of the walk, ensuring comfort breaks are included. Make sure that the walk is accessible for all by adapting the pace when necessary so that all participants enjoy the walk and are able to join in. Include health and safety and risk assessments in your planning. You will also help to promote the walking group to service users by encouraging people to attend, and motivating people to attend.

As a volunteer with Creative Support we offer training for your role, access to a volunteer supervisor, an induction, a monthly volunteer newsletter, and an online volunteer support network group on Zoom.

Bosworth House is a supported living service for adults with mental health needs, we currently have eight tenants with thirteen flats. Bosworth House is centrally located in Hinckley and has good transport links.

We are a passionate, inclusive and anti-racist organisation. We embrace diversity and encourage applicants from all backgrounds and cultures. As a Disability Confident Employer we welcome applications from people with a disability, and as a proud Stonewall Diversity Champion we actively encourage applications from the LGBT+ community.

Background to the RJ4All Internships 

RJ4All was originally set up by volunteers, and it would not exist without their involvement and continued support. Therefore, RJ4All recognises their significant contribution. The vast majority of our interns are young people most of whom are faced with challenges let those be social, financial, migration or refugee status etc.

The RJ4All internships are not paid, but offered on a volunteering basis. This is because we believe that volunteering is an important way to make a positive contribution to our communities and is of particular benefit to young people who are often forgotten or marginalised. Nevertheless, volunteering with RJ4All does not mean standing outside of tube stations wearing bunny suits to raise funds! It involves high quality project activity, engaging with social project and policy issues, and making a real difference where it matters. It also means doing youth-led work, organising events and running user-led training workshops. All out of pocket expenses are paid (see Volunteer Policy for more detail).

Our principles 

We are established upon the FREDA underlying values of restorative justice. These stand for Freedom, Respect, Equality, Dignity and Autonomy. Our interns are expected to subscribe to these values as well as that of power sharing. 

RJ4ALL has the Quality Mark of the European Commission’s European Solidarity Corps and has adopted European Solidarity Corps Charter. All principles underlying this Volunteer and Intern Policy are fully aligned with the Mission and Principles of the European Solidarity Corps. Previously, RJ4All was using the EVS principles (European Voluntary Service). 

The role  

This is a supporting role working under the line management of the Community Centre Manager. It is an office-based position at our RJ4All Community Centre in Rotherhithe working across projects and RJ4All services. The post holder will support the organisation to ensure the effective administration of the RJ4All Centre and the delivery of RJ4All programmes through a combination of excellent organisational, communication and interpersonal skills.

Initiative and innovation are attributes that are highly valued at RJ4All. Furthermore, the post holder will be involved in delivering project-related tasks as well as promoting projects, participate and create workshops. 

Volunteering hours under this role are between 9:30am-5:30pm and the placements are usually offered on a minimum of a 3-month engagement. 

Role description 

We want to offer a rounded experience to all our interns and therefore they are engaged in five different areas of work: 

1. Community Project Delivery on one or multiple of our community centre projects (incl. Youth Clubs, Food Bank, Community Fridge, Charity Shop, Sports classes for young people/for people with disabilities, Digital Inclusion workshops), art workshops, Mediation, wellbeing support, etc.).  

1. Research and policy support on our Restorative Justice postcode project.

1. Administrative work such as managing our organisation email account or project monitoring and evaluation

1. Social media such as leading on our Facebook page

1. Writing a blog for our members and our FRED campaign. 

Other tasks may include: 

• Engagement with Service Users, 

• Youth work, 

• Event planning, outreach, and management, 

• Report writing and proofreading, 

• Compiling, formatting, analysing qualitative and quantitative data,

• Conducting stakeholder mapping 

• Writing for the website, blogs and other newsletters, 

Helping with funding applications. 

What support will I be given?  

Interns will be given a full induction and will be supported through one-to-one meetings and daily support. The candidate will benefit from a range of training initiatives.

What benefits can I expect to gain from the experience?  

The position offers a rich and high-quality experience that will enhance future job prospects within the area of community engagement and project delivery within the charity sector as well as social policy and research. We also offer Youth Pass and CPD accreditation where relevant. 

What skills or experience do I need? 

• An interest in community engagement and project delivery within the charitable sector and/or social policy and research

• Excellent written and oral communication skills,

• Excellent organisational skills

• Ability to work as a member of a team and on your own initiative,

• A keen eye for spotting errors, 

• Organised and self-managing, 

• Commitment to the values of dialogue, transparency, non-adversarial methods of conflict resolution and restorative justice, 

• Sympathise with the aims, ethos and organisational culture of RJ4All including its vision, mission and values.