Volunteer roles for the Housing and Homelessness sector

The built and natural environment have profound impacts on the health and wellbeing of people and the environment. We believe therefore that our work is more important than ever.

To help support and inform that work we have a Policy Council, which we are looking to broaden the skills and range of perspectives on.

You do not need to be an expert in town planning – it is more important that you believe in the importance of the work we do. But, to help strengthen the range of expertise and perspectives on the Policy Council we are particularly interested in people with relevant experience in, or policy knowledge of, one or more of the following areas:

• Healthy place-making
• Planning law and parliamentary processes
• Affordable housing
• Economic development, investment and/or viability
• Heritage
• Energy efficiency, building design and retrofit

Inclusion is a core value of our organisation and we are passionate about promoting diversity and representation in our Association. We positively encourage applications regardless of age, disability, ethnicity, gender identification, marital status, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, or sexual orientation.

To find out more about the TCPA and how to express your interest in these roles please see the recruitment pack and visit our website.

Do you believe that there is an urgent need for places to be resilient to environmental, economic and social challenges?

Are you interested in a role that will help secure homes, places and communities where everyone can thrive?

The Town and Country Planning Association (TCPA) is looking to appoint up to two new Trustees and if you answered a resounding ‘yes’ to the questions above then these could be the roles for you!

The built and natural environment have profound impacts on people’s health, wellbeing and life chances and we also face climate, nature, housing and health crises. The work of the TCPA is, therefore, more important than ever.

To support our important work we are looking to broaden the skills and range of perspectives on our Board of Trustees. You do not need to be an expert in town planning or have a background working in the built environment sector. We are particularly interested in candidates who believe in the importance of the work we do and have experience in one or more of the following areas:

• Charity fundraising and new business development
• Charity governance
• Operational elements of running a small charity
• Campaigning and communications

 Inclusion is a core value of our organisation and we are passionate about promoting diversity and representation in our Association. We positively encourage applications regardless of age, disability, ethnicity, gender identification, marital status, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, or sexual orientation.

To find out more about the TCPA and how to express your interest in these roles please see the recruitment pack or visit our website.

Expressions of interest should be received by midday on Friday 3 October.

It is fantastic that you would like to find out more about volunteering at St Mungo’s. We are looking for volunteers who play the piano to facilitate regular music group sessions for our clients. You will be volunteering at a care home and therefore engaging with older clients. The service has bought a piano and as a regular volunteer you will be building rapport by playing music and having a sing along, discussing with residents their favourite music and what memories they associate with it.

In this role, you will be supporting us with all or some of the following tasks: • Teaching clients a specific musical instrument (pre-agreed). • Encouraging conversations around music. • Facilitating music sessions with groups of clients in an inclusive and empowering way. • Designing the music sessions to meet the needs of the participants and taking a creative approach to how these are facilitated. • Adhering to St Mungo’s Policies and Procedures at all times. 

Do I need to have any specific skills? • Experience of, or an interest in, in leading groups. • Ability to play a musical instrument. • Confidence in leading a group with staff present. • A friendly personality, good interpersonal skills, enthusiasm and motivation. • Great communication skills with a person-centred approach. • An understanding of the causes of homelessness and its impact. • Genuine interest in and commitment to St Mungo’s work and client group. • An understanding of and commitment to diversity & equality.

Location:

• Brent- Monday- Sunday, Ideally Monday evening (but can be other times), 2-3 hours per week.

Volunteer Social Media Content Producer

Location: Haggerston and other SCT sites in East London

Time Commitment: Flexible

Reports to: Director of Fundraising, Marketing and Communications/Digital Marketing and Communications Manager.

About Us

Based in East London, we have supported people affected by homelessness and addiction for sixty years. We provide a residential addictions treatment programme and counselling, a training and development service, supported housing, and a Housing First service.

Our approach is trauma-informed, holistic and compassionate. We enable people to build strong foundations for the future and discover new skills, improve confidence and self-esteem, and improve physical health and mental well-being. All are vital to establishing a lasting recovery from homelessness and addiction and creating a more fulfilling life.

Our nine charity shops and two social enterprises, put us in the heart of communities across East London.

Role Overview

We are seeking a creative and enthusiastic Volunteer Social Media Content Producer to help us craft engaging, mission-driven content for our social media platforms. This is a great opportunity for someone who loves storytelling, creating digital content and wants to use their skills to support a meaningful cause.

Key Responsibilities

As part of the Fundraising, Marketing and Communications team, key responsibilities include:

· Developing original content for platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and LinkedIn.

· Creating graphics, short videos, reels, stories, and written posts that align with our brand and messaging.

· Collaborating with teams across SCT, including SCT retail, to plan and execute content calendars and campaigns.

· Repurposing existing materials into social media-friendly formats.

· Staying informed about social media trends and suggesting creative ways to increase engagement.

Skills & Experience

· Experience in content creation for social media (personal, academic, or professional).

· Proficiency with tools like Canva, Meta, CapCut, or similar.

· Strong visual storytelling and writing skills.

· Ability to work independently and meet deadlines

· Passion for social impact and a good understanding of social media platforms.

What We Offer

· A chance to make a real difference through your creative work.

· Opportunities to build your portfolio and gain experience in nonprofit communications.

· A reference or recommendation upon successful completion of the role.

· Flexible hours and a supportive, collaborative team environment.

We are looking for a dedicated Volunteer Treasurer to join our Board of Trustees and help guide the financial well-being of the charity as we grow and respond to increasing need. Becoming a Treasurer at Shiloh means more than just numbers. You’ll be helping us build stronger futures for some of the most vulnerable people in our community. It’s a chance to use your skills for good and to be part of a dedicated, friendly team.

As Treasurer, you will:

• Work closely with the Board, Chief Executive, and Finance Manager

• Ensure our finances remain sustainable, compliant, and transparent

• Be part of a passionate team committed to lasting change for people affected by homelessness

General Responsibilities of a Trustee

• Ensure the charity focuses on its purpose and all activities align with its aims and objectives

• Comply with the governing document and meet all legal requirements

• Act in the charity’s best interests

• Prepare for meetings, seek advice when needed, and make informed decisions

• Contribute to Shiloh’s strategy and policies, and support and guide the Chief Executive and staff team

Specific Responsibilities of the Treasurer

• Ensure the charity’s financial affairs are legal, constitutional, and in line with accepted accounting practice and Charity Commission guidelines

• Oversee accurate record-keeping and effective financial procedures and controls

• Lead the Finance Sub-Group (with the CEO and Finance Manager) to monitor financial health and report key updates at Board meetings (e.g. income/expenditure, balance sheet, cash flow, reserves)

• Oversee the timely preparation of the annual budget and recommend its adoption to the Board

• Guide trustees in assessing the financial viability of plans, proposals, and feasibility studies

• Ensure financial resources meet both present and future needs

• Maintain a robust overview of financial risks facing the charity

• Oversee the production of financial reports, returns, accounts, and independent examinations

What We’re Looking For

Knowledge and Understanding

• Experience in charity finance and fundraising

• Financial qualifications (desirable)

• Previous Treasurer experience (desirable)

• Trustee board or committee experience

• Knowledge of restricted, unrestricted, and designated funds

• Knowledge of Gift Aid

• Understanding of governance and the voluntary sector

• Awareness of the legal duties, responsibilities, and liabilities of trusteeship

Key Skills and Abilities

• Strong analytical skills to assess proposals and financial implications

• Ability to lead Finance Sub-Group meetings ahead of Board meetings

• Availability to provide occasional ad hoc support to staff on finance-related queries

• Able to build strong relationships and act as an ambassador for Shiloh

• Collaborative team player who values diverse perspectives

Personal Attributes

• Commitment to Shiloh’s vision and values

• Good listener, open to feedback and other perspectives

• Positive, problem-solving attitude

• High integrity and commitment to the Seven Principles of Public Life: selflessness, integrity, objectivity, accountability, openness, honesty, leadership

Why we need you

Casework triage volunteers help our caseworkers manage demand at our partner day centres by welcoming people, and assessing what issues they need support with. They then signpost people to other services where appropriate, help them access the day centre facilities, and help caseworkers to prioritise the most pressing guest needs.

When and where

Our partner day centres at the Ace of Clubs, HTB, the Upper Room, and Chelsea Methodist Church all have casework triage volunteers, who volunteer on the same day each week, usually for a 3hr shift.

What experience do I need?

It's the perfect volunteering role if you:

· Have some experience directly working or volunteering with vulnerable people,

· Are confident, friendly, and can think on your feet,

· Want to dedicate half a day weekly to volunteering in a frontline service.

What would I gain?

· Experience contributing to a frontline homelessness service

· Valuable experience for your C.V. and a professional reference

· All volunteers have access to our employer assistance programme, a free confidential helpline.

Travel and lunch expenses are available, and we're particularly keen to hear from people who have volunteered in a homelessness service before, or who have lived experience of homelessness.

Do you have a legal or financial background with experience in project management?

Are you excited about property and development?

Do you have an innovative approach?

If so, we’d really like to hear from you!

We are working in partnership with ELM Group, a not-for-profit organisation, consisting of RLHA (Retirement Lease Housing Association) and ELM Management (the non-retirement part the business). The group owns over 40 freeholds and manages another 60 estates in the South of England. The head office is in Frimley, Surrey and employs just over 160 staff.

Established in 1971 the Group is very proud of its history and its charitable status and is looking forward to a great future.

They are seeking to recruit a Chair to join the Board for 2 terms of 3 years (6 years) in line with the National Housing Federation Code of Governance 2020.

The successful candidate will have an innovative approach, a passion for property and development, bringing either legal or financial knowledge alongside excellent project management

Meetings are held on the 2nd Monday morning of each month, (except June, August, and December). There are currently 6 members of the Board and 2 Leaseholder Board Members.

If you are someone who can demonstrate these skills and experience alongside the ability to advise and contribute to the Board, then we would like to hear from you.

For more information, please contact Sandra Smith, Associate Director, Charisma Charity Recruitment. Applications should be submitted through the Charisma website and include your CV and supporting statement.

We welcome and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds. We do not discriminate on the basis of disability, race, colour, ethnicity, gender, religion, sexual orientation, age, veteran status, or other category protected by law.

£2,781 per annum plus reasonable expenses

Closing date for applications: 2nd November 2025

We are working in partnership with Guildford Sunset Homes (GSH) a small, well-respected charitable trust based in Merrow, near Guildford, registered under the Communities and Societies Benefits Act of 2014, and who provide 87 social rent apartments for retired individuals of limited means from the local area. The estate features a converted Grade II listed Manor House and several purpose-built apartment blocks set within peaceful and well-maintained grounds.

GSH now seeks a new Trustee to join their friendly and dedicated Board, to work alongside a supportive team and professional estate management company, ELM Group, who employ two members of staff to take care of the day-to-day running of the Estate.

This is an exciting opportunity, where you will help guide the development and direction of a thriving retirement community, and improve the estate for their residents.

They are looking for experience in the following areas:

• Housing associations
• Property sectors
• The charity sector

What’s in it for you:

• A chance to make a positive impact in the area.
• Gain additional experience in governance, leadership, and nonprofit management
• Develop valuable skills for your career and personal growth.
• Broaden your own networks

If you can commit to attend approximately 6 board meetings a year and are passionate about giving back to the community, we would love to hear from you.

For more information, please contact Sandra Smith, Associate Director, Charisma Charity Recruitment. Applications should be submitted through the Charisma website and include your CV and supporting statement.

We welcome and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds. We do not discriminate on the basis of disability, race, colour, ethnicity, gender, religion, sexual orientation, age, veteran status, or other category protected by law.

Closing date for applications: 2nd November 2025

Who They Are
YMCA Henley, founded in 1857, is a well-established charity and a Registered Provider of Social Housing. The organisation provides affordable housing for young people through 31 self-contained studio apartments and flats. In addition, the “Y-Centre” offers community activities via a purpose-built pavilion, with sporting activities centred mainly on football—at junior level on grass pitches in partnership with local organisations, and at adult level on a floodlit, all-weather playing surface.

The Role
The Honorary Treasurer applies their financial knowledge and experience to work alongside the Finance Manager in overseeing the organisation’s financial affairs. They ensure that all practices are legal, constitutional, and in line with accepted accounting standards.

The role includes ensuring compliance with the requirements of the Charity Commission and the Regulator of Social Housing. This involves reviewing financial reports, returns, and draft statutory accounts prepared by staff.

The Honorary Treasurer chairs meetings of the Finance and Development Committee, which monitors and reports to the Trustee Board on a quarterly basis. They also liaise, where necessary, with the Independent External Financial Examiner to finalise statutory accounts for presentation and approval by the Trustee Board.

A full role description is available, along with a comprehensive induction programme and potential handover.

Connection Support has a range of services providing support to people at risk of homelessness or on the edge of needing social care. We work with people made vulnerable through debt, mental health issues, substance misuse, learning disability, and physical disabilities.

Volunteers play a key role in the provision of vital services to our clients.

Are you a reliable handyperson who can undertake, upkeep, and repair a range of tasks for our housing support clients?

• Do you have 1-2 hours a week to make basic home improvements to client’s accommodation?
• Are you a dab hand at DIY and want to put your handyperson skills to good use?
• Do you have an interest in motivating people to make positive changes in their lives through acquiring new skills?

If you can answer ‘yes’ to these questions, then we would love to hear from you!

Key responsibilities

Your role will include carrying out basic household repairs and alterations such as:

• Gardening work
• Flat pack furniture assembly
• Putting up curtain rails/blinds
• Hanging pictures and shelves

Skills required

No volunteering experience is required however the below skills are essential:

• Practical skills in DIY and/or gardening
• Good listening and communication skills
• Excellent people skills to enable you to work with a range of individuals with complex backgrounds

• Reliable and trustworthy
• Respect confidentiality
• Ability to build effective working relationships with clients in a non-patronising way

Connection Support has a range of services providing support to people at risk of homelessness or on the edge of needing social care. We work with people made vulnerable through debt, mental health issues, substance misuse, learning disability, and physical disabilities.

Volunteers play a key role in the provision of vital services to our clients.

Are you a reliable handyperson who can undertake, upkeep, and repair a range of tasks for our housing support clients?

• Do you have 1-2 hours a week to make basic home improvements to client’s accommodation?
• Are you a dab hand at DIY and want to put your handyperson skills to good use?
• Do you have an interest in motivating people to make positive changes in their lives through acquiring new skills?

If you can answer ‘yes’ to these questions, then we would love to hear from you!

Key responsibilities

Your role will include carrying out basic household repairs and alterations such as:

• Gardening work
• Flat pack furniture assembly
• Putting up curtain rails/blinds
• Hanging pictures and shelves

Skills required

No volunteering experience is required however the below skills are essential:

• Practical skills in DIY and/or gardening
• Good listening and communication skills
• Excellent people skills to enable you to work with a range of individuals with complex backgrounds

• Reliable and trustworthy
• Respect confidentiality
• Ability to build effective working relationships with clients in a non-patronising way

A Peer Mentor is a volunteer who has experienced similar challenges and experiences as the person they are supporting. Being a peer mentor is seen as a positive and secure way to progress towards education, work, or employment.

Volunteers who take on peer support roles can feel empowered, have a greater confidence and a more positive sense of identity.

Could you provide an authentic voice that our clients can relate to?

· Do you have 1-2 hours a week to support a client

· Can you inspire others, give them hope through self-disclosure and by being an example of recovery?

· Build relationships based on trust, acceptance, understanding and an empathy from a shared lived experience?

· Can we rely on you to tap into your own experiences to help us identify barriers and gaps in our services and how we can be improving and identify good practice?

If you can answer ‘yes’ to these questions, then we would love to hear from you!

Key Responsibilities:

· Inspiring service users by using your own life experiences and by being a positive role model

· Providing a safe sounding space, listen in a non-judgemental way

· Helping to improve wellbeing, confidence, and independence by exploring activities that promote this

· Assist service users to engage with formalised support

· Attend appropriate training and development opportunities as required

A Peer Mentor is a volunteer who has experienced similar challenges and experiences as the person they are supporting. Being a peer mentor is seen as a positive and secure way to progress towards education, work, or employment.

Volunteers who take on peer support roles can feel empowered, have a greater confidence and a more positive sense of identity.

Could you provide an authentic voice that our clients can relate to?

· Do you have 1-2 hours a week to support a client

· Can you inspire others, give them hope through self-disclosure and by being an example of recovery?

· Build relationships based on trust, acceptance, understanding and an empathy from a shared lived experience?

· Can we rely on you to tap into your own experiences to help us identify barriers and gaps in our services and how we can be improving and identify good practice?

If you can answer ‘yes’ to these questions, then we would love to hear from you!

Key Responsibilities:

· Inspiring service users by using your own life experiences and by being a positive role model

· Providing a safe sounding space, listen in a non-judgemental way

· Helping to improve wellbeing, confidence, and independence by exploring activities that promote this

· Assist service users to engage with formalised support

· Attend appropriate training and development opportunities as required

EMPLOYMENT COACH

Connection Support has a range of services providing support to people at risk of homelessness or on the edge of needing social care. We work with people made vulnerable through debt, family circumstances, mental health issues, substance misuse, care leavers, learning disability, age, and physical disabilities.

Volunteers play a key role in the provision of vital services to our clients f

Would you like the opportunity to apply your experience in a meaningful role to help vulnerable clients?

· Do you have 1 hour a week to give to a vulnerable client

· Can we rely and depend on you to commit to a period of up to 12 weeks?

· Can you create and maintain positive, professional, and trusting relationships with a non-judgmental approach?

If you can answer ‘yes’ to these questions, then we would love to hear from you!

Role summary:

To encourage and support clients on a one-to-one basis to find suitable employment or volunteering.

To assess each individual and help prepare them for meaningful and suitable employment.

Key Responsibilities

· To support clients to identify their skills and readiness for employment and training

· To communicate with clients to understand their strengths and assisting with personal barriers

· To research and match suitable employment, work placements, volunteering or training opportunities based on client preferences

· To identify any initial support needs/adjustments that the service user may need to work successfully

· To assist with CV’s, applications and support for interviews