Volunteer roles for the International Development sector

Do you want to make a real difference?

At Oxfam, we're not just selling pre-loved items and unique finds – we're working together to build a radically better world. With your help, we will turn pre-loved treasures into resources that empower communities worldwide.

Here's why Oxfam is the perfect opportunity for you:

Be a Second-hand Superhero: In our high street shops, Ecommerce Hubs and Online Shop, people like you help create exciting and inspiring collections – retail therapy with a purpose!

Increase Your Skills: If you have a particular interest, you can build on it to gain valuable retail experience to add to your CV, such as merchandising, customer service, and teamwork.

Find Your Community: Meet like-minded people who share your passion for a fairer world.

Flexibility: We know life gets busy. That's why we offer flexible volunteering options. A few hours a week is all it takes to make a big difference.

Oxfam isn't just another charity shop. We're a movement of passionate individuals working to create a fairer world, and we’d love you to be a part of it!

What happens next?

After you apply, the manager will ask you to come in for an initial chat. This is not an interview, just a chance to get an idea of what you'd like to do help out. From there, you can meet the rest of the volunteer team and get involved with whatever area of the shop takes your interest!

Winners Group Initiative

Winners Group Initiative works to improve the lives of marginalized youth, women, children, and people living with HIV/AIDS through education, entrepreneurship, and sustainable, community-driven change. Addressing challenges such as poor-quality education, inadequate healthcare, discrimination against marginalized groups, and lack of skills, they run four key programs. Education provides resources and support to 10 local public primary schools, with special focus on girls’ education. Community Development fosters collective action and skills training for employment. Advocacy empowers marginalized voices to influence decisions. Health promotes preventive care, strengthens local facilities, and extends grassroots services—creating lasting, equitable improvements in the community.

Fundraiser

You are responsible for securing financial support and resources for winners group initiative; Relationship building: Cultivating and maintaining connections with potential and existing donors.

Minimum Hours per Week:

10+ hours per week

Duration:

6+ months

Obuyisi bw'Omu Initiative

Obuyisi bw’Omu Initiative empowers underserved communities in Uganda—particularly women, youth, and children—through grassroots action, advocacy, and partnerships. It addresses key challenges including limited mental health support, poor water and sanitation, barriers to quality education, and the impacts of climate change. Programs create safe spaces for mental health awareness, improve clean water access and hygiene, and provide educational resources and mentorship to promote inclusive learning. Climate action efforts involve tree planting, conservation, and sustainable practices. By fostering community ownership and engaging volunteers, Obuyisi bw’Omu drives practical, sustainable solutions that enhance well-being and resilience for lasting positive change.

Public Relations, Communication & Media Officer

• Content Creation: Develop press releases, social media content, newsletters, and blog articles that align with our mission and campaigns.
• Media Outreach: Build relationships with journalists, influencers, and media outlets to enhance visibility.
• Brand Management: Maintain consistent messaging and tone across all communication channels.
• Campaign Support: Collaborate with other departments to promote events, fundraising initiatives, and community stories.
• Monitoring and Reporting: Track engagement metrics and suggest improvements to increase media impact.

Minimum Hours per Week:

10+ hours per week

Duration:

6+ months

Obuyisi bw'Omu Initiative

Obuyisi bw’Omu Initiative empowers underserved communities in Uganda—particularly women, youth, and children—through grassroots action, advocacy, and partnerships. It addresses key challenges including limited mental health support, poor water and sanitation, barriers to quality education, and the impacts of climate change. Programs create safe spaces for mental health awareness, improve clean water access and hygiene, and provide educational resources and mentorship to promote inclusive learning. Climate action efforts involve tree planting, conservation, and sustainable practices. By fostering community ownership and engaging volunteers, Obuyisi bw’Omu drives practical, sustainable solutions that enhance well-being and resilience for lasting positive change.

Marketing Specialist

Key Responsibilities

• Support Weekly Marketing Tasks: Assist with various marketing activities, which may change from week to week depending on current needs.
• Social Media Strategy: Help create and schedule content based on basic social media marketing principles.
• Brand Management: Contribute to maintaining a consistent and engaging brand presence across platforms.
• Task Tracking: Check in and update your progress using the task tracker provided by the manager.
• Team Support: Be ready to step in and assist another team member with her tasks when needed
• Minimum 3 full days per week

Minimum Hours per Week:

10+ hours per week

Duration:

6+ months

Obuyisi bw'Omu Initiative

Obuyisi bw’Omu Initiative empowers underserved communities in Uganda—particularly women, youth, and children—through grassroots action, advocacy, and partnerships. It addresses key challenges including limited mental health support, poor water and sanitation, barriers to quality education, and the impacts of climate change. Programs create safe spaces for mental health awareness, improve clean water access and hygiene, and provide educational resources and mentorship to promote inclusive learning. Climate action efforts involve tree planting, conservation, and sustainable practices. By fostering community ownership and engaging volunteers, Obuyisi bw’Omu drives practical, sustainable solutions that enhance well-being and resilience for lasting positive change.

Fundraiser

· Develop and Execute Fundraising Campaigns: Create compelling online fundraising campaigns (e.g., crowdfunding pages) that effectively tell the story of our work and inspire people to donate.
 
· Engage and Grow Our Supporter Base: Proactively reach out to your personal and professional networks, as well as new audiences, via social media, email, and other digital channels to share our mission and fundraising goals.
 
· Build Relationships: Cultivate relationships with donors, providing updates and thanking them for their support to foster long-term engagement.
 
· Collaborate with the Team: Work closely with our core team to align fundraising activities with organizational needs and report on progress.
 
· Utilize Digital Tools: Leverage crowdfunding and fundraising platforms and social media to maximize the reach and success of our fundraising efforts.

Minimum Hours per Week:

10+ hours per week

Duration:

6+ months

Our partner is an international development and relief organisation with Christian roots, working to tackle poverty and inequality. They support local partners and communities to unlock potential and achieve sustainable change.

They are seeking a Finance Trustee to join their Board. Candidates should be qualified finance professionals with relevant experience in financial management, governance and risk, and be supportive of the organisation’s values and ethos.

As Finance Trustee, you will support the Board in fulfilling its financial responsibilities: advising on financial strategy, reserves and investment policy; reviewing budgets, management accounts and annual financial statements; and contributing to governance and strategic planning. You will also work closely with the Finance, Audit and Risk Committee to provide independent oversight of financial performance.

The Board meets four times per year (a mix of online and in-person in London), and trustees are expected to commit around 1-2 days per month to their duties.

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For more Trustee and Treasurer roles please visit the AfID website.

Join the Largest Deployments Programme in the World!

Throughout the year, our Reachers travel overseas to gain an in-depth, on-the-ground understanding of what it takes to deliver aid amidst humanitarian crises. You’ll learn transferable skills such as fundraising, communication, and how to be both a team-player and a great leader. You’ll develop grit, resolve, resilience, and compassion, while gaining an insight into how NGOs work. One thing’s for sure, a Reach Deployment can change your life forever.

The minute you sign up to Reach, you become known as a ‘Reacher’ who is part of the Human Appeal family. We’ll support you every step of the way, from helping unlock your fundraising potential to developing your leadership skills. Expect one-to-one fundraising guidance, regular online meetings and coaching, leadership training seminars, and life-changing overseas missions. If you want to serve humanity on a global scale and raise vital funds, your journey starts here

The deployment journey has 3 important steps

After signing up and deciding upon the country you want to visit, the first step of your journey will be fundraising. Each country has its own fundraising target – please see below. Remember, you have as much time as you need to raise funds. Plus, what’s so unique about a Reach Deployment is that we don’t ask for a registration fee.

Briefing

Whether conflict or climate-related, humanitarian crises zones face the same challenges: a deteriorating infrastructure and lack of access to food, safe water, healthcare, sanitation facilities and shelter. Before you travel, you will receive a full briefing on the humanitarian situation. We’ll cover information such as what to pack, itinerary and flight information, and provide mandatory safeguarding training to protect our beneficiaries. We’ll also answer any questions you may have.

Deployment

This once-in-a-lifetime experience allows you to spend time with the people we support and see, first-hand, the real, tangible difference that humanitarian aid delivery can make, and understand the challenges faced by those living in harsh conditions.

This is a non paid role, open to applicants from any location worldwide

Starfish is an international development charity aiming to bring life, hope and opportunity to children in South Africa who have been orphaned or made vulnerable through HIV/AIDS and poverty. Starfish are looking for an enthusiastic person who is passionate about international development with good writing skills. The internship will be varied and include: researching trusts and foundations, writing applications, sending out applications & reports, managing progress on a centralised calendar, using your initiative. The Starfish UK London office is fairly small and therefore you will become very much part of the team, being able to experience the operations of a dynamic international charity. This is a great opportunity to gain invaluable experience and enhance your CV. Desired experience - Use of Microsoft packages, organisational skills, good communication skills, research skills and the ability to work well in a team.

This position is for minimum 3 days a week, working from home with potential for supporting events in central London office. 

Become a trustee and support our governance and overall work with your expertise to impact transformational work to end poverty and injustice all around the world.

If you have experience in finance, audit, risk and fiduciary oversight, you can make a meaningful impact at All We Can. We work in partnership with changemakers rooted in local communities, challenging poverty, inequality and injustice and by joining the team, you'll work with us to make a real difference in the world. 

Being trustee of All We Can is a rewarding role as you get to play your part in doing international development differently based on our relational and long-term partnership model. If you’re looking for a sense of purpose, fulfilment derived from being part of a movement which is transforming international development, this can be a role for you. 

As part of the Board of Trustee’s, you will help govern All We Can in line with its charitable objectives and to maintain oversight of the organisation’s financial affairs on behalf of the Board. You will work with other trustees and the chair across all board’s areas of responsibility and contribute within your specific area of expertise.

We’re about to launch new bold five-year strategic plan covering 2025 - 2030, and we need your challenge, championing and support to deliver it.

We are committed to equity and inclusion and to continually improving the diversity of our board. We are specifically eager to receive expressions of interest from people of colour. To perform the role, you will need to be supportive of working in a Christian faith-based environment, but do not need to be a Christian.

Are you passionate about making a tangible difference in the world? Do you have proven fundraising and leadership skills that you’d like to apply to a cause with real impact? We are seeking a new trustee to join our Board and play a vital role in shaping our future.

As a growing international development charity with a small but committed staff team (1.2 FTE in the UK, 10+ in East Africa), we are looking for trustees who are not only strategic thinkers but also prepared to roll up their sleeves and contribute actively within the boundaries of their role. We are especially keen to hear from individuals with experience in:

• Developing and delivering fundraising strategies
• Building individual giving programmes
• Creating and sustaining corporate partnerships

In this recruitment round, we are specifically seeking someone to Chair our Fundraising Sub-Committee, providing leadership and guidance to help us diversify and strengthen our income.

We are recruiting Volunteer Team Leaders to lead and inspire! This is your chance to meet new people, gain new skills and experience and have fun whilst being part of a great cause.

Location: London, working from home 

Recruiting for various Team Leaders for- so please specify.

- North London Brother Team Leader

- Slough Brother Team Leader

- South London Brother Team Leader

- Tower Hamlets Sister Team Leader

- Newham Sister Team Leader

- North London Sister Team Leader

- Oxford Team Leader

Expenses: This is a voluntary position, but we reimburse reasonable out-of-pocket expenses in line with our policy

Main tasks

We need individuals who can manage a group of volunteers within their region and work with Human Appeal staff members to ensure volunteers’ active involvement in events and campaigns.

 Recruit new volunteers and lead current volunteers who will be allocated to your team

 Communicate important campaign-related information to your team

 Organise 2 Fundraising events or community projects with your team within an assigned budget in the year.

 Actively attend and participate in Team Leader meetings and complete any actions allocated to you E.g Recruiting volunteers for online fundraising.

 Work with the Human Appeal staff team to deliver campaigns and 2 in-person events for the year.

 Organise and attend Monthly Meetings with your Volunteers

 Where possible, support with Team Leader recruitment by joining the interviewing panel

Knowledge/Experience/Skills

We will provide you with the tools, training and support you need but here are a few things we are looking for:

 Excellent communication, negotiation, influencing, innovation and interpersonal skills

 Willingness to learn and develop as an individual and accept constructive feedback

 Ability to build and maintain relationships with all levels of people 

 Ability to support and coordinate a diverse group of individuals

 Ability to prioritise workload and work well in a team

Learning and Development

To enable you to take part in this opportunity Human Appeal will provide:

 Leadership training to help you develop the skills and knowledge needed to fulfil the role

 A dedicated member of staff to provide ongoing support and supervision

 Payment of “out of pocket” expenses in line with Human Appeal’s expenses policy

 Webinars to provide you with the information you require for the campaign

 A volunteer handbook that outlines the policies and procedures you need to be aware of whilst volunteering

Benefits of volunteering with us

By volunteering in an international charity, you will gain valuable skills, experience and knowledge. We will also offer:

 Opportunities to take part in Human Appeal events and training programmes

 Opportunity for you and your team run your own event for a Human Appeal project of your choice

 Support from our HR Team in developing your CV and interviewing skills 

 Experience of operating within an international humanitarian charity

 Offer to provide references after 3 months of volunteering 

 Excellent support as part of a friendly team with fun away days

 Develop knowledge and skills in people management, social media, recruitment and project management 

Our partner is works to reduce poverty in Zambia by helping vulnerable children and young people access education, develop skills, and build better future - through training, health education, and community initiatives.

Amid a period of significant change, the charity is moving to a locally led delivery model, with the UK focusing on fundraising, governance, and reporting. They seek a qualified accountant with strategic financial management experience, charity accounting knowledge, and ideally some international development insight. The Treasurer will provide hands-on financial oversight, ensure robust controls, and maintain compliance.

The role includes chairing a Finance & Operations Sub-Committee, guiding the Board on financial matters, and working with trustees, outsourced providers, and the team in Zambia.

The Board meets quarterly (remotely) for up to three hours, with the Sub-Committee meeting beforehand. The estimated time commitment required is 4 hours per week, flexibly.

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For more Trustee and Treasurer roles please visit the AfID website.

We are currently recruiting new Board Directors at GBCC:

The Great Britain - China Centre (GBCC) is a public body under the auspices of, but independent from, the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO). GBCC works to support a robust and effective UK relationship with China which furthers the UK’s national interests, and to facilitate bilateral dialogue and exchanges. Working in close partnership with HMG and other UK institutions including parliament, the political parties, the judiciary and the legal profession, academia and business, GBCC occupies a niche role creating diverse entry points for UK-China dialogue on bilateral as well as global questions.

In operation since 1974, GBCC has established unique networks in China, the UK and globally. Our relationships and influence have provided trusted and consistent mechanisms for exchange throughout changing political climates. 

The Board of Directors comprises independent non-executives, including Members of Parliament, and is attended by representatives of the FCDO and the British Council. GBCC’s Chair is Isabel Hilton OBE, and the Honorary President is Sir David Lidington. The Board meets in London four times a year, and there is a number of sub-committees in which directors are expected to participate. GBCC’s directors are also expected to commit time outside the formal Board commitment to use their expertise to assist the Chair and the executive team in achieving GBCC’s strategic and operational goals. Board members are expected to spend approximately two days per month on GBCC business. 

GBCC now seeks to strengthen its Board and would welcome applications from those with a keen interest in, and experience and knowledge of, China. We are particularly interested in candidates with experience in one or more of the following areas: audit and financial management; fundraising and income generation; legal and governance expertise and the implications of digital and tech advances for our work.

GBCC is eager to encourage diversity on its Board. Applications are encouraged from all candidates regardless of ethnicity, religion or belief, gender, sexual orientation, age or ability. In particular, GBCC welcomes application from across all nations and regions in the UK.

Board meetings and sub-committee meetings are held during working hours and typically take place in central London. GBCC welcomes questions about reasonable special adjustments from prospective applicants. GBCC welcomes applicants who are not permanently based in the UK, but will prioritise those who can commit to attending the majority of Board meetings in person.

GBCC is recruiting new Board members for commencement in January 2026. The appointment is for three years, with the possibility of renewing for another three-year term. The positions are not remunerated.

Applications, including a CV and a covering letter setting out why the candidate believes they would be suitable for appointment, should be sent by e-mail. Please email a copy of your CV together with the covering letter in a combined pdf document marked “GBCC Board recruitment 2025”.

The application deadline is October 19, 2025 

Interviews during the week of November 17 2025. If a candidate would like to discuss any aspect of the Board position before submitting an application, please email the GBCC Chair, Isabel Hilton OBE on the same email.

At Oxfam, we're not just selling pre-loved items and unique finds – we're working together to build a radically better world. With your help, we will turn pre-loved treasures into resources that empower communities worldwide.

We’re seeking friendly, reliable individuals aged 18 or over who want to make a difference in their community by helping their local Oxfam shop to stay open for as long possible. We need people to open and close the shop, and ensure volunteers know what tasks to undertake so the shop can run smoothly.

No prior experience is needed, as we provide full training. If you’re open to learning, enjoy working with others, and have a passion for helping people, you’ll fit right in!

You have the time to become a volunteer in your community; you might be looking for work experience, the opportunity to meet new people, or keep active.

By volunteering with us in one of our amazing retail spaces you will be raising essential funds for Oxfam – all whilst learning new skills and meeting some incredible people.

What you will be doing

• Undertaking shop related tasks agreed with the Manager, for example:
• Opening or closing the shop.
• Ensuring that the shop is ready to trade or cashing up at the end of trade
• Allocating tasks to members of the volunteer team.
• Selecting, sorting, and pricing donated stock.
• Chatting to customers, giving great service on the till.
• Researching valuable and vintage stock.
• Visual merchandising: creating eye-catching window and in-store displays.
• Photographing and listing items for the online shop.
• This role may include occasionally lifting boxes. We prioritise a safe working environment and provide comprehensive health and safety training to all volunteers.

The skills you need

• We ask that you are reliable and on time for your volunteering
• Full training and support is given for this role - no prior experience is required
• Happy to be part of a team and collaborate effectively with others
• Confident communicator

What's in it for you

• Some lunch and travel costs paid (speak to the Manager first to understand what is covered)
• Access to training and development
• Grow your confidence and meet new people
• Flexible volunteering schedules that fit your lifestyle
• Free confidential support by the Retail Trust
• Possible references for future employers