Volunteer roles

Volunteer Living History Assistant

About The Role

By providing an excellent visitor experience as a member of the Living History team, you will be bringing wetlands throughout history, and the history of the mere to life by delivering key messages about how important wetlands are for food, materials, medicine and livelihoods. This encourages our visitors to make the most of their visit to Martin Mere, and to understand and support our work to save wetlands for wildlife and people.

Volunteers are an essential part of the WWT team. You’ll get a warm welcome, including information on training, equipment and anything else you need. 
 
If you are interested in volunteering for WWT but don’t wish to apply online, please email us or give us a call and leave us a message with your name and number. 
 
Just to let you know, some of our roles are very popular. To help our teams and minimise disappointment for people kind enough to want to support us, we might take roles down before the closing date if we get a lot of applications. If you do miss a role, or are looking for something particular, you can sign up to opportunity alerts. 

About You

No previous experience is required as training will be provided.  However this role will suit you if you have a love of wildlife and the outdoors and are:

• A good knowledge of local history
• Confident or experienced in delivering talks
• Able to work in a team of staff and volunteers
• Experience in a customer related role would be advantageous
• Able to communicate well to a diverse range of audiences
• Familiar with Martin Mere centre

Please note, this role is not suitable for Under 18’s. 

About Us

We’re WWT, and we’re on a mission to restore the super-powered ecosystems we call wetlands. There’s never been a more important moment for our work, and we’ve got some phenomenal people on the case.

Whether they’re taking a new visitor under their wing, or conducting ground-breaking research further afield, our team are second to none. And there’s nothing we love more than watching them soar.

Whatever you do here, you’ll be helping to restore wetlands and unlock their power. So, the only question left is, what role will you play?

Why you’ll love volunteering at WWT

• Feel good knowing you are helping to restore wetlands, and our world
• Be surrounded and inspired by like-minded wetland lovers
• Hear from the people who inject their energy, passion and expertise into wetlands and wildlife – talks, walks, webinars, tea and cake…
• Free entry to all our wetland centres, including your family
• Volunteer discount on shopping and memberships
• Access to webinars and practical information to help you manage daily life

How to Apply

For more information on this role, and others, and to apply please visit our website. 

Thank you, and we look forward to hearing from you! 

The Befriender 'In Home' Volunteer will play an important role by providing companionship to someone we support at our supported living service in Aylesbury, by spending time with them, visiting them in the home and doing activities they enjoy. These might include chatting over shared interests & hobbies, reading books, playing board games or arts & crafts.

Skills Required

•  To be kind, empathetic and friendly

• To have a good sense of humour and love to chat

• To be punctual and reliable

• To be able to deal with information in line with our data protection and confidentiality procedures

Benefits

• This is a fantastic opportunity to have a direct impact upon the lives of others. 
• Befriending is a great way to keep active and meet new people.
• SeeAbility provides training and this can help you to develop new skills & gain valuable work experience
• Volunteers can claim travel expenses.

  About Us 

  Registered as The Royal School for the Blind, SeeAbility is one of the oldest disability charities in the UK. 

  We specialise in supporting people who have learning disabilities, autism, complex needs, who may also have sight loss. Our support ranges from providing person-centred support across our many supported-living and residential care provisions. Furthermore, we provide specialist eye-care services to children and adults alike and assists people to find paid employment for the very first time.

  SeeAbility provides the resources and expertise that make this possible, we support people to live ambitious lives and achieve things they never thought possible.

About the Role

We are seeking enthusiastic and committed volunteers to join our team as a Charity Support Officers. This is a flexible position where you can tailor your contribution by choosing the area that best suits your skills and interests:

• Events Support – Help plan, coordinate, and deliver charity events, including fundraising initiatives and community engagement activities.
• Policy Review – Support the review, updating, and development of internal policies to ensure compliance and best practice in governance.
• Performance Management – Contribute to monitoring and evaluating our projects, analysing outcomes, and identifying areas for improvement.
• Social Media Strategy – Assist in shaping and delivering our online presence, developing engaging content, and growing digital reach.

Key Responsibilities
Depending on your chosen specialism, you may:

• Assist in planning and delivering successful events.
• Review and update organisational policies in line with legal and sector standards.
• Collect and analyse data to support impact reporting and performance improvement.
• Develop social media content calendars and strategies to engage supporters online.

Person Specification
We are looking for volunteers who:

• Have strong organisational and communication skills.
• Can work independently as well as part of a team.
• Demonstrate attention to detail and reliability.
• Bring enthusiasm and an interest in the charity sector.
• Have relevant skills or a willingness to learn in their chosen specialism (e.g., events planning, policy research, data analysis, or digital communications).

What You’ll Gain

• A meaningful opportunity to contribute to a growing charity.
• Hands-on experience in a specialist area aligned to your interests.
• Training and mentoring opportunities to develop your skills.
• The chance to be part of a supportive and passionate volunteer community.

Take a look at our events and pop down and visit us! https://www.mentalfightclub.art/whats-on 

Our Cat Fosterers play a vital role by providing a temporary, loving home for cats that are in the care of the RSPCA.

Why we want you 

We are the RSPCA South Bucks Branch and it's our vision to live in a world where all animals are respected and treated with compassion. Our volunteer fosterers are incredible, they play an essential role in helping us carry out our important animal welfare work by caring for cats and enabling them to be rehomed. 

You could be fostering an animal for just a few weeks, or it could be a longer term placement for several months and in a few cases it can be longer. 

What you will be doing 

Providing care and suitable housing in a safe environment for cats while they are in foster care in accordance with Society policies and guidelines.

Feeding, watering, providing enrichment, socialising and grooming cats (as appropriate).

Liaising with your Cat Co-ordinator regularly. For cats ready for rehoming: sharing photos and videos to the cat coordinator to enable them to raise awareness and rehoming. 

If the animal has specific needs you will be supported by your local team of fosterers to enable you to provide the care needed.

Offering a separate room to keep the cat/s in and separate from your own animals.

Some cats may have had surgery and will need a period of cage rest. This will be provided.

Your family/household must be fully supportive (and checked/confirmed that there are no cat allergies within the household).

All members of the household should discuss with their GP whether a tetanus vaccination is required, and make a decision based on this.

Transporting your foster cat safely for vet appointments.

Allowing a potential adopter to enter your home to view a cat up for adoption after they have been assessed by the cat co-ordinator, a volunteer can support you in this. 

Completing the local branch paperwork relating to the cats in your care.

The skills you need 

Volunteers must be aged 18 or over. 

Previous experience of fostering would be beneficial, and experience caring for cats is essential. 

If you have existing cats, they must be spayed/neutered and vaccinated. 

If in rented accommodation, permission from the landlord must be obtained. 

You must live in South Buckinghamshire or close to Chesham.

Volunteers must complete an online induction, you will need to have basic IT skills and access to a PC or laptop, or have someone who can help you carry out the induction. 

What's in it for you 

Meet like-minded people and get to know more about the work of the RSPCA South Bucks Branch.

Add an important animal welfare role to your CV.

A great induction and training relevant to your role. 

Support from our local and national teams.

You’ll be making a huge difference to the welfare of animals. 

What we provide you

We provide all the food, litter, medication and equipment needed to foster cats in our branch. Any other expenses must be agreed in advance with the Finance Manager.

A community of local fosterers to draw support and information.

Regular contact with your cat coordinator to support you.

Disclaimer 

Our fosterers are subject to an informal interview, home assessment visit, two satisfactory references and completion of online induction training including Health and Safety. 

This flexible home volunteering role is worthwhile and rewarding. Make a real difference writing letters. As a Volunteer Penpal Writer you’ll be a key member of the Letterbox Team. Your letters will cheer someone up and establish a trusting, supportive relationship with a client who might be lonely or socially isolated.

What tasks can this role include (some or all of the following):

• Writing letters to clients
• Building trust and companionship with a client through correspondence. Omega befriends a variety of people including: caregivers, the lonely, isolated or people with ill-health.
• Liaising with the Letterbox Team by email or post.
• Respecting service standards, appropriate boundaries and recognising the policies and procedures that are necessary when befriending adults at risk.
• Making suggestions to help us improve the service we provide to clients and Volunteer Pen pal Writers.

This role could be for you, if you:

• Enjoy writing and receiving letters
• Are enthusiastic and self-motivated
• Associate strongly with Omega’s values and strategy
• Have knowledge or understanding about a variety of client issues including caring, feeling isolated and lonely and its impact on people and society
• Have satisfactory written and inter-personal communication skills
• Recognise the importance of confidentiality and can show this in practice
• Are committed to inclusion, treating people with dignity and respect

What support and training will be provided?

• Feedback from clients and colleagues
• Regular and ongoing support from Letterbox Team Leader
• Answering questions
• Stationary and pre-paid envelopes can be provided making the service free.
• Opportunity for peer support events and invitation to Omega events
• Reward system and opportunity for volunteer of the month rewards

What are the benefits for you?

• Knowing you are making a difference to someone’s life by doing something you enjoy
• Joining the Omega Team, who are taking action against loneliness and isolation as well as helping people in crisis
• An opportunity to enhance your CV or learn new skills
• An opportunity to engage with your community

Location of the role:

• Mainly your home

When are you needed?

• At a time to suit you

Mencap’s goal is to make the UK the best place in the world for people with a learning disability to lead happy and healthy lives. To help us with this, we are currently looking for a volunteer to help support a person with a learning disability to travel to meetings or events.

The Travel Buddy Volunteer will support a Voices Council member who is a person with a learning disability (and possibly other disabilities) to attend a Voices Council meeting 4 times a year to travel from Wales to London and one regional meeting a year that is not in London. If you can even commit to one meeting a year, we would love to hear from you

By supporting someone with a learning disability to travel to their destination on public transport you will be making a huge difference and enabling them to attend meetings and events.

On these journeys you can also help give them the confidence and skills they need to eventually feel comfortable travelling independently.​

This role is ad hoc, and is only required when requested, but we will give as much advanced notice as possible to ensure you can be available when you are required. ​

We will cover your travel expenses to and from the volunteering destination, as well as the journey you will be supporting the person to take.​

About Mencap Mencap is the leading learning disability charity in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. We work with people with a learning disability and their families to challenge prejudice and change laws, and we directly support thousands of people to live their lives as they choose.

We have an ambitious vision for the UK to be the best place in the world for people with a learning disability to live happy and healthy lives.

Volunteering with us is YOUR opportunity to help us achieve this, whilst having the chance to develop your skills, meet new people and join a passionate and dedicated team.

The opportunity:

Mary’s Meals International is seeking an experienced Health & Safety volunteer to support a review of our current health and safety processes. Supported by our Director of Risk & Governance, you’ll work independently and remotely, offering professional insight to assess existing practices, identify opportunities for improvement, and help strengthen how health and safety aligns with other key risk areas. Your contribution will play an important role in strengthening and supporting the growth of our movement.

We anticipate a time commitment of around 1 day per month, though this is flexible and can be arranged to fit around your availability.

 The skills we’re looking for:

• A Health & Safety qualification or equivalent professional experience.
• Experience reviewing policies, processes, or practices and identifying improvements.
• An interest in, or experience of, working in international or values‑driven organisations.
• The ability to work independently and provide clear, practical advice.
• Comfortable working remotely and communicating with colleagues across locations.

About us:

Mary’s Meals is a global movement supported by people from all walks of life and we are focused on one goal – that every child receives a nutritious daily meal in a place of education. We continue to change the lives of over 3 million children who today will receive Mary’s Meals. Thousands of dedicated volunteers around the world make our mission possible. Their commitment and generosity drive our work forward, helping us reach every child still waiting for a daily meal in their place of education.

We believe in the innate goodness of people, respect the dignity of every human being and family life and believe in good stewardship of the resources entrusted to us. In line with our values, Mary’s Meals is fully committed to a culture of safeguarding. Mary’s Meals is committed to preventing any type of unwanted behaviour at work and we expect all the Mary's Meals family to share this commitment and work in the best interest of the communities we serve. Our safe recruitment practices ensure that only those that are committed to our high standards join our movement.

If you’re interested in getting involved and sharing your time and skills to support our mission, we’d be delighted to hear from you. Simply click Apply below to send us your CV and a brief note about your ideal time commitment and how we can contact you.

We offer a lifelong befriending service for adults with learning disabilities. Matching the skills and interests of passionate visitors with the specific hobbies and interests of the people we visit. Visitors visit six times a year to create a 1-2-1 connection, offer companionship, encourage people to do the things they enjoy and check-in on their wellbeing. In many cases, the visitor is the only person in someone’s life who isn’t paid to be there for them.

This is a Stop and stay, let’s get busy visitor role which means the person you will be visiting can communicate actively with you and take part in choosing or planning activities. The beneficary enjoys playing video games, watching westerns, remote control cars and having a cuppa a chat.  They are not as agile as they once were but can go for a short walk to the cafe around the corner.   Your volunteer manager will be happy to help you with ideas and suggestions for things you can do. Visits will vary in length but tends to be around an hour or longer, depending on what you do.

As a Mencap volunteer visitor you will be:

• Friendly and approachable
• Accepting of others who might be different to yourself
• Reliable and patient
• Passionate about supporting people with a with a learning disability.

As a Mencap visitor you will:

• Have the opportunity to help make a difference to the life of the person you visit
• Receive a personalised volunteer induction and training
• Have agreed out of pocket expenses reimbursed
• Meet new people
• Get on-going support, and feel appreciated and valued

**About Mencap ** Mencap is the leading learning disability charity in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. We work with people with a learning disability and their families to challenge prejudice and change laws, and we directly support thousands of people to live their lives as they choose. We have an ambitious vision for the UK to be the best place in the world for people with a learning disability to live happy and healthy lives.

Volunteering with us is YOUR opportunity to help us achieve this, whilst having the chance to develop your skills, meet new people and join a passionate and dedicated team.

We are busy team delivering the Supported Internships programme in Birmingham. The programme is based around employment and leisure for young adults with learning disabilities between age 16 and 25. We help people to develop skills for work in a employment setting and build their confidence.

We prepare them for work, and help them improve their Maths and English skills in a classroom setting, as well as:

• Improving their confidence and communication skills
• Building on their social skills with each other and out in the community
• Keeping them inspired and engaged

What You will be doing:

• You will support staff in the classroom with activities
• You will support learners to improve their Maths and English skills
• You will engage with learners, to improve their confidence and independence
• You will encourage learners to try new things and gain new skills
• Out in the community you will support staff to keep learners motivated and engaged

As a volunteer you will help Mencap staff deliver the classroom sessions assisting young adults to improve their skills, and be a support in the community.

The classroom sessions run from 9am - 3.30pm, Tuesday to Friday. We would require a volunteer to be able to commit to the same day each week. The programme runs for a school academic year of 9 months from September 2026. 

About Mencap Mencap is the leading learning disability charity in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. We work with people with a learning disability and their families to challenge prejudice and change laws, and we directly support thousands of people to live their lives as they choose.

We have an ambitious vision for the UK to be the best place in the world for people with a learning disability to live happy and healthy lives.

Volunteering with us is YOUR opportunity to help us achieve this, whilst having the chance to develop your skills, meet new people and join a passionate and dedicated team.

The opportunity: 

Mary’s Meals International is seeking an experienced Data Protection Volunteer to support a review of our current data protection approach across the organisation. Supported by our Director of Governance & Risk, you will work independently and remotely, offering professional insight to assess existing processes, identify opportunities for improvement, and help strengthen consistency and compliance across the Mary’s Meals family.

We anticipate a time commitment of around 1 day per month, though this is flexible and can be arranged to fit around your availability.

The skills we’re looking for:

• A Data Protection qualification or equivalent professional experience. 
• Experience reviewing policies, processes or practices and identifying gaps or improvements. 
• An interest in, or experience of, working in international or values‑driven organisations. 
• The ability to work independently and provide clear, practical advice. 
• Comfortable working remotely and communicating with colleagues across locations.

About us: 

Mary’s Meals is a global movement supported by people from all walks of life and we are focused on one goal – that every child receives a nutritious daily meal in a place of education. We continue to change the lives of over 3 million children who today will receive Mary’s Meals. Thousands of dedicated volunteers around the world make our mission possible. Their commitment and generosity drive our work forward, helping us reach every child still waiting for a daily meal in their place of education. 

We believe in the innate goodness of people, respect the dignity of every human being and family life and believe in good stewardship of the resources entrusted to us. In line with our values, Mary’s Meals is fully committed to a culture of safeguarding. Mary’s Meals is committed to preventing any type of unwanted behaviour at work and we expect all the Mary's Meals family to share this commitment and work in the best interest of the communities we serve. Our safe recruitment practices ensure that only those that are committed to our high standards join our movement. 

If you’re interested in getting involved and sharing your time and skills to support our mission, we’d be delighted to hear from you. Simply click Apply below to send us your CV and a brief note about your ideal time commitment and how we can contact you.

We have an elderly client in Luton, LU1 who would like someone to visit her at home once a week, or perhaps fortnighly with a phone call in between visits. She moved to Luton from Scotland many years ago and spends most of her days alone at home which understandably gets her down.  She has a supportive daughter who works full time and a friend who drops by when she can. 

As her befriender, you will provide companionship: friendly conversation and a non-judgemental listen ear, to help make her day a little brighter. Your gift of time, and your companionship will help to break the monotomy of sitting alone at home and will give her something to look forward to. Meetings will be in her flat, or in the communal garden when the weather allows. 

You need to be reliable, friendly and caring,English speaking and a good listener for easy conversations.  You should also be able to commit to befriending for at least 6 months.  Its worth noting that most of our volunteers stay involved for longer, only because they enjoy what they do. 

Befriending is a very easy way to help someone who is struggling and can be very rewarding, in fact you might both look forward to your meetings and calls. It can also provide a great opportunity to gain practical experience of working with older adults in the community for anyone who is considering working in this field. 

We provide training before you start and ongoing support once you are matched, we also reimburse expenses for travel and refreshments. Two references are required and an enhanced DBS check will be processed. 

If you live in or around Luton and have one or two hours to spare on a regular basis, please get in touch. 

There has never been a better time to consider volunteering as we prepare to open our new charity shop in Arundel.

We are seeking volunteers who are friendly, reliable, fun, vibrant and willing to work hard to make our shop a success!

What will you be doing

· Welcome customers and processing sales

· Accept, sort and label donations

· Display items for sale

· Help create eye-catching window displays

· Promote Gift Aid

· Keep the shop clean and tidy

What’s in it for you

· Make new friends

· Give back to your local community by raising vital funds for YOUR local hospice charity

· Gain confidence and customer service skills

· Be part of the award-winning St Wilfrid’s Volunteer team

· Enhance your CV and get valuable work experience

Skills you need

· An interest in retail and customer service

· Ability to work as part of a team

· Willingness to learn and develop

What else you need to know

· Duties – we have a range of flexible and regular duties available – a rota will be implemented

· No experience is required – we are happy to provide all training

· The shop has steps that lead down to our sorting area and facilities

Public Affairs Work Experience

Are you interested in public affairs and passionate about supporting children and young people with speech, language and communication challenges? Speech and Language UK is offering an exciting 3-week volunteer work experience placement from 15 June to 3 July 2026

Role Overview:

The successful applicant will play a key role in supporting the Public Affairs team with a committee event in Westminster on 22 June 2026. You’ll be involved in the full event lifecycle, from preparation to delivery and follow-up reporting.

This is a hybrid role, requiring:

• 4 days per week in our London office (09:00–15:00)
• Remote working on Fridays

How will you contribute to our cause?

• Support the Public Affairs team with event preparation, helping ensure a high-quality and impactful event
• Assist with the smooth logistical running of the Westminster committee event
• Contribute on the day by supporting delivery and engaging professionally with stakeholders
• Produce a clear, well-structured report to share key outcomes and support ongoing advocacy work

What we are looking for:

• Strong written communication skills
• Confidence in supporting events in a professional environment
• Ability to work both independently and as part of a small team
• An interest in public affairs and/or supporting children and young people with communication needs

You don’t need previous experience - just enthusiasm and a willingness to learn.

About Us:

We are Speech and Language UK – we want every child to face the future with confidence. For 2 million children in the UK, learning to talk and understand words feel like an impossible hurdle. Without the right help, this can destroy their world. They feel disconnected from their family. Unable to make friends. Unfairly punished for not following instructions they don’t understand. What does the future hold for them?

Why Us?

Speech and Language UK is dedicated to creating an inclusive environment for children and young people with speech and language challenges. If you’re ready to make a difference in a supportive, mission-driven environment, we’d love to hear from you.

What can you gain from this work experience?

• Hands-on experience working in a Public Affairs team within a national charity
• Insight into how events are planned and delivered, including a Westminster-based committee event
• Experience of working in both an office and remote (hybrid) environment
• A better understanding of how organisations influence policy and advocate for children and young people with communication needs
• The chance to build confidence, develop workplace skills, and strengthen your CV

Practical considerations and time commitment:

This work experience runs for three weeks, from 15 June to 3 July and you will be expected to attend 4 days per week in our London office (09:00–15:00) with Fridays working remotely.

You must be available to attend a Westminster-based committee event on 22 June 2026.

This is an unpaid work experience opportunity, but reasonable travel expenses will be covered and a small lunch stipend will be provided

You will receive a full induction and ongoing support from your named contact.

How to Apply:

Please submit your up-to-date CV and a supporting statement of no more than two pages, addressing how you meet the criteria outlined in this advert

For any queries about this work experience please contact Lucy Lee, Policy and Public Affairs Assistant (please contact us for email details)

Closing date for applications: Wednesday, 27 May 2026 at 9am, with interviews being held via Teams w/c 1st June 2026

Accessibility Support:

We want you to have every opportunity to demonstrate your skills, ability, and potential. Please contact us if you require any assistance or adjustments so that we can make the application process work for you. Please contact our People Team and we will be happy to assist you.

We are Disability Confident Committed under the Disability Confident Scheme.

This is an unpaid voluntary work experience opportunity designed for students who want to gain practical experience, develop professional skills, and contribute to work supporting families. This is not an employed role.

Front of House Volunteer

Information about the role

You’ll be the first point of contact for people coming to Shelter for housing, benefit or debt. This role supports the front-line service in the day-to-day operations of our housing, benefit and debt service in the hub and in our community settings.

Location: Shelter Lancashire Hub, Blackburn Central Library, Town Hall Street, Blackburn. Volunteering activity could be in the Hub or in our community settings.

Availability: Volunteering will take place within our Hub service hours of Monday-Friday, 9am – 5pm

The above is the essential information you need to know. You can apply now or read on for more details.

Range of activities may include:

• Meeting and greeting people as they arrive at the service
• Responding to general enquiries about our service
• Signposting to other services if we are unable to help
• General administrative task such as photocopying, scanning and updating information
• Contributing to reception displays and keeping notice boards tidy
• Updating client contact information on our database
• Sending text reminders about appointments and information by a no-reply text messaging service

This role fights the housing emergency by supporting people who are struggling with housing and bringing them one step closer to a safe home.

Benefits of volunteering with Shelter:

Volunteers are essential to Shelter’s mission to end housing injustice. We welcome volunteers from all backgrounds. The insights and life experience our volunteers bring to Shelter are valued as much as their contribution through volunteering.

We aim to provide our volunteers with a positive experience. This is by prioritising accessibility and tailoring the support we provide to the needs of the individual. We make sure our policies and processes are equitable, which means that no-one is unfairly disadvantaged while volunteering because of their background or identity.

Your skills and experience

We’d love the volunteer in this role to have good communication skills and be confident with using IT. But the most important thing is that you are friendly and caring, with enthusiasm for fighting the housing emergency.

Supporting you

• You will be provided with an induction into your role, access to relevant learning and a copy of our volunteer handbook.
• The role, including learning and communications, are flexible, so can be tailored so they best suit your needs and preferences.
• You will be able to claim reasonable volunteering expenses in line with Shelter’s volunteer expenses policy. Where financial circumstances would be a barrier to volunteering, we may be able to offer these funds in advance.
• You will be able to access our volunteer support package, including our colleague assistance programme and Shelter’s network of mental health first aiders.

Next steps

If you need to apply by an alternative method, please contact us.

We will then get back to you about your application. Shortlisted applicants will have a recruitment conversation to discuss the role further.

Upon offer of role, you will be asked to declare any unspent convictions and complete a basic level Criminal Record Check. Having a criminal record does not automatically mean you can’t volunteer with us. We will have a conversation with you to discuss the convictions in relation to the role you have applied for. Sometimes it may limit the ways you can get involved. Please contact us if you require more information.

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