Volunteer roles in Tower hamlets

FOI Researcher (Voluntary)

Location: Remote

Commitment: Flexible, part-time volunteer role

Organisation: Youth Advantage UK

About the Role

Youth Advantage UK is seeking passionate and detail-oriented volunteers to join our team as Freedom of Information (FOI) Researchers. In this role, you will play a vital part in supporting our advocacy and research projects by drafting, submitting, and tracking FOI requests to public bodies across the UK. The data you help uncover will directly inform our campaigns, reports, and youth-focused initiatives.

Key Responsibilities

• Draft clear, accurate, and effective FOI requests tailored to specific project needs

• Submit FOI requests to relevant public authorities and track their progress

• Follow up on outstanding requests to ensure timely responses

• Review and interpret data received from FOI responses

• Collaborate with project leads to integrate findings into reports and campaigns

• Maintain accurate records of requests, correspondence, and outcomes

What We’re Looking For

• Familiarity with the UK Freedom of Information Act and FOI request procedures

• Strong written communication and research skills

• Ability to interpret and summarise data clearly

• Organised, proactive, and able to manage multiple requests simultaneously

• A commitment to transparency, accountability, and youth empowerment

• Previous experience with FOI requests (desirable but not essential)

What You’ll Gain

• Experience in legal research, public accountability, and data analysis

• Insight into public sector transparency and youth advocacy work

• Flexible volunteering that fits around your schedule

• A chance to make a tangible impact on youth-focused projects

Harrow Cycle Hub is a registered charity established in 2021 with the aim of encouraging more people to cycle in Harrow.

Our chair is stepping down after five years of developing the Hub and getting it to a position where we have a part time manager for our Wheels for All programme and 55 volunteers doing amazing things in the world of cycling.

With our move to a permanent site at Kenton Rec in March, we shall be able to offer more services and help more people in Harrow to cycle.

If you care about cycling in Harrow and want to make a difference this could be the volunteer role for you.

Essential Qualities of Harrow Cycle Hub’s Chair

• Commitment to the vision and mission of Harrow Cycle Hub, with a passion for cycling and the drive to make things happen

• Experience of managing staff and motivating volunteers

• Experience of being a trustee; you do not need to have been a Chair before

• An inclusive leadership style: able to inspire and support everyone to contribute

• The ability to listen and engage effectively. You can encourage challenge and debate, whilst fostering teamwork

• Ability and willingness to champion the Hub’s work

• A strong personal commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion 

• Responsiveness – the Chair may need to take decisions and give advice at short notice.

Desirable Qualities

• Skills and experience in other relevant areas e.g. general management and strategic 

planning; organisation development; HR and volunteering; marketing; fundraising; cycling and cycle maintenance; equity, diversity and inclusion; voluntary sector management

• Resident or working in Harrow

Duties of the Chair

• To provide strategic leadership for the achievement of the Charity’s Vision

• To ensure the board upholds high standards of governance, transparency, and  compliance with the charity's constitution and relevant legislation

• To review board composition and ensure timely trustee recruitment and development

• To work in partnership with staff and volunteers, providing support, encouragement and constructive challenge to ensure objectives are met; be available for consultation by key personnel

• To oversee key plans like the budget, business plan and risk management, ensuring that the charity has the right resources to meet its objectives

• To promote the Hub’s work, leveraging personal and professional contacts, building on strong relationships already established, negotiating with key partners

We believe in the power of holidays to transform lives. Time away matters. For many families facing tough times -whether through financial hardship, illness or other challenges - a short break can feel out of reach. Yet, these moments of escape and connection are vital for well-being, resilience, and hope.

Our mission is simple but powerful: to provide families who wouldn’t otherwise get a break with the chance to spend quality time together, make memories, and return home stronger. 

As a Trustee, you will play a crucial role in shaping our future. You’ll help guide our strategy, ensure we remain true to our values, and support us in reaching even more families who need our help. Your expertise, insight, and passion can help us grow and innovate, so that no family is left behind when it comes to the simple joy of time away together.

About our Trustee Team

Our Trustees are a team of volunteers who use their diverse skills, experiences, and perspectives to set the strategic direction of the charity and make sure it’s doing what it was set up to do in the best possible way.

Family Holiday Charity has an ambitious strategy over the next few years, which will see us expand our services to families, develop our influencing work within the travel and leisure industry and government, and evolve our ways of working so that we can accept and use gifted breaks, travel and other services at scale to give families who really need it a holiday.

To help us do all that we’ll need the guidance, challenge, connections, and support of all our Trustees.
Given our goals, we’re particularly looking to add the following professional skills and experiences to our team.

• Legal Expertise - Our Trustees have a duty to ensure the charity operates within the law and complies with regulatory responsibilities, including charity law, safeguarding and governance requirements. This may involve providing advice on legal risks and obligations, ensuring compliance with articles of association and relevant legislation, supporting decisions on contracts, partnerships, risk management and more.
• Family Charity leadership - the Charity's vision if that 'every family in the UK should have a holiday' and this bold statement reflects our belief that time away together is not a luxury but a lifeline. We're seeking experience from a family support base to help advocate for our beneficiaries needs and help us expand our reach.
• Influencing / Campaigning - We are seeking experience and ambition that will help us influence policy and industry practices through the development of relatinships with policymakers, travel and tourism industry and media etc. Also shape campaigns, raise awareness, drive systemic change and support advocacy strategies to remove barriers for families. 
• Digital Transformation - We wish to evolve and develop our digital strategy and technology adoption. A key priority is to ensure our digital growth is considered and aligns with accessibility and security.

Your Skills and Contribution

You'll need: 

• Strategic vision, independent judgement, and an ability to think creatively.
• A proactive attitude, willing to bring new ideas and perspectives to our Board, and confident about challenging decisions, where necessary, in the best interests of the charity.
• Willingness to understand and take on the duties and responsibilities of trusteeship.
• Commitment to the charity and our mission, and the ability to devote the necessary time and effort to do the role well.

The Commitment 

We’ll ask you to participate in four two-hour Board Meetings per year, typically in person at our office in London or remotely.We also get together for a Strategy Day in September/October, which is held on a weekday in London, and you’d need to attend that in person.

We can support with any access needs for in-person meetings.,

There are two Board sub-committees- one which focuses on our Finances and Risk, and one which considers our people (Trustees and Staff). Once you’ve settled into the role, most Trustees join one of them. They meet remotely around four  times a year.

Outside of formal meetings, you’ll be warmly encouraged to get to know the staff team, and attend fundraising events 
or other events to meet referrers, families, and supporters wherever possible.

Overall, you’ll need to be able to commit around 6 hours each month for a mix of meetings and events, contributing
your skills and perspective to projects, building your knowledge of the charity and developing as a Trustee.

See the trustee pack for more information and for the application and interview process - click apply to see this. Please note the deadline has been extended to midnight on Sunday 4th January 2026 to ensure the professionals skills and areas of experience (as listed above) are captured.

Do you enjoy walking, meeting others and having a good chat? If so, we have the perfect volunteering role for you!

Join our team and inspire others to exercise through a weekly walk. You will create an opportunity for people to support each other, provide that additional boost to exercise and go for a walk even when they may not be feeling the motivation.

What you will be doing

• Coordinate and facilitate weekly walks in local parks to the service alongside other volunteers
• Meet with the walking group weekly
• Hold conversations with people attending the group, checking in on their wellbeing and providing a listening ear/friendly face
• Keep a record of attendees, provide feedback, and report any concerns to the staff team
• Ability to provide a supportive, and inclusive atmosphere that encourages participation

The skills you need

• Inspire and motivate people to attend the walking group
• Ability to identify, manage any possible risks that may arise during the walking group. Training will be provided
• Willing and able to go on a weekly walk lasting approximately 60-90 minutes
• Good communication skills
• Calm and patient approach

What's in it for you

• Supporting You - You will have a dedicated volunteer supervisor to support you in your role; Quarterly volunteer forums with the central Volunteering team and volunteers across Hestia; References for job applications
• Developing You - You will gain knowledge and insight into issues that impact Domestic Abuse, Modern Slavery and Mental Health; You will have access to our extensive Learning and Development Programme; 40% of our departed volunteers secured a paid role at Hestia last year!
• Valuing You - We hold annual Volunteer Awards and Celebration events; We reimburse travel expenses and up to £5 for lunch for your volunteering; We hold social events and outings for our volunteers to get together and have some fun

Pecan is seeking committed Christians to join our Board of Trustees and help shape the future of our fantastic charity. As a Trustee, you will play a vital role in guiding our governance and upholding our values of Kindness, Belief and Hope. Trustees are responsible for setting the strategic direction of the charity, safeguarding its resources, and ensuring compliance with legal and regulatory frameworks.

We welcome Trustee applicants with a wide range of skills—particularly those with strong networks in Southwark or the funder community—and especially those with lived experience of the challenges Pecan addresses. Trustees should be able to devote time to preparing for and attending most of our 8–10 annual meetings (primarily virtual, with occasional in-person gatherings in south London). If you are passionate about making a difference, committed to our statement of faith, and ready to help Pecan grow and thrive, we would love to hear from you!

Deadline: 9am on 5 January 2026 but earlier applications encouraged. 

Do you enjoy walking, meeting others and having a good chat? If so, we have the perfect volunteering role for you!

Join our team and inspire others to exercise through a weekly walk. You will create an opportunity for people to support each other, provide that additional boost to exercise and go for a walk even when they may not be feeling the motivation.

What you will be doing

• Coordinate and facilitate weekly walks in local parks to the service alongside other volunteers
• Meet with the walking group weekly
• Hold conversations with people attending the group, checking in on their wellbeing and providing a listening ear/friendly face
• Keep a record of attendees, provide feedback, and report any concerns to the staff team
• Ability to provide a supportive, and inclusive atmosphere that encourages participation

The skills you need

• Inspire and motivate people to attend the walking group
• Ability to identify, manage any possible risks that may arise during the walking group. Training will be provided
• Willing and able to go on a weekly walk lasting approximately 60-90 minutes
• Good communication skills
• Calm and patient approach

What's in it for you

• Supporting You - You will have a dedicated volunteer supervisor to support you in your role; Quarterly volunteer forums with the central Volunteering team and volunteers across Hestia; References for job applications
• Developing You - You will gain knowledge and insight into issues that impact Domestic Abuse, Modern Slavery and Mental Health; You will have access to our extensive Learning and Development Programme; 40% of our departed volunteers secured a paid role at Hestia last year!
• Valuing You - We hold annual Volunteer Awards and Celebration events; We reimburse travel expenses and up to £5 for lunch for your volunteering; We hold social events and outings for our volunteers to get together and have some fun

Who are LRMN? 

We offer refugees, asylum seekers and other migrants a specialist and holistic service. We  advocate for people’s rights, campaign for wider change, meet their basic needs and help them improve their wellbeing. 

Why do we need you? 

Triage volunteers are an essential part of our team, making sure that clients are able to access the right service. You will deal with initial client enquiries (in person, over the phone or by email), assess what support clients need and help the access the right service for them.  This might be with us, a partner or another external service. 

Our triage team is integral to the smooth running of LRMN. Without them our advisors wouldn’t be able to provide life changing support to the people who access our services. 

Our triage team are the first people that clients will talk to so it is essential that we offer a safe, welcoming and non-judgemental space and give them the right information about the services we offer. Given the demand that we face, volunteers help us do that. 

What activities will you be involved in? 

As part of our triage team, you will volunteer alongside staff and fellow volunteers to: 

• Welcome clients to our office/Migrant Hub and speak to them about their needs

• Help clients and referrers understand the services we offer and how to access them

• Respond to new referrals and upload them onto our case management system

• Contact clients to book in appointments and follow up referrals 

• Take on other administrative tasks as identified from time to time 

As you become more experienced, you may be involved in giving basic advice, providing  support letters and other duties. 

Our triage volunteers are based at our Migrant Hub drop-in service (in Woolwich on Tuesdays)

You will be supervised by the Business and Operations Manager and/or Migrant Hub Coordinator but will liaise with staff across the organisation as appropriate. 

What can you gain from this opportunity? 

By volunteering with LRMN, you will: 

• Make a difference to the lives of migrants, asylum seekers and refugees living in south-east London 

• Be part of a diverse, knowledgeable and proactive team in an organisation that has been running for over 25 years 

• Gain experience of admin work in a business environment 

• Gain an understanding of the issues affecting refugees, asylum seekers and migrants

• Have regular support and supervision from the Business and Operations Officer

• Be provided out of pocket expenses to the value of £6 for lunch per day (4+ hours) &  up to £15 travel expenses (when volunteering in the office for 4+ hours) 

Is there induction and training? 

Yes, we provide a comprehensive induction to all new volunteers. This covers roles and  responsibilities, safeguarding, record keeping and use of our client management system  (Advice Pro).

You will be provided with the training needed to perform the role and will have the opportunity to join training with the whole LRMN team.

Who are LRMN looking for? 

We’re looking for someone who is: 

• Passionate about supporting migrants, refugees and asylum seekers 

• Friendly and approachable and can manage professional boundaries 

• Excellent communicatiuon skills

• Proactive and able to use own initiative 

• Organised and methodical 

• Respectful of client confidentiality 

• Experienced in working with multicultural communities 

• Able to use their digital skills to make referrals and manage online systems 

LRMN is committed to equality and diversity. We pride ourselves on having a diverse team  with a range of experiences. We encourage people with lived experience of the asylum and/or immigration system to apply. If you need additional support to apply or volunteer, please contact us. 

What commitment do you need to make? 

We ask volunteers to commit to volunteering one day a week during office hours (Mon-Fri)  for at least six months. 

Bromley Arts Trust CIO Opportunity to join the Board of Trustees

Ready for a challenge? Good team player? Good at seeing the bigger picture ?

Consider joining our small Board of Trustees. The Board of Bromley Arts Trust is eager to expand the number of trustees and is looking for enthusiastic individuals with special skills and wide-ranging experience to enjoy finding solutions. Whether you are an experienced Trustee or are considering becoming one, we would like to hear from you.

If you have the time (estimated to average 2 to 3 days per month) to undertake this exciting role do complete the application pack and send this with your CV and covering letter to the Business Manager at Bromley Arts Trust.

Do you enjoy connecting with others? Join us as a Lunch Club Volunteer and help create a warm, welcoming space for older adults in Roehampton!

Are you keen to make Lambeth a better place for Deaf and Disabled people – inclusive, fair and just?

dasl (Disability Advice Service Lambeth) is looking for new Trustees.

We want to recruit up to 6 new members to our Trustee Board to shape our organisation as it evolves.

As well as being Deaf or Disabled people – having an impairment or a long-term health condition – we want trustees that reflect our Disabled community in Lambeth, with a diverse range of identities and lived experiences. If you are an individual from a Global Majority community (Black, Brown, Asian or mixed heritage backgrounds) your cultural expertise will be welcomed and could be transformative to our organisation.

If you are keen to work with other local Deaf and Disabled people to push for change, we would love to hear from you.

We are especially keen to recruit people with experience and skills in one or more of the following:

· Finance

· Influencing, campaigning or speaking up

· Previous experience as a trustee

About dasl

Disability Advice Service Lambeth (dasl) is Lambeth's pan-impairment Disabled People's Organisation, running for 25 years.

We are proudly peer-led – this means we put the voice and views of Disabled people first. We are led by what our members need.  

We provide high-quality services and influence and campaign to change systems that exclude or oppress Disabled people.

We work for the full inclusion of Disabled people in Lambeth:

· to achieve our legal rights and entitlements

· to be in control of our lives

· to be active in our communities and not isolated

· to grow our skills and fulfil our personal ambitions

· to be listened to and influence change together

Two-thirds of our staff have lived experience as a Disabled person.

We have exciting programmes running and great plans for the future:

· our ground-breaking Leadership programme is developing confidence and skills in local Disabled people to make change happen

· we are building new work in training and consultancy, being respected for our knowledge and expertise

· our growing Advice team is influencing local and national policy, as well as ensuring Disabled people get the income they are entitled to

What dasl can offer you

Joining dasl, you will be valued for who you are in our supportive and friendly team. We will also offer:

· An accessible and informative induction process to build your confidence in your new trustee role

· An tailored programme of training around governance, equality and diversity, disability equality and more

· Real investment into your development

· A strong and supportive peer support network

If you share our values and are keen to be a part of user-led work challenging barriers and creating more accessible and inclusive communities, get in touch!

War Memorials Trust works to protect and conserve the nation's 100,000 war memorials. It is looking for new Trustees, with the right skills, experience, enthusiasm and commitment, to join the Board and help guide the charity's efforts. 

The charity provides advice and expertise to help anyone who looks after a war memorial to manage, repair and conserve it for the benefit of those who live locally, those who are commemorated and their families and the wider population. Sadly, names are added on a regular basis, hence many are living memorials as well as commemorating those from conflicts past. It also encourages public engagement especially through its website War Memorials Online to which anyone can add information and upload photographs. So, if the Trustee role isn't for you, you may still be able to contribute by signing up to War Memorials Online. 

A skills audit has identified key areas of expertise that the Board needs to enhance as

• fundraising expertise to ensure we are here for the long term 
• legal expertise to support the charity deliver its objectives appropriately

If you have a sympathy with our vision and have skills which match those we are looking for, we would love to hear from you. We can consider wider enquiries but those are our current priorities. 

This role is home based with board meetings rotating between in-person at the London office and online, although all can be joined online. Some attendance at events or visits to war memorials may be undertaken. Reasonable expenses related to the role will be available. Minimum engagement is for four, two-hour board meetings per year (plus reading of papers beforehand). Additional input will be welcomed and Trustees may be approached by staff, on a collective or an individual basis, between meetings, particularly in relation to their expertise.

Full details of the role can be found on War Memorials Trust's website via the 'Redirect to recruiter' button.

Do you have a keen eye for detail and the ability to capture nature in an engaging and informative way?

We are seeking volunteer photographers to help us build a high-quality image library and create eye-catching visuals for our social media channels, website, publications, and case studies. Your photographs will play a key role in showcasing our impact and motivating more people to support a greener, healthier London.

You will have the flexibility to capture photos in your local area, focusing on specific themes featured in the supporting document. In addition, we will be hosting a number of hands-on tree planting sessions across London, and we would be delighted to have you join us to photograph, or digitally film these activities.

All images will be attributed appropriately, but we are unable to pay any royalties now or in the future. However, you're welcome to share links displaying your published work in support of our aims.

Victory Afghanistan is seeking a seasoned fundraising professional to join us as a Volunteer Fundraising Advisor. Our fundraising needs are broad and urgent: laptops, data packages, counselling sessions, and sponsorships for students who plan to study abroad. We already have project coordinators and fundraising project managers handling the day-to-day work, the outreach, the drafting, the applications, the paperwork. 

What we need is someone with experience who can meet with us once a week, look over the grant applications we are preparing, review the fundraising approaches we are taking, and advise us from the perspective of someone who has done this before. Someone who can say, “Strengthen this section,” or “Approach this foundation instead,” or “This isn’t compelling yet,  change it.” Your guidance, signposting, and insight from your own background and network is the missing piece we do not currently have.

We are specifically looking for someone with:

Essential experience

• 5–10+ years in charitable fundraising

• Proven experience reviewing and strengthening grant applications

• Understanding of donors, philanthropists, and funding bodies

• Knowledge of humanitarian or educational funding

• Ability to advise, not manage projects

Preferred experience

A strong network in philanthropy, CSR, or foundation circles

• Experience fundraising for women’s rights, education, or humanitarian causes

• Experience with both the UK and US funding landscapes

Time commitment

Approx. up to 3 hours per week - 1 meeting plus light advisory work reviewing drafts or pointing us in the right direction.

Start date

• Ideally: as soon as possible

• Official role: Semester 6 (16 weeks, starting the third week of January and finishing the third week of May 2026)

Who you’d be working with

A small, ethical, deeply committed team of volunteers who take responsibility seriously. 

Hackney Migrant Centre (HMC) is seeking to recruit a Chair to support our work and  ensure financial and organisational stability as we implement our newly developed Strategic Plan for 2025-2028. Our current Chair is stepping down at the end of her three-year term. We have recently appointed a new Vice-Chair, an experienced Treasurer in post for over a year, and our CEO has now been in post for over 18 months, providing continuity and stability in leadership. This is an opportunity for someone with previous Board experience to coordinate and lead the Board of Trustees and make an important contribution to the work of this well-respected local charity at a crucial time in its development.

HMC was established in 2007 to provide advice and support to migrants to help them overcome problems with their immigration status and in accessing services. We welcome all migrants, regardless of immigration status or nationality. With the help of a team of professional advisors and volunteers, we delivery immigration, housing and welfare advice and provide a range of holistic advocacy and support services in a community setting. We work to support visitors to address urgent problems they are facing, and address long term challenges relating to insecure immigration status, homelessness and destitution.

As the external environment for migrants has become increasingly challenging and funding pressures have intensified, we have had to review and adapt the scope of our work. Over the past two years, the staff team has reduced to a team of five, with most roles being part-time. We now have an annual budget of just over £300,000 and are in the process of reviewing what we can realistically achieve, as well as how we can become more resilient and financially sustainable.

We welcome applications from people from a range of backgrounds and experience who would be happy to take up this exciting challenge. We are particularly keen to recruit trustees with lived or learned experience of migration to the UK.

If you would like to be considered, please apply by Monday 2 February 2026, attaching a CV and a brief statement outlining why you are interested in the role and what you could bring to it (no more than two sides of A4). 

See the job description below for further details and for more information about our website.

Thank you for your interest, and we look forward to receiving your application!