Volunteer live volunteer roles in bracknell, bracknell forest

We are looking for volunteers who can spend time with our clients  in and around Central London.  Meetings are  regular over a period of 6 months; weekly or fortnightly.  Many volunteers stay involved for much longer but only because they enjoy what they do! 

Befriending is a simple way to make a positive difference to someone who is lonely or socially isolated and your gift of time and regular companionship will give them, and you, something to look forward to. As one of our volunteers once told us, “this is an easy, very meaningful way to help someone and is immensely rewarding and fun!”  

Your meetings could be in the local community, having chats in a coffee shop, visiting places of interest, or in our client’s home; all activities are risk assessed so what you do together will depend on the results of this, and / orour clients abilities and interests. Most of our clients are older 1st and 2nd generation Scots living in London who simply want to do the activities that most of us take for granted but have no-one to do them with.

ScotsCare works across London and beyond so we're looking for volunteers who live in the area or can travel to the following areas; Lambeth, Islington, Camden, central London and Broxbourne EN10. We may have clients in more locations so please contact us to learn more if you want to be involved in this rewarding and impactful activity. 

We provide training before you start, ongoing support once you are matched, out of pocket expenses, references, social events and newsletters to keep you informed.

This could be the ideal opportunity to gain practical experience of working with adults in a health and social care setting, or for anyone who enjoys meeting new people and making their lives a little brighter. 

Please note, this is an unpaid voluntary role and applicants must be living in or around the London area. 

Please contact us for more information, and a very warm welcome!

Skills & Characteristics Required for Befriending are:

• English spoken, good communication skills for listening and talking 
• Friendly, warm, non-judgemental 
• Honesty, reliable and committment to helping others
• Empathy and patience
• An ability to follow policies and procedures

We will process a DBS check for all successful applicants and require two references. 

Are you a dog lover with room in your home to look after a dog during evenings and weekends? This could be the perfect role for you!

As a Training Dog Fosterer, you’ll provide a loving temporary home to a dog in training, typically for a period of 12 to 20 weeks, as they begin their journey to become a guide dog. You’ll get to see the progress your furry companion is making in their training and be a vital part of their journey, without the commitment of looking after a dog full time.

What you’ll be doing:

In this rewarding role, your support for a guide dog in training will include:

• Doing the school run for your dog in training! This will typically involve dropping them off and picking them up at an agreed time Monday to Friday at one of our regional centres or community teams, however, some sites may vary. There are some locations where we will be able to collect and return the training dog from your home. 
• Caring for your dog in your home such as feeding, grooming, free running and playing, following the advice of our expert staff.
• Helping your dog keep up with their training by reinforcing the techniques at home from our first-class training programme.
• Making sure your dog is not left alone for more than four hours in a 24-hour period. If you’re planning on going on holiday, let us know at your initial phone call so we can plan alternative cover for your future life changer.

Can I foster a dog?

If you’re hoping to foster a guide dog in training, here’s what we ideally look for:

• Being close to one of our regional centres or community teams so that your dog can get to their training. 
• The agreement of your landlord to have a dog in your home if you rent your home.
• A safe and secure area outside for the dog to go to the toilet.

However, we try to be flexible – for example, you’ll still be able to foster a dog if you live in London, even if you don’t have access to outside space. 

What you’ll get:

• The opportunity to have a lovable canine companion!
• The satisfaction in knowing you’re supporting people with sight loss to live actively, independently, and well.
• The rewarding feeling of seeing your dog learn new training techniques to help them develop into a guide dog.
• An insight into our bespoke world-class training programme so that your dog’s training stays consistent at home, which can also help you train your own dogs or advance in a future career in dog handling.
• The opportunity to be part of the Guide Dogs community, meeting like-minded people in your area.
• A dedicated volunteer manager and fellow peers who will help support you throughout your role.

Training and support

You’ll attend a training workshop to understand the basics of our bespoke training techniques so you can confidently support your dog’s training at home. You’ll also receive ongoing guidance from your volunteer manager. If you have questions about the training requirements, we can answer these at your initial phone call along with any other support or accessibility needs you may have.

Volunteering for Guide Dogs should never leave you out of pocket. We’ll make sure we pay any pre-agreed expenses related to volunteering with us, including veterinary costs, dog food costs and other materials needed for your dog’s training.

Minimum age for volunteer is 18.

We also have a respite fosterer role available in some areas, where a dog would stay with you full time before moving on to the next stage of its journey.

Please check out our website to see what roles are available where you live.

We appreciate any volunteering help that you can offer YBTC and want to make sure that our

volunteers have a positive experience with us. We pledge to support you as much as we can.

We want to ensure that volunteering with us does not feel too daunting, so the exact tasks might

vary depending on your circumstances. However, some typical tasks may include:

· Asking people you know who might be willing to have a collection box in their business

· Approaching local businesses to display the boxes and collect loose change from their customers

· Building and maintaining relationships with your box holders to inspire loyalty and encourage people to continue giving year after year

· Collecting the boxes in your area as and when required and taking to your YBTC contact

We are looking for people who are:

· Have a warm, friendly and confident outlook

· Willing to learn about the work of YBTC

· Able to communicate with a range of different groups

· Are creative and imaginative – spotting opportunities to boost your distribution

· Are well organised and enjoy meeting new people

· Reliable and able to commit to agreed requirements

We can offer you:

· Induction and ongoing training

· Ongoing support and supervision in your role

· The opportunity to learn new skills

· YBTC commitment to health and safety

Founded in 2003 and originally named Andrea’s Gift and later Brain Tumour Research and Support

Across Yorkshire, Yorkshire’s Brain Tumour Charity (YBTC) is Yorkshire and Humber’s leading

brain tumour charity. Offering practical, financial and emotional support to both adult and child

brain tumour patients, together with their families.

We fund brain tumour research in Yorkshire; we hope this research, dedicated to identifying new

approaches to the discovery and treatment of brain tumours, will improve outcomes for patients.

At YBTC we are a small team who are growing to meet the needs of those affected by a brain

tumour in Yorkshire. Around 15 new cases of primary brain tumour are diagnosed in the region

every week.

Our charity values are Integrity, Compassion, Community, & Ambition.

Our Vision/Mission

To improve the lives of people impacted by a brain tumour in Yorkshire, through local support and

research.

Volunteer Social Media Managers

Company Description

The Wisdom Trust is a UK-registered charity (Charity No. 1112323) dedicated to building a global network of people and organisations who share knowledge and resources to tackle poverty, healthcare challenges, environmental protection, human rights, and community development.

Role Description

We're on a mission to inspire people everywhere to take action on the issues that matter most: ending poverty, protecting our planet, improving global healthcare, and defending human rights for all. Social media is one of our most powerful tools for creating awareness, sparking conversation, and mobilising communities worldwide.

We’re looking for volunteers who can help us share stories, craft compelling messages, grow our audience, and engage supporters across all platforms. If you’re passionate, creative, and eager to be part of a global movement for positive change, we’d love you to join us. Together, we can turn inspiration into action.

Currently we use facebook, instagram, X, Linkedin and youtube, but we're keen to expand our reach and do more. Within our website, we even have our own social network and community and without doubt we can make better use of that too.

There's so much we can do and we firmly believe social media, when used correctly, could allow us to grow an army of members on every continent who can help us on both a local and an international level so we can make communities everywhere safer, happier, healthier, better aware and more sustainable places to live.

So now we are seeking a dynamic and creative Volunteer Social Media Manager to oversee our organisation’s online presence across various digital platforms. The successful candidate will be responsible for developing engaging content, managing social media campaigns, and fostering positive relationships with our online community. This role offers an exciting opportunity to shape our brand image and connect with audiences in innovative ways. The ideal applicant will possess strong communication skills, a keen eye for trends, and experience in public relations and social media management.

Duties

• Develop and implement comprehensive social media strategies aligned with the charity's goals.
• Create, curate, and schedule engaging content across platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and others.
• Monitor social media channels for customer interactions, comments, and messages; respond promptly to foster community engagement.
• Analyse performance metrics to assess the effectiveness of campaigns and optimise content accordingly.
• Collaborate with marketing and PR teams to ensure brand consistency and maximise outreach efforts.
• Manage online reputation by addressing feedback and managing crisis communications when necessary.
• Stay informed on the latest social media trends, tools, and best practices to keep the organisation at the forefront of digital engagement.

Skills & Experience

• Social Media Management, Content Creation, and Strategy Development skills
• Knowledge of Analytics, Social Media Metrics, and trend analysis
• Creativity and ability to design engaging campaigns for diverse platforms
• Strong organizational and time-management skills
• Understanding of online activism or passion for creating positive social change is a plus
• Access to a reliable internet connection and ability to work remotely
• Prior experience with social media platforms, tools, and scheduling software is beneficial
• Proven experience in social media management with a strong portfolio of successful campaigns.
• Excellent written communication skills with an ability to craft compelling content tailored to different audiences.
• Strong understanding of public relations principles and how they apply within digital environments.
• Proficiency in social media management tools such as Hootsuite, Buffer, or Sprout Social.
• Ability to analyse data analytics to inform strategic decisions and demonstrate campaign success.
• Organisational skills with the capacity to manage multiple projects simultaneously under tight deadlines.
• Creative flair combined with strategic thinking to develop innovative approaches that enhance brand visibility. This position offers an engaging environment where creativity meets strategic communication, providing opportunities for professional growth within a supportive team.

Benefits:

• Flexitime
• Work from home

This role is advertised as part of TPP's Free Giving Back Services. This volunteer advertisement copy has been supplied to TPP and applicants apply direct to the organisation. Please contact the organisation directly if you have any questions about this volunteer role.

About ArtClusiv
ArtClusiv is a creative social enterprise that exists to amplify and empower BIPOC creatives across all disciplines, including music, visual arts, performance, design, and more. We create spaces where creativity, culture, and community meet. Our work addresses systemic barriers in the mainstream arts world and promotes a more fair, visible, and supportive ecosystem for underrepresented voices.
We do this through skills training, access to opportunities, artist visibility, fair payment advocacy, and a safe, inclusive community that celebrates identity and artistry.

Volunteer Board Member (Director)
ArtClusiv is seeking an experienced and committed board member to help guide our mission and shape our long term impact. This role is ideal for someone with leadership experience in the arts, community development, creative industries, nonprofit governance, or cultural equity work.

Role Overview
As a board member, you will provide strategic oversight and help ensure that ArtClusiv continues to grow in a focused, values driven direction. Your guidance will support our goals of increasing visibility, strengthening partnerships, and securing funding to expand our programmes and opportunities for BIPOC creatives.
You will work closely with the founder and fellow directors to advise on organisational development, sustainability, grant applications, stakeholder engagement, and ethical governance.

Key Responsibilities
• Offer strategic advice to help shape the long term direction of ArtClusiv
• Support funding strategy and help identify grant opportunities and partnership prospects
• Provide oversight on governance, risk management, and community accountability
• Champion the mission and act as an ambassador for ArtClusiv in your networks
• Attend quarterly board meetings and contribute actively to decision making
• Share expertise that strengthens our impact in visibility, outreach, and equity
• Support the founder in navigating nonprofit challenges and building organisational resilience

What We’re Looking For
• Previous experience in a board, director, or governance role (nonprofit or creative sector preferred)
• Knowledge of arts, culture, community development, or social impact
• Strong understanding of BIPOC representation in the arts and the systemic challenges creatives face
• Strategic thinking, leadership ability, and a collaborative approach
• Commitment to anti discrimination, fairness, and inclusive creative spaces

We Strongly Encourage Applications From
• BAME and POC artists or creative professionals
• Individuals with lived experience of underrepresentation in the arts
• People passionate about building equity centred creative ecosystems

What You Gain
• The opportunity to influence and support a growing creative nonprofit
• A meaningful leadership role that uplifts artists and communities
• Experience in CIC governance and strategic development
• A platform to contribute your voice, knowledge, and lived experience

If you want to help shape a more inclusive future for the arts and ensure that diverse creative talent is recognised, supported, and celebrated, we would love to hear from you.

The Plateful Café works to relieve poverty and isolation amongst refugees, asylum seekers and ethnic minorities in Lewisham. Our commitment is to reach the most vulnerable people in our community and help them access the support they are entitled to. The refugees training or employed by the Plateful Cafe will benefit from workshops, training skills and knowledge relevant for the catering industry. 

As a small charity, it is important to share information and updates through our communications and social media content, to help us fundraise and grow. We are looking for someone to assist us on creating copy for our blog as well as help with creating content for our newsletters, social media, print media and other promotional material over time.

With the launch of the physical Plateful Cafe taking place soon, this summer is an exciting time to join us.

Requirements: 

• Excellent communication skills in fluent English

• Has 1+ years experience of social media, copywriting, journalism, blog content creation, interviewing or similar skills (this does not have to include published work)

• Able to create interesting and engaging content

• Good computer skills

• Good time management skills

• Engaging and friendly

• Good team player

Desirable:

• Basic digital photography and editing skills

• An interest in supporting refugees and contributing to the work of Plateful Cafe

• Experience of working with refugees, people seeking asylum, vulnerable groups or lived experience

• Lives in London with ability to attend events and markets

Help us bring our farm stories to life!

Time: one-off project (about 10–20 hours over 2–4 weeks or until the project is completed)
Location: UK-based only (you must be able to volunteer/work in the UK)
Type: Volunteer (pre-approved expenses reimbursed if any)

About us

We’re Willowbrook Farm Charity, a tiny, big-hearted team teaching sustainability, biodiversity, and ethical farming. We’re working hard on our branding and visuals and would love a creative soul to help us make a small set of illustrations and icons that feel playful, kind, and unmistakably “us.”
 

The project (hand-drawn, brand-matched)

We need a talented Digital Artist who can hand-draw (on tablet or device of choice) and then deliver clean vector or high-res digital files. Your drawings must match the style of our main logo, so please take a quick look at our website first and see if that’s a style you’re happy to work in.

You’ll create

• Simple icons (e.g., education, biodiversity, volunteering, donations, accessibility).

• Farm-animal illustrations (goat, chicken, cow, bee, duck, etc.).

• Simple landscape elements (hedgerow/field/sun).

Files: SVG/AI (or layered PSD) + transparent PNG exports in agreed sizes.
Style: Hand-drawn linework, consistent strokes, brand-friendly colours (we’ll share swatches/brand guidelines).

How we’ll work (friendly & simple)

• You will work as part of our volunteer team doing brand development.

• Sketch/concepts round (hand-drawn roughs) → we will together discuss a direction.

• We keep feedback kind and clear to help you get the most out of the experience.

You (what helps you shine here)

• You love drawing by hand (sketchbook, iPad/Procreate, etc.) and can translate it into tidy digital files.

• You’re good at matching an existing style and keeping a set consistent, as all our assets must look like they belong to the same family as our rooster.

• Portfolio that shows icons/animals/mascots or similar line-based work.

• Tools: Illustrator, Photoshop, Procreate—whatever helps you deliver clean assets.

• A soft spot for nature and community work

Important eligibility

• UK only: You must be living in the UK and able to volunteer here.

• We can only consider applications that include both a cover letter and a portfolio.

Rights & usage

To keep our brand consistent, we’ll ask for a simple agreement granting Willowbrook Farm Charity a perpetual, exclusive licence to use the final artwork across print and digital (you keep your moral rights/credit).You’re welcome to feature the work in your portfolio.

What you’ll gain

• Recognition & credit: We’ll credit you by name/handle on our website and socials (you keep moral rights/credit; the charity holds exclusive usage rights to the final assets).

• Portfolio showcase: Your illustrations will appear across our website, socials, and reports, with permission to include the project in your portfolio and case studies.

• Reference & testimonial: After successful delivery, we can provide a written reference and a short testimonial you can quote or reference on LinkedIn if you desire.

• Real-world impact: Your art will help a small, values-led charity tell its story and reach more people who benefit from our programmes.

• Clear brief & kind feedback: A tidy brief, quick decisions, and constructive notes—useful experience working to brand style and artwork specs.

• Practical support: You will work as part of a team and gain experience working in a creative environment with other volunteers who are also working hard to develop our brand. 

How to apply

Please email us with:

1. Cover letter: Tell us why this project excites you and why you want to volunteer with us.

2. Portfolio link (required): show us hand-drawn work and any icons/animal pieces you may have produced or any other artwork that helps us to see your line of work and style.

3. Availability: when you could start.

We can’t wait to see your lines and little creatures come to life. Thanks for considering volunteering your art to help our community grow. 

Become an Independent Visitor to be matched one to one with a young person in care. You will meet once or twice a month to take them out to do fun activities together. This is an opportunity for our young people to develop a healthy relationship with a trusted adult, have fun and share their worries and feelings if they are ready to do so.

We'll provide full training, all your expenses and ongoing support from dedicated staff. 

This is an opportunity for you to build skills and knowledge within social care and test yourself with real life experience of a young person in care.

We're looking for enthusiastic, committed people to bring their experience, skills and positivity to the lives of young people who have been through tough times. We will be providing training on the following subjects.

Session 1 Introduction to IV and the Care system
Session 2 Trauma, Attachment and Growth
Session 3 Safeguarding
Session 4 Communications and Boundaries
Session 5 The Role Of The IV

Our vision for volunteering

Volunteering is and always will be at the heart of Cats Protection. It is joyful and inclusive. As a charity, working in partnership, together we transform the lives of cats, people and communities.

The difference you will make to cats and people

We have a huge breadth of volunteer roles at Cats Protection, including caring for cats, fundraising, in our shops and many more! We also need volunteers to help us be more efficient, effective and to ensure we comply with charity law and governance.  

The purpose of the Audit & Risk Committee is to assist the Board of Trustees in fulfilling its obligations in respect of financial and governance reporting, internal control and risk. Our Audit & Risk Committee volunteers contribute to a well-run organisation, and their time and expertise help our Committee work in the best, most effective way possible.

The Board of Trustees delegates authority to the Committee to oversee the Cats Protection financial reporting process. This ensures the balance, transparency and integrity of published financial information to:

• ensure that there is a framework for accountability
• examine systems and methods of control, with particular emphasis on risk management and the effective use of risk-based outsourced internal audit receive reports from external auditors and consider rotation of audit partners
• ensure that Cats Protection is complying with statutory and regulatory requirements and good practice
• ensure implementation of recommendations from internal and external auditors
• ensure ongoing objectivity and independence

Your role will also include:

• attending Committee meetings
• reading papers
• preparing for meetings
• raising appropriate challenge or concerns undertaking any actions required in the agreed timescales
• supporting the Chair of the Audit & Risk Committee
• keeping informed about the activities of the charity and wider issues affecting the charity and the Audit & Risk Committee in particular

If you have strategic vision and an appreciation that there is much more to helping cats than meets the eye, then this is the role for you.

You can expect us to

• Make you feel welcome, included and respected in line with our values and behaviours
• Support you in having a positive and impactful experience at Cats Protection
• Cover agreed out-of-pocket expenses in line with our Expenses Policy
• Provide you with access to learning, development and engagement opportunities

What we need from you

• a commitment to Cats Protection and empathy with our vision, mission and values
• a willingness to devote the necessary time and effort
• strategic vision
• sound independent judgement
• relevant financial, assurance or risk management experience
• willingness to be part of a team
• the ability to express views clearly
• willingness to respectfully challenge and bring the best out in others
• an understanding of the role, duties and responsibilities of the Audit & Risk Committee

Time expectation

Our Audit & Risk Committee meets three times a year (twice in person in London and once virtually) and our volunteers normally spend a total of three years in this role.

You may be just the volunteer we’ve been looking for!

More information on the role is available through a candidate pack for applicants. 

To apply, please submit a cover letter of no more than 500 words and a CV. Please include your motivation for applying for the role and details of any relevant experience - whether paid or voluntary. 

The deadline for applications is Friday 19 December at 23:59.

We are committed to building a diverse, compassionate and inclusive organisation where everyone can be themselves and do their best. We are courageous and compassionate in our purpose of helping people see the world through cats’ eyes. Together, we can make a difference. Together, we are all for cats. Join the UK’s leading cat welfare charity and help make a better life for cats, because life is better with cats.

Join Our Mission. Bring Your Joy. Transform Lives.

At Tell My Truth and Shame the Devil C.I.C., we are building a global movement rooted in truth-telling, healing, family, and the transformation of generations. Our mission is to confront childhood trauma, intergenerational trauma, and systemic injustices — and help people return to their true selves through community, knowledge, and love.

We work like a family: connected, supportive, purpose-driven… and full of laughter.

We are now expanding our team and looking for a Corporate Entertainer & Culture Animator — a warm, creative spirit who will bring joy, connection, and positive energy to our remote community.

This is a unique role and may be the first of its kind in the UK charity/CIC space.
If you are an entertainer with a heart for people, culture, and community — this could be the perfect home for your gifts.

 Role: Corporate Entertainer & Culture Animator

Location: Remote (UK Time Zone Preferred)
Commitment: (flexible)
Pay: Volunteer role (paid opportunities to apply as the CIC scales)
Start Date: Immediately (after interview)

About The Role

We are looking for someone who naturally lights up a room — even a virtual one.

Your purpose is to help keep our volunteers, creatives, future ambassadors, and leadership team motivated, connected, and full of joy while we build something historic together.
Laughter is medicine — and you will be one of the healers.

You will bring creativity, humour, and fun to our organisation through:

• Games & icebreakers at meetings
• WhatsApp riddles, jokes, challenges & positive energy
• Weekly/monthly fun activities
• Virtual team bonding sessions
• Celebrations, awards & cultural themes
• Future in-person events, trips & gatherings

This role is about building joyful company culture for a mission that deals with serious topics — and reminding all of us that healing also includes play, community, and connection.

Who We’re Looking For

Someone who is:

• Naturally funny, joyful, charismatic, or expressive
• Loves entertaining people
• Creative with games, riddles, challenges, themes, and fun ideas
• Empathetic and sensitive to emotional topics
• Confident online and comfortable speaking in groups
• Culturally aware, especially within the Black and diaspora community
• Passionate about uplifting others
• Excited to help build a future global organisation

Ideal backgrounds include (but are not limited to):

• Comedians
• Actors
• Hosts/MCs
• Spoken word artists
• Content creators
• Team-building facilitators
• Corporate entertainers
• Youth workers with creative flair
• Performers
• Creative arts professionals

If you can bring joy, creativity, and community spirit, we want to meet you.

What You’ll Do

• Add light, energy, culture, and laughter to our team environment
• Create fun moments during Zoom meetings
• Run occasional virtual game nights or mini-events
• Share riddles, humour, and engagement in our WhatsApp groups
• Help team members bond and feel valued
• Celebrate wins, birthdays, and achievements
• Bring creative ideas to improve morale and connection
• Work alongside leadership to shape a positive, family-focused culture
• Support future in-person events such as team days, retreats, and awards nights

Why Join Us?

You will:

• Become part of a beautiful, movement-driven family
• Play a central role in shaping a loving, joyful global collective organisation
• Use your gifts to uplift volunteers, survivors and fundraisers
• Help restore emotional wellness through creativity and laughter
• Create a legacy of culture, joy, and belonging
• Grow with us as we scale towards reaching 1 billion people worldwide throughout the lifetime of the movement

We are building something bigger than all of us — and we want someone who brings light to join this journey.

How to Apply

Please send ONE of the following:

• A short email
• A WhatsApp voice note
• A short video (optional)

Tell us:

1. Who you are
2. What makes you a great fit for this role
3. What creative talents you can bring
4. A sample — joke, riddle, poem, short skit, or anything showcasing your energy

16-Week Semester: 20 January – 24 May 2026

Location: Online (Google Meet & Google Classroom)

Commitment: Approx. 4 hours per week 

About the Role

Victory Afghanistan is seeking enthusiastic and committed Volunteer English Instructors to join our international online teaching team. We provide free English education to Afghan girls and women, helping them rebuild their futures through learning and mentorship.

Our next semester runs for 16 weeks, beginning 20 January 2026 and finishing 24 May 2026.

You do not need to be a qualified English teacher to apply, enthusiasm, reliability, and strong communication skills are most important. However, having teaching experience or a TEFL certificate would be advantageous. Join a multinational team of volunteers from 27 countries.

All curriculum materials, lesson plans, and assessments are provided. Volunteers only need to prepare for classes, teach their lessons, and complete light marking and feedback.

Responsibilities:

• Deliver two live online English lessons per week (1 hour each).

• Dedicate approx. 2 additional hours per week for preparation, marking, and communication.

• Follow the provided curriculum and assessments.

• Collaborate with co-instructors and program coordinators.

• Create a culturally sensitive and inclusive learning environment.

About the Students:

• All students are female and based in Afghanistan, aged 11 to 40.

• You’ll typically teach a group of around 10 students.

• We are currently recruiting instructors for Intermediate (Level 5) and Advanced (Level 6) classes.

• Many students face internet limitations and many connect via mobile phones.

Organisation: Support U is a leading LGBTQIA+ resource and support service based in the Thames Valley area. 

Location: Work from home but ideally based in or around Berkshire.

Commitment: Approximately 2-4 hours a week alongside any training and volunteer team catch ups / planning meetings 

Overview: 

Support U is launching Rainbow Line in January 2026 — a dedicated listening line for the LGBTQIA+ community — and we are seeking compassionate, committed volunteers to join us as Call Handlers. Rainbow Line has been created to offer LGBTQIA+ people a safe, confidential and non-judgemental space to talk, be heard, and feel supported.

The service is designed for individuals who may be feeling isolated, overwhelmed, or in need of someone to listen. While Rainbow Line is not a professional counselling, psychotherapy or crisis service, volunteers play a vital role in offering empathetic listening and, where appropriate, signposting callers to specialist services and organisations for further support. By volunteering with Rainbow Line, you’ll be helping to reduce isolation and create a more connected, supportive community.

What You’ll Be Doing 

• This is a home based volunteering role, but you’ll ideally need to be based in or around Berkshire.

• The telephone support service will run twice a week within a 2-hour time slot. You’ll ideally commit to 2–4 hours per week. 

• Service users will pre-book telephone appointments via our website. 

• You’ll answer pre-booked calls, providing a safe, non-judgemental space for users to talk openly and be heard, with signposting to other relevant services. 

• After each call, you’ll complete a short record noting topics that came up, and any safeguarding concerns. 

• Support U’s designated safeguarding leads will be available during service hours for any immediate advice or escalation. 

Who This Role Would Suit 

• Someone looking for a long term volunteering opportunity. 

• Qualified counsellors, psychotherapists, or other talking therapy practitioners who wish to give back to the community. 

• Students or trainees in counselling, psychotherapy, psychology, social work, or mental health nursing seeking practical experience. 

• Individuals with experience in other listening based support roles. 

• People with strong empathy, good listening skills, and an interest in supporting the wellbeing of the LGBTQ+ community. 

What’s In It for You 

• Make a direct and positive impact on the lives of LGBTQ+ individuals. 

• Help create a safe, judgement free space for those who may never have experienced one before. 

• Offer meaningful support, even a short 45 minute conversation can impact someone’s day or outlook. 

• Contribute to a wider effort to foster safety, inclusion, and understanding within the community. 

• Gain valuable experience in active listening, support work and working with diverse communities. 

• Be part of a welcoming, passionate and supportive team. 

Requirements 

• Based in or around Berkshire (desirable, but not essential)

• Able to realistically commit to a minimum of 2-4 hours per week for the long term. 

• Basic administrative skills and strong communication and organisation skills. 

• Some experience in a similar line of work (e.g. counselling, mentoring, support work) or willingness to learn and undertake training. 

• Willing to undergo an enhanced DBS check. 

• Evidence of completed safeguarding training or willingness to complete safeguarding training organised by Support U. 

• Comfortable using basic technology to answer calls/log call notes. 

• Commitment to maintaining confidentiality and safeguarding best practice. 

Ready to make a difference to a young person's life? Team Up is seeking dynamic volunteer to help transform the lives of disadvantaged pupils by improving their grades and building confidence in their learning.

We are looking for inspirational role models who will tutorEnglish on one of our 10-12 week online progarmmes, starting mid-January 2026.

You will be matched with a small number of pupils and provide them with the academic support, encouragement and inspiration they need to get back on track. The pupils on our online programmes have had some disrupted schooling due to challenging personal circumstances and our tuition programmes aim to build not just academic strength, but confidence and positivity towards learning as well. 

All our volunteer tutors receive full training, lesson resources and support from a qualified teacher / team manager throughout their placement.

Practical Considerations:

• Our online programme runs on Tuesday afternoons from 17:00 till 18:00.
• The start date is 13th January 2026 and the final session is on Tuesday 24th March 2026
• Sessions are 60 minutes and take place via Teams. Tutors are expected to be online 15 minutes prior to their session. There is a 15-minute debrief with your progarmme manager after each session.
• This role requires you to undergo a free of charge enhanced DBS check, which will be arranged by Team Up.

We are looking for:

• Strong grades in English
• Experience working with young people
• Committed, organised and patient individuals 
• Good interpersonal skills when dealing with pupils
• Individuals who are passionate about social mobility and helping to reduce the education attainment gap

Our volunteers love building a rapport with each pupil, seeing pupil growth, and personal confidence increase across the 12 week programme. By the end of the programme, you will see how the support you give has enabled a young person to not only improve their grades, but also build long term resilience. 

Alongside this meaningful experience, you will also be able to attend our employability seminars, as well as receiving a personalised reference upon completion of the programme.

Our Linked Minds Befriending Project supports people who are socially isolated in Ealing and Hounslow due to a diagnosed mental health problem.

This is an opportunity to become a Befriender.

On successful completion of specialist mental health training, the Befriender is matched with someone suitable, by a Co-ordinator who then acts as a (non-clinical) supervisor for the befriending period, which is limited to a year.

Befriender, client and supervisor make a plan together with a goal to work towards, and the Befriender makes a weekly 1-2 hour visit to the client's home, where they might stay in and chat over a cup of tea, go out for a walk together, visit a café or undertake a local activity. 

These visits make such a difference for the client, increasing their confidence and helping them explore and work towards getting a job, joining a club, meeting other people or whatever their goal may be.

The aim is that, by the end of the year, clients feel better about themselves, more valued, resilient, empowered, more linked to their community and better equipped for their journeys in recovery.

But volunteering with BEfriend not only enriches the lives of those who are isolated, it also offers immense personal rewards.

As a Befriender, you’ll get to know inspirational people with fascinating stories, develop new skills and be part of a supportive team that values compassion and connection.