Volunteer volunteer roles in ilford, greater london

Access All Areas is looking for volunteers to support both its Performance Making Diploma and Take Part programmes!

Are you:

• An artist trying to perfect your craft?
• A student looking for a placement in participatory arts?
• Or… simply interested in getting involved in your community and in knowing more about performance making and/or access?

Our volunteering opportunities might be the right fit for you!

Join as a volunteer on our Take Part programmes and Diploma and…

• Gain experience working within an established production company’s methodology
• Get to be creative, inspiring and bold with your ideas
• Be part of an inclusive performance-making process
• Build your toolkit and learn the ropes of what it takes to do inclusive creative work
• Work with emerging learning disabled and autistic artists

Performance Making Diploma overview
Run in partnership with the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, our Performance Making Diploma is known as one of the world’s leading courses for and by learning disabled and autistic creatives.Students work with celebrated theatre and TV professionals to learn performance skills, create scripts and performances, and prepare for different career options in the arts and media.

Take Part Programmes overview
Our Take Part programme works with participants across East London and beyond, building creative skills, increasing confidence and making performance. They take place in arts venues, day centres, care homes, community centres and colleges.

As a volunteer, you might…

• Work creatively alongside students and participants and act as a ‘creative partner’ to support their ideas; Provide access support for students and participants including note-taking, accessing sensory tool, repeating instructions, etc.;
• Support the devising of performances;
• Perform alongside participants as on-stage creative support or in forum theatre workshop exercises;
• Attend theatre trips with students and participants.

For all the info, visit our website or email us

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

As a charity we are able to help thousands of cats each year thanks to the generous donations we receive from members of the public. Our fundraising volunteers use their passion for cats and people to raise the vital funds needed to help more cats and kittens in need. As a fundraising volunteer we want to support you to fundraise in whatever way suits you best, whether that’s organising a fundraising event, fundraising online, promoting fundraising activities on social media, completing administration or supporting the development of new fundraising ideas! Whatever your skill set, this could be the role for you! 

What 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

This is a really flexible role – you can choose what you’d like to get involved with, for example:

• face-to-face fundraising. Organising or helping with fundraising events, running supermarket collections and fundraising stands, monitoring collection tins 
• online fundraising. Setting up online appeals and writing impactful cat case studies that maximise donations
• marketing. Spreading the word about our fundraising activities, for example on social media and with the local press
• completing administration. Processing donations, sorting and recording donated goods, completing Gift Aid paperwork
• championing our work. Getting involved with developing new fundraising ideas and increasing community engagement
• photography. Capturing images of cats in care, cats we are helping, events and all things Cats Protection

Time expectation

This is a flexible role that can fit around your other commitments to suit you. You’ll be part of a team raising vital funds while having fun in the process!

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

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.

We are looking for volunteers with parenting or child caring experience to support families for 2-3 hours per week, for a minimum of one year upon completing the preparation course.

We provide a preparation course for all volunteers before they start to visit families, which covers all the essential training and information you will require.

The main task of a volunteer is to visit families in their own homes on a regular basis, to offer a combination of the following: Friendship / Practical Help / A listening ear / To accompany to appointments, or help access local amenities / The opportunity to share ideas of skills, leading to increased parental confidence / Links to community resources and support systems

About Kith & Kids
We provide activities, opportunities, information, and support for people with a learning disability or autism, their parents, and siblings.
For all our projects and activities we are dependent on volunteers.

Our Weekend Clubs
10.00am to 1.30pm and/or 1:30pm to 6.00pm, monthly, Saturdays during term time.

We are currently looking for energetic and enthusiastic volunteers, to join us on our fantastic fun-filled Weekend club activities.

Volunteers and our members who have disabilities get to know each other as they take part in fun and challenging workshops including sports & games, arts & crafts, cooking and enjoying a day out in London once a term.

What you'll do
On the club you and a fellow volunteer will be paired with one of our members with a learning disability or autism. You'll support and encourage them to take part in a wide range of activities led by professional therapists and workshop leaders.

Our aim at a Kith & Kids’ club is that everybody has lots of fun in an environment in which our members feel safe and relaxed and can fully express themselves.  We aim that our members receive 2:1 volunteer support.  This helps ensure that the sessions have lots of energy and enthusiasm.  It also gives new volunteers a chance to learn further support tips from experienced volunteers. 

Our Weekend Clubs also allow our members to develop key skills and relationships in a fun, friendly and safe setting that is individually centred on their needs.

Workshops include music, drama, arts & crafts, sports & games and much more.  We even enjoy trips out!  Recently groups have attended swimming, museums, crazy golf, and bowling.

Not only is it a session full of fun and games for you and our members, but you are also a vital part in supporting them to develop their social skills in a day-to-day environment.

Come along and get involved!

Male volunteers especially welcome (we need more)!!

Requirements

What you need
You do not need experience. Full disability awareness training will be provided before you begin volunteering with us.
The only requirements we ask of you are enthusiasm, energy and to be open-minded.
Minimum age for volunteers is 18.

How much time?
The clubs run Sat monthly, 10.00am to 1.30pm and/or 1:30pm to 6.00pm, in term time only.

The more clubs you do, the more you'll build close relationships with the members you'll be supporting and will create the most impact.

What we can offer you
We can reimburse your travel expenses.
We'll also provide excellent training before the project, and lots of helpful support.

By volunteering on our clubs, you'll also:

• Use and develop your skills
• Learn something new, get involved in fun activities with others
• Increase your confidence
• Meet new people and make friends
• Gain experience for (other) work
• Give something back to the community
• Do something fun and satisfying in your spare time
• Challenge yourself
   

What about training?
Volunteers must attend training and complete a free DBS check before you begin volunteering.

This is a great opportunity to get to know everyone at Kith & Kids: your fellow volunteers, some of our members you will be working with, and gives the opportunity to develop some new skills and expand your knowledge in our workshops.

Topics we cover include:

• Communication
• Autism
• Supporting emotions
• Safeguarding
• Creativity & Participation
• Epilepsy
   

When do I need to come?

Volunteers must attend training and complete a free DBS check before taking part.

We'll be running face-to-face training in north London starting in mid-Sept with lots of other dates to choose from.

In the meantime, we'll be meeting volunteers online.

Training will take place in North London – once we have met you online for a chat, we will send you confirmation of our training venue details.

Join FARA, a charity with over 30 years of experience and 40 charity shops across London. Our Chiswick Kids store is looking for a dedicated Retail Volunteer to assist us a minimum of 4 hours per week. By volunteering with us, you'll not only support our charitable work but also contribute to creating a positive experience for our community of customers. You'll also play a key role in ensuring that items FARA cannot sell are responsibly redirected, helping us further our commitment to a sustainable economy.

The Role:

As a volunteer, your responsibilities will include (but are not limited to):

• Tagging clothes
• Pricing books
• Assisting with the placement of merchandise on shelves
• Creating engaging displays
• Greeting and assisting customers

The Volunteer:

We’re looking for someone who:

• Has a genuine passion for volunteering
• Is friendly, approachable, and enthusiastic
• Ideally connected with the local area
• Has a minimum of 4 hours per week to volunteer with us

What’s in it for You?

At FARA, our shops are run by welcoming, collaborative teams where everyone works together. You'll gain valuable experience, working alongside supportive colleagues who help each other develop, challenge, and celebrate each other's contributions. Full training will be provided, and we offer a positive and safe environment where you can learn and enhance your skills.

Your Time:

Our shop operates from 09:30 to 17:30, and we're looking for someone who can volunteer for a minimum of 4 hours per week. We are happy to accommodate flexible hours to fit your schedule.

If this sounds like the role for you, please click the "Apply" button.

FARA is committed to creating an inclusive environment. If you need any reasonable adjustments during the application process, please don't hesitate to let us know.

NEUROMANCERS is a peer-led organisation providing autonomous, abolitionist, and accessible mental health care for and by the neurodivergent+ community. 

NEUROMANCERS was founded in 2021 by then-fifteen-year-old Aiyana Goodfellow in response to the lack of politicised community spaces for neurodivergent individuals. After years of incredible work, we are re-launching in 2025 in our new and improved form. 

We are...

• Youth Founded

• Black Led & Centred

• LGBTQ+ Led & Centred

• UK Based & Globally Grounded

Volunteer Coordinator

The Volunteer Coordinator will oversee and support the Research Collective, Care Practice Collective (Peer Support), Media Team, and Membership Team, ensuring volunteers feel valued and engaged. This role involves team management, volunteer support, and fostering a positive volunteer experience.

Key Responsibilities:

• Team Management:

  • Oversee all volunteer teams across NEUROMANCERS.

  • Ensure volunteers are aligned with organisational goals and tasks.

• Volunteer Support:

  • Facilitate a monthly drop-in session or one-to-one check-ins with volunteers as needed.

  • Act as a point of contact for volunteer questions, concerns, and feedback.

• General Support:

  • Assist with onboarding new volunteers.

  • Collaborate with the Administrative & Operational Assistant to streamline volunteer-related processes.

Ideal Candidate:

• Able to gain a fast understanding of how NEUROMANCERS works and our community programs.

• Experience in volunteer coordination or team management.

• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, flexible to different access needs, and prompt at responding. 

• Empathetic and supportive, with the ability to motivate and engage volunteers.

• Organized and able to manage multiple tasks effectively.

Volunteer Mentor – Make a Difference in a Young Person’s Life

What if one hour a week could change a young person’s life - and yours too?

About Us

MAPS Mentoring is an award-winning early-intervention project that supports vulnerable children and young people in the London Borough of Sutton. Our dedicated volunteers provide a safe, supportive space for young people facing challenges such as low self-esteem, difficult family relationships, abuse, bereavement, or self-harm. Through mentoring, we empower mentees to unpack their experiences, build confidence, and find their voice.

About the Role

We’re looking for Volunteer Mentors to join our MAPS Mentoring team. As a mentor, you’ll meet with a young person in Sutton for 1-2 hours weekly over the course of a year. Meetings are flexible and can take place in the evenings, weekends, or during the week for our older mentees, or for in-school mentoring.

No prior experience is needed - just a genuine desire to make a difference in a young person’s life.

With a budget provided for food, drinks, activities, and travel, you and your mentee can choose what to do together. Whether it’s casual coffee chats, dog walks, or saving up for more adventurous outings like GoKarting, Thorpe Park trips, or even indoor skydiving, the choice is yours!

What We’re Looking For

Excellent communication and listening skills
Empathy, patience, and the ability to build trust
Sensitivity and understanding of the challenges young people face
A positive attitude and reliability
Commitment to meeting with a mentee weekly for up to a year
Willingness to undergo a DBS check and attend a full day of training
Prior experience working with young people is welcome but not essential

Why Volunteer with MAPS?

Make a lasting impact on a young person’s life
Gain valuable skills in mentoring and communication
Be part of an award-winning, supportive team
All expenses (food, drinks, activities, and travel) are covered

Ready to Get Started?

Join our choir as a Guitarist Volunteer, contributing your musical talents to enhance our rehearsals and performances! Your role will support in creating a lively atmosphere, allowing our choir to deliver unforgettable performances! Sessions take place every Thursday from 3-4pm, if you are available and would like to get involved, we’d love to hear from you!

What you will be doing

• Accompany choir members during rehearsals and performances with live guitar music.
• Collaborate with choir members to select appropriate songs.
• Engage with other volunteers and service users, creating a positive and supportive environment.

The skills you need

• Experience in playing the guitar, either personally, professionally.
• Experience with a variety of music genres
• Strong communication and collaborative skills

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

This role provides a telephone listening and support service to bereaved carers’ and family members whose relatives died under the care of The Hospice of St Francis. Last year our Bereavement Support Line volunteers made over 1,000 calls.

We are looking for additional volunteers to support this service.  Do you have strong listening skills?  Are you reflective, self-aware, adaptive with basic IT skills?  We'd love to hear from you. 

The role will be ome based and you will receive full training and ongoing support.

The Children's Book Project is a national charity on a mission to tackle book poverty. We passionately believe that every child should have the opportunity to own a book and have, in the last year, celebrated gifting our 1 millionth book! We are looking for some wonderful volunteers to help us in managing book sorting and packing with a range of amazing corporate volunteers at our three HQs in Birmingham, Leeds and London.

We gift beautiful pre-loved and new books to schools and we gift within prison settings in order to reach children who may not otherwise have access to book ownership.

We are looking for volunteers in Birmingham, Leeds and London able to help us in the running of our book sorting days at each of our three HQs.  Ideally you will be able to commit to 2-3 days per half term.  (We work term-times only).  Our hours are 10am - 2:30pm.

We work with a range of amazing corporate volunteer teams who come to organise, sort and then pack our books in preparation for delivery. These corporate days are always full of energy and fun and we are looking for energetic and passionate people to support these events as Volunteer Coordinators - helping to make sure that there is a warm welcome, a clear plan for the day and that our one-off visitors can contribute productively.

What is required:

• On average, a commitment to 2 days per half term 
• Flexibility to travel to your local HQ for sorting and corporate volunteering days
• A can-do attitude and enjoyment of working as part of a team.

In return, you’ll get to be part of an extraordinary family of volunteers as we make a real and lasting difference to young lives – there is almost an immeasurable benefit to empowering a child to read for pleasure and we believe that no child should be denied access to a book through poverty. We would love your support!

Family Lives was formed over forty years ago by volunteers with the aim of ensuring that all parents had somewhere to turn before they reach crisis point.

Remote Family Support Volunteer – Live Chat

We know that the right support at the right time makes all the difference. Family Lives provides targeted early intervention and crisis support to families who are struggling.

Organisational values:

Mission: We build better family lives together.

Vision: Families should have access to active support and understanding. 

Values: Trustworthy, Compassionate and Collaborative

Purpose of the role: To be part of a flexible team providing empathic, caring and informed support to families, carers and others who use our services.

Live chat: is a free confidential service that is accessed via our website. Service users are offered emotional support, information and advice and guidance on a broad range of family issues.

Supervised by: The Shift Supervisor

 Activities: The volunteer will be fully supervised, supported and trained to provide the following activities:

·Provide emotional support to family members via our live chat service

·Use the Family Lives support model and tools to provide an empathic responses

·Ensure that all service users receive a high quality experience

·Sign post users to other agencies for information and additional support

·Complete conversation data records

·Alert the shift supervisor to any difficult situations

General: Volunteers should be willing to:

·Attend the relevant volunteer training

·Maintain confidentiality and adhere to the other policies and procedures of the organisation

·Participate in regular support, supervision meetings and learning sessions as agreed

For home based volunteers only:

·Volunteers will need a Laptop/PC, plug in headset with microphone, fast broadband and a private place to work from home

·Volunteers need to be IT/PC literate and confident troubleshooting should they have technical difficulties

 Time: We would be looking for volunteers to commit to one four-hour shift per week, plus attending training and supervision.

Location: working remotely from home

 You need to be a UK resident.

Supervision and Support:

·Supervision during shifts

·Debrief after every shift

·1 to 1 supervision every 6 months

·Staff available outside of shift within office hours

·Annual review

The Benefits of Volunteering:

·Satisfaction in making a real and lasting difference to families who are struggling

·An opportunity to develop experience for CV and references. Family Lives is committed to helping volunteers develop their own learning and development, gaining new skills, knowledge or work experience

·Being part of a team of Family Lives volunteers and staff

·Personal development

·Opportunities to meet and interact with a wide range of people

·Out of pocket expenses reimbursed to a maximum of £10 per session if working from a centre

·Flexible hours

Volunteer Person Specification. We are looking for individuals who:

·Have experience of parenting/being in a parenting role or demonstrable experience of working with parents or children e.g. in their work, previous volunteering or a previous role

·Have an ability to respond empathically to emotional content

·Good written and verbal communication

·Have good keyboard skills and IT skills, with a minimum of 45 wpm

·Can demonstrate a willingness to question their own attitudes e.g. toward different forms of parenting

·Have a fluent, descriptive and expressive use of English

·Can remain open minded and non-judgemental

·Willing to commit to work within Family Lives’ policies, in particular our Confidentiality Policy and Risk of Harm Procedures

·Willing to commit to attending regular supervision and support sessions

·Willing to work as part of a team

·Willing to commit to a mutually agreed period or ideally a 12 months commitment to the organisation.

Typing Task Prior to Application for Live Chat

Prior to you submitting your application for a Live Chat Volunteer, we will require you to do a speed test, we ask for a minimum speed of 45 words per minute. 

Please take a screen shot and send it across with your application

You can have up to 3 attempts and decide which result you would like to forward as part of your application

Typing task

Go to the website typingtest

You are required to take the one minute typing test recording all of the results (speed, number of errors and adjusted speed).

We have remote voluntary call taker training groups the dates are below are you would need to be able to attend all 5 Modules from the training group.

Our next training groups are:

Tues 16th Sept = Please note different day

Wed 24th Sept

Weds 1st Oct

Weds 8th Oct

Wed 15th Oct 

 10am - 2pm 

Please note that all roles offered are subject to a satisfactory DBS being obtained, you will receive details of documentation required prior to your training and this must all be in no later than the second session of your training.

Are you creative? Would you like to support others to express their emotions through arts and crafting?

Art plays a valuable role in mental wellbeing with research showing that crafting, regardless of the medium you use can boost your mood, self-confidence and reduce stress overall. Taking part in art-based activities increases our resilience and engages us in the here and now. You will be supporting people to express their emotions, provide a time for people to relax and feel proud of their final art products!

We are recruiting for a volunteer to support and facilitate an art and craft group.

We work with people who need support with their mental health across London and the South East. Our support ranges from registered accommodation services for people with severe mental health conditions to drop-in community and crisis services.

In the last year, 9,499 adults accessed Hestia’s mental health support.

We help people to feel safe, develop hope for a better future, and achieve their personal goals. These goals may include rebuilding relationships with family members and friends or connecting more with their local community.

What you will be doing

• To prepare arts and craft sessions, involving individuals in the planning process where possible
• Inspire and motivate individuals to develop their arts and craft skills, assisting them in the creation of their projects and supporting them to brainstorm and use their own initiative
• Encourage individuals to continue independent activities

The skills you need

• Experience of arts and/or crafts either in a professional, educational, or personal level
• Able to collaborate with individuals to plan an art group session and facilitate confidently
• A calm and patient manner
• Ability to provide a trusting, open, kind-hearted atmosphere that encourages learning and participation
• An effective communicator with a patient and sympathetic nature

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

Are you a warm, empathetic person with good communication skills? Could you offer four hours a week to support families in urgent need?

We Stand - Formally Mosac  provide a free National Helpline service to non abusing parents and carers of sexually abused children. We are currently seeking Helpline Volunteers to provide support, information and a listening ear to parents and carers whose children have been sexually abused.

We know a caring, sensitive and non judgemental response can make a real difference to someone seeking support. We are looking for volunteers with good verbal, listening and communication skills, no previous experience on a helpline is required. Trained, experienced staff will always be on hand to provide support and guidance. 

We expecially welcone volunteers who  speak additional languages, from all communities, to help us support more parents from diverse backgrounds, Welsh speakers are also required as part of our South East Wales support project

Helpline Volunteers will:

• Receive full training prior to the formal induction (3 week training programme) Dates to be confirmed 
• Commit to volunteer 4 hours per week for a minimum of 1 year
• Receive ongoing support and supervision from a friendly team
• Make a difference to the lives of families impacted by child sexual abuse

Opportunities for you: 

• To contribute to We Stand’s aims of supporting families affected by child sexual abuse

• You will receive training, continual development and support in the role

• Working remotley from your own home

• Gain valuable experience and development of interpersonal skills

• Out of pocket expenses for travel  cost if required to attend meetings,and subsistence will be met by We Stand

Your Responsibilities: 

• Answer calls that come through the National Helpline 

• Provide support, information and signposting to relevant support organisations 

• Complete all call log and monitoring information after each call 

• Attend mandatory supervision meetings fortnightly or monthly to support you in the role. 

• All helpline volunteers working remotely - attend 30 minute supervision after your shift.

Why do we need your help?

Food banks provide three-day emergency food parcels for people in crisis, working in partnership with organisations across the community. Drivers play a fundamental role in the running of the food bank, collecting food donations from a variety of locations such as supermarkets or churches across the local area as well as distributing the sorted donations from the warehouse to the local food bank centres. You will be given all the required training and provided with ongoing support and development opportunities. You will also have a main contact at the food bank throughout your time volunteering with us.

What will you be doing?

• Collecting food donations from collection points such as supermarkets, schools and churches within Brent

• Coordinating with the warehouse manager and supermarket community champions

• Delivering the food donations to the warehouse, located in Willesden

• Transporting sorted food from the warehouse across two food banks within Brent

• Regular loading and unloading of vehicles, helping your driver buddy

• Regular driving across the local area

The skills you need:

• Clean and current driving licence

• Physically strong and capable of carrying heavy boxes of canned foods

• Experienced and confident driver, you will be driving a small van around Brent

• Adaptable and flexible, sometimes we need to change your driving route or times

• Personable and committed, you will be the representatives of Brent Foodbank amongst our supermarket community

• You will need to follow the driving policy of the food bank

• You should enjoy being part of a volunteer team

• Have an eye for detail and be able to solve problems

• If you can’t drive but enjoy being out on the road, you can also be a driver buddy!

What’s in it for you?

• Using your existing skills to make a difference

• Meet new people who share your passion to end poverty in the community

• Make a real difference to the running of your food bank

• The opportunity to serve your local community

You will be given all the required training and provided with ongoing support and development opportunities. You will also have a main contact at the food bank throughout your time volunteering with us. 

We recognise that we have under-represented groups within our team. As part of our commitment to diversity and equality of opportunity we are actively encouraging applications from under-represented groups such as parents or carers who are re-entering volunteering after a career break, people who are LGBTQ+, from Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic (BAME) backgrounds, with a disability, impairment, learning difference or long-term condition.