Volunteer volunteer roles in richmond, greater london

Home-Start Croydon offers parents the support they need to help give their children the best start in life. As a Parent Champion Volunteer you will be engaging with families from your own community, providing peer to peer support and promoting services for children under 5 and their families. By connecting with other parents and carers, Parent Champions help communities thrive, breaking barriers and reducing isolation.

Key activities

• Engage with parents with children under 5 years old
• Build good knowledge of own community and links with local families
• Signpost parents to children’s centres and local organisations providing services for families
• Talk with parents in groups
• Facilitate parents to build peer to peer support groups
• Provide information on childcare options including the free early learning for two year olds
• Record accurate information manually
• Attend training and personal development activities
• Meet the Parent Champion Coordinator and other Parent Champions to share good practice

Person Specification

• Have experience of being a parent or carer
• Ability to talk and listen to other parents and understand their world
• Have a non-judgemental attitude
• Have an understanding of the difficulties parents face when looking for childcare
• Have a positive experience of using formal childcare and family services
• Have an understanding about confidentiality
• Have an awareness on the safeguarding of children and vulnerable adults
• Have knowledge of and commitment to equal opportunities, fairness and diversity
• Be able to keep basic records as requested by Home-Start

Could you volunteer in your local PDSA charity shop and help us raise vital funds to treat pets in need?  

PDSA is a charity with 48 pet hospitals that supports pets and people in need. All of our charity shops need an amazing team of volunteers to make them a success and we need you now more than ever.

By becoming a charity shop volunteer with PDSA you will:

• Gain retail experience

• Develop new skills and boost your CV 

• Meet new people 

• Support your local community 

• Donate your current skills and knowledge 

• Have fun

• Be part of a friendly team 

Charity Shop Volunteers are involved in a wide range of roles and day-to-day activities that support the running of each shop and even a few hours a week will make a difference.

On the shop floor you could be involved with providing excellent customer service, processing transactions on the tills, replenishing stock and putting up eye-catching displays to entice customers in. 

Behind the scenes, volunteers get involved with sorting through donations to find those hidden gems and preparing goods for sale by sorting, steaming and pricing 

We provide training, so you don’t need experience – and we reimburse travel expenses so you won’t be out of pocket.

We’re looking for people who are 18 years of age or over that enjoy working as part of a team and making a difference. 

Get in touch today to talk to us about volunteering in one of our shops or to apply for this role please visit Volunteering with PDSA - PDSA 

PDSA positively encourages volunteer applications regardless of sex, race, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, religion or belief, marital status, or pregnancy and maternity.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, adults at risk and all our colleagues and expect everyone who works for us to also share this commitment and to treat people with courtesy and respect.

To support this commitment, our recruitment & selection processes are robust and rigorous and all appointments will be subject to satisfactory references and appropriate background checks.

Upcoming summer recruitment days for volunteering are now available!

Volunteers have a variety of roles from helping with school visits to leading tours and object handling sessions. Find out more about these volunteer opportunities at one of our upcoming recruitment days.

Sessions are:

• Monday 2 June at 2.30 – 4.00pm
• Sunday 7 June at 12.00 – 1.00pm
• Saturday 8 June at 12.00- 1.00pm

Please visit our museum website for information on how to apply. 

*Please note if you are unable to attend any of these dates but are still interested in volunteering please email us.

Be sure to sign up to our mailing list to be first to know about other future opportunities as they arise.

The Listening Place is a volunteer-led charity aiming to transform how we support people who feel suicidal.  Our trained volunteers are part of a team delivering face-to-face, confidential, ongoing support to thousands of people each year.  They help create the warm and welcoming environment that encourages people struggling with suicidal thoughts and feelings to talk openly without being judged or given advice.   

Helping Volunteers are responsible for welcoming visitors onto our premises, providing a warm and welcoming atmosphere (along with a cup of tea), and supporting our Listening Volunteers to help everything run smoothly.

We are looking for volunteers who have the empathy to greet distressed visitors, the willingness to undertake a variety of admin and other tasks and the resilience to support their team.  Our HVs need to be proactive, self-starters and team players with a basic understanding of IT. We ask for a weekly commitment of four hours for a period of at least six months.

We are primarily recruiting Helping Volunteers for our new site near Liverpool Street. We also have limited vacancies available at our other sites in Hammersmith, Pimlico and Kings Cross.

The Programmes & Services department keeps our organisation running. Our team work directly with volunteers by offering them support.

Our Programmes & Services department is divided into four roles. Each of these roles reports to our Programmes & Services Manager. Our four roles are: 

• People Coordinator 

• Volunteer Engagement Coordinator 

• Referrals Coordinator 

• Training Coordinator 

Key tasks and responsibilities 

• Track the attendance of all volunteers. 

• Maintain friendly relationships with caseworkers. 

• Be the first point of contact for queries from volunteers and signpost to the relevant team/person. 

• Support the accessibility needs of volunteers attending in person or online. 

• Organise socials for the organisation. 

• Feedback volunteer experiences to the management team. 

• Support the People Coordinator to ensure the smooth onboarding and offboarding of volunteers. 

• In person attendance on Saturdays is compulsory but there is no expectation of remote work throughout week. 

Shout is the UK’s only free, confidential, 24/7 text messaging support service for anyone who is struggling to cope. When people text 'Shout' to 85258, they are connected to a Shout Volunteer for a text conversation. Our volunteers provide a safe space for people to share what's causing them distress, while showing warmth and compassion.

Tasks and Responsibilities

If your application is successful, you’ll be enrolled in a training group. New groups start every two weeks.

Shout Volunteers receive 25 hours of free training in communication, listening, managing and assessing risk, and problem solving. The training is self-paced and done online. You’ll learn how to bring people in distress to a place of calm and practice skills that will be useful to you throughout life.

As we are investing in you throughout your time with us, our hope is that you will complete the training in a timely manner and look at this as a longer term commitment. The experience you gain over time is valuable and our goal is to have volunteers commit to 200 hours on the platform, which can take up to two years to complete, as we ask you to take one 2-4 hour shift per week. 

Our Volunteer Training Support team is here to support you, answer any questions and provide feedback during training and throughout your time with Shout. You’ll be joining an incredibly supportive volunteer community and have access to the resources you need to do your role.

As a volunteer, you’ll be supporting people in distress, so it’s important we see the skills required to do that while you are in training. While most trainees complete the training and go on to volunteer, not everyone will pass the training. If this happens, there are other ways you can still support us.

Selection Criteria

A Shout Volunteer is kind and compassionate, a good listener, and has the ability to remain calm when supporting people in crisis. You will also:

• Understand the difference between being friendly and being a friend

• Be aware of your own mental health and wellbeing

• Be open-minded

• Be supportive

• Be reliable

• Be discreet and able to respect confidentiality at all times

• Be accepting and non-judgemental

• Be passionate about contributing some of your time to a cause such as Shout

• Adopt a growth mindset, and be willing to accept feedback

Requirements

• You must live in the United Kingdom or New Zealand while volunteering. 
• You must be over 18 years of age.
• You will need a reliable internet connection and a private place to take your shift.
• All of your volunteering must be done using a laptop or desktop computer and Google Chrome.

It’s worth spending time thinking about the nature of the role, and whether it’s right for you. We support all texters, regardless of race, religion, sexual identity or issue. You will need to be comfortable addressing topics frequently discussed with texters (suicide, self-harm, depression, etc.) without compromising your own mental health. 

Before you apply, please consider whether either of the following applies to you:

• Have you recently experienced grief, loss or change issue/s? For example; someone close to you has been ill or has died, you’ve lost your job, your relationship has ended.

• Is your current mental health and wellbeing in a place such that the stress and pressure of listening to the challenges of others would bring additional burden to you personally?

Benefits to Volunteers

The role is rewarding and can save lives. Shout Volunteers tell us they gain a sense of pride, satisfaction and purpose from taking conversations. They also tell us that their own wellbeing increases, they learn valuable skills and gain experience they can use at work and in their personal lives.

Volunteering can also be a great addition to your CV. You do not need to have any past experience in mental health to be a Shout Volunteer - we’ll provide you with all the training and support you need to do the role.

Application Process

You will need to create your account and fill in the application using a laptop or desktop computer and in a Google Chrome browser. This is a standard requirement for all of our systems at Shout, from the application through to the platform.

You should leave up to an hour to complete the form. As Shout is a text based service and we do not conduct in person interviews for our volunteer candidates what you write in your application and the strength of your references are how we get to know you. 

We appreciate when candidates take the time to write thoughtful, considered answers. We recommend you review your application with an eye toward things like spelling, grammar and punctuation. While some of our texters will occasionally reach out using more informal text speak, our volunteers respond in full sentences and double check their messages for accuracy before hitting send. 

Your application will be reviewed once we have received responses from both of your references. We ask for a personal reference and a professional reference. The personal reference can be a friend or colleague but the other must be someone who knows you professionally or has supervised you in some way. 

This could be a manager or supervisor from where you work or a teacher or educator from where you study. We recommend you choose references who are able to speak to your ability to fulfil the selection criteria outlined above.

We do not accept references from family members. This includes your partner or their relatives, your children, siblings, aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents or godparents. 

Please allow up to a month for us to review your application and return a decision. 

If your application is approved, you can book your place on training. Training groups usually start every two weeks and spaces are available to book a couple of months ahead. While you are in training and before you are allowed on the platform we will carry out a background check.

Public Programme Volunteers are a big part of making sure our diverse range of events go off without a hitch. They’re creative, enthusiastic, and great with people. They’re also keen to get stuck in and learn more about how public programmes in the heritage sector are put together and delivered.

The museum offers a range of public programming throughout the year but particularly in the summer (Wednesday to Sunday), and during Holiday periods (Monday to Sunday): February Half Term, Easter Holidays, May Half Term and October Half Term. We are looking for volunteers who are available during these periods to support with a range of activities.

How you will help

• Providing a friendly greeting for all visitors.
• Supporting the set up and take down of workshops, activities, and events
• Facilitating activities such as: Tower building in the Splash Zone, Bubble discos, crafts, Water Filtration Experiments, and more!
• Supporting visitors way-finding and access through the museum
• Working collaboratively with the wider LMWS volunteer team

Time Commitment

Volunteers can book a full day, or a half-day shift. Shifts are flexible and you can choose the number of days you work. As stated above, we particularly needs support during our Holiday periods. Full training will be provided.

London Museum of Water and Steam

The London Museum of Water and Steam tells the story of London’s water supply, the site, its people and the amazing pumping engines that helped to make London the city it is today.

Today the museum is at the heart of the community, working in partnership with community groups and welcoming many residents.

Our challenge
The Community Fundraising Team is an integral part of The Charity Fundraising Portfolio, with an income target of £3.6 million in 2024/25 and the team consists of Community Fundraisers based across the UK. Our role is to provide fundraising advice and support to our DIY individual fundraisers, Supporter Groups, Community Organisations and Regional Corporates.

How can you help?
We are recruiting a team of Community Fundraising Volunteers to help us provide our amazing DIY individual fundraisers with the best possible experience when contacting The Charity for information or fundraising advice. We want to be able to engage with our fundraisers and respond to queries efficiently, whilst also spotting further fundraising opportunities 
for our expert team of regional Community Fundraisers.

As part of a team of Community Fundraising Admin Volunteers, you’d help us to: 
• Manage the Community Fundraising Team inboxes.
• Respond to our Fundraisers by their preferred choice, including phone, email etc.
• Identify opportunities for further engagement by the relevant Regional Community Fundraiser.
• Update our CRM with details of the Fundraiser, their DIY event and any action taken in response to their contact with us.

What impact will you have?
You’ll play a vital role in the Community Fundraising Team, helping us provide the best possible experience to our fundraisers. 

We’re looking for...
Someone who is passionate about The Charity and our vision. You’ll also need to be: 
• Proficient with IT— including CRM software & MS Outlook
• Confident and friendly with strong written and verbal communication skills
• Able to identify new opportunities to raise awareness and funds 
• A good team player who understands the importance of collaboration

The Brain Tumour Charity is committed to promoting diversity and inclusion in all aspects of our organisation. We particularly welcome applications from individuals belonging to minority ethnic groups, LGBTQ+ communities, people 
with disabilities, and other underrepresented communities.

What can you gain from volunteering? 
• You’ll have the opportunity to utilise your existing skills, while developing and learning new ones to take forward into the future 
• You’ll join a friendly, passionate team and develop an understanding of how this team at The Charity operates. 

Time commitment
We’d ideally be looking for volunteers to commit to volunteering for one day per week (either one full day or two half days), as ideally we are looking for cover across the full working week. The role is home based.

Practical considerations
You will receive a full induction to The Brain Tumour Charity and specific training for the role, as well as ongoing direction from one of our Senior Community Fundraisers, who will be your key contact. We carry out reference checks for all individuals who will be volunteering with us on a regular basis. Volunteers may be required to complete some internal data protection and disclosure documentation before commencing the role. Volunteers must be over 18. We encourage volunteers to claim for any reasonable expenses that are incurred in the course of their volunteering with the Charity. 

Need support with the application process? 
We are committed to being inclusive and recognise that there may be a number of ways we could support you through the application process. If there’s any adjustments we can make to help you fully engage in the process, please do get in touch.

***Please note that this is an opportunity based in Nottingham (shire) in the United Kingdom and we don’t offer sponsorship or accept overseas applicants***

Age UK Notts are seeking individuals who would like to be considered as a volunteer for our Companion Service.

Volunteers will be supporting people remotely, in their own homes and in the community within Nottingham and Nottinghamshire and ideally, we ask all applicants to provide a minimum of 1 hour volunteering a week.

The companion service volunteer can choose to be:

• A companion telephone/video caller                                                               

• A companion within the person’s home

• A companion outside the person’s home

• Or a combination of all three.

Examples of the type of support the service offers include:

• Telephone / video calls for an older person/s on a regular basis at a mutually agreed time for a friendly chat. 

• Supporting an older person/s hobbies and interests or simply chatting with them in their own home on a regular basis.

• Supporting with digital access & building confidence skills & motivation to access the opportunities of the internet.

• Supporting the person outside of their home e.g., by accompanying them on a walk, to the shops, to a café, garden centre, theatre or cinema or other social activities / community groups. 

• Where appropriate, supporting the older person to access other services through information and signposting or referring to the Companion Service Coordinator for support.

We are looking for the following skills/interests:

• Individuals with a genuine interest in the wellbeing of older people who are committed to volunteering on a regular basis.

• Commitment to complete our Volunteer Report Form accurately and regularly. 

• Ability to travel for visits in the local community either by car or public transport for those volunteers who choose to participate in this type of activity.

• Digital literacy for those volunteers who choose to participate in this type of activity.

Please do note, however, that at the moment we are not looking for Volunteer Telephone Companions.

We are looking for volunteers with good daytime availability in specific areas of Nottingham and Nottinghamshire.

Please contact the volunteering team for further information on where specifically in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire.

 About the opportunity

This role involves supporting with events in your local area throughout the year.

There is no minimum commitment for the role. Times will vary depending on the requirements of the event. You will be provided with an event brief beforehand to ensure you are happy with the requirements for that activity.

By volunteering you will:

• Be a valued member of the Charity
• Can work with dogs without lifelong commitment or costs associated with dog ownership
• Be able to meet like-minded people
• Gain practical experience in the field of canine care and welfare.
• Have fun by joining a friendly, enthusiastic, and supportive team of volunteers.

‘With out the continued hard work and support from our volunteers, we would not be able to provide our clients with our life changing dogs’​

What is involved

• Raising awareness of Canine Partners and what we do by speaking to event attendees
• Promoting fundraising activities at the event (selling raffle tickets etc)
• Handing out leaflets, taking donations
• Set up and pack away on event day
• Passing on any leads to the Community Fundraising team

What we require from you

• Age 18 or over
• Access to your own transport with flexibility to visit various locations
• Polite, confident, and personable manner
• Excellent customer service skills
• Most opportunities require standing for the duration of the session and/or being in a busy environment. Please advise us if you have any concerns about this, and we will do our best to support you.

Support and Training

• Payment of expenditure such as mileage to and from an event.
• Dedicated point of contact in the fundraising team
• Pre-event briefings outlining the requirements of the event
• Volunteer clothing and ID badge
• Access to our volunteer portal with many resources for your use.
• Invitation to join our Official Canine Partners Community Facebook Group

The Listening Place is a volunteer-led charity aiming to transform how we support people who feel suicidal.  Our trained volunteers are part of a team delivering face-to-face, confidential, ongoing support to thousands of people each year.  They help create the warm and welcoming environment that encourages people struggling with suicidal thoughts and feelings to talk openly without being judged or given advice.   

Listening volunteers provide ongoing face-to-face support to visitors on regular, fortnightly 4-hour shifts during which they meet with up to 3 visitors (for up to 50 minutes each). In order to ensure continuity for our visitors we require a one-year minimum commitment from our LVs, as well as three months’ notice of intention to leave.

No experience or qualifications are necessary – we provide full training in active listening.  We look for warmth, empathy and resilience in our volunteers and the ability to be non-judgemental and avoid giving advice.

We are primarily recruiting Listening Volunteers for our new site near Liverpool Street. We also have limited vacancies available at our other sites in Hammersmith, Pimlico and Kings Cross.

We are looking for a Campaigns Volunteer to raise awareness and campaign so that decision-makers know about and can address the needs of everyone affected by MND. 

“I love being a campaigns volunteer for the MND Association, it means I can give something back to the MND Community, who along with the Association provide a lot of support for people like me” - Ian Lev   

What is campaigning?

These are some of the things you could do as a Campaigns Volunteer! Our team will be here to support you in whatever you’re doing. 

• Sharing the MND Association’s campaigns on social media. 
• Contacting local councillors to improve services for people living with and affected by MND in your area. 
• Talking to MPs and other decision-makers about what MND is and why it’s important that people have access to high quality health and care services. 
• Working with MND Association staff to identify issues and gather evidence for campaigns. 
• Help to change laws to improve the lives of people living with and affected by MND. 

This role will suit you if:

• You want to make a positive difference for people living with and affected by MND. 
• You’re interested in learning and improving your campaigning skills. 
• You’re a good communicator. No matter where your interest lies, be it writing e-mails or talking to people, sharing stories or providing us with feedback, you have so much to offer! 
• You are computer literate and have access to email and the internet, or someone who can help you with this. 
• Willing to work autonomously but also link up with others when needed. 

‘Campaigning really works! It’s not as hard as it may sound – just be yourself and you’ll be making a positive difference for people living with and affected by MND.’ - Judith Rice 

What’s in it for you?

• A chance to make a difference to the lives of those living with and affected by MND.
• Get access to a range of training events where you can develop campaigning skills and network with other Campaigns Volunteers. 
• Join a friendly and dedicated team. 
• Exclusive early access to our campaign plans and developments in our campaigning. 
• Opportunity to connect with, learn and share with other Campaign Volunteers in our Facebook group!

How flexible is the role? 

The time required is flexible, but we would hope Campaigns Volunteers would commit to a minimum of 1-2 hours per week.

We do understand that this role may need to fit around your family, studies, caring or other commitments. 

Arts at Home brings conversations about art to people as a tool to tackle loneliness and isolation. Volunteers choose artworks in advance of each session to present to the residents, and though a small amount of preparation is required, prior knowledge of art history is not. Instead, the sessions are participatory and informal, with a focus on communication and connection. Often an artwork will spark conversation about something else entirely, with residents and volunteers reminiscing about past experiences, sharing stories and finding common ground! 

Could you be a Volunteer Chaplain and add real value to the work we do?

Our mission is to help children and young people have a fair chance to be who they want to be. We do this by providing a safe home, increasing life skills and self-confidence, and improving emotional wellbeing and mental health.

We are looking for volunteer chaplains to help take part in informal weekly chaplaincy evenings to support the residents living in our Support Housing projects.

We house young people, aged 16-25, most of whom stay around 2 years. Our young people face many barriers; we provide a place and space for young people to feel safe through our projects that will lead to better life chances and a positive future. Our volunteers are at the heart of our work to support and encourage young people to turn their lives around.

YMCA DownsLink Group has a Christian foundation and inclusive vision. Our chaplaincy service helps ensure our YMCA supported accommodation is unique. Our multi-faith chaplains make a difference to the lives of young people in our supported accommodation by providing a space to be heard, to have fun and to eat together.

We are looking for people of faith or belief who are kind, good listeners, non-judgemental, with a sense of humour and a love of young people. We have a Christian Foundation and inclusive vision and we welcome applications from people of all faiths and beliefs. As a volunteer chaplain you will work as part of a team and spend time with the residents in their projects, cooking and eating with them, chatting, playing board games, and generally just being there for them. You will also receive training and support from one of our paid Chaplains.

We ask for a commitment of one evening (approximately 2 hours) every 2-3 weeks.

We are looking for Volunteer Chaplains in the following areas:

• Guildford and East Sussex
• Horsham and Crawley, West Sussex (one to two days a month preferably on Tuesday or Thursday evenings)
• Brighton & Hove

An inclusive workplace – We are committed to policies and practices of equity, diversity, and inclusion and to supporting our people to make sure our culture is consistent with this commitment. We encourage applications from people from all sections of the communities that we serve. We particularly welcome applications from People of Colour and minoritised white communities, people who are LGBTQU+, and people with disabilities and neurodiversities because these groups are currently under-represented in our workforce.

Accessibility – If you require assistance or have questions regarding the application process, please contact us. If you are local to our Head Office in Hove, we can provide you with a paper copy of the job advert and application form. If you are not local, we can post these to your preferred address. If you require these documents in another format, please let us know.

YMCA DLG requires all staff and volunteers to be committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people, and vulnerable adults and to respond proactively to safeguarding concerns. Successful applicants are required to undertake an Enhanced Disclosure (including the Children’s barred list and the Adults’ barred list) via the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS).

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.