Volunteering opportunities volunteer volunteer roles in Leicester, england

Following the success of the 2025 Council Climate Action Scorecards last year, Climate Emergency UK is looking to create the third edition of the Action Scorecards. Analysing council climate action only becomes valuable if you track the progress that has been made. Therefore, we are looking for volunteers to assist us in managing the Freedom of Information (FOI) requests we are sending to councils to answer some of the Scorecard questions.

Why are we doing this?

We’re in a climate and ecological crisis and local councils have the power and influence over around 30% of emissions in their local area. Councils are uniquely placed to make a real impact on emissions within their area. We know that councils are listening to the Scorecards results and taking more effective action. The average score in the 2025 Action Scorecards increased by 7 percent points. The Scorecards are a campaigning tool that residents can use to hold their council to account on their climate action, and lobby for specific, targeted change. We have also found evidence of 34% councils using and referencing the Scorecards in committee meetings, reports or in their own press releases and organisations across the sector are utilising the data from the Scorecards as well. Finally, this UK wide assessment will demonstrate where the UK and devolved governments need to provide more support to local authorities in order for them to take even further action.

How can you help?

We need at least 200 volunteers to pull this project off! We are sending councils a small number of FOI requests in order to answer some of the Scorecard questions. We have already written the FOI requests, and we need volunteers to manage the FOI request responses from all 400 councils and input their answers into our Scorecards. 

What experience do I need?

We will provide training so you don’t need any experience. If you have previous experience of sending FOI requests using WhatDoTheyKnow or reading responses to FOI requests that would be useful but not necessary in order to apply.

What will I gain?

This is a great opportunity if you want to work with FOI/EIR requests in the future. As you’ll be processing a variety of FOI requests from different council types across the UK, you will gain a deep understanding of the FOI request process and strengthen your analytical skills as you read and interpret the responses. By helping with this project you will be making a real contribution to the fight against the climate crisis.

What we need from you

You will need to be available to attend the following sessions:

• Volunteer induction
  You will only need to attend an induction session on either Tuesday 19th May or Thursday 21st May 2026.

• FOI Training
  You will need to attend the training session on 26th May 2026 from 5:30-7:30pm.

Scorecard FOI requests volunteers will be carrying out crucial tasks to manage the thousands of FOI responses we will be submitting. Using WhatDoTheyKnow you will be logging whether a council has responded to an FOI request and extracting the answers to create a data set of answers that will be used to mark councils in the Scorecards. Every volunteer will be trained and supported to manage the FOI responses.

Each FOI request will take between 10-30 minutes to classify and extract responses and the more you do, the quicker you will become. This can be done flexibly according to your scheduling needs. Our core FOI volunteers should be able to give 10 hours per week for 5 weeks between 25th May 2026 and 19th June 2026. You will need access to a laptop or computer with good internet for this volunteer position in order to access WhatDoTheyKnow.

Note: We will not accept current Councillors or Officers (Parish/Town councillors/officers are free to apply). 

How it works

• You will receive training on how to use WhatDoTheyKnow and manage the FOI responses.

• You will use WhatDoTheyKnow Projects to first classify and then extract information from FOI requests as we receive responses from councils across the country. 

• You will be supported through online communication with other volunteers across the country.

• You will be supported on Slack so at any point you will be able to ask questions of CE UK staff and other volunteers. There will also be an optional weekly FOI team co-working session, where you can work with CE UK staff and other volunteers, ask questions and get to know the other volunteers.

We’re Mind, the leading mental health charity. We won’t give up until everyone experiencing a mental health problem gets support and respect. We provide advice and support to empower anybody experiencing a mental health problem and we campaign to improve services, raise awareness, and promote understanding.

Our volunteers are a fundamental part of our shops. Any time which they volunteer at our shops and warehouses, help us be there for more people who are experiencing a mental health problem. 

About the volunteer role

To provide our volunteers with opportunities to gain a variety of skills and experience, we offer them a range of volunteer roles to choose from, which include:

• Stock preparation volunteer
• Volunteer stock generation assistant
• Specialist knowledge volunteer (antiques and collectables)
• Specialist knowledge volunteer (books and entertainment)
• Housekeeping volunteer

Key tasks

There is a variety of tasks within the above mentioned roles that our volunteers get involved with, including:

• If you are volunteering in one of our warehouses there may be some variation in your role
• We are looking for ebay listers, including researching items, help with processing and packing our online shop orders.
• Support with our van drivers, collecting and delivering stock to our network of shops and also helping with local street collections.
• Receiving donated items from members of the public
• Sorting, tagging and preparing donated items for sale
• Stock rotation
• Identifying special or valuable items within donated stock

About you

• Passionate about customer service
• Good communication skills 
• Friendly and helpful
• Respectful of others and their diversity

Experience & skills you will gain

• Experience of working as part of a team
• Retail experience 
• Stock organisation
• Selling skills 
• Customer service skills 

Our Commitment

We are committed to becoming actively anti-racist in everything we do. This is a critical priority for Mind. We embrace diversity and understand that being an inclusive organisation, recognising different perspectives, will enable us to provide excellent services. We are committed to ensuring all our employees are treated fairly and equitably at work and promoting equity in physical and mental health for all.

Who are we: 
We are Buttons & Bubbles CIC. We are dedicated to increasing inclusion and representation across society for disabled families. We take a positive and proactive disability and illness. We don't conform to society's and the media's view that disability is awful, and you have no quality of life. Although we fully acknowledge it gives rise to come of the most heartbreaking and challenging times you will ever face. We ask everyone who joins Buttons & Bubbles to embrace this perspective. If you don't agree with it, then sadly we're not the right organisation for you. 

About the role: 
 
We are looking for people to join our communications team. Helping with a variety of tasks from social media scheduling to posting job adverts to helping create policies.  

Our values: 

We embrace disability and neurodiversity; it makes us a stronger and more brilliant team. No robots at Buttons & Bubbles, thank you! 

What are we looking for? 

We are looking for a few individuals who may have the following skills and experience. Don't worry if you haven’t as full training will be provided.

Skillset; 

• Communication skills  

• Editing cntent  

• Scheduling content  

• Knowledge of admin programs including spreadsheets and outlook 

• Organised  

• Adaptable  

• Willing to learn and develop  

• An individual with a creative mindset 

• Thrill of building an online community. 

• Have a basic DBS check

• Positive attitude towards disability or illness 

Benefits of joining Buttons & Bubbles C.I.C:  

• Gaining valuable experience. 

• Improving your confidence 

• Allows you to explore potentially different areas of interest. 

Benefits of volunteering with us:  

• Making a difference to the community 

• Makes a positive impact on people 

• Develop your current skill set and gain new skills. 

• Displays your level of commitment to future employers. 

• Displays your ability to balance and schedule your time effectively when seeking future 

• Employment opportunities

Why we want you

Our vision is a society in which Armed Forces, veterans and their families can thrive. When anyone in the Armed Forces community finds themselves in need, SSAFA is the charity they can turn to – no one’s service is ever forgotten. More and more people need help, so we are growing our network of dedicated caseworkers.

Come and join our team! You will be making a real difference to the lives of those who need financial, practical, and emotional support. We value all our volunteers and the unique skills and experience they bring.

What you will be doing

• Arranging to talk with potential beneficiaries (on the phone or face to face) at a mutually convenient time
• Understanding peoples’ support needs and gathering information to assess their circumstances
• Typing written case reports to apply for financial assistance
• Sign-posting to services providing specialist support, such as mental health or housing support
• Keeping beneficiaries and the SSAFA regional office up to date with progress

The skills you need

• Friendly and approachable
• Great written and verbal communication skills
• Non-judgemental
• Reliable
• Basic IT skills

What's in it for you

• Use your skills, knowledge, and life experience to benefit others
• Be part of a friendly and supportive SSAFA team
• Develop your experience and skills which you can highlight on your CV and in job interviews
• Access a range of training and learning opportunities

 Disclaimer

SSAFA is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all those involved in our work and expects volunteers to share this commitment. This role qualifies for a criminal record check, which will be carried out at no cost to you. If you have a criminal record, it won't necessarily stop you from becoming a volunteer. Please read our Volunteer Vetting Guidance for more information.

Who are we: 
We are Buttons & Bubbles CIC. We are dedicated to increasing inclusion and representation across society for disabled families. We take a positive and proactive disability and illness. We don't conform to society's and the media's view that disability is awful, and you have no quality of life. Although we fully acknowledge it gives rise to come of the most heartbreaking and challenging times you will ever face. We ask everyone who joins Buttons & Bubbles to embrace this perspective. If you don't agree with it, then sadly we're not the right organisation for you. 

About the role: 
 
We are looking for people to join our communications team. Helping with a variety of tasks from social media scheduling to posting job adverts to helping create policies.  

Our values: 

We embrace disability and neurodiversity; it makes us a stronger and more brilliant team. No robots at Buttons & Bubbles, thank you! 

What are we looking for? 

We are looking for a few individuals who may have the following skills and experience. Don't worry if you haven’t as full training will be provided.

Skillset; 

• Communication skills  

• Editing cntent  

• Scheduling content  

• Knowledge of admin programs including spreadsheets and outlook 

• Organised  

• Adaptable  

• Willing to learn and develop  

• An individual with a creative mindset 

• Thrill of building an online community. 

• Have a basic DBS check

• Positive attitude towards disability or illness 

Benefits of joining Buttons & Bubbles C.I.C:  

• Gaining valuable experience. 

• Improving your confidence 

• Allows you to explore potentially different areas of interest. 

Benefits of volunteering with us:  

• Making a difference to the community 

• Makes a positive impact on people 

• Develop your current skill set and gain new skills. 

• Displays your level of commitment to future employers. 

• Displays your ability to balance and schedule your time effectively when seeking future 

• Employment opportunities

Who are we?

We are Buttons & Bubbles C.I.C. We work to increase inclusion and representation across society for the disabled community.We have several different services including inclusive characters, sensory workshops, resources, events, advocacy and more.

What are we looking for?

Are you looking for a volunteering opportunity that you can do in your own time and without having to leave the comfort of the sofa? Do you have a good imagination? Are you interested in graphic design? Or have an artistic flair?

We have a range of creative projects and tasks and our creative team have more work than people. From helping to bring our characters and bubble world to life to helping with our rebrand project. 

What do we expect?

• Be willing to undertake our training programme which will be done virtually and at a time to suit you.

• Sign our volunteer contract. (If you disagree with anything in it please do discuss it with us and we will be happy to have a conversation and make small changes if appropriate).

• A positive attitude to disability and illness. We are happy to answer questions on this.

What can you expect?

• A community group that does not currently operate a rota system of any kind. Youdon’t have to regularly commit your time.

• A kind, caring, nurturing company who cares about people, staff and volunteers. Our aim is to keep your wellbeing at the centre of our work.

• A very positive and proactive approach to disability and illness. Any and all accommodations will be made that you require. If there is anything you wish to discuss in private please email us and we will arrange a confidential chat.

Benefits to Volunteering with Buttons & Bubbles CIC

• Gaining valuable experience and improving your confidence

• Allows you to explore potentially different areas of interest.

• Make a difference to community

• Develop your current skill set and gain new skills.

• Displays your level of commitment to future employers.

• Displays your ability to balance and schedule your time effectively when seeking future employment.

For further information or to apply email us and we will be more than happy to have a chat. 

Please note we are looking for volunteers who are based in the UK. 

About the role:

We are currently seeking qualified, women solicitor, barrister and qualified legal executive volunteers to provide legal advice on our Sexual Harassment at Work (Employment Law) advice line. All volunteering is done remotely and you must be qualified to practice in England and Wales.

What will you be doing?

Our free telephone advice line provides vital legal advice for women experiencing sexual harassment at work, supported by legal advisors with experience in employment, discrimination and harassment law. We offer a safe space for women to talk about their situation and receive expert legal advice to enable them to make important decisions about their future.

We ask all our volunteers to:

• Provide advice on our advice lines for one 2-hour session a month (minimum);
• Attend the induction training session provided by Rights of Women;
• Give clear and accurate legal advice to callers;
• Be non-judgemental and non-discriminatory in their approach;
• Follow our procedures for making records of calls and obtaining monitoring information;
• Keep up to date with the law for the relevant advice lines;
• Attend all agreed advice line sessions (remotely);
• Inform us as soon as possible if they are unable to attend an agreed session;
• Abide by Rights of Women’s procedures, standards and policies, including equal opportunities and confidentiality in relation to staff, volunteers and users.

What are we looking for?

The qualifications and skills we look for in a volunteer are:

• A woman solicitor, barrister or CILEx member;
• A current practicing certificate;
• Ability to work remotely with adequate internet access and a private space;
• Good communication skills;
• The ability to deliver advice clearly and calmly;
• An empathetic, non-judgemental and non-discriminatory manner;
• A working knowledge of the relevant area of law for their advice line;
• Commitment to equal opportunities;
• Commitment to the aims and objectives of Rights of Women.

A feminist percpective on the law and the issues we advise on is essential.

About Rights of Women

Rights of Women’s vision is to achieve equality, justice and safety in the law for all women. 2025 saw our 50th anniversary!

Our mission is to advise, educate and empower women by:

• Providing women with free, confidential legal advice by specialist women solicitors and barristers
• Enabling women to understand and benefit from their legal rights through accessible and timely publications and training
• Campaigning to ensure that women’s voices are heard and law and policy meets all women’s needs.

What difference will you make?
For decades, our volunteers have been at the heart of Rights of Women’s advice lines. They provide trusted legal guidance, compassionate support and reassurance to women navigating complex and distressing legal situations, often during some of the most difficult periods of their working and family lives.

“I have been a volunteer with Rights of Women since September 2003, which possibly makes me one of the longest-serving telephone advisors on the evening helpline; in a way this speaks for itself! The helpline is an indispensable service and many women have told me that they consider it a lifeline.”

“Dealing with the legal system is often a source of great anxiety, uncertainty and confusion. I have spoken with many women in very difficult situations. It is important that they know that we are here for the and it is rewarding to help.”

– anonymous volunteers

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

Join us as a Cat Welfare Support volunteer and make a real difference to the lives of cats and their owners. Whether it’s taking cats to the vet, helping to maintain cat welfare standards, or supporting other volunteers to keep everything organised, your support will help us take care of more cats. Help us create a better life for cats and their families with your compassion and dedication.

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. We’ll help you choose what you’d like to get involved with, making sure it benefits both you and the team, for example: 

• supporting the team to maintain high standards of cat welfare
• transporting cats to vet appointments or to new homes
• entering records for cats and cat-related activity to track the impact of the team
• supporting with cat admissions and matching cats with prospective owners
• ordering, collecting and delivering cat-related supplies, for example, food, litter, medical supplies
• communicating with the public, offering support with cat ownership or lost and found cats
• supporting the volunteer neutering team

We're growing our volunteering team and looking to recruit 2 Lead Volunteers for our Communications & Marketing Team (and 2 Lead Volunteers specifically for Content.) The successful candidates will have the overall responsibility for the Charity’s communications and marketing. We’re looking for someone who has a passion for promoting a charity supporting a rare condition and can support a volunteering team as well as plan and use communication tools such as websites, social media, Canva and other digital platforms.

This is a flexible volunteering opportunity, which means your commitment can be balanced around your lifestyle - being part of a team to ensure that communications to our community and supporters are up to date and timely.

You will provide leadership for your team and support the development of a communications plan for the charity.

Key Tasks and Objectives

● Lead a team of communications and marketing volunteers.

● Lead and co-ordinate internal projects, activities and campaigns that help build awareness of our organisation and its aims.

● Run the meetings for the Communications & Marketing Team on a monthly basis.

● Regularly meet with and be the point of contact for the lead volunteers for Content, Social Media and Email Marketing to co-ordinate and plan.

● Where and if possible, to also be an active part of the Communications & Marketing Team either as a content writer, copy writer or another role.

● Identifying, initiating and leading on projects which align to the strategy and realise our goals.

● Collaborate with the team.

● To support the charity in develping a visual form of our Annual Report or other reporting documents such as grant reports.

● Support the development and implementation of the Communications Strategy.

● Protecting our charity brand identity, ensuring it is delivered consistently, both internally and externally.

● Promote the charity across all our channels and forms of communication.

● Ensure effective, regular communication to both internal and external audiences.

● Review progress and effectiveness of the Communications Strategy on an annual basis.

What are we looking for?

About You

To be successful in this role you will:

● Have a real enthusiasm for excellence, innovation, continuous improvement and change.

● Be a team leader who is positive, hands on and able to get the best out of a team.

● Have excellent interpersonal skills and adept at building relationships with different stakeholders.

● Have the ability to think strategically but also enjoy being at an operational level to support your team and key stakeholders.

● Have a high level of attention to detail.

● Have the ability to prioritise, plan and organise projects and to manage expectations.

Experience and Skills

● The ability to communicate (verbal and non-verbal) to a wide variety of audiences including the public, various forms of media and on an individual basis.

● Experience in building and leading a team.

● Previous experience of working for charities and/or volunteer organisations is desirable but not required.

● Creativity regarding message management and medium.

● Good IT skills.

● Ability to motivate and enthuse others.

● To be a part of a team.

● Previous experience in marketing, communications, or related fields.

● Strong leadership skills with the ability to motivate and inspire volunteers.

● Experience of using Canva or similar design packages.

● A strong network of PR and media contacts would be highly advantageous.

What's in it for you?

This role is a fantastic opportunity to volunteer with a small but ambitious charity, developing and honing your skills around leadership in the Third Sector.

Getting the right story in print and online can be challenging, especially when dealing with a rare health condition, but it is definitely rewarding.

You will gain experience in the charity sector, gain new or update your writing skills, a broader C.V., and a sense of accomplishment from using your skills to help people affected by a very painful condition.

You would be leading our small, friendly, forward-thinking charity team, focused on reaching people who may not have heard about the charity or about the condition. You would also have a key role in developing a communications and marketing strategy for a small charity. This is a fantastic opportunity for you to make a real difference to a rare condition.

Key Benefits

● Gain valuable experience in communications and marketing, plus charity team leadership.

● Make a meaningful impact on the fight to support the CRPS community.

● Develop professional skills and expand your network.

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

From elderly moggies to energic kittens, every day across the UK cats and kittens are in need of a temporary place to stay, and lots of love and TLC! We need more fosterers like you to provide a safe, temporary haven for cats and kittens and provide them with everything they need before they get their chance to land on their four paws and make a house a home.

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
• Ensure you have all you need in place to foster the cat(s) in your care, for example equipment and food
• Cover all your foster cats’ expenses and 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 stable, safe and compassionate environment in your home or in a purpose-built pen in your garden provided by us
• Enrich the cats’ experience in care including play, exercise and appropriate handling/interaction
• A willingness to complete some training in order to provide high standards of cat welfare
• Introduce cats to prospective adopters so they can find their forever home
• You can find out more about being a Fosterer on our website

Looking for a way to give back to your local community without a long-term commitment? Not sure exactly what you’d like to do, but know you want to help?

Sometimes we come across one-off community tasks that just need a few volunteers to give us a good old Yorkshire helping hand. We also know life can get very busy and people don’t always have time to commit to a regular volunteering role.

Being a Community Squad volunteer is a flexible way to get involved. You’ll find out when and where one-off tasks are happening near you, and you can choose to help whenever it suits. There’s no ongoing commitment, you’re in control.

As a Squad volunteer, you’ll regularly receive updates about opportunities across Yorkshire. There’s no obligation to sign up for any of them, but if something catches your eye, just put your name forward. We’ll send you all the details you need, and you simply turn up on the day!

Tasks vary widely, so there’s something for everyone. You might help at a community clean-up, plant spring bulbs, hand out leaflets, put out grit or clear a path when it’s snowed for a neighbour. Or you could be handing out popcorn at a cinema event, making cups of tea at a social club, supporting someone with their digital devices, creating glitter tattoos at a children’s event, or writing letters to customers who are isolated.

There will be lots of varied things to help with!

We are growing our volunteering team and looking to recruit 2 Lead Volunteers for our Content Team. We’re looking for two people who have a passion for promoting a charity supporting a rare condition and have the ability to support a volunteering team as well as plan and use communication tools such as websites, Canva and other digital platforms.

This is a flexible volunteering opportunity, which means your commitment can be balanced around your lifestyle - being part of a team to ensure that communications to our community and supporters are up to date and timely.

You will provide leadership for your team and support the development of a communications plan for the charity.

Key Tasks and Objectives

• Lead a team of content writer volunteers.
• Lead and co-ordinate internal projects, activities and campaigns that help build awareness of our organisation and its aims.
• Building, leading and inspiring the content team, ensuring goals are agreed and communicated to support the achievement of our overall aims and projects.
• Ensuring all content is on-brand, consistent in terms of style, quality and tone of voice, and ideally optimised for search and user experience for channels of content including on our website, in our members' magazine as well as supporting the content for social media .
• Supporting the development of a communications strategy, focusing on the content section.
• The implementation of a functional content calendar
• Establishing workflow for requesting, creating, editing, publishing, and repurposing content
• Operate as the point of contact for content volunteers in the team.
• To also be an active part of the content team as a content writer.
• Identifying, initiating and leading on content projects which align to the strategy and realise our goals.
• Collaborate with the team
• To contribute to the Annual Report or other reporting documents.
• Protecting our charity brand identity, ensuring it is delivered consistently, both internally and externally.
• Promote the charity across all our channels and forms of communication.
• Ensure effective, regular communication to both internal and external audiences.
• Support the review of progress and effectiveness of the Communications Strategy on an annual basis.

What are we looking for?

About You

To be successful in this role you will:

• Have a real enthusiasm for excellence, innovation, continuous improvement and change.
• Be a team leader who is positive, hands-on and able to get the best out of a team.
• Have excellent interpersonal skills and are adept at building relationships with different stakeholders.
• Have the ability to think strategically but also enjoy being at an operational level to support your team and key stakeholders.
• Have a high level of attention to detail.
• Have the ability to prioritise, plan and organise projects and to manage expectations.

Experience and Skills

• The ability to communicate (verbal and non-verbal) to a wide variety of audiences including the public, various forms of media and on an individual basis.
• Experience in building and leading a team.
• Previous experience of working or volunteering for charities and/or volunteer organisations is desirable but not required.
• Creativity 
• Good IT skills.
• Ability to motivate and enthuse others.
• To be a part of a team.
• Previous experience in marketing, communications, or related fields.
• Strong leadership skills with the ability to motivate and inspire volunteers.
• Experience of using Canva or similar design packages.
• A strong network of PR and media contacts would be highly advantageous.

What's in it for you?

This role is a fantastic opportunity to volunteer with a small but ambitious charity, developing and honing your skills around leadership in the Third sector.

Getting the right story in print and online can be challenging, especially when dealing with a rare health condition, but it is definitely rewarding.

You will gain experience in the charity sector, gain new or update your writing skills, a broader C.V., and a sense of accomplishment from using your skills to help people affected by a very painful condition.

You would be leading our small, friendly, forward-thinking charity team, focused on reaching people who may not have heard about the charity or about the condition. You would also have a key role in developing a communications and marketing strategy for a small charity. This is an excellent opportunity for you to make a real difference to a rare condition.

Key Benefits

• Gain valuable experience in communications and marketing, plus charity team leadership.
• Make a meaningful impact on the fight to support the CRPS community.
• Develop professional skills and expand your network.

It’s an exciting time to join Victim Support, as we prepare to begin delivery of the Witness Service from April 2026. We look forward to welcoming current Witness Service staff and volunteers to Victim Support — and we’re also now beginning recruitment for several new roles and to fill vacant positions.  

The Witness Service provides free, independent support to any witness giving evidence in criminal courts in England and Wales — both for the prosecution and the defence.  

Our trained staff and volunteers help people understand what to expect before, during and after a trial, and offer practical and emotional support every step of the way, so witnesses can give their best evidence.   

The Witness Service also supports bereaved family members, and friends and family who are accompanying witnesses in court.

This is an exceptional opportunity to help us ensure a smooth transition and shape a high-quality, high-impact and trauma-informed service — so every witness feels informed, supported and more confident in court.  

Witness Service Outreach Volunteers provide support to witnesses when they are attending court, as well as pre-trial and post-trial helping them to feel safe and informed. You will provide support to both prosecution and defence witnesses.

Why volunteer with us?

• Make a difference - you will volunteer directly with victims and witnesses.

• Gain skills and experience - you will receive training on how to provide practical and emotional support.

• Join our community - you will be part of a large community of over 2,000 volunteers and staff. 

• Beyond your role – attend one of our many events/webinars and join one of our six Equality, Diversity & Inclusion networks.

What do we ask of you? 

In order to join us as a Witness Service Volunteer, you must: 

• Be 18 years of age or over. 

• Be able to volunteer for at least 1 day per week, for at least 12 months. 

• Undertake training – this includes virtual training days as well as completing online learning modules. 

• Undertake an Enhanced DBS with Child Barred List check & be part of the DBS Update Service.

• Be able to provide two satisfactory references. 

• Have an active email address that you are comfortable using in order to engage with VS communications. 

Diversity Matters 

• VS strives to represent the diverse communities we serve and are passionate about creating an environment where all staff and volunteers feel respected and heard. Being a diverse organisation with an inclusive culture is integral to us being able to meet our aim of ensuring that anyone who is a victim of crime gets the support they need. 

• VS is also a Disability Confident Employer and we provide a Guaranteed Interview Scheme for candidates that are disabled and meet all essential criteria for a role. 

• We are happy to make reasonable adjustments to support you through the application process. 

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

From elderly moggies to energic kittens, every day across the UK cats and kittens are in need of a temporary place to stay, and lots of love and TLC! We need more fosterers like you to provide a safe, temporary haven for cats and kittens and provide them with everything they need before they get their chance to land on their four paws and make a house a home.

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
• Ensure you have all you need in place to foster the cat(s) in your care, for example equipment and food
• Cover all your foster cats’ expenses and agreed out-of-pocket expenses in line with our Expenses Policy
• Provide you with access to learning, development and engagement opportunities