Volunteers volunteer volunteer roles in South east london, greater london

The Coroners' Courts Support Service (CCSS) is a registered Charity whose trained volunteers give emotional and practical support to bereaved families and other witnesses attending an inquest.

We need volunteers to provide emotional support and practical help to bereaved families, witnesses and others attending Inquests at Coroners' Court. Our volunteers at court also provide help and assistance to the Coroners' Officers, as and when required.

We are looking for reliable, supportive people with excellent communication skills. A mature and calm attitude is needed in order to be able to talk to people during a sometimes bewildering and emotional experience. Volunteers must be willing to undergo a period of observations and shadowing, as well as attend a 3 day training course. A minimum commitment of one day (9:00am - 5:00pm) per fortnight is asked for. Training and mentoring is provided and travel expenses to the court are reimbursed.

New volunteers should possess good communication and listening skills and the ability to empathise with people they support.

Role Description: 

This role sits within our new Coproduction and Transformation Project

The role of the Co-Production Volunteer is central to the success of the Co-Production and Transformation and Engagement Project. Volunteers bring lived experience, local knowledge, and critical perspectives to support the redesign of mental health services, so they are inclusive, accessible, and rooted in the real needs of those who use them.

This role exists to ensure that service users, carers, and community members have a meaningful voice in shaping decisions that affect care delivery. Volunteers will work alongside professionals, clinical teams, and other stakeholders to challenge assumptions, identify gaps, highlight strengths, and co-create improvements. Whether drawing from personal experiences of mental health challenges, supporting someone through the system, or working in the community, volunteers act as equal partners in transformation. They help build bridges between professionals and service users, promote accountability, and encourage a culture of openness and innovation.

Through structured engagement such as workshops, advisory groups, feedback panels, and co-design activities, the Co-Production Volunteers will contribute to the long-term sustainability and responsiveness of mental health services. Their insights help ensure that care is not only clinically effective but also emotionally safe, culturally sensitive, and aligned with what matters most to the people it serves.

Main Tasks

· Attend monthly co-production workshops, steering groups, or feedback sessions

· Share personal and/or collective experiences to inform service transformation

· Provide administrative support- send and respond to emails, input information on our database

· Review materials and provide feedback (e.g., policies, pathways, information leaflets)

· Participate in recruitment panels, focus groups, and pilot testing where appropriate

· Help create accessible, inclusive spaces that welcome diverse voices

· Promote equality, dignity, and psychological safety within meetings

· Support evaluation activities and co-authoring of reports or recommendations

· Uphold HFEH Mind values and behaviours

We are looking for someone who:

· Has lived experience of mental health challenges

· Good communicator

· Passionate about improving NHS West London Mental Health services

· Are a non-judgmental and friendly individual 

· Lived experience of mental health services (personal or as a carer/family member/community member)

· A commitment to improving mental health care and reducing stigma

· Willingness to share personal insights in a respectful and constructive way

· Openness to listen and engage with others from diverse backgrounds

· Ability to attend meetings and participate reliably (online or in person)

· Basic communication and interpersonal skills (speaking, listening, expressing views)

· Comfortable working as part of a group, including with professionals and other volunteers

· Respect for confidentiality and group boundaries

· Ability to reflect, ask questions, and provide feedback on ideas, documents or processes

· Interest in learning about co-production, service transformation or health improvement

· Respect for inclusion, anti-discrimination, and safeguarding practices

· Willingness to learn digital tools (such as Zoom or MS Teams) with support if needed

· An understanding of the local community context and the challenges people may face accessing care

Those from or have an interest in:

• Black and Minority Ethnic Communities
• Civic Responsibility and Communities
• Disability
• Employment, Education and Training
• Health and Social Care
• Homeless and Housing

What's in it for the Coproduction Volunteer? 

Joining our Service User Network is a fantastic opportunity to get involved with a nationally recognized charity, whilst supporting positive changes within the NHS West London Trust. We provide initial and ongoing training, as well as plenty of opportunities for progression within the organization. You will also be a part of a supportive team with great awareness of wellbeing and the mental health sector. 

Do you have a few hours spare a week and would you like to get involved at Epilepsy Society by helping in the on site Pheonix Café?  Then we would love to hear from you!

Our volunteers are a friendly group who have all joined for many different reasons, friendships have formed, new skills learnt, and you will be making a real difference.

We really value all of our volunteers and are so grateful for the time they give to helping people living with epilepsy. If you are interested in joining the Phoenix Heroes volunteering family, then please pop in for a chat or email for more information.

You will receive a free DBS (Disclosure & Barring) check and all training will be provided.

We look forward to hearing from you!

About CARAS: 

Community Action for Refugees and Asylum Seekers (CARAS) is a registered charity that has been supporting refugees and asylum-seekers since 2002 empowering them to integrate and engage in the local community. 

Arriving as an asylum seeker/refugee can be a disempowering experience. Difficulties with language, accessing services and overcoming prejudice are ever-present. As an organisation we are committed to work alongside refugees to overcome those challenges, and to help them build their lives. 

We offer group support and targeted support work. We offer a range of activities including: ESOL classes; social and recreational activities such as youth club, drama, trips, and family activities; educational support for young people; and casework and advocacy support. 

Our values are at the centre of all our work: 

• Kindness: CARAS will nurture all who are part of our community, helping everyone to develop their skills, talents, and interests. 

• Justice: CARAS will strive for social justice following a rights-based approach in all our work and challenging instances when rights are not upheld in wider society. 

• Empowerment: CARAS works alongside people, recognising and respecting their skills and strengths and striving together for better outcomes. 

• ‘With’ not ‘for’: CARAS will put the voices, opinions, experiences and needs of its beneficiaries at the heart of all that we do. 

About Youth Club:

Youth Club is a place for young people aged 14-19 to come and play games, learn new skills, make and strengthen friendships and build a sense of belonging. Regular activities include classic youth club games such as table tennis, pool, foosball, board and card games.

Youth club takes place at Tooting Hub- Beechcroft Road, Tooting, SW17 7B

About the Role:

CARAS is looking for volunteer Football Assistants to support our Football sessions on Mondays, 5.30-7pm in Balham.

Football coaching sessions are led by Fulham FC Kicks programme weekly, supported by CARAS volunteers to offer welcome to young people.

Volunteer tasks and responsibilities

· Welcoming young people to the session;

· Helping young people to register for sessions;

· Join in and be role model for young refugees and asylum seekers;

· Assisting participants to recognise and celebrate their achievements;

· Following FULHAM FC safeguarding policy and CARAS’ confidentiality, safeguarding, health & safety, equal opportunities, data management, online communications and all other policies as relevant.

Requirements:

Essential

· To be 18 years or older;

· To be non-judgemental and able to engage with people from diverse cultural backgrounds;

· To be reliable and punctual;

· Excellent communication skills, especially with people with varying levels of English;

· The ability to volunteer on Monday evenings for a minimum of four months;

· Currently resident in the UK;

- A love of football, and wanting to encourage others to play.

· Able to provide five years’ worth of addresses, and willing to undergo an enhanced DBS check (residency is not necessary if you are a Caras community member who is more recently arrived in the UK);

· Able to attend compulsory volunteer induction training (online) general and safeguarding prior to start of role

Desirable

· Knowledge of community languages, such as (including Arabic, Tigrinya, Amharic, Pashto, Dari, Farsi, Kurdish, Somali and Spanish).

Through volunteering with us you will:

· Meet new members of your local community;

· Learn about different cultures;

· Learn about issues relating to refugees and people seeking asylum;

- Be able to obtain a reference from us relating to your placement after 3 months’ regular volunteering

· Work as part of a friendly, welcoming team;

· Develop your skills and competencies;

· Be able to access relevant training;

Become an Enter & View Volunteer

Do you want to help improve local health and social care services?
We’re looking for volunteers who live in Barking and Dagenham and can take a fresh, solution-focused approach to assessing how services are run.

As an Enter & View Volunteer, you’ll:

✔️Receive full training from Healthwatch Barking and Dagenham

✔️Visit health and social care settings to gather feedback from patients and residents

✔️Help identify what’s working well and where improvements are needed

What you’ll need:

❤️Good communication and listening skills

❤️Professionalism, reliability, and empathy

❤️Ability to follow guidance and work as part of a team

Time commitment:
Flexible – you can choose when and how often you volunteer.
All reasonable expenses are reimbursed.

Please get in touch to express your interest and request an application form.

Create Hope is a therapeutic service that provides emotional and mental health support to children, young people, and families. Our goal is to offer a safe space where individuals can explore their feelings, build resilience, and self-awareness through creative and relational approaches.

Our therapeutic services include:
● Play & Creative Therapy
● Systemic Family Therapy
● Person-Centred or Integrative Adult Counselling
● NVR Therapy
● Couples Therapy
● Workshops for parents/carers

As a Volunteer Parent/Carer Support, you contribute to this mission by offering a listening ear and compassionate presence in the waiting room.

Your Role as Volunteer Parent/Carer Support

Responsibilities:
● Greet parents/carers on arrival and help them feel comfortable in the waiting area
● Offer informal conversation and a compassionate listening ear
● Maintain confidentiality and appropriate boundaries at all times
● Signpost parents to Create Hope resources or staff when appropriate
● Help create a calm and welcoming atmosphere in the waiting space

Time Commitment:
We ask that volunteers commit to a regular weekly or fortnightly slot during therapy session times (usually weekday afternoons/evenings).

Location:
At the Create Hope centre in Bracknell.

Support & Training

We want to ensure you feel equipped and supported in your role. As a Parent/Carer Support Volunteer, you will have access to:
● Induction and training in listening skills and safe boundaries
● Safeguarding training (minimum Level 1)
● Ongoing supervision and support from the Create Hope team
● Being part of a supportive and welcoming volunteer community

You will not be expected to provide counselling – your role is to listen and be present. If a parent requires further support, you can signpost them to Create Hope staff.

All volunteers must adhere to Create Hope’s Safeguarding and confidentiality policies.

Are you looking for a fresh challenge that makes a positive difference to the lives of Young People throughout the UK?

At Childline we are actively recruiting new Volunteers. 

What will I be doing?

• Your shift will consist of 3hrs30mns counselling, sandwiched between a 15mns brief before your shift and a 30mns debrief post shift. This is to ensure that you can start and finish your shift with any support you require from your Practitioners.
• On shift you will take contacts from Young People who rely on the service that Childline offers. Childline is not there to solve problems, we are a listening service for Young People and in each contact your role is to engage the Young Person, explore their situation and to support them in deciding their next steps.
• The contacts you would take from Young People can come in 3 ways. Traditional phone call contacts, live chats via instant response typed messaging or less commonly via 'PIBS' which are essentially emails sent by Young People in the knowledge the response will not be 'live' and instant.

What impact will this have?

• Childline is a unique service, valued greatly by the Young People who contact us.
• It provides a safe place for Young People to talk confidentially to our Volunteer Counsellors, an option that many of them do not have elsewhere.
• Young People rely on us being there for them 24/7. In an average month, Childline London takes approx. 1,500 live chats, 900 voice calls and 300 PIBs.
• However, the demand for the service often outstrips the supply as Young People who desperately need our service cannot always get through.
• That is why we are actively recruiting new Volunteers to be able to meet the need of all Young People who are in distress and need the support that Childline provides.

Training

• Childline offers a full 12 week online training programme to new Volunteers. This consists of one 4 hour session per week.
• During the training, you will meet other Volunteers in your cohort and have access to your 2 dedicated Childline Trainers.
• As part of the training, you will also go in person to the London Base for observation and mentored shifts which give you a face to face insight into how the Counselling Room works.
• You will also have access to a dedicated Volunteer Engagement Lead to give you a London Base tour (optional) and generally be on hand to answer any questions or queries you may have - big or small, if they matter to you they matter because you are giving your time to volunteer and Childline wants to offer you every level of support.
• Once you pass through training and become a qualified Childline Volunteer Counsellor, the development opportunities do not stop there. You will have access to a multitude of mandatory and optional training courses that are accredited and 100% free to all Volunteers.

Create Hope is a therapeutic service that provides emotional and mental health support to children, young people, and families. Our goal is to offer a safe space where individuals can explore their feelings, build resilience, and self-awareness through creative and relational approaches.

Our therapeutic services include:
● Play & Creative Therapy
● Systemic Family Therapy
● Person-Centred or Integrative Adult Counselling
● NVR Therapy
● Couples Therapy
● Workshops for parents/carers

As Volunteer Admin Support, you play a key role in enabling these services to happen smoothly by ensuring the background systems and processes are managed well.

Your Role as Volunteer Admin Support

Responsibilities:
● Updating and maintaining client and referral information on Salesforce (training provided)
● Preparing and sending standard emails, agreements, and communication
● Assisting with filing, scanning, and organising paperwork
● Supporting with data entry and record-keeping for monitoring and evaluation
● Helping prepare resources and materials for therapy sessions or events
● Ensuring all records are handled securely and in line with confidentiality requirements

Time Commitment:
We ask that volunteers offer a regular commitment of a few hours each week. This can be flexible and, in some cases, carried out from home.

Location:
Tasks may take place at our Bracknell office or remotely, depending on the type of support being given.

Support & Training

We want to ensure you feel equipped and supported in your role. As Volunteer Admin Support, you will have access to:
● Induction and training on Create Hope systems (including Salesforce and GDPR requirements)
● Ongoing supervision and support from the Create Hope team
● Opportunities to develop new admin and organisational skills
● Being part of a supportive and friendly community
If you ever need additional support, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

All volunteers must adhere to Create Hope’s Safeguarding and confidentiality policies.

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

At Cats Protection we help thousands of cats each year and the majority of these success stories are thanks to the dedication and effort of our passionate volunteers. Our recruitment support volunteers help local volunteer groups and teams by promoting volunteer roles, matching passionate cat loving volunteers to roles and informing potential volunteers about the variety of volunteer roles available at Cats Protection.

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

You’ll be:

• Identifying opportunities for volunteer involvement
• Planning volunteer recruitment campaigns
• Managing volunteer recruitment by advertising and promoting roles
• Overseeing the volunteer application process
• Meeting potential volunteers and providing information about roles
• Matching potential volunteers with suitable roles
• Promoting a culture of volunteering best practice

ScotsCare's reception is run by a team of friendly volunteers who each cover one shift per week. 

We are looking for a volunteer who is free to commit to this role for at least 6 months, longer if possible.  The shift is weekly on Friday mornings from 9 am to 12:30 pm. 

As our receptionist you will:

• Use Outlook to check staff availability and wherabouts 
• Screen and transfer phone calls to staff or pass messages on by email
• Provide a warm welcome to visitors and ensure they sign in and out 
• Deal with requests to send information out, mainly application packs andletters
• Assist with outgoing mail, franking, posting and ocasionally going to the post office
• Assist with other admin tasks as they arise - skills and interests dependent. 

You will need to be confident answering the phone, clearly spoken in English and a good listener.  Ideally, you will be experienced in using Outlook and Excel  for basic tasks although we can provide training if necessary. Most importantly, you will need to be reliable,good with timekeeping, non-judgemental and committed to helping Scots living in London who are struggling with life. 

If you have the time to spare, can commit to volunteering  with us on a regular basis for at least six months, preferably longer, want to meet new people or gain experience of working in an office /charity environment, please get in touch. 

Applications are welcome from adults aged 18 and over. Our office has no step free access. 

In return, we can offer:

• Travel expenses with proof of purchase
• Training and induction to help you feel confident in your role
• A 4-weeks trial period 
• Regular newsletters and annual volunteer social events
• An opportunity to work within a small friendly team (23 staff working from home , office and in the community) 
• Opportunities to help in other areas of our work if interested in doing more
• A very warm welcome, plus an endless supply of tea, coffee, fresh fruit and biscuits!

As a Volunteer Services Lead, you would work with and support the Lead Volunteer Coordinator in recruiting and placing volunteers. You would help the Lead Volunteer Coordinator manage and motivate the team of volunteers and ensure that the required resources to the team.

As a minimum, trustees would normally be expected to attend a monthly committee meeting lasting some 2 to 3 hours. However, the commitment may vary depending on whether the trustee takes on additional duties.

Alongside the Lead Volunteer Services Coordinator:

• Develop and implement an effective and welcoming induction program for new volunteers to the branch.
• Keep an up-to-date list of volunteering opportunities within the branch.
• Working with the centre manager, supervisors, retail managers and Trustees to arrange the recruitment and placement of volunteers.
• Matching what volunteers would like to do to help the centre with the Branches need for volunteer help.

What we are looking for in a volunteer:

Above all, we are looking for someone who is committed to the RSPCA’s charitable objectives and shares our passion for animal welfare.

We are looking for someone with recruitment and people management experience, and it would be even better if some of that experience is in managing volunteers.

You will need to be able to work with people and have good interpersonal skills. You do not need to be an expert, although commitment, common sense, and the ability to be objective are vital.

What we can offer you as a volunteer Branch Trustee – Volunteer Services

• We will provide you with a comprehensive trustee training course which will provide you will everything you need to carry out the role.
• Ongoing support is also provided by regional and national RSPCA staff in addition to any additional training provided by the relevant branch.
• The platform to utilise your skills and experience to oversee the charity and make decisions that have a direct impact on local animal welfare.
• The opportunity to gain new skills and develop existing ones, whilst making a real difference to the lives of animals.
• A way to expand your professional and personal network through working with like-minded people.

Action for Refugees in Lewisham (AFRIL) is a dynamic local charity established in 2006. We support asylum seekers, refugees, and vulnerable migrants, to lift themselves out of poverty and rebuild their lives in the heart of our community. We provide both crisis support to meet immediate need, and longer-term, flexible programmes to tackle the underlying problems that lead people to be in crisis.

We are a team of 15 majority part-time paid staff (9 FTE) and over 100 volunteers. AFRIL works with residents in Lewisham, Greenwich, Southwark, Bexley and Bromley. In the last 12 months AFRIL has supported over 750 individuals. 

AFRIL’s Casework and Advocacy Team provides complex casework and legal interventions in the areas of housing and homelessness, Asylum Support, Benefits, No Recourse to Public Funds and Community Care. AFRIL also offers community activities to the residents of a local Asylum Support Hotel. Activities are arranged in situ at the hotel, as well through trips and outings.

Your duties will include:
Community Activities Volunteer
● Arrive promptly to support AFRIL staff to set up the Community Activitysession which, depending on the day, could include:
    ○ Arts & craft activities
    ○ ESOL / english conversation practice
    ○ It is also possible you will support a group on an outing to amuseum, to AFRIL’s Allotment of Refuge or to another location.
● As a volunteer, your role during these activities will involve supporting the staff to deliver the relevant activities, and will specifically include:
    ○ Engage all participants in a warm and friendly manner, making all feel welcome and involved
    ○ Support new participants to complete the registration forms, and log attendances on the register
    ○ Putting out resources, materials, games and actively support participation in such activities
    ○ Arranging and distributing food and drink to members
    ○ Helping the group to navigate safely if out on trips

Outreach Volunteer
● Arrive promptly at 12.15pm to support AFRIL staff to set up the Outreach Advice session.
    ○ Welcome clients to the drop in, provide an overview of how AFRIL can support, record basic information to pass onto AFRIL caseworkers
    ○ Oversee a queue system of those seeking advice from Caseworkers
    ○ Provide clients with refreshments, build rapport and field basic questions about the outreach session whilst clients are waiting

Duties for both roles also include:
● Undertake comprehensive training (including safeguarding training) to support you in carrying out your volunteer role.
● Uphold AFRIL’s values when working alongside staff, volunteers and clients, and follow AFRIL’s policies and procedures at all times.
● Be vigilant of any safeguarding concerns and report these swiftly to AFRIL staff.

AFRIL’s Community Activities & Outreach Volunteer will have the opportunity to volunteer at AFRIL’s Community Activity sessions (weekly) and Outreach Advice sessions (fortnightly). The volunteers will provide friendly and professional support to participants, collect basic information and support AFRIL staff where appropriate. 

Our volunteers are crucial in supporting AFRIL staff to obtain the best outcomes for our clients, and this role will provide you with valuable insight into the immigration system and its many challenges.

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

Thousands of cats each year rely on the help of animal charities because they have been abandoned, they have strayed or because there has been a change in their owner’s circumstances. Becoming an administration volunteer is just one way you can help improve the lives of cats in your local community. Our administration volunteers help provide vital admin support to our volunteer groups and teams across Cats Protection. They help keep up to date records of the number of cats that have been rehomed, collate supporter details and send out newsletters. This could be the perfect volunteer role if you have administrative experience, a passion for cats, or both!

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

A bit more information about this role and the team

The branch are looking for someone to help them with the cat microchip administration. This will include logging microchip details on the microchip databases with the new owner information after a cat is adopted from the branch.

What we need from you

You’ll be:

• Recording relevant information related to your volunteer group
• Signposting enquiries to the relevant teams within Cats Protection
• Sending information to supporters, volunteers and to our Head Office
• Distributing information leaflets if required

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

Unfortunately cats can occasionally stray or get lost, which can be extremely distressing for their owners. Our lost and found volunteers are passionate about reuniting lost cats and bringing families back together. They help cats and their owners by advertising lost cats and providing support, advice and guidance to people searching for their cats.

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