Youth volunteering volunteer volunteer roles in Dunstable, central bedfordshire

Our Volunteer Community Pet Speakers play a vital role in educating and inspiring communities by sharing important pet care messaging with diverse audiences, tailoring their approach to their own strengths and interests.

By supporting the Community Programmes team, you will help inform and educate pet owners in key areas through workshops, community events, and outreach activities.

What will I be doing:

• Shadowing staff to train in school workshop delivery and / or leading stands at community events, across our key areas of Peterborough & Fenland.
• Once trained, delivering pet welfare and dog safety sessions to primary age children in schools, youth clubs and to uniform groups.
• Running interactive event stands at various community events to share essential information on caring for dogs, cats, rabbits, and other small pets.

Important things to note:

To keep everyone safe and ensure the best support for pet owners, we ask our Community Pet Speakers to follow these guidelines:

• When in a school environment ensure you follow the schools and Woodgreen’s safeguarding policy. This includes making sure you are never alone with a student and a member of school staff is always present during sessions.
• If you’re performing a task for Woodgreen in the community alone, always have a designated point of contact, as outlined in our lone working policy. Your safety is our priority!
• Until your training record is fully signed off, we ask that you don’t give direct advice. Instead, you can help by guiding pet owners to the right support services or making a referral to an education or outreach Officer who can assist them. This ensures pet owners get the best possible help.
• An enhanced DBS check is required for this role.

A full induction will be provided for this role which will need to be completed prior to commencing volunteering.  If driving to schools/appointments you will be expected to comply with driving licence checks and the Charity’s Driver and Vehicle policy.

Will my expenses be paid?

If a volunteer had business insurance on their personal vehicle, we can cover fuel costs.

If this sounds like the role for you, please apply now.

Woodgreen is committed to safeguarding children and adults at risk and protecting anyone that comes into contact with us from harm. We expect all employees and volunteers to share this commitment.

The role: Our scholars are eager to meet graduates and professionals who can support them in achieving their ambitions. Mentors are mainly responsible for providing support and career advice to pupils. Mentors must also be committed to supporting us at our events, which take place in the evenings and on Saturdays throughout the term. These events include our scholar enrichment days, our parent and pupil information sessions and our volunteer social events which are held in London. 

Availability: Mentors must be available for approximately 2-3 hours a month to meet with their mentee and discuss via phone, email or in person. There is a minimum commitment of one year (three terms).

In addition to this, you will need to support a minimum of 2 events throughout the year. Enrichment and skill-building events for our scholars usually take place in the evenings and at weekends, with events ranging from 2-8 hours in length.

Location: Mentoring sessions and events can take place online or in person.

Responsibilities: 

• Working collaboratively with parents to give students guidance and advice on how to achieve their aspirations

• Informing pupils of opportunities to them so that they can achieve their aspirations

• Meeting with pupils for one to one mentoring sessions

• Supporting pupils with university, sixth form or job applications

• Monitoring and reporting on each pupils progress

• Giving feedback to parents and programme coordinators

• Working collaboratively with other tutors and mentors

• Supporting at events including:

  • Collaborate effectively with other volunteers within the events team

  • Assist with setting up and clearing up at events

  • Support workshop facilitators with managing groups of young people or parents

  • Assist with the coordination of lunch or refreshments for attendees

  • Assist the event coordinator with ensuring the health and safety of attendees and overall risk management at events

  • Give feedback to the event coordinators and programme managers at the end of each event.

Person specification:

• Be passionate and committed to tackling educational inequality

• Enjoy working with children and young people

• Be educated to a minimum of degree level or equivalent

• Possess strong communication skills both written and verbal

• Be punctual and organised

• Be able to remain calm under pressure

• Have excellent time management skills

Job Description

We are looking for a Volunteer Creative Storyteller to help create meaningful written content that supports our campaigns, fundraising and community engagement.

You will help turn complex and sensitive topics into clear, respectful stories that raise awareness and encourage people to support our mission. This role works closely with the Digital Marketing Director and Digital Marketing teams to create content for social media, websites and digital campaigns.

The role focuses on ethical storytelling, clear communication and helping build the organisation’s public voice.

Key Responsibilities

• Create written content for social media, campaigns, websites and emails
• Help shape stories that support awareness, advocacy and fundraising
• Work with designers and campaign teams to develop engaging content
• Adapt messaging for different audiences and platforms
• Ensure all content is respectful, trauma-informed and aligned with our values
• Review and improve content based on feedback and engagement

What We’re Looking For

• Strong writing and storytelling skills for digital audiences
• Ability to communicate sensitive topics clearly and responsibly
• Interest in social impact, advocacy or community-focused work
• Ability to collaborate with a remote volunteer team
• Comfort adapting content for different platforms (social media, web, email)
• Experience in content writing, communications, campaigns or similar work is helpful but not required

What You’ll Gain

• Experience creating storytelling campaigns for a social impact organisation
• Opportunity to help shape the voice of a growing initiative
• Experience working with digital campaign teams
• Priority consideration for future paid roles when funding becomes available

Do you want to make a difference to a young person’s life?
Do you have 1- 4 hours per month to spare?
We urgently require volunteer befrienders to be a positive role models for young people living in care. So why not volunteer as a mentor/befriender for NYAS as an Independent Visitor for children and young people in care.

As a volunteer you will:

* Have fun, take young people on outings and maybe share a hobby, sport or interest
* Offer support and a listening ear and be a positive influence in a young person’s life and help build self- esteem and confidence
* You don’t need any special qualifications

We are looking for reliable and dependable people from all walks of life.

We will provide training and on-going support. We will pay expenses to a set limit.

Here is what some of our young people and volunteers have to say about this rewarding role:

I like how my Independent Visitor isn’t anything to do with social services and is here to support me not to judge.

They have boosted my confidence, now I feel like when I go places I can just relax and have fun.

My young person always looks forward to me coming, they have had such a disjointed life, I am a stable figure in their life and this has to be important for them as everything else changes around them a lot.

If you feel you would suit this role, please get in touch.

The Membership Director is responsible for building, growing, and protecting the heart of the CIC:
our membership community. Membership is not a mailing list. It is a collective of people choosing to belong, contribute, and build together.
This role shapes:

• How people enter the organisation
• How they stay connected
• How they feel valued, informed, and aligned
• How community becomes sustainability

Experience Qualification and Requirements

Essential 

• Ability to commit grassroots full-time effort during the build phase (rest follows completion, not the clock)
• Comfort working unpaid while foundational systems and culture are established
• Deep alignment with community-led, anti-capitalist values and collective ownership
• High levels of consistency, focus, and self-direction in ambiguous, early-stage environments
• Clear understanding that meaningful change requires discipline, structure, and follow-through, not aesthetics or hype
• Commitment to always working through organisational values: Each One Teach One, Love As Law, Knowledge of Self
• Prior experience in one or more of the following: community building or stewardship, membership programmes or participation models , customer, supporter, or community experience roles, systems thinking and organisational design, digital platforms, CRMs, or data-informed engagement, purpose-driven, grassroots, or movement-led organisations
• Ability to balance strategic thinking with practical implementation
• Strong relational skills, including listening, facilitation, and respectful boundary-setting
• Comfort holding complexity, conflict, and accountability with care
• Willingness to be both architect and steward of culture
• Integrity, clarity, and long-term commitment

Desirable 

• (Intentionally left open for growth as the role evolves in an early-stage organisation)

Qualifications

• Formal qualifications not required

Main Responsibilities/ Key Duties

Membership Strategy & Structure

• Design and implement the CIC’s founding membership model, defining clear entry points, engagement pathways, and retention approaches rooted in participation rather than extraction.
• Shape intentional progression routes that support members to move from supporter → contributor → leader, ensuring growth in responsibility, agency, and influence over time.
• Align membership pathways with donor journeys, ambassador programmes, and volunteering routes, ensuring coherence across engagement, fundraising, and advocacy without conflating value with money.

Community Building

• Create a membership culture where people consistently feel seen, informed, included, and valued, regardless of role, status, or capacity.
• Establish sustainable rhythms of communication, updates, shared learning, and reflection that foster belonging, trust, and transparency.
• Enable decentralised participation by supporting member-led initiatives, peer leadership, and collective decision-making rather than top-down control.
• Act as a steward of healthy community dynamics, encouraging dialogue, accountability, and mutual care.

Systems & Data

• Oversee the setup and ongoing use of membership systems (e.g. CiviCRM or equivalent), ensuring they serve people rather than manage them.
• Track and interpret membership growth, engagement, and retention, using insight to strengthen participation and address disengagement early.
• Work collaboratively with Digital, Finance, and Social teams to maintain clean, accurate data and ensure ethical, transparent, and values-aligned data use.

Values & Culture

• Protect the integrity of the membership community by upholding CIC values in all structures, communications, and decisions.
• Identify and address misalignment early, clearly, and respectfully, prioritising restoration and learning over exclusion.
• Co-create and uphold community standards rooted in care, accountability, and shared responsibility—not surveillance or control.

Founding Responsibility

• Help design the future paid Membership Department, including roles, systems, and workflows that reflect collectivism and sustainability.
• Contribute to long-term organisational planning, ensuring membership is a pillar of resilience and shared ownership.
• Act as a culture carrier, modelling commitment, discipline, and collective leadership throughout the build phase.

This Role Is NOT for You If

• You want quick money
• You need external validation to stay motivated
• You prefer rigid hierarchies
• You are uncomfortable with responsibility
• You are only here for a title

What You Gain

• A founding leadership role in a growing CIC

The chance to help design:

• Future paid roles

• Income structures

• Working culture

• Deep personal transformation through meaningful work

• Real contribution to social and cultural change

• Collective success, not individual competition

As the CIC scales, this role is expected to evolve into a paid senior leadership position, shaped by those who built it.

A Final Word

We are not offering security.

We are offering possibility.

We are not promising ease.

We are building truth, structure, and collective power.

If you know the old world is ending —

and you want to help build what comes next —

This role is for you. 

Are you a HR professional? Could you give an hour a week to tackle pregnancy and maternity discrimination? Then we need you!

We’re not going to sugar-coat it, things aren’t great for working parents and pregnant women. It can feel frustrating and a bit depressing at times, but by being part of the Pregnant Then Screwed volunteer team, you get to turn that frustration into something positive. In the last year the fantastic volunteers on our Advice Line have spoken to over 5000 women and parents, collectively providing around 40 hours of free support and advice every week. Hundreds of women and parents call our Advice Line every day, but with a small team of volunteers we are only able to answer a fraction of those calls—this is where you come in.

We are looking for brilliant HR professionals who want to help Pregnant Then Screwed tackle the Motherhood Penalty by becoming a Volunteer HR Advisor.

Our Volunteer Advisors give around 1-2 hours a week of their time to the Advice Line. They use their HR knowledge to offer a kind, empathetic support and advice to help people to identify and challenge pregnancy and maternity discrimination in the workplace.

About the role

Role Title: Volunteer HR Advisor 
Location: Home-based (UK)
Reporting To: Head of Support Services

Time Commitment

The Advice Line is open Monday-Friday, 9am-3pm, with various available shifts during those times. We ask volunteers to give 1-2 hours per week on the Advice Line for a minimum of three months. 

Alternative time commitments can be considered and discussed as part of your application, so please do include any information that might be useful in your application form.

Main Role Purpose

The Advice Line HR Advisors play a vital role in providing support and guidance to working parents facing unfair treatment or discrimination in the workplace via our advice line. Volunteers will offer advice, listen empathetically, and provide information about employee rights and available resources. This role is critical in empowering parents to make informed decisions and navigate workplace challenges effectively.

Essential requirements

• Minimum CIPD level 5 Diploma in People Management with one professional reference.
• Knowledge of employment laws, regulations, and policies related to pregnancy, maternity leave, and discrimination.
• Access to a mobile phone/laptop/tablet to receive calls. You will not be charged for calls and your number will not be shared.
• Access to a reliable and secure WIFI connection. Public WIFI is not suitable for this role.
• Excellent active and empathetic listening skills.
• Good written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to convey information clearly and concisely.
• A kind and welcoming telephone manner.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality and handle sensitive information with discretion.
• Comfortable using online communication tools.

Key Responsibilities

• Answer incoming phone calls to the PTS Advice Line from individuals seeking support and advice.
• Listen actively, empathise, and provide HR advice and guidance to support callers with their enquiries.
• Signpost to further information and other support organisations if necessary.
• Make referrals to our legal partner if required.
• Record all details of the call on our CRM system.
• Maintain professionalism in all interactions, adhering to all Pregnant Then Screwed guidelines and policies.

What you can expect from PTS

• The opportunity to use your skill set to tackle the Motherhood Penalty and make a meaningful impact.
• An onboarding and induction period which can be completed at your own pace.
• Support from the PTS staff team and volunteer network.
• Access to our Volunteer Training Hub.
• Opportunities to help us further develop and shape our Support Services.

We are looking for a volunteer with fundraising experience to lead and shape Act4Africa's fundraising activity,

In this role you will work remotely with our small team of interns and volunteers, and in conjunction with the Ugandan fundraising and communications team.

Reporting directly to the Board of Trustees, you will have the opportunity to

• Gain experience of working with an international NGO partnership
• Build skills in fundraising strategy, volunteer leadership and charity governance
• Make a direct impact on programmes supporting young people and communities in Uganda
• Obtain references and recognition for your contribution

Your key responsibilities will be:

• Fundraising strategy & income generation
• Supporter care and communications
• Volunteer and intern coordination
• Administration and compliance

· Experience

• Experience coordinating volunteers and/or interns, ideally within a charity or community setting.
• Experience of digital fundraising and supporter engagement
• Experience using databases or CRM systems

Skills and abilities

• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, able to build rapport with a wide range of people
• Strong organisational skills with the ability to manage multiple activities and priorities
• Ability to handle sensitive information confidentially and exercise sound judgement.
• Confident in using IT systems (Office 365, MailChimp, Justgiving, CRM and online meeting tools).

Knowledge

• Understanding of best practice in volunteer management, including safeguarding and safer recruitment.
• Awareness of UK charity fundraising standards and regulations (e.g. Code of Fundraising Practice).

Personal qualities

• Proactive
• Problem solver
• Strong communication skills
• Empathetic, approachable and supportive, with a collaborative working style.
• Commitment to the charity’s mission and to equality, diversity and inclusion.
• Flexible and willing to work occasional evenings and weekends for events.

We are currently developing an open-source website and internal systems, and we are looking for a UX/UI Designer to lead the design of a platform that is: 

• Emotionally safe
• Intuitive and accessible
• Scalable across multiple services
• Built with survivors in mind
• clean lines and top quailty

This is not just a design role — this is an opportunity to shape a digital experience that will impact thousands of lives. 

Key Responsibilities

User Experience (UX)

Design user journeys for:

• Survivors sharing their stories
• Volunteers and staff interacting with the system
• Students accessing training and opportunities
• Conduct user research (where appropriate and ethical)
• Create wireframes, user flows, and prototypes
• Ensure trauma-informed and emotionally sensitive design decisions

User Interface (UI)

• Design clean, modern, and accessible interfaces
• Develop a consistent design system (colours, typography, components)
• Ensure mobile-first and responsive design
• Collaborate with developers to bring designs to life

Platform & Systems Design

• Contribute to the UX of:
• Internal dashboards
• Learning platforms
• Community spaces (forums, content hubs, bookclub ,etc.)
• Help simplify complex systems into intuitive experiences

Collaboration

• Work closely with:
• Founder and leadership team
• Developers (open-source contributors)
• Content creators and marketing team
• Translate vision into practical, user-centred design

Essential Skills & Experience

• Experience in UX/UI design (portfolio required)
• Proficiency in tools such as: Figma (preferred), Adobe XD / Sketch (optional)
• Strong understanding of:
• User journeys and information architecture
• Accessibility (WCAG standards)
• Mobile-first design principles

• Ability to think both creatively and strategically

Desirable (Not Essential)

• Experience designing for:
• Non-profits or social impact organisations
• Mental health or trauma-informed platforms
• Understanding of open-source collaboration
• Basic knowledge of front-end (HTML/CSS)
• Experience with community platforms (e.g., forums, learning systems)

Personal Attributes

We are looking for someone who is:

• Empathetic and emotionally intelligent
• Passionate about social impact
• Reliable and committed
• Able to work independently and take initiative
• Open to feedback and collaboration

What You’ll Gain

• The opportunity to build a meaningful, real-world platform from the ground up
• A strong portfolio project with social impact
• Experience working within a growing organisation
• Future paid opportunities as the organisation scales
• A chance to directly contribute to changing lives and communities

Safeguarding Note

Due to the nature of our work, all team members must approach the role with sensitivity, confidentiality, and respect. Exposure to sensitive topics may occur. 

Job Description

We are looking for a Volunteer Creative Visual Designer to help create engaging visual content that supports our campaigns, fundraising and awareness work.

You will design graphics and visual materials that communicate important messages clearly and responsibly. This includes creating visuals for social media, digital campaigns and community engagement initiatives.

You will work with the Digital Marketing Director and Digital Marketing teams to produce creative designs that help communicate our mission and build trust with our audience.

This role focuses on creative design, visual storytelling and supporting digital campaigns.

Key Responsibilities

• Design visual assets for digital campaigns, including social media graphics, ads, posters and banners
• Create visual concepts to support awareness and fundraising campaigns
• Adapt designs for different formats such as social media, email, websites and presentations
• Work with writers and campaign teams to align visuals with messaging
• Maintain simple design templates and ensure visual consistency
• Ensure all designs are respectful and appropriate for sensitive topics
• Review and improve visuals based on feedback and engagement
• Organise design files and reusable templates for the team

What We’re Looking For

• Experience or interest in graphic design or visual content creation
• Ability to communicate ideas clearly through visual design
• Familiarity with tools such as Canva, Adobe Creative Suite, Figma or similar platforms
• Understanding of social media formats such as posts, ads, stories and carousels
• Ability to design responsibly around sensitive topics
• Comfort collaborating with a remote volunteer team
• Experience supporting campaigns, fundraising or awareness initiatives is helpful but not required

What You’ll Gain

• Experience creating visual campaigns for a social impact organisation
• Opportunity to help shape the visual identity of a growing initiative
• Hands-on experience working with digital campaign teams
• Priority consideration for future paid roles when funding becomes available
•  

We are Looking for 1 – 2 Exceptional Volunteers! Use your expertise to help shape the future of care for children and families who need us most. Shooting Star Children’s Hospices is recruiting Non-Executive Members for our Income Generation Committee – inspiring leaders who can bring sharp insight, sector know-how and big-picture thinking to drive our fundraising, marketing and communications strategies forward. If you are experienced in the charity sector, passionate about fundraising and ready to make a strategic impact that genuinely changes lives, we would love to hear from you.

Duties and Key responsibilities

• Provide strategic insight, constructive challenge and guidance across income and marketing priorities.
• Share sector knowledge to enhance the quality and effectiveness of the income portfolio.
• Support the development of ambitious, innovative and sustainable fundraising approaches.
• Champion best practice in fundraising and marketing.
• Work collaboratively with Trustees, senior leaders and fellow committee members.

Essential Skills and Experience

• Experienced in the non-profit sector, with substantial insight into the realities, challenges and opportunities of income generation today.
• Specialised in at least one (ideally more) of the following areas: Digital fundraising: digital acquisition, online giving, digital optimisation. Supporter journeys and engagement: insight-led supporter experience design. High-value fundraising and major campaigns: strategic planning, mobilisation, creative development, impact storytelling
• Forward-thinking: able to consider the bigger picture and ask the right questions to support informed decision-making.
• Collaborative and values-led, contributing constructively while upholding the organisation’s mission and values.
• Committed to volunteering, motivated to use their expertise to make a meaningful difference.

HEKIMA

We protect Tanzanian children from violence and exploitation by empowering youth and strengthening child-protection systems.

Monitoring & Evaluation System

We're seeking support to develop a Progress Marker Monitoring System to track program activities and measure progress toward desired results. The system will link activities, objectives, and the budget to ensure resources are used effectively and planned outcomes are achieved. It will provide a simple way to monitor changes, document progress, and support informed decision-making for program improvement.

Minimum Hours per Week:

7-9 hours per week

Duration:

3-4 weeks

ABOUT US

The Great Friendship Project is an award-winning organisation tackling loneliness through research-informed community programmes, campaigns, and partnerships.

We design and deliver social interventions that help people build real-world friendships, strengthen social confidence, and rise out of loneliness.

Over the past four years, we have delivered hundreds of community activities, partnered with major brands and public institutions, contributed to national research and policy conversations, and built a highly engaged community of tens of thousands of young adults.

As we look ahead, we are now entering a critical next phase of growth, strengthening our foundations in preparation for wider national expansion.

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OVERVIEW

We’re excited to be recruiting a brand new Senior Marketing Volunteer to play a vital role in amplifying the mission and activities of The Great Friendship Project.

This role offers a unique opportunity to contribute to a meaningful cause, gain hands-on experience in social media and digital marketing within a non-profit setting, and make a positive impact on the lives of young people experiencing loneliness.

As the Senior Marketing Volunteer lead, you will play a critical role in shaping the organisation’s future. Your leadership will not only enhance our marketing efforts but also contribute significantly to our mission of creating a lasting positive impact on the lives of young individuals struggling with loneliness.

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RESPONSIBILITIES

- Leadership and Team Management: Lead and mentor a team of marketing volunteers, ensuring they are motivated, supported, and aligned with the organisation’s goals.

- Strategic Planning: Devise and implement a comprehensive awareness strategy that aligns with the organisation’s mission and long-term objectives. Identify key opportunities, set measurable goals, and adjust plans as necessary to drive engagement and impact.

-Analytics and Insights: Regularly review and analyse marketing metrics to assess performance, make data-driven decisions, and optimise strategies for better outcomes.

- Content Direction: Oversee the creation of impactful and mission-driven content across various platforms, ensuring that all content reflects the organisation’s voice, resonates with the target audience, and drives engagement.

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ABOUT YOU

- 3+ years of experience leading marketing teams: Proven experience in devising and implementing successful marketing strategies, with the ability to adapt to changing circumstances and priorities.

- Collaboration: Excellent interpersonal skills, with the ability to work collaboratively with diverse teams and stakeholders

- Passionate: A strong commitment to the mission of reducing loneliness among young adults, with the ability to inspire and lead a team toward shared goal.

- Organisational Skills: Highly organised and proactive mindset, with the ability to manage multiple projects, prioritise effectively, and meet deadlines.

Do you have professional experience in coding and computing? Could you support young people in learning how to code? 

Are you passionate about equipping the next generation with the skills and strategies needed to succeed?

About us: GT Scholars is a social enterprise that tackles educational inequality by giving ambitious young people the support, skills and strategies they need to achieve their aspirations. 

We believe that all young people are gifted and talented, regardless of their background. We run a wide range of programmes that help young people achieve their academic and career aspirations, particularly those from less-privileged backgrounds.

What makes us different? There are many organisations that offer programmes to improve the life chances of young people. However, our programmes use a unique 3:1 model which means that we’re able to sustainably use our profits to provide additional places on our programmes, to young people from low-income homes. 

Our mission is to empower and develop the next generation of leaders and change-makers and we’re looking for workshop facilitators that are passionate about making a difference in young people’s lives!

Responsibilities: Facilitators are responsible for designing creative and interactive workshops for our young people, and delivering these workshops with our young people. We run some of our workshops online and other workshops are held in London. All workshops are held during the school holidays, in the evening and on weekends.

The workshop facilitator role is flexible and as part of your role, you may be involved in:

• Delivering and leading short workshops or courses, on behalf of GT Scholars (Online or offline)

• Designing engaging, interactive and educational workshops and short courses for young people and ensuring that the content is targeted to suit different abilities and capabilities

• Running your own bespoke workshops, eg. workshops in coding and technology

• Managing short activities and Q&A sessions during our workshops

• Working collaboratively with other event coordinators, volunteers, ambassadors, workshop facilitators and speakers at our events

• Following the agreed timings and content for workshops and courses

Person specification: 

As workshop facilitator, you will need to:

• Have passion, knowledge and experience in coding, computing and technology

• Have strong presentation skills

• Have strong communication skills

• Be personable and able to confidently communicate with people from a range of backgrounds and professions.

• Be passionate and committed to tackling educational inequality

• Be punctual and organised

Availability: Workshops will run during the day on school holiday dates, on Saturdays or in the evening (5pm-8pm).

Additional information: We will need to conduct reference checks and you will need an Enhanced DBS for this role as you will be working directly with children. We can process this for you or you may submit one if this is less than 2 years old.

Rate of pay: This is a self-employed role. You must be aged 18 or above. Facilitator sessions range from 2 to 6 hours. The rate of pay will vary based on the budget of the funder.

Organisation: Make a Smile
Location: Remote (with opportunities for in-person collaboration depending on projects)
Commitment: Flexible, approx. 4–6 hours per week

About Make a Smile

At Make a Smile, we believe in creativity and innovation to ensure children and volunteers alike have the best experience possible. We’re constantly looking for fresh, forward-thinking ideas to improve how we work, and our Innovations Officers play a vital role in bringing those ideas to life.

The Role

As an Innovations Officer, you’ll take the lead on a unique innovation project—overseeing it from idea to reality. Each project is designed to keep our charity current, exciting, and impactful, whether that’s through new activities, resources, or systems that improve how we operate.

You’ll work with and manage a dedicated Innovations Subcommittee, guiding the project through planning, testing, reviewing, and rolling out across chapters. This is a brilliant opportunity for someone who enjoys problem-solving, project management, and bringing creative ideas to life.

The Innovations Officer will:

• Create a clear project outline (aims, budget, timeline, required skills, and success criteria).

• Recruit and manage a subcommittee, ensuring the right mix of skills to make the project a success.

• Oversee project administration, including risk assessments, task logs, and reflection templates.

• Design, test, and pilot the project, gathering feedback from volunteers and chapters.

• Evaluate and improve the project through multiple testing rounds before rollout.

• Support full implementation, ensuring it becomes embedded into the charity’s work.

• Keep trustees updated with regular progress reports and updates at leadership meetings.

What We’re Looking For

• Strong organisational and project management skills.

• Creativity and a problem-solving mindset.

• Ability to lead and support a team of volunteers.

• Willingness to adapt, reflect, and improve upon feedback.

• An interest in developing new ideas and approaches.

• No specific technical background is required—just enthusiasm and commitment!

What You’ll Gain

• Hands-on experience managing a project from start to finish.

• Skills in leadership, delegation, and innovation.

• The chance to bring your ideas to life and see them make a real difference.

• A collaborative, supportive environment with other volunteers.

Time Commitment

This role is flexible and can be done remotely. We ask for around 4–6 hours per week, though this may vary depending on the stage of your project.