Volunteer Roles

At WWT, we create and conserve wetlands and save species. We bring awe-inspiring nature up close and let it do the talking. We help people to feel part of something amazing and motivate them to make a difference. In this role you will be visiting your local WWT centre on a weekly basis to capture wildlife spectacles, species, visitors’ experiences and our volunteers for inclusion in promotional material for print, online and social media.

What will you be doing?

• Capturing images of the centre, its wildlife, wetland landscapes, events and people on a regular basis (depending on skill level).

• Receiving direction from the HQ Media Production team and centre Marketing Manager as well as taking pictures whenever you find an opportunity (a Gap list of required images will be available for you to work to).

• Working proactively with staff and volunteers at your local centre to capture key events and sightings that would make engaging content for website, marketing materials, social media etc.

Who are we looking for?

No formal qualifications are required but you will ideally be able to provide good quality examples of images you have taken to demonstrate a high level of skill in any or all of wildlife, landscape, or people photography. In addition, this role would be suitable for you if you:

• Are proactive in seeking out photo opportunities

• Are patient and willing to spend time waiting for the right filming opportunity

• Have a keen eye for interesting and inspiring photographs •

Don’t mind working in all weathers and interacting with visitors, volunteers and staff

• Are comfortable with file handling and transfer between centres and HQ at Slimbridge

• Have use of your own photographic equipment 

Cecil Gardens is a large service containing ninety-nine apartments, close to the city centre of Hull and easily accessible by public transport. The service supports adults with a wide variety of needs including Over 18s, Mental Health needs, Older People, Learning Disabilities and Autism. Our service users live in self-contained apartments and have access to several communal spaces, including a restaurant, a hairdressers and a spa.

We are currently looking for volunteer befrienders at our Cecil Garden service in Hull, if you have a couple of hours to spare and can commit to volunteering on a regular basis, we’d love to hear from you.

Are you a warm and chatty person, who’s also a good listener? We are looking for befrienders who can help someone gain confidence and engage with the local community. Maybe going for walks, trips to a local café, or, supporting somebody to attend their appointments.

Our volunteer befrienders will also encourage people to connect to our internal community here at our service, which includes a wide variety of activity sessions held in several communal spaces on site. As part of our Wellbeing service we are hoping to build a community amongst our Service Users and you will visit service users in their flats and encourage people to join in our activities and take part in events held here.

As a volunteer with Creative Support we offer training for your role, access to a volunteer supervisor, an induction, a monthly volunteer newsletter, and an online volunteer support network group on Zoom.

We are a passionate, inclusive and anti-racist organisation. We embrace diversity and encourage applicants from all backgrounds and cultures. As a Disability Confident Employer we welcome applications from people with a disability, and as a proud Stonewall Diversity Champion we actively encourage applications from the LGBT+ community.

Cecil Gardens is a large service containing ninety-nine apartments, close to the city centre of Hull and easily accessible by public transport. The service supports adults with a wide variety of needs including Over 18s, Mental Health needs, Older People, Learning Disabilities and Autism. Our service users live in self-contained apartments and have access to several communal spaces, including a restaurant, a hairdressers and a spa.

We are looking for several volunteers to assist with our activities. We have a large service close to the city centre in Hull. Our housing provider organises a wide range of group activities presently which you could assist with. This role would include helping to set up the room, moving tables and chairs if necessary, making sure that all of the materials and equipment are ready for the session to begin. Assist with the activity when needed, providing clear instructions. Tidy away the materials and equipment at the end of the session, ensuring that the room has been returned to its original setting.

We are also looking for volunteers to set up and run new activity sessions in the evenings and weekends, when there are currently no provisions. The activities can be anything from art and crafts, board games, cooking groups, bingo, walking groups, Digital skills, film groups, and many more. Your role will include promoting the group to our service users, planning and preparing for the activity making sure the materials and equipment are ready, providing clear instructions and assisting with the activity when needed, and tidying away at the end of the session.

As a volunteer with Creative Support we offer training for your role, access to a volunteer supervisor, an induction, a monthly volunteer newsletter, and an online volunteer support network group on Zoom.

We are a passionate, inclusive and anti-racist organisation. We embrace diversity and encourage applicants from all backgrounds and cultures. As a Disability Confident Employer we welcome applications from people with a disability, and as a proud Stonewall Diversity Champion we actively encourage applications from the LGBT+ community.

We are looking for creative volunteers to set up new activity sessions at our Orchard House service in Leicester. We are a move on accommodation service for adults with Mental Health, and we are looking for a volunteer to set up and run weekly activity sessions. As part of your volunteer role you will take the lead on the group and will plan the group sessions, making sure that the activities are inclusive for all our service users and delivered in a fun and engaging way.

You will also ensure that service users are included in deciding the types of crafts and activities they would like to explore, and will plan and prepare for the sessions in advance to make sure that the materials and equipment are ready for each session. The sessions could be board games, arts and crafts, bingo, etc. You will reach out to Service users and encourage people to attend. You will also ensure that the materials are tidied away and the space is left clean and tidy at the end of each session. This role is a great way to gain experience of a group facilitation role.

As a volunteer with Creative Support we offer training for your role, access to a volunteer supervisor, an induction, a monthly volunteer newsletter, and an online volunteer support network group on Zoom.

Preferred hours per week/time commitment: Flexible dates and times between Monday to Friday

We are a passionate, inclusive and anti-racist organisation. We embrace diversity and encourage applicants from all backgrounds and cultures. As a Disability Confident Employer we welcome applications from people with a disability, and as a proud Stonewall Diversity Champion we actively encourage applications from the LGBT+ community.

We are looking for a volunteer who enjoys a variety of crafts and can pass on the skills to people attending the sessions. You will help to set up a weekly craft group in our communal space and promote the session to our Service Users. Whether this is crochet, embroidery, macramé, clay or paper based crafts, all skills and ideas are welcome.

Your role will include setting up the room ready for the activity, making sure we have enough materials for each person. Helping out with the activity, planning a programme of sessions, clearing away at the end of the session making sure that the space is left clean and tidy.

As a volunteer with Creative Support we offer training for your role, access to a volunteer supervisor, an induction, a monthly volunteer newsletter, and an online volunteer support network group on Zoom.

Forest Road is a step-through accommodation based service offering holistic support of up to seven Service Users

Preferred hours per week/time commitment: 4 hours per week. Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday after 3pm

We are a passionate, inclusive and anti-racist organisation. We embrace diversity and encourage applicants from all backgrounds and cultures. As a Disability Confident Employer we welcome applications from people with a disability, and as a proud Stonewall Diversity Champion we actively encourage applications from the LGBT+ community.

We are looking for volunteers to deliver fun and engaging activity sessions. Our service users love to play board games and your role would be to set up a weekly board games session. As a volunteer you will be warm, friendly and approachable and enjoy playing games such as monopoly, cluedo and others.

As part of your volunteer role you will help us by setting up the games ready to play ensuring no pieces are missing, teaching people the rules for the game, and tidying away at the end of the session. You will also promote the board games being played each week to our service users and encourage people to join in.

As a volunteer with Creative Support we offer training for your role, access to a volunteer supervisor, an induction, a monthly volunteer newsletter, and an online volunteer support network group on Zoom.

Bosworth House is a supported living service for adults with mental health needs, we currently have eight tenants with thirteen flats. Bosworth House is centrally located in Hinckley and has good transport links.

We are a passionate, inclusive and anti-racist organisation. We embrace diversity and encourage applicants from all backgrounds and cultures. As a Disability Confident Employer we welcome applications from people with a disability, and as a proud Stonewall Diversity Champion we actively encourage applications from the LGBT+ community.

The LGBTQ+ Telephone Group is a chance for blind and partially sighted people who identify as being a part of the LGBTQ+ community to come together for mutual friendship and support. The facilitator is a pivotal role within the group ensuring the group runs smoothly and that everybody has a chance to contribute to the group conversation as well as ensuring everybody’s welfare and flagging up any potential safeguarding concerns. You should either be a part of the LGBTQ+ community or be a strong ally who is committed to helping provide a safe space for participants to come together to share their experiences. You will be: Helping to ensure that participants feel comfortable and facilitate discussion. Helping group participants to feel safe to be in the group and to enable them to join in the group discussion each month. Looking after participant welfare within the group and flagging any welfare or safeguarding concerns to Talk and Support for follow up.

Who this opportunity will suit -

Minimum age

• You must be at least 18 years old to apply

What skills and experience are needed?

• Approachable & empathetic nature
• Comfortable talking over the telephone
• Good verbal communication skills
• Ability to treat information confidentially
• You will need to be a member of the LGBTQ+ community or be an ally of the community and committed to ensuring participant safety in the group.

We currently have a volunteering opportunity in the East Finchley area of North London for a Volunteer Befriender. If you have a couple of hours to spare and can commit to volunteering on a weekly basis, we’d love to hear from you.

Are you a warm and chatty person, who’s also a good listener?

Are you looking to help someone gain confidence and engage with the local community? Could you organise and source activities that align with our service-user’s interests, which include comedy and writing poetry?

Can you commit to learning Creative Support’s Safeguarding Procedure and be able to implement this if needed?

We are looking for a reliable, friendly, outgoing and supportive person who can join us as a Volunteer Befriender.

As a volunteer with Creative Support we offer training for your role, access to a volunteer supervisor, an induction, a monthly volunteer newsletter, and an online volunteer’s peer support group. Together we can make a difference.

Suggested time commitment: 2 hours a week.

Creative Support is a passionate, inclusive, and anti-racist organisation. We are a Stonewall Diversity Champion, Disability Confident Employer who have recently received Investors in People Silver award. We actively encourage applications from candidates from all backgrounds and cultures.

Our roaming tech volunteers provide one-to-one support to people with sight loss, visiting them in their own homes to help them get the most out of technology. They may help customers set up a new device, learn new features or trouble shoot tech problems. Roaming tech volunteers support people local to them.

*This role requires an enhanced criminal record check
*This roles requires two references
*Good communication skills
*Customer focused approach
*Natural tech user
*Problem solving skills
*empowering attitude

Are you a good listener? Are you able to manage group conversations and ensure people feel comfortable together and that groups run smoothly? We need you to facilitate our Talk and Support weekly telephone groups that offer blind and partially sighted people the opportunity to socialise with others when the regular group facilitator is unavailable.

This is a telephone-based role that you can do from home. You will need access to a landline and/or mobile phone We ask you to commit to covering up to 3 groups per week, although this will vary on a week by week basis. Each group you cover will last for one hour.

*Listening to group conversations, ensuring they flow and are appropriate. Making appropriate contributions. Creating friendly & welcoming atmosphere. Being link between the group & Talk & Support team. Reporting safeguarding concerns.

*Effective listening skills; Good verbal communication skills; Work with wide range of people.

*Understanding Sight Loss Pack; Expenses; Supervision and help from your Manager; Training as appropriate.

Our roaming tech volunteers provide one-to-one support to people with sight loss, visiting them in their own homes to help them get the most out of technology. They may help customers set up a new device, learn new features or trouble shoot tech problems. Roaming tech volunteers support people local to them.

*Identify and resolve computer problems; Install hardware, software and upgrades; New technology training; Support people with IT development.

*Helping blind and partially sighted people to use tech in their own home.

*Helping people remotely.
 

*Use our online system to manage requests for technology help and update progress to resolve problem.

*Customer focused approach; empowering attitude; Good communication skills; Natural tech user; Problem solving skills.

*Understanding Sight Loss Pack; Induction; Expenses; Support from Volunteers and Staff.

Do you have experience of using assistive and accessible technology? We'd love you to volunteer regularly at Scarborough Library, East Coast of Yorkshire. To Help local people with sight loss become independent technology users and enjoy the benefits of being online. You'll work closely with individuals, supporting them to develop the knowledge, skills and confidence to get the most out of technology.

• This role requires an enhanced criminal record check This role requires 1 reference

• Scarborough Library & Information Centre Vernon Road, Town Centre, Scarborough YO11 2NN

Sooty, the famous loveable bear and national treasure, has featured on RNIB’s collection boxes for more than 50 years. With your support, RNIB has raised more than £13 million in public donations collected in our iconic Sooty boxes. 

Join our community of amazing volunteer Sooty box collectors and help us to provide blind and partially sighted people with the support they need. RNIB urgently needs volunteers to collect and bank donations received through our Sooty boxes, which play a vital role in generating income and raising our profile in local communities. This role is completely flexible, can be performed by individuals, pairs or groups and the time you dedicate to it is entirely up to you and your commitments. You can give your time as little or as often as you like!

Please note: Volunteers will be expected to use their own transportation and ideally should have access to a car. Mileage or transport costs will be reimbursed.

*Good organisational skills;
*Trustworthy, enthusiastic and self-motivated;
*Are willing to travel in and around the local area; 
*Comfortable working on your own; 
*Ability to send and receive emails.

Do you enjoy driving?Would you like to make a difference to the people we support in your community?  

 We are looking for friendly drivers to join us!    

You will meet some amazing people, whilst making a positive impact to their lives by helping them get to the activities they enjoy and appointments that are important.  
 
We are looking for drivers who will be happy to drive our house vehicles or your own vehicle. 

Want to apply for this role? 
If you’d like to be a Discovery volunteer, please get in touch! 
Activities will include:  

• Driving the people we support between their homes and services in a safe manner, in accordance with UK law.  

• Driving around the Cheddar area, which will be the start and end point of the majority of journeys  

• Assisting people we support in and out of vehicles and locations – with assistance from trained Discovery staff.  

• Driving in a manner that is sensitive of physical and emotional requirements of the people we support.  

• Driving vehicles owned by the people we support or your own vehicle  

 
Activities will NOT include: Personal care, medication or financial assistance.   

We are looking for drivers who:  

• Are aged 21 or over, with at least 2 years driving experience  

• Hold a full, clean and current UK Driving License (or equivalent)  

• Have the ability to understand verbal and written instructions in relation to journeys  

• Are friendly with the people we support and our support staff  

• Are willing to commit to volunteer regularly (times and days can be discussed)  

A DBS check and two character references will be required for this role.   

What you’ll gain from being a Discovery volunteer:  
 
Discovery supports people with learning disabilities and autism, helping them to live more independently at home and in the community.

Our volunteers play a vital role in our work and in return, we support them with: 

• Access to free online training (with access to 800 plus courses)  

• Comprehensive support from professional, friendly and trained Dimensions staff  

• Reasonable expenses may be reimbursed as agreed   

• An opportunity to gain real experience in the social care sector