Development volunteers volunteer roles
Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as applications come in. They're ready to hire as soon as they find the right person. Don't miss your opportunity, apply now!
Lead Volunteer
Mind Retail
About the role
Without the help and support we receive from our Lead Volunteers and volunteer teams we wouldn’t be successful at what we do. Our Lead Volunteers play a key role by supporting the shop management team with the day to day running and management of our shops - helping us to raise crucial funds from the sale of pre-loved, donated stock to fund Mind's vital mental health support services.
Our shops are vibrant hubs in local communities across England and Wales. In our Lead Volunteer role, you’ll play a key part in building this community, helping to create a culture where every person is valued and supported - and where people have fun!
You can gain a wide variety of knowledge, skills and experience by becoming one of our valued Lead Volunteers, including:
· Experience working as part of, and leading, a diverse team
· Shop management, retail management and key holder experience
· Opportunities to improve your management, leadership and interpersonal skills
· Stock organisation, processing, pricing and merchandising skills
· Cash handling skills, including management cash functions
· Understanding of sales information, including takings
· Commercial knowledge and skills
· Understanding of policies and procedures
· Administrative skills
· IT skills
· Additional learning and development opportunities, including your own eLearning account with access to personal and professional development courses
Our Lead Volunteer roles are also flexible, so they're perfect for fitting in around your commitments. We value any time that you can give us, so whether it’s a few hours a week or a few days – we’d love to hear from you!
We need great people like you to help us in the fight for mental health. Will you join us?
Click on the role profile to find out more about our Lead Volunteer role and read on to hear some stories from our existing Lead Volunteers!
About You
- Commitment to our values & behaviours
- Enthusiastic and committed to achieving shop targets
- Flexible and adaptable approach
- Ability to work as a team and on your own initiative
- Able to build good working relationships
- Ability to work within Mind Retail’s policies and procedures
- Willingness to learn
- Good customer service skills
- Good communication skills
About Mind Retail
Mind Retail are a network of almost 200 shops across England and Wales, generating a net income of around £21 million per year. We have ambitious plans to grow over the next few years and we're going to be fighting for mental health in a way we never have before. We won't stop until everyone with a mental health problem gets the support and respect they deserve.
Safer Recruitment at Mind Retail
We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of our employees and volunteers and we expect anyone working or volunteering with us to share this commitment. This role may involve the supervision of young volunteers who are under 18. Because of this, the minimum age for this role is 18 and under our Safer Recruitment Policy, you’ll also be required to agree to an enhanced DBS check.
Our Commitment
We embrace the different perspectives that each of us bring. We want our staff and volunteers to be authentic and bring their whole selves to work. We want Mind to be a workplace that truly reflects the diverse backgrounds and experiences of the people we support. Where everyone is appreciated – regardless of race, gender, age, religion, identity and experience.
Hear from some of our existing Lead Volunteers…
Stuart, Lead Volunteer at our North Shields Mind Shop
Why did you want to become a Lead Volunteer?
I chose to volunteer at Mind, specifically because of the cause – I support the charity in what they want to achieve. Mind also supported me through the lockdown period during the pandemic, which I found very isolating.
I’ve volunteered for Mind for 20 years - I started volunteering for Mind in 2005. At the time, I had a full-time job, but I wanted to try volunteering. I’ve volunteered in a number of Mind shops, including Wallsend, Whitley Bay, Gateshead (which was where I became a Lead Volunteer) and finally, North Shields.
I wanted to become a Lead Volunteer to gain more experience, which I can then pass onto others. I now undertake key holder duties in my current shop. It was a little scary to begin with, but there was plenty of support from the wider region and I feel really proud to now be doing the role.
What knowledge and skills have you gained or developed whilst being in the Lead Volunteer role?
I’ve developed my technology skills – I’ve learnt how to use the till, how to use the computer including emails and Microsoft Teams, how to complete eLearning and the new Gift Aid hub. I struggled a bit before with technology, so it’s really helped me to be exposed to it more. I’ve also developed cash handling skills and how to deal with external contractors. My confidence has really grown and I’m also now able to cover local stores too!
What do you enjoy most about being a Lead Volunteer?
I really enjoy giving amazing customer service and working with the team of staff and volunteers – we have lots of fun whilst we work! The shop has a great atmosphere. My Shop Manager has said she couldn’t do without me! I would really recommend for anyone to come and volunteer with Mind – it’s a great way to meet new people.
Lead Volunteer at our Turnham Green Mind Shop
Why did you want to become a Lead Volunteer?
I wanted to become a Lead Volunteer because I wanted to take on more responsibilities and keep myself as productive as possible. By taking on more responsibilities, I’m able to support the wider team with certain activities within the shop. It’s also helped me become less focused on my myself and my own problems. I suffer from low self-esteem and felt that by becoming a Lead Volunteer, it would help strengthen my self-worth.
What knowledge and skills have you gained or developed whilst being in the Lead Volunteer role?
As I have never worked in retail, becoming a Lead Volunteer has given me more insight into how the retail industry and how Mind Retail operates day-to-day. I have become more patient and not as isolated as before. My communication skills have improved too.
What do you enjoy most about being a Lead Volunteer?
Certain customers are confiding in me about their mental health. I find it great to be able to assist and provide some support. We all just need an ear to listen…
It’s also great to be able to make decisions too. The team I work with at the shop are very supportive and understanding – they look after me and I feel like a belong to a small family. The team really understand that our shops are not just shops! They’re a place where everyone, including those with mental health problems, can feel safe and listened to.
Mind Retail are a network of over 170 Mind charity shops across England and Wales.




The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
We know that thousands of people in need of bereavement support are waiting to access ongoing bereavement support. We are now recruiting for additional volunteers, if you would like to know more about volunteering for this popular service, we would love to see you at our UYBO Open Day.
What will you be doing:
- Presenting and facilitating one off online group sessions for bereaved people with fellow volunteers
- Creating a safe, confidential, non-judgemental space to deliver practical bereavement information and guidance
- Facilitating peer engagement in small discussion groups
- Delivering clear messaging for onward signposting
Skills and experience you’ll need:
- Effective listening and communication skills
- Good IT literacy or an ability to learn (training will be provided)
- Access to a computer
- Comfortable talking about grief and death
- Empathetic and warm
- Confident facilitating discussion in a group setting
Want to find out more?
Join us for an Open Day on Wednesday 28th May 2025 (2:00pm to 3:30pm or 6:00pm to 7:30pm) to learn more, talk to current UYBO volunteers and find out about our training programme and the support we offer volunteers.
Please note that should you wish to become a UYBO Volunteer after attending the open day, we will be holding informal interviews from Monday 2nd June.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as applications come in. They're ready to hire as soon as they find the right person. Don't miss your opportunity, apply now!
Are you passionate and committed to supporting children and women who have fled domestic abuse? We are recruiting for volunteers to support our Children and Family Workers to get creative and involved in providing daily activities and outings for the children within our refuges during the summer holidays.
What you will be doing
- To help with the day to day running of the Children & Family Service throughout the summer holidays
- To assist organising and facilitating activities and outings with the Children and Family Worker
- To use a range of skills and tools to make sessions interesting and fun for a range of ages
- To create timetables, posters, maps and instructions for residents
- To offer general admin help: typing, taking meeting minutes, filing and scanning documents
- To develop positive relationships with the children and women
- Support with administrative tasks including attendance and feedback
- To gather ideas, suggestions from families, plan, collaborate and create a timetable of activities and sessions. To involve women and children in the planning and designing of the timetable
- To support in providing or purchasing resources for activities
The skills you need
- Experience working with children/childcare/play-work experience - gained formally or informally
- Willingness to learn about domestic abuse and its impact on children and women
- Able to maintain strict confidentiality
- Ability to provide a supportive, and inclusive atmosphere that encourages learning and participation
- Good interpersonal and communication skills and ability to work with people from different backgrounds.
What's in it for you
- Supporting You - You will have a dedicated volunteer supervisor to support you in your role; Quarterly volunteer forums with the central Volunteering team and volunteers across Hestia; References for job applications
- Developing You - You will gain knowledge and insight into issues that impact Domestic Abuse, Modern Slavery and Mental Health; You will have access to our extensive Learning and Development Programme; 40% of our departed volunteers secured a paid role at Hestia last year!
- Valuing You - We hold annual Volunteer Awards and Celebration events; We reimburse travel expenses and up to £5 for lunch for your volunteering; We hold social events and outings for our volunteers to get together and have some fun
We deliver services across London as well as campaign and advocate nationally on the issues that affect the people we work with.




Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as applications come in. They're ready to hire as soon as they find the right person. Don't miss your opportunity, apply now!
Music has long been held as an effective and soothing way to help relieve stress and improve mental health. Do you have a passion for playing the guitar and would like to teach others?
Playing a guitar in a group allows for time to focus on the here and now, providing total mindfulness. This enables us to forget about the past or our future worries for a while, providing time without any distractions!
Support others to learn to play chords and push their worries to the back of their mind and an opportunity to engage with people that have a similar interest!
What you will be doing
- To facilitate guitar lessons for beginners on a 1:1 basis
- Plan each session, in collaboration with those you are supporting
- Lead on logistics and organisation of the sessions alongside the staff team
- Keep a record of attendees, provide feedback, and report any concerns to the staff team
The skills you need
- Experience teaching playing a guitar and the ability to teach at beginner level
- Good communication skills
- Ability to provide a supportive, and inclusive atmosphere that encourages learning and participation
- Calm and patient approach
What's in it for you
- Supporting You - You will have a dedicated volunteer supervisor to support you in your role; Quarterly volunteer forums with the central Volunteering team and volunteers across Hestia; References for job applications
- Developing You - You will gain knowledge and insight into issues that impact Domestic Abuse, Modern Slavery and Mental Health; You will have access to our extensive Learning and Development Programme; 40% of our departed volunteers secured a paid role at Hestia last year!
- Valuing You - We hold annual Volunteer Awards and Celebration events; We reimburse travel expenses and up to £5 for lunch for your volunteering; We hold social events and outings for our volunteers to get together and have some fun
We deliver services across London as well as campaign and advocate nationally on the issues that affect the people we work with.




Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as applications come in. They're ready to hire as soon as they find the right person. Don't miss your opportunity, apply now!
***Please note that this is an opportunity based in Nottingham in the United Kingdom and we don’t offer sponsorship or accept overseas applicants***
PLEASE NOTE THIS IS NOT A PLACEMENT OPPORTUNITY AND IS NOT OPEN TO STUDENT VOLUNTEERS
What is the purpose of this role?
The Sybil Levin Day Service is a specialist SPECAL-Led day service supporting people with dementia and their carers using the SPECAL method.
What activities might you be involved in?
- Assisting centre attendees to engage in activities.
- Serving meals and drinks.
- Helping to set up and clear away activities.
- Engaging in conversation with centre attendees.
- Volunteering in line with the Charity’s policies and procedures and adhering to the Volunteer Code of Conduct
What are we looking for?
- People with a genuine interest in the wellbeing of people with dementia.
- A friendly, sensitive and kind approach.
- Being comfortable in small groups or on a one to one basis.
- People with a commitment to using the SPECAL method at all times whilst at the centre.
When would you be needed to volunteer?
The centre is open from Monday to Friday and would like volunteers to commit to a morning or afternoon at least once a week as a minimum.
What training will you be given?
You will be given all the training you need to enable you to carry out your role. This will include a thorough Charity induction and a departmental induction to provide further information about the role. You will also be given access to our online training library to complete the training modules that are mandatory for your role.
You will receive SPECAL training prior to commencing your role.
What can you gain from this opportunity?
- The chance to make a difference to the lives of people with dementia.
- Ongoing support, ensuring your volunteering experience is a fulfilling and positive one.
- A comprehensive training programme.
- The opportunity to learn new skills.
- Experience to add to your CV.
- The opportunity to meet new people and make new friends.
- Reimbursement of out of pocket expenses as defined in the Age UK Notts Volunteer Handbook
***Please note that we don’t offer sponsorship or accept overseas applicants***
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as applications come in. They're ready to hire as soon as they find the right person. Don't miss your opportunity, apply now!
What’s in it for you?
• Becoming part of a friendly and dedicated team
• Meeting people from all walks of life and making new friends
• Improving your communication and work skills
• Enjoying new experiences and learning something new
• Anopportunity to use and develop your skills and knowledge
Duties:
This is a selection of tasks the learning team undertake. Help with all or with just one or two is welcome:
• Welcome and assist a variety of groups, providing a high standard service
•Lead a small group in a practical activity or object handling session
• Guide and inform about The Farmland Museum and Denny Abbey
• Ensuring the learning resources and equipment are well cared for
• Support the development and wider use of the Education Resources collection forloaning to local organisations
• Help with planning and/or delivering family school holiday craft activities
• Contribute to development and improvement of new school and family learning activities
Optional duties:
The museum has a small volunteer team and we all work together to support the museumas best we can. From time to time you may be asked to help out with event days,children’s craft activites, serving in the kiosk, tidying the site, helping in the cafe, and soon, as necessary. Training for specific tasks will be given when needed
Optional duties: The museum has a small volunteer team and we all work together to support the museumas best we can. From time to time you may be asked to help out with event days,children’s craft activites, serving in the kiosk, tidying the site, helping in the cafe, and soon, as necessary. Training for specific tasks will be given when needed.
Our independent museum tells the 850-year story of farming and life in the Fens.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as applications come in. They're ready to hire as soon as they find the right person. Don't miss your opportunity, apply now!
African Development Choices (ADC) is a UK-based Social Enterprise on a mission to reduce poverty by empowering communities to make more informed choices in the management of public resources.
ADC’s purpose is to enable communities to independently meet their needs for essential services, such as clean water and safe sanitation and improve lives in Africa.
At ADC we encourage a working culture of seeking and giving input, showing, and taking initiative and commitment to the organisation and its purpose.
Main Purpose of Job: You will be the main point of contact for the HR General Team, handling day-to-day management of volunteers, communications, and policy administration. Additionally, you'll support Talent Acquisition by screening CVs, scheduling interviews, and managing onboarding. This is a great opportunity to contribute to new HR initiatives and strategies.
Department: HR General
Division: People & Culture
Position Reports to: Chief People Officer
Position is Responsible for: No direct reports
Main Duties & Objectives
Your main responsibilities will include but are not limited to:
• Assist with the Talent Acquisition process by screening CVs, coordinating interviews, and managing the onboarding of new hires.
• Support the HR team with administrative tasks related to recruitment and employee onboarding.
• Assist in the development and implementation of human resources policies, systems, and processes.
• Undertake tasks around performance management.
• Gather and analyse data with useful HR metrics to develop effective action plans (i.e., employee turnover rates, volunteer satisfaction, retention rate per manager, etc.)
• Create strong relationships across the organisation and develop a network of contacts throughout your area and understand who the key individuals are.
• Update and maintain volunteer records when necessary.
• Provide administrative support to the Talent Acquisition team by screening CV’s and setting up interviews.
• Working with leadership teams on developing, organising, and implementing design models.
• Attend the HR General Team weekly meeting.
Knowledge, Skills, and Experience
Essential
• Previous administrative experience in Talent Acquisition
• Proven experience as an HR Generalist or HRBP and be able to demonstrate your complete understanding of the position.
• Knowledge of HR processes and HRIS systems and HR best practises.
• Able to assist on developing action plans for the implementation of new HRIS systems, policies, HR strategies, etc.
• Excellent communication and people skills.
• Experience in working closely with business leaders and line managers to build their people capability.
• Able to deliver a high standard of work in a timely manner, within defined processes and with minimal supervision.
• The ability to keep sensitive information confidential.
• Available to volunteer at least 7-10 hours a week
• Ability to actively take initiative and help set things up in a start-up environment.
• Ability to actively seek and give input in a collaborative team environment.
• A committed team player with good communication skills.
Desirable
• Hold a qualification related to HR.
What ADC Offers You
This is a volunteer, remote and unpaid position with the following benefits:
• Professional learning and career development opportunities.
• An opportunity to build on your work experience within your profession.
• An opportunity to be part of a diverse team representing different parts of the world, that is changing lives in Africa.
• An opportunity to help shape a start-up social enterprise.
• We will provide work reference for you.
This job description is a written statement of the essential characteristics of the job, with its principal accountabilities, incorporating a note of the skills, knowledge and experience required for a satisfactory level of performance. This is not intended to be a complete, detailed account of all aspects of the duties involved.
Here at African Development Choices, we celebrate diversity, equity, and inclusion. Our teams are made up of people from all over the world and we welcome all applications. If you are disabled or have a long-term health condition, and you require any reasonable adjustments for your application with us, please let us know by contacting recruitmentatafricandevelopmentchoicesdotorg.
Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as applications come in. They're ready to hire as soon as they find the right person. Don't miss your opportunity, apply now!
Befriending Volunteer
You can make a difference…Age UK Wandsworth is a small, local, independent charity that has been working with older people in the area since 1963. We rely on your support to keep serving the older residents with in the Wamdsworth community. We have a dedicated team of experienced staff and a large network of dedicated local volunteers. Our aim is to enable everyone to age well in Wandsworth. We would love your help to be able to continue to support older Wandsworth residents.
Our Be-a-Friend service is one of our longest running services, matching people over 65, who live alone and have limited social contact, with a friendly local volunteer with similar hobbies and interests. The volunteer and their new friend set up a suitable time for them to meet each week for a chat and a cup of tea, which could be during the day, in the evening on the way home from work or even on the weekends . If you would prefer to volunteer from home, you can also be matched with an older person for telephone befriending. For many of our matched pairs, this is the beginning of a firm friendship.
Befriending Plus
Befriending Plus is an extended version of the Be-a-Friend programme, for individulas needing help with life admin and small tasks as well as companionship. For Befriending Plus pairs, time spent together can include helping to use a phone or tablet, helping the client to organise their file, going out for a coffee or popping to the post office together. This support can help older people to stay independent at home for longer, as well as increasing their confidence to do these tasks when the volunteer is not there.
Our mission is to help older people to age well in Wandsworth.


The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as applications come in. They're ready to hire as soon as they find the right person. Don't miss your opportunity, apply now!
As a Lepra Community Advocate, you will play a vital role in spreading awareness about our organisation's mission and work within local communities. You will receive comprehensive training on Lepra, our methodologies, and effective ways to engage with various audiences. Your primary responsibility will be to deliver talks and presentations to schools, temples, churches, rotary groups, and other community gatherings. You will assist in researching and identifying potential partners as needed as well as engaging potential partners through our social media channels.
This is a volunteer position requiring a commitment of a minimum of 4 hours weekly, dedicated to research, social media communications or in-person activities. The role may involve evening or weekend events depending on scheduled talks and events.
What we are looking for
The ideal candidate will have the following interests and skills.
1. Passion for community engagement, social causes, and global health outreach.
2. Strong communication and presentation skills.
3. Interest and experience in content creation for various social media platforms.
4. Ability to network effectively and build relationships with diverse groups in Colchester or Essex.
5. Willingness to learn about Lepra and effectively communicate and present its mission and work.
6. Local residency in Colchester or Essex.
Key Responsibilities
1. Conduct presentations and talks about Lepra's initiatives, goals, and impact to diverse audiences.
2. Engage in direct conversations and networking with local communities to raise awareness and foster partnerships.
3. Collaborate with the fundraising team to strategize outreach efforts and identify new opportunities for engagement.
4. Assist in researching and identifying potential partners within the community.
5. Develop engaging content for various social media platforms.
6. Maintain accurate records of activities, feedback, and engagement for reporting purposes.
What we offer
1. Comprehensive induction and training on Lepra's work and methodologies.
2. Ongoing support and supervision in your role.
3. Opportunity to make a meaningful difference in local communities.
4. Travel and food expenses covered for scheduled talks and engagements.
5. Networking opportunities and skill development in public speaking and advocacy.
6. Insights and experience within the Social Development environment.
Join us in spreading awareness, fostering partnerships, and making a positive impact with Lepra!
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as applications come in. They're ready to hire as soon as they find the right person. Don't miss your opportunity, apply now!
Are you passionate and committed to supporting children and women who have fled domestic abuse? We are recruiting for volunteers to support our Children and Family Workers to get creative and involved in providing daily activities and outings for the children within our refuges during the summer holidays.
What you will be doing
- To help with the day to day running of the Children & Family Service throughout the summer holidays
- To assist organising and facilitating activities and outings with the Children and Family Worker
- To use a range of skills and tools to make sessions interesting and fun for a range of ages
- To create timetables, posters, maps and instructions for residents
- To offer general admin help: typing, taking meeting minutes, filing and scanning documents
- To develop positive relationships with the children and women
- Support with administrative tasks including attendance and feedback
- To gather ideas, suggestions from families, plan, collaborate and create a timetable of activities and sessions. To involve women and children in the planning and designing of the timetable
- To support in providing or purchasing resources for activities
The skills you need
- Experience working with children/childcare/play-work experience - gained formally or informally
- Willingness to learn about domestic abuse and its impact on children and women
- Able to maintain strict confidentiality
- Ability to provide a supportive, and inclusive atmosphere that encourages learning and participation
- Good interpersonal and communication skills and ability to work with people from different backgrounds.
What's in it for you
- Supporting You - You will have a dedicated volunteer supervisor to support you in your role; Quarterly volunteer forums with the central Volunteering team and volunteers across Hestia; References for job applications
- Developing You - You will gain knowledge and insight into issues that impact Domestic Abuse, Modern Slavery and Mental Health; You will have access to our extensive Learning and Development Programme; 40% of our departed volunteers secured a paid role at Hestia last year!
- Valuing You - We hold annual Volunteer Awards and Celebration events; We reimburse travel expenses and up to £5 for lunch for your volunteering; We hold social events and outings for our volunteers to get together and have some fun
We deliver services across London as well as campaign and advocate nationally on the issues that affect the people we work with.




Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as applications come in. They're ready to hire as soon as they find the right person. Don't miss your opportunity, apply now!
***Please note that this is an opportunity based in Nottingham (shire) in the United Kingdom and we don’t offer sponsorship or accept overseas applicants***
Age UK Notts are seeking individuals who would like to be considered as a volunteer for our Companion Service.
Volunteers will be supporting people remotely, in their own homes and in the community within Nottingham and Nottinghamshire and ideally, we ask all applicants to provide a minimum of 1 hour volunteering a week.
The companion service volunteer can choose to be:
• A companion telephone/video caller
• A companion within the person’s home
• A companion outside the person’s home
• Or a combination of all three.
Examples of the type of support the service offers include:
• Telephone / video calls for an older person/s on a regular basis at a mutually agreed time for a friendly chat.
• Supporting an older person/s hobbies and interests or simply chatting with them in their own home on a regular basis.
• Supporting with digital access & building confidence skills & motivation to access the opportunities of the internet.
• Supporting the person outside of their home e.g., by accompanying them on a walk, to the shops, to a café, garden centre, theatre or cinema or other social activities / community groups.
• Where appropriate, supporting the older person to access other services through information and signposting or referring to the Companion Service Coordinator for support.
We are looking for the following skills/interests:
• Individuals with a genuine interest in the wellbeing of older people who are committed to volunteering on a regular basis.
• Commitment to complete our Volunteer Report Form accurately and regularly.
• Ability to travel for visits in the local community either by car or public transport for those volunteers who choose to participate in this type of activity.
• Digital literacy for those volunteers who choose to participate in this type of activity.
Please do note, however, that at the moment we are not looking for Volunteer Telephone Companions.
We are looking for volunteers with good daytime availability in specific areas of Nottingham and Nottinghamshire which are currently NG4, NG5, NG6, NG9, NG17, NG18, NG19, NG20, NG25
Please contact the volunteering team for further information
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as applications come in. They're ready to hire as soon as they find the right person. Don't miss your opportunity, apply now!
Sustainability Research Volunteer
People & Planet is looking for volunteers to assist with compiling its 2025/26 People & Planet
University League; the only higher education ranking that classifies based on ethics and climate
justice criteria.
Universities impart skills and knowledge, form life-long beliefs and behaviours, act as centres of
communities, employ, house and feed large numbers of people and promote the creation and
sharing of knowledge. We believe this makes them uniquely placed to lead on environmental and
ethical issues. For this reason the People & Planet University League has been running since 2007
and has been published by high-profile media partners such as The Guardian (2021, 2022. 2023,
2024) and whose data is used in the Sunday Time Good University Guide.
Volunteers will research publicly available university documents and assess universities against
our marking criteria, which cover a wide range of climate and social justice issues including
decarbonisation, fossil fuel divestment, ethical banking, workers’ rights and environmental
management among others. This work will help to incentivise the university sector towards taking
immediate and appropriate action on the climate crisis and upholding the rights and wellbeing of all
people internationally.
The role will develop and improve the following areas:
● Qualitative research skills
● Attention to detail
● Use of data collection software
● Time management and keeping to deadlines
● Working independently and remotely
● Communication skills
● Knowledge of environmental management processes and sustainability reporting.
Training is provided for the role. We believe the skills and experience gained could be valuable for
a number of career paths, including working in NGOs, corporate sustainability, estates
management, higher education policy making, research and campaigning among many others.
People & Planet would like to support volunteers in their future careers, so will give all volunteers
an official reference letter on successful completion of their placement and will act as a referee for
future positions for which you may apply. From last year’s cohort, 100% said they would
recommend this position to someone who wanted to add experience to their CV.
Feedback from previous volunteers
‘I think as someone looking for relevant experience to bolster a CV, this is a helpful and
not-too-time-consuming position. It had exactly the kind of flexibility that I required at this point in time.’
‘It's a really great opportunity to hone one's research skills, learn more about what our universities can do to
improve their impact on the planet, and make a small but real difference.’
Person Specification -the following are essential:
- Access to a computer or laptop and internet connection.
- Familiarity with desk-based research.
- Ability to work accurately and efficiently to agreed standards.
- Reliability and commitment to completing work to deadlines.Sustainability Research Volunteer
- Able to communicate needs with staff at People & Planet and if needed, ask for appropriate
- support to complete tasks in time.
- Ability to search policy documents for specific information in English.
- Ability to assess information against standardised frameworks.
- Ability to work remotely and independently
The following are desirable:
● Awareness of current issues in sustainability and ethics.
● Experience of research and data collection.
● An interest in higher education policy.
You will need to commit to
● Two 25 hour weeks of remote work in July and August.
● 5 hours work per day for the two week period. Volunteers can manage their own time
flexibly and will receive support from People & Planet, but must meet task deadlines on a
weekly basis and attend a short daily meeting.
● One half day of remote training and induction the week prior to your 2 week engagement.
● Attending a brief meeting in the morning or afternoon each day and one individual check-in
meeting in week 1.
Summer timetable
June 30th-July 11th Ethical Investment and Banking, Ethical Careers and Recruitment,
Education for Sustainable Development. Training and induction w/c 23rd June
July 21st-1st August Sustainable Food, Staff & HR, Environmental Policy and Strategy
Training and induction w/c 14th July
August 11th-August 22nd Managing Carbon, Workers’ Rights, Staff and Student
Engagement, Environmental Management and Auditing. Training and induction w/c August
4th
Application
Applications will be processed on a rolling basis until positions are filled, so please apply early to
avoid disappointment. The deadline for applications is Friday June the 6th 2025
Candidates will need to attend a non-competitive group recruitment session and complete an
online self-access task before being invited to volunteer with us.
Please let us know if you have specific access needs and what we can do to make the interview,
training and volunteer experience more accessible to you, including organising a one-on-one
interview. We welcome people with hearing loss, deaf and or disabled people to apply for thisSustainability Research Volunteer volunteer opportunity -unfortunately we don't use BSL so would need to make alternative support provisions for the training, unless a BSL interpreter can join you. If you have specific needs where
we might support you by making this volunteering opportunity more accessible, please let us know via email
People & Planet welcome applications from BAME folks and people of colour, from disabled people, from LGBTQI*people, from people who speak English as a second language, from people who identify as non-binary gender, from women, from people of different ages, from people with caring responsibilities and from people with irregular migration status, people seeking asylum in the UK or with a migrant background, folks with a working class background, and everyone else.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Using Anonymous Recruitment
This organisation is using Anonymous Recruitment to reduce bias in the first stages of the hiring process. Submit your application as normal and our system will anonymise it for you. Your personal information will be hidden until the recruiter contacts you.
Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as applications come in. They're ready to hire as soon as they find the right person. Don't miss your opportunity, apply now!
Become a Fundraising Volunteer!
Cats Protection is the UK’s leading feline welfare charity, and our vision is a world where every cat is treated with kindness and an understanding of its needs.
Cats are at the centre of everything we do, and our objectives are homing, neutering and educating people about cats and their care.
We help thousands of cats across the UK each year thanks to our network of dedicated volunteers, employees and supporters.
A bit about this role...
Please note - Due to the nature of fundraising roles, our volunteers must be over the age of 18.
As a charity we can help thousands of cats each year thanks to the generous donations from our supporters. Raising funds is a key role in our charity, helping to raise the vital funds needed to help more cats and kittens in need.
As a fundraising volunteer, we will support you every step of the way to ensure your time at Cats Protection is a positive and rewarding one. Whatever time you can give really does make a big difference We have lots of exciting activities to choose from for example attending a fundraising event, fundraising online, promoting fundraising activities on social media, handling administrative tasks, or contributing to the development of new fundraising ideas. Whatever your skill set, this role could be perfect for you!
What can I expect to be doing?
As a flexible role, you have the choice to be involved in the following:
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Face-to-face fundraising – organising or helping with our fundraising events, attending supermarket collections or local markets.
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Distributing collection tins – popping collection tins into local shops and pubs and collecting them when they’re full.
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Bringing new ideas! - We always love to come up with new ideas to raise funds for cats and we’d love to help bring yours to life.
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Engaging with your local branches and Fundraising Hub and feeling like an integral part of the team!
What are the benefits to you and the cats?
You will have the opportunity to develop your knowledge though Cats Protection’s learn online system, providing you with the skills to thrive as a fundraiser. You’ll also have the chance to meet new people and be part of a dedicated team of volunteers.
Money raised by our volunteers enables us to put cats first. Cats are at the centre of all we do. We care for them, ensure their welfare, and help others to understand and better support them.
We're looking for someone with:
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Sympathy to cats and our values
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Happy to be part of a team of dedicated volunteers and employees.
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Flexible and adaptable to different events/activities
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Open to new ideas and ways of fundraising
How much time is expected of me?
Our Fundraising Volunteer roles are very flexible, often certain times of the year are busier than others. You can choose your level of involvement to suit your schedule!
Support, guidance and keeping you safe
At Cats Protection we believe our volunteers should be happy and confident in their roles. We provide support and guidance from our National Cat Centre and through our regional and local volunteer groups and teams. We offer engaging online and face-to-face training, expenses and have policies and processes to help volunteers get the most out of their time with us.
The wellbeing of our people is important and at Cats Protection we are committed to safeguarding children, adults at risk and all those that we encounter as part of our activities.
Thank you for your support and sharing in this commitment and for everything you will do during your time with Cats Protection!
Making a better life for cats, because life is better with cats


The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as applications come in. They're ready to hire as soon as they find the right person. Don't miss your opportunity, apply now!
A bit about this role
As a charity we are able to help thousands of cats each year thanks to the generous donations we receive from members of the public. Our fundraising volunteers use their passion for cats and people to raise the vital funds needed to help more cats and kittens in need. As a fundraising volunteer we want to support you to fundraise in whatever way suits you best – whether that’s organising a fundraising event, fundraising online, promoting fundraising activities on social media, completing administration or supporting the development of new fundraising ideas! Whatever your skill set, this could be the role for you!
What can you expect to be doing?
This is a really flexible role – you can choose what you’d like to get involved with:
- Face-to-face fundraising – organising or helping with fundraising events, running supermarket collections and fundraising stands, monitoring collection tins
- Online fundraising – setting up online appeals, increasing social media engagement to maximise funds raised
- Marketing – spreading the word about our fundraising activities, for example on social media and with the local press
- Completing administration – processing donations, sorting and recording donated goods, completing Gift Aid paperwork
- Championing our work – getting involved with developing new fundraising ideas and increasing community engagement
What are the benefits to you and the cats?
You will develop new skills, expand your knowledge and make a significant contribution to improving the lives of cats and kittens by helping raise vital funds through fundraising activities. You will also meet new people, make new friends and be part of a dedicated group of volunteers. Whether you’d rather be out and about, or volunteering from your own home, there are so many ways to fundraise.
We’re looking for someone with
- Good communication and interpersonal skills
- Willingness to be part of a team
- Good organisational skills
- Flexible approach
- Knowledge of local community networks (would be an advantage)
Time expectation
This is a flexible role that can fit around your other commitments. You’ll be part of a team all working together to raise vital funds while having fun in the process!
Support, guidance and keeping you safe
At Cats Protection we believe our volunteers should be happy and confident in their roles. We provide support and guidance from our National Cat Centre and through our regional and local volunteer groups and teams. We offer engaging online and face-to-face training, expenses and have policies and processes to help volunteers get the most out of their time with us.
The wellbeing of our people is important and at Cats Protection we are committed to safeguarding children, adults at risk and all those that we come into contact with as part of our activities.
Making a better life for cats, because life is better with cats


The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
What you will be doing
The opportunity will be volunteering with the Volunteering Officer and People & Culture Manager carrying out administrative tasks that include data input in to systems, issuing letters and documents, responding to email enquiries, photocopying/scanning, filing, using Microsoft Office, Teams and SharePoint and the development of the volunteering programme at Suffolk Wildlife Trust including the recognition events and activities.
There are no set tasks or duties with the opportunity - you'll be getting involved with the day-to-day activities.
The skills you need
No experience is required other than able to use a computer and Microsoft Office.
What you'll get out of it
This opportunity may suit someone who is looking for a career in volunteering support or within HR, or someone with administrative experience looking to use their skills.
You can claim back out-of-pocket expenses.
The time you need to give
You can volunteer as much or as little as you wish. A regular volunteering day on a Tuesday would be ideal but we are open to different days and hours between Monday and Friday.
How to Apply
For more information about this opportunity and an informal discussion, please contact us.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.