Social Welfare Volunteer Roles

Reading Frontline, has been providing face to face debt and benefit advice for over 30 years to those distressed by the burden of debt. We now have vacanies for Volunteer Debt and Benefit Advisers able to work for one day a week from our offices in the centre of Reading. If you like helping people and would like the opportunity to turn lives around, this is the opportunity for you.

You will be working with clients distressed by the burden of debt and so a sympathetic and patient approach is a must. Negotiating skills would be an advantage as you will be dealing with our clients’ creditors to establish repayment plans. Basic finance and budgeting skills would also be helpful.

The procedures we have developed use standard forms and letters in Excel and Word, so a basic knowledge of this software together with general computer literacy and keyboard skills will be needed.

Full training and ongoing support will be provided to new volunteers and back-up and support is always available as you work through clients’ problems.

In return for your work at Frontline we guarantee that you will experience a great sense of satisfaction as you guide clients out of the darkness of overwhelming debt.

Purpose of the role

To support the Business Development Manager in raising much-needed funds from trusts and foundations.

Duties include:

• Identifying funders we could approach, e.g. by searching funder databases.
• Researching funders to clarify whether or not we are eligible to apply, how much funding we could apply for and which project they’d be most likely to fund.
• Recording the above information in a spreadsheet and keeping this record up-to-date.
• Updating a master document which collates key information for applications.
• Writing applications for small grants with support from the Business Development Manager.

About You

No previous experience or knowledge of trust fundraising is required; this role would suit you if you're interested in trust fundraising and have the following skills and attributes:

• Strong research skills
• High attention to detail
• IT skills, especially MS Word and Excel at a basic level (sort, filter, basic formulas) or willingness and ability to learn
• Ability to present complex information in a clear and easily navigable format
• Clear and persuasive writing skills

We are recruiting for a volunteer to coordinate football sessions to support children and families get active, have fun, wiggle, jiggle and move together. Exercising helps strengthens bones and muscles, supports with mental wellbeing, increase self-confidence, self-esteem, and provides opportunities for children to make new friends, try out new sports, activities and learn new skills.

What you will be doing

• Coordinate weekly football sessions
• General knowledge about wellbeing and how football affects physical and mental health
• Support children to maintain their physical health through exercise
• Support children to play together and work as a team
• Keep a record of attendees, provide feedback, and report any concerns to the staff team

The skills you need

• A skilled and qualified football coach
• 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 - Valuing You - We hold annual Volunteer Awards, outings, celebration, and social events for our volunteers to get together and have some fun; We reimburse travel expenses and up to £5 for lunch for your volunteering.

Location: Hybrid

Salary: Unpaid 

Commitment: 15-20 hours per week, work can be done at times to suit you with occasional time bound interviews and team meetings scheduled to suit your schedule (corporate speak for: ‘we’ll ask when works for you first!’)

Role length: 12 months +

About us

Go Inspire International C.I.C. is a women founded charity with the purpose of bringing women together to grow and thrive as a community. We believe that the world will be a better place when all women are supported to become the best versions of ourselves, and that this will allow us to better challenge the discrimination we face.

We do this by creating community centres for women, delivering wellbeing education through our events and media platform and creating a resource hub to connect women to all the information and support they need. 

Our core values are equality, intersectionality, sustainability, social connection, excellence and fun. These values permeate everything we do here at Go Inspire. 

If you’ve ever wanted to experience working in a place where you and your ambition are fully seen, appreciated and supported, and you want to join a really fun, high energy, full of laughs and mega supportive team then this is the opportunity for you. 

Job Description 

We’re looking for an ambitious, visionary and motivated Managing Director to work directly alongside our CEO to help us rapidly grow Go Inspire International C.I.C.. This will be a very fast paced role with lots of variety and will involve:

• Being a point of contact for our marketing and events staff 

• Ensuring all activities are inline with our top level goals and objectives, values and purpose

• Working alongside the leadership team to develop and implement organisational goals and objectives in line with our values and purpose

• Creating data collection systems and processes 

• Understanding data from our activities and collating and reporting this data to the leadership team and trustees board

Note: This role has been designed for a year to support in building and managing our systems and process but we would love to have you longer if it works for us both. 

About you 

• This is a fast paced, think on your feet kind of job so if perfect if you have bucket loads of enthusiasm and energy and like to learn on the go.

• You need to love people and be able to manage and motivate a team

• You gotta be hyper organised and shit hot at time management

• Any experience in developing and implementing organisational systems and processes is awesome. 

• Need to have a team player mindset for this role, a huge part of it is making sure everyone is excited, engaged and on the same page. 

• This is the role for you if you like variety, managing a team and a fast paced, think on your feet, high level strategy kind of thing.

Note: please do apply if you don’t tick all the above boxes. More than experience, we make decisions on team fit, willingness to grow and ambition

What we can give you 

We care deeply about creating a team and environment that people love to be a part of, and not just so we can say that in our marketing! As such, we work hard to make sure that you:

• Are part of a connected team with regular meet ups and social events.

• Get the support to achieve your personal and professional goals.

• Get regular feedback to make sure you’re on track and growing. 

• Have the opportunity to flex your creativity and propose and drive ideas forward.

• Be part of building an organisation that creates real positive impact in empowering women to not just survive, but to thrive.

• Work in a way that suits you and your unique needs, with support to identify your needs and implement solutions to meet them.

• And more than anything else, a team that sees you for who you are, and works to make sure you are reaching your true potential, your way.

• Amazing references.

And of course it goes without saying that fellow neurodiversies and those who think differently are so very welcome and celebrated in this space! 

How to apply and what happens next

Please fill in the following application form, no need to attach a CV. If we think you could be a good fit we will invite you for an interview with the relevant member of the leadership team.

We will do our best to get back to you if we don’t think this role is for you but due to the high number of applications this isn’t always possible. If you don’t hear from us for two weeks do feel free to reach out, but often this means you didn’t get through to interviews this time. 

Please don’t let this put you off from applying for other roles with us in the future though :) We love to hear from you and appreciate the time you put into the applications.
 

Any questions?

Get in touch with us!

Looking forward to hearing from you, 

Marina (CEO)

Do you speak Amharic and are looking to give back to the local community? By joining our team of befrienders, you will support us to reach some of the most isolated adults in the community to reduce their feelings of loneliness, build friendships and provide support for mental wellbeing.

You will support individuals who struggle to communicate with others and help them to reconnect with their local community. You will support to relight a spark in a hobby, interest or encourage individuals to explore and participate in new social activities.

This role can be face-to-face or remote!

What you will be doing

• Agree a mutual time and frequency to meet in the local community
• To develop and promote a positive relationship with your befriendee
• To engage in conversation in Amharic
• To encourage your befriendee to engage in social activities and support them in doing so whilst building their confidence
• To support your befriendee in developing their goals and social skills
• Encourage your befriendee to make links with community services, based on their identified goals

The skills you need

• Able to communicate confidently in Amharic
• Ability to provide a supportive and inclusive atmosphere which motivates and inspires others
• Willingness to engage in activities in the community
• Able to maintain strict confidentiality and follow professional boundaries
• To be consistent in attendance

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

Would you like to provide a safe space for those in crisis? You will provide a space for members to come together and share experiences among the group, leading the discussion with various different topics. Talking to others can help release emotions and provide people with the opportunity to express their thoughts and feelings.

We are recruiting for a Men’s Discussions Group Leader Volunteer at the Grove Day Centre. This service provides a drop-in safe space where there is a variety of staff or user-led activities and group work.

What you will be doing

• To support and facilitate weekly group discussions covering various topics.
• Research topics before discussion
• Keep a record of attendees, provide feedback and report any concerns to the staff team

The skills you need

• Good communication skills
• An ability to build trusting relationships whilst maintaining personal boundaries
• Mental Health Awareness
• Empathetic, compassionate and a non-judgemental approach
• Confident communicating and talking to people

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 - Valuing You - We hold annual Volunteer Awards, outings, celebration, and social events for our volunteers to get together and have some fun; We reimburse travel expenses and up to £5 for lunch for your volunteering.

Location: Remote

Salary: Unpaid 

Commitment: 10-15 hours per week, work can be done at times to suit you with occasional time bound interviews and team meetings scheduled to suit your schedule (corporate speak for: ‘we’ll ask when works for you first!)

Role length: 12 months +

About us

Go Inspire International C.I.C. is a women founded charity with the purpose of bringing women together to grow and thrive as a community. We believe that the world will be a better place when all women are supported to become the best versions of ourselves, and that this will allow us to better challenge the discrimination we face.

We do this by creating community centres for women, delivering wellbeing education through our events and media platform and creating a resource hub to connect women to all the information and support they need. 

Our core values are equality, intersectionality, sustainability, social connection, excellence and fun. These values permeate everything we do here at Go Inspire International C.I.C. 

If you’ve ever wanted to experience working in a place where you and your ambition are fully seen, appreciated and supported, and you want to join a really fun, high energy, full of laughs and mega supportive team then this is the opportunity for you. 

Job Description 

You will work alongside our directors throughout 2024/5 to:

• Design the onboarding and offboarding process for staff and volunteers.

• Roll out and optimize the above.

• Manage recruitment of team members, including being at interviews and making decisions on who to bring on board.

• Build and manage the HR team, including staff and volunteer managers.

• Create and implement dispute resolution processes and policies.

• Develop and manage processes and policies to make working and volunteering with us a seamless, enjoyable and supportive experience for all. 

• Be a point of contact for staff and volunteers. 

Note: This role has been designed for a year to support in building and managing our HR systems and process but we would love to have you longer if it works for us both. 

About you 

• You’ve gotta be compassionate and really care about people and their development.

• Enjoy working with, and supporting people to be their best.

• Be proactive in coming up with, and implementing ideas, a do-er.

• Be confident in taking charge and owning this role, we’ll give you all the support you need to do this but you have to want to drive it. 

• Love to bring joy, fun and passion into your work. 

• Experience with recruitment and managing others (parenting definitely counts!).

• Experience in a HR role is a great bonus.

• If you nerd out on systems and processes you’re our kind of person. 

Note: please do apply if you don’t tick all the above boxes. More than experience, we make decisions on team fit, willingness to grow and ambition

What we can give you 

We care deeply about creating a team and environment that people love to be a part of, and not just so we can say that in our marketing! As such, we work hard to make sure that you:

• Are part of a connected team with regular meet ups and social events.

• Get the support to achieve your personal and professional goals.

• Get regular feedback to make sure you’re on track and growing. 

• Have the opportunity to flex your creativity and propose and drive ideas forward.

• Be part of building an organisation that creates real positive impact in empowering women to not just survive, but to thrive.

• Work in a way that suits you and your unique needs, with support to identify your needs and implement solutions to meet them.

• And more than anything else, a team that sees you for who you are, and works to make sure you are reaching your true potential, your way.

And of course it goes without saying that fellow neurodiversies and those who think differently are so very welcome and celebrated in this space! 

How to apply and what happens next

Please fill in the following application form, no need to attach a CV. If we think you could be a good fit we will invite you for an interview with the relevant member of the leadership team.

We will do our best to get back to you if we don’t think this role is for you but due to the high number of applications this isn’t always possible. If you don’t hear from us for two weeks do feel free to reach out, but often this means you didn’t get through to interviews this time. 

Please don’t let this put you off from applying for other roles with us in the future though :) We love to hear from you and appreciate the time you put into the applications.

Any questions?

Get in touch with us!

Looking forward to hearing from you, 

Marina (CEO)

Purpose of the role

Citizens Advice Barnet’s twin aims are to help people in our community resolve the problems they face and campaign to change the policies and practices which affect their lives. As a Research and Campaigns Volunteer, you will enable us to achieve the second aim, using the experience of the people we help to influence lasting change that makes a real difference to our community.

Duties include

• Supporting the Research and Campaigns Lead to identify opportunities to improve local policies and practices that affect people we help.
• Gathering evidence to support local and national campaigns.
• Undertaking research to build a campaign.
• Writing monthly updates for local councillors on what we're seeing in their ward.
• Writing up reports to present your research and recommendations.
• Researching and writing reports to raise awareness of local problems.
• Representing Citizens Advice Barnet at external meetings to campaign for change.
• Working with the Communications team to raise awareness of Research & Campaigns work.

Person specification

No previous experience is required; this role would suit you if you have an interest in social policy, or would simply like to make a difference in our local community, and have the following skills and attributes:

• IT skills, especially Word and Excel at a basic level (sort, filter, basic formulas), and willingness and ability to learn to use our CRM to run reports.
• Strong research skills.
• High attention to detail.
• Analytical skills.
• Ability to work on own initiative.
• Excellent communication skills, both orally and in writing, with the ability to write clearly and persuasively.

Volunteer your time at Hestia to make our gardens a beautiful place for adults and children to enjoy all year through! Are you green fingered and have a passion for gardens and outdoor spaces?

What is the purpose of this role?

To support vulnerable people living in Nottingham City through the provision of practical and social support.

What impact does this role have?

Supports vulnerable people (18 and over), to live independently in the community.

What activities might you be involved in? 

The following are examples of the type of support you could be asked to provide:

• Shopping
• Collecting prescriptions
• Wellbeing checks on the phone and in person according to the person’s needs
• Providing emotional support
• Engage in confidence building activities e.g., going for a ‘walk and talk’, supporting people to go to the shops etc.
• Accompanying people to appointments
• Information and signposting
• Dog walking
• Light cleaning

What are we looking for?

Individuals with a genuine interest in the wellbeing of vulnerable people who are committed to volunteering within the charity’s policies and procedures and who will adhere to the volunteering code of conduct.

When would you be needed to volunteer?

Ideally, we ask all applicants to commit to providing a minimum of 2 hours volunteering a week at a time to meet your availability and our service requirements.

What training will you be given?

You will be given all the training you need to fulfil your role.  Everyone will receive an induction into the Charity.

What can you gain from this opportunity?

• The opportunity to make a difference to a vulnerable person’s life
• Ongoing support, ensuring your volunteering experience is a fulfilling and positive one
• 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 Age UK Notts’ volunteer handbook

Additional Information

Please note an Enhanced (Adults Barred List) DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) check is required for this role which will be undertaken by the Charity at no cost to the volunteer, after being offered the role.

We are looking for volunteers who are willing to volunteer in the Nottingham city area with practical tasks who have reasonable availability. This opportunity is not currently open to student volunteers.

***Please note that we don’t offer sponsorship or accept overseas applicants***

Smart Works is a dynamic, high profile and fast-growing UK charity that dresses, coaches and empowers unemployed women for success at their job interview. After visiting Smart Works, 63% of clients secure a job within a month, gaining financial independence and transforming their lives.

The Smart Works service is delivered in 11 centres across the UK. Over the past ten years, Smart Works has helped over 35,000 women. It is our mission that any woman who needs our service should be able to find her way to a Smart Works centre. More information about who we are can be found on our website.

In April 2022, Smart Works launched a new Three-Year Plan that will see the charity double the number of women helped annually from 5,000 to 10,000 women a year. To achieve this, we will grow our existing centres and open new centres in areas of need. We are well on the way to achieving our goals. 

About This Role

An opportunity for a young person, with little or no previous Board experience, is now available to join our Group Board as a Young Person Trustee. Smart Works is led by a Group Board of passionate and dedicated Trustees, as well as the Trustees of six local Boards across the country, who are responsible for the governance and strategic direction of Smart Works. The position has been created in the interests of reflecting our own client base (data tells us that young women aged 16-24 are the most challenged when it comes to finding employment), as well as our responsibility to train the next generation of Trustees for our sector.

“Over the last 10 years, Smart Works has grown from an unerring passion to support unemployed women into work, into a dynamic and successful charity transforming the lives of women and communities across the UK,” says Smart Works Chair Julietta Dexter. “New members of the Board will have a key role to play in ensuring that Smart Works continues to deliver our ambitious targets for growth, whilst ensuring that we meet and exceed the expectations of our clients. We look forward to welcoming a young voice to our discussions: the role of Trustee is hugely rewarding, challenging and enjoyable in equal measure.”

For more information on the Trustee position, please find the full role profile attached.

How to Apply

Please apply via our website.

Shortlisted applicants will be invited to an interview after 30th September. The process will be led by the Nominations Committee. There will be a shortlisting process followed by two rounds of interviews with formal approval to take place at the Board meeting in October. 

References and a Basic DBS check will be taken up prior to appointment. 

We particularly welcome applications from black, Asian and minority ethnic candidates, disabled candidates, and candidates with lived experience of female unemployment as we would like to increase the representation of these groups at Smart Works. Smart Works promotes equity, diversity, and inclusion in our workplace. We make employment decisions by matching the Charity's needs with the skills and experience of candidates. These decisions are made irrespective of age, disability (including hidden disabilities), gender, gender identity or gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, or sexual orientation. 

At Smart Works we will apply suitable measures to keep your information secure in accordance with our Privacy Policy (a current version of which is available on our website)

Smart Works is a dynamic, high profile and fast-growing UK charity that dresses, coaches and empowers unemployed women for success at their job interview. After visiting Smart Works, 63% of clients secure a job within a month, gaining financial independence and transforming their lives.

The Smart Works service is delivered in 11 centres across the UK. Over the past ten years, Smart Works has helped over 35,000 women. It is our mission that any woman who needs our service should be able to find her way to a Smart Works centre. More information about who we are can be found on our website.

In April 2022, Smart Works launched a new Three-Year Plan that will see the charity double the number of women helped annually from 5,000 to 10,000 women a year. To achieve this, we will grow our existing centres and open new centres in areas of need. We are well on the way to achieving our goals. 

About This Role

We are seeking up to 3 new trustees to join our Group Board. Smart Works is led by a Group Board of passionate and dedicated trustees, who are responsible for the governance and strategic direction of Smart Works. We also work closely with our 6 local Boards across the country. 

“Over the last 10 years, Smart Works has grown from an unerring passion to support unemployed women into work, into a dynamic and successful charity transforming the lives of women and communities across the UK,” says Smart Works Chair Julietta Dexter. “New members of the Board will have a key role to play in ensuring that Smart Works continues to deliver our ambitious targets for growth, whilst ensuring that we meet and exceed the expectations of our clients. The role of trustee is hugely rewarding, challenging and enjoyable in equal measure.” 

Our current skills audit illustrates that we are particularly looking for candidates with expert skills in the fields of commercial property, fundraising and employment support (for example, organisations that regularly refer to Smart Works). By drawing on their expertise, the successful candidates will be able to advise Smart Works as it looks to develop and expand in these areas.

For more information on the Trustee position, please find the full role profile attached.

How to Apply

Please apply via our website.

Shortlisted applicants will be invited to an interview after 30th September. The process will be led by the Nominations Committee. There will be a shortlisting process followed by two rounds of interviews with formal approval to take place at the Board meeting in October. 

References and a Basic DBS check will be taken up prior to appointment. 

We particularly welcome applications from black, Asian and minority ethnic candidates, disabled candidates, and candidates with lived experience of female unemployment as we would like to increase the representation of these groups at Smart Works. Smart Works promotes equity, diversity, and inclusion in our workplace. We make employment decisions by matching the Charity's needs with the skills and experience of candidates. These decisions are made irrespective of age, disability (including hidden disabilities), gender, gender identity or gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, or sexual orientation. 

At Smart Works we will apply suitable measures to keep your information secure in accordance with our Privacy Policy (a current version of which is available on our website)

About us

Age UK is the country's leading charity dedicated to helping everyone make the most of later life. The over-60s is the fastest-growing group in society and there are more of us than ever before. Ageing is not an illness, but it can be challenging. At Age UK we provide services and support at a national and local level to inspire, enable and support older people. We stand up and speak for all those who have reached later life, and also protect the long-term interests of future generations..

The role in a nutshell:

Volunteers help to keep our UK charity shops running like clockwork and are an essential part of everything that we do. Our charity shops raise vital funds that support the wide range of services Age UK delivers, so if you have some free time available and would like to help, we’d love to hear from you! Whether you are looking to gain new skills and experiences, use those you already have or are just looking for a way to get out and meet new people, then we have flexible options to suit you! What will you be doing?

Volunteer Shop Assistants carry out a wide range of tasks in their roles. You might be sorting and pricing stock, engaging with customers, ringing items through the till, keeping our shop floor full and organised or supporting with raffle ticket sales and promoting gift aid.

How would you be supported in this role?

When you begin your role, you will receive a mix of e-learning and in-person training to get you started. Throughout the role, you will receive refresher training as required as well as ongoing support, reimbursement for role-related expenses and the opportunity to further shape the volunteering you do.

Why do we need volunteers in this role?

Age UK operates charity shops to raise funds for the delivery of services for older people in need. Volunteers play a key role in the shop team, ensuring our shops are welcoming places in the community and selling the items that are generously donated to our organisation.

Additional information:

We offer a variety of flexible shifts for volunteers.

What skills, interests or experience might be helpful in this role?

We welcome applications from people with a wide range of skills and experiences. You don’t need any retail or shop experience as full training will be provided. What’s important to us is that you are a team player, open to learning, will follow Age UKs policies and be an excellent representative for the charity. We know that our shop teams are stronger when they are inclusive and representative of their communities, so we will do what we can to find a role which works for you.

About us

Age UK is the country's leading charity dedicated to helping everyone make the most of later life. The over-60s is the fastest-growing group in society and there are more of us than ever before. Ageing is not an illness, but it can be challenging. At Age UK we provide services and support at a national and local level to inspire, enable and support older people. We stand up and speak for all those who have reached later life, and also protect the long-term interests of future generations..

The role in a nutshell:

Volunteers help to keep our UK charity shops running like clockwork and are an essential part of everything that we do. Our charity shops raise vital funds that support the wide range of services Age UK delivers, so if you have some free time available and would like to help, we’d love to hear from you! Whether you are looking to gain new skills and experiences, use those you already have or are just looking for a way to get out and meet new people, then we have flexible options to suit you! What will you be doing?

Volunteer Shop Assistants carry out a wide range of tasks in their roles. You might be sorting and pricing stock, engaging with customers, ringing items through the till, keeping our shop floor full and organised or supporting with raffle ticket sales and promoting gift aid.

How would you be supported in this role?

When you begin your role, you will receive a mix of e-learning and in-person training to get you started. Throughout the role, you will receive refresher training as required as well as ongoing support, reimbursement for role-related expenses and the opportunity to further shape the volunteering you do.

Why do we need volunteers in this role?

Age UK operates charity shops to raise funds for the delivery of services for older people in need. Volunteers play a key role in the shop team, ensuring our shops are welcoming places in the community and selling the items that are generously donated to our organisation.

Additional information:

We offer a variety of flexible shifts for volunteers.

What skills, interests or experience might be helpful in this role?

We welcome applications from people with a wide range of skills and experiences. You don’t need any retail or shop experience as full training will be provided. What’s important to us is that you are a team player, open to learning, will follow Age UKs policies and be an excellent representative for the charity. We know that our shop teams are stronger when they are inclusive and representative of their communities, so we will do what we can to find a role which works for you.