Volunteer roles

Retail & Furniture Assembly Volunteers  - A New Volunteer Opportunity in Acorns Children's Hospice Superstore in Pershore 

Acorns have a network of shops across the West Midlands that generate a substantial level of income to enable us to care for children and their families. 

To help us to continue to provide the care that we do, we are looking for fun and enthusiastic volunteers to join us in our Pershore Superstore. Our shops are exciting and dynamic, with no two days being the same. From our walk-in customers, to receiving donations, and everything in between. The store is open - Monday to Saturday 9am to 5pm and Sunday 10am to 4pm. 

What does volunteering involve?

Shop Volunteer

• Engaging with customers
• Accepting and sorting donated stock
• Pricing donations for sale
• Working on the till

Furniture Assembly Volunteer

• Building and dismantling flat pack furniture
• Working within timeframes for customer assembly requests
• Flagging defects or spare parts needed when constructing furniture
• Carrying out minor repairs on donated goods

How much time will it take? 

The shop will be open Monday to Sunday, 9am to 6pm. You can volunteer the hours that suit you, but ideally we’d like you to volunteer for at least 3 hours per week.

Why volunteer at Acorns? 

• To help a local charity and make a difference in your local community
• Connect with likeminded people and make new friends
• Enhance your CV by learning new skills and gaining experience
• Opportunities to progress to other roles
• Access to free online courses
• Retail discounts
• Invites to social events and participation in our volunteer recognition schemes and rewards

Full training will be provided

Help us to save the Children's Hospice Grant: Click here to find out more

Retail & Furniture Assembly Volunteers  - A New Volunteer Opportunity in Acorns Children's Hospice Superstore in Tewkesbury  

Acorns have a network of shops across the West Midlands that generate a substantial level of income to enable us to care for children and their families. 

To help us to continue to provide the care that we do, we are looking for fun and enthusiastic volunteers to join us in our Tewkesbury Superstore. Our shops are exciting and dynamic, with no two days being the same. From our walk-in customers, to receiving donations, and everything in between. the store is open Monday to Saturday 9am to 5pm
Sunday 10am to 4pm

What does volunteering involve?

Shop Volunteer

• Engaging with customers
• Accepting and sorting donated stock
• Pricing donations for sale
• Working on the till

Furniture Assembly Volunteer

• Building and dismantling flat pack furniture
• Working within timeframes for customer assembly requests
• Flagging defects or spare parts needed when constructing furniture
• Carrying out minor repairs on donated goods

How much time will it take? 

The shop will be open Monday to Sunday, 9am to 6pm. You can volunteer the hours that suit you, but ideally we’d like you to volunteer for at least 3 hours per week.

Why volunteer at Acorns? 

• To help a local charity and make a difference in your local community
• Connect with likeminded people and make new friends
• Enhance your CV by learning new skills and gaining experience
• Opportunities to progress to other roles
• Access to free online courses
• Retail discounts
• Invites to social events and participation in our volunteer recognition schemes and rewards

Full training will be provided

Help us to save the Children's Hospice Grant: Click here to find out more

Volunteer with us!

At Acorns we provide care and support for life limited or life threatened children and their families. We are a charity, so most of the care that we provide is funded through fundraising and through our shops.

To help us to continue to provide the care that we do, we are looking for fun and enthusiastic volunteers to join us in our Ledbury shop. Our shops are exciting and dynamic, with no two days being the same. From our walk-in customers, to receiving donations, and everything in between

As a Shop Volunteer with us, you will be:

• Engaging with customers
• Accepting and sorting donated stock
• Pricing donations for sale
• Working on the till

Our shops are open Monday to Saturday (some open on Sundays too) 9am to 5pm.  You can volunteer the hours that suit you, but it would be great if you could support in the shop for at least 3 hours a week.

Why Volunteer at Acorns?

• To help a local charity and make a difference in your local community
• Connect with likeminded people and make new friends
• Enhance your CV by learning new skills and gaining experience
• Opportunities to progress to other roles
• Access to free online courses
• Retail discounts
• Invites to social events and participation in our volunteer recognition schemes and rewards

Full training will be provided

Help us to save the Children's Hospice Grant: Click here to find out more

Throughout the UK, we provide essential services and support for individuals impacted by MS. We connect people to resources that foster a sense of belonging, community, and shared experiences.

 We are pleased to announce that we have secured funding from Wales and West Utilities for a 'test and learn' Community Connections project, which will operate until March 2026 and cover Wales and the South West of England.

 The goals of Community Connections are:

• To link individuals with, and affected by, MS throughout Wales and the South West of England (including Cornwall, Devon, Somerset, Bristol, Gloucestershire, and Wiltshire) to services, activities, and resources that promote living well with MS.
• To establish connections with local service providers that enable people with, and affected by, MS to access support and activities in their communities, while enhancing community connections.
• To offer information and guidance on various topics, including financial advice, cost of living information, energy efficiency tips, carbon monoxide awareness, and the Priority Service Register.

 As part of this initiative, we are seeking a Community Connections Volunteer to assist in directing people affected by MS to information about relevant local and national services. This could involve helping someone access information on benefits or supporting them with grant applications. This role will be conducted from home, providing assistance over the phone and via email.

 Here’s a summary of what the role entails:

• Guiding individuals to sources of support, such as our Living Well services, Helpline, health and social services, MS professionals, and local group activities.
• Referring any complex support needs to our Community Connections project team or Helpline.
• Occasionally assisting individuals who need help with grant applications and gathering necessary paperwork.
• Communicating relevant information to our Community Connections Project Administrator to maintain and update our service signposting lists.
• Staying in contact with referrals to ensure they are progressing with the support provided.
• Listening to and gathering feedback on the service as individuals conclude their involvement with the Community Connections project.

We will provide you with the necessary training and support to develop the skills required for this role, including an induction covering all outlined areas. Please note the role requires a DBS Check.

You will have the opportunity to discuss your role and any additional needs you may have with us.

Amy’s Place is a partnership between the Amy Winehouse Foundation and Clarion Housing, providing supported living accommodation for young women aged 18-30 in recovery from drugs, alcohol and other addictive behaviors.

An enthusiastic, reliable and compassionate volunteer with good interpersonal skills and a desire to help others. The volunteer must be a fully qualified Dietitian or Nutritional Therapist and have training and/or experience working with individuals with eating disorders.

Activities

• Supporting the nutritional needs of young women with health issues on a limited budget.
• Providing support with meal planning, cooking skills, food safety, and day-to-day problem solving around food and eating.
• Providing wisdom and accurate nutrition education around healthy eating for the individual.

Qualifications/ Experience

• Must be a fully qualified Dietitian or Nutritional Therapist.
• As many of the residents have eating disorders it is essential for the volunteer to have training and/or clinical experience working with individuals with eating disorders.
• Must have professional liability insurance and be a member of a professional body ie. HCPC, BANT
• This role requires us to carry out a check through the Disclosure and Barring Service for the Enhanced DBS

Commitment 

This is a flexible opportunity and volunteering times and frequency will vary depending on the volunteer’s availability and the needs of the residents. We recommend weekly one-to-one sessions for a minimum of 3 months.

Support 

•  Volunteers receive a thorough induction and have access to any relevant in-house and external training
•  Reasonable travel and lunch expenses will be reimbursed
• The role is based at the service in East London. The exact address cannot be given until the volunteer starts due to safety and privacy reasons.

About our charity

Everyone deserves to live their life to the full, with maximum choice and control.  Our purpose is to make that a reality for young people with vision impairment and complex needs.  They face a multitude of barriers because of the combined impact of a vision impairment with other disabilities and support needs.  We enable each person to find their unique pathway towards their very best life, using our specialist expertise and knowledge.

Our charity is now looking to recruit new trustees to help shape this vital work.

Plans to develop our board

We are specifically seeking one or more trustees with a good knowledge and experience of adult social care.  As well as the normal duties of a trustee, you would take a specific interest in our adult care service provision – St Davids House (residential care), Jigsaw (day service) and our Supported Living service.  You would scrutinise the quality and operation of our care services for adults and offer advice and challenge to our staff team as a member of our Adult Care Advisory Committee.  You will liaise closely with the Director of Care and Support.

You may have been a senior manager in an adult care service or have been a commissioning manager within the NHS for people with complex care needs.  You will have a passion for great person-centred care.  Experience of CQC would be an advantage.

The Board meets seven times a year and is also invited to all events and celebrations which is optional.  Trustees are warmly encouraged to attend meetings in person, but if required can attend some meetings online.  Expenses are paid for travel and overnight accommodation can be arranged for those not local to Devon.

Don’t have the time to become a full trustee?

Don’t have the time to become a full trustee?  We also have a role of Advisory Member on all our committees.  Advisors are appointed by the Board.  This role allows us to access knowledge and experience about running a charity, specialist SEND education and adult social care, but you do not have to take on the full role and responsibility of a trustee.  If you would be interested in finding out more about this role, please contact us.

Ius Stella

We redefine justice as a tool for empowerment and social cohesion, building a world where every person’s dignity and humanity are honored.

Ius Stella addresses systemic injustices in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where arbitrary arrests, wrongful convictions, and prolonged pretrial detentions are widespread. These injustices disproportionately affects vulnerable populations, especially women, youth, and economically disadvantaged individuals. Many detainees spend years in prison without trial, often for minor infractions or fabricated charges, exacerbating overcrowding and inhumane conditions in detention centers.

A key driver of this injustice is extreme poverty, which leaves individuals defenseless against legal proceedings they do not understand and cannot navigate alone. In the DRC, where more than 60% of the population lives on less than $2 a day, hiring a lawyer is an unattainable luxury. As a result, thousands remain imprisoned simply because they cannot afford legal assistance to challenge unlawful detention or demand a fair trial. This economic barrier fuels a vicious cycle where poverty leads to injustice, and injustice deepens poverty, particularly for detainees who are primary providers for their families.

Moreover, the justice system itself is plagued by corruption, with court officials and prison authorities frequently demanding bribes for access to fair hearings, case reviews, or even basic human rights like food and medical care in detention. Those who cannot pay remain stuck in a system designed to exploit the vulnerable rather than protect them.

By failing to ensure due process, the justice system exacerbates inequality, disrupts families, and erodes social cohesion, fueling a broader crisis of distrust in state institutions. Without intervention, marginalized communities will continue to be criminalized, and justice will remain a privilege rather than a right.

Our work sits at the intersection of human rights, technology, and economic empowerment. We are building a network of dedicated pro bono lawyers to provide free legal assistance to individuals who have been unfairly incarcerated. We collect and analyze case-level data to expose failures in the judicial system and drive evidence-based reforms. We educate individuals on their rights, ensuring they can advocate for themselves and hold institutions accountable. And we support formerly incarcerated individuals in rebuilding their lives through socio-professional rehabilitation and economic opportunities. Through our work, we seek to ensure that justice serves all people.

Fundraising Officer

Volunteer Role Description (remote, unpaid)

We are looking for a fundraising expert passionate about human rights and social justice to help us scale our mission and unlock new sources of support.

Key responsibilities include: 1) Develop a clear, actionable fundraising strategy 2) Create key documents (case for support, donor pitch deck, proposal templates) 3) Design and support a crowdfunding campaign 4) Identify potential donors and grant opportunities 5) Help draft compelling content for fundraising (emails, concept notes, updates)

About us: Ius Stella is a nonprofit organization committed to transforming the way justice is delivered, measured, and experienced. We started our work in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where we stand with victims of systemic injustice. Our work challenges traditional punitive systems and creates pathways for a more transparent, efficient, and people-centered approach to justice.

Weekly Time Commitment

4-6 hours per week

Duration of Volunteer Role (remote)

3-5 months

ChemCheemi Africa

ChemCheemi is a screen-free, interactive audio learning system that empowers children with literacy, numeracy, and STEM skills while promoting healthy cognitive, linguistic, and motor development as a safe alternative to excessive screen time.

In Tanzania, over 80% of Form Two and Form Four students fail their basic mathematics exams from the past nine years, according to National Examination Council result reports, highlighting serious deficiencies in foundational numeracy skills. These poor learning outcomes stem from insufficient literacy and numeracy development during early childhood education, leaving many children unprepared for higher-level subjects. In some regions, children reach Standard Four without basic reading and numeracy skills, contributing to what the World Bank defines as Learning Poverty—where students lack foundational literacy and numeracy skills crucial for academic success. More broadly, across Sub-Saharan Africa, about 89% of children cannot read or perform basic math by age 10, emphasizing the urgency of addressing early learning gaps.

Additionally, excessive screen time among young children causes cognitive and developmental challenges, including shortened attention spans, speech delays, and reduced social interaction, further hindering their ability to learn effectively. ChemCheemi provides a screen-free, interactive learning solution that not only strengthens early literacy and numeracy skills but also promotes cognitive, linguistic, and motor development, offering a healthier alternative to screen-based learning while ensuring children build the foundational skills needed for future academic success.

ChemCheemi is a screen-free, interactive audio learning system designed to bridge early learning gaps and foster healthy cognitive development in children aged 3-14. By blending storytelling, hands-on learning, and engaging activities, ChemCheemi equips children with foundational literacy, numeracy, and STEM skills, preparing them for higher education. Through structured, interactive audio lessons, ChemCheemi enhances early numeracy and literacy development, ensuring children grasp essential concepts before advancing in their education. By reinforcing basic math and reading skills through storytelling and guided exercises, ChemCheemi helps close the learning poverty gap affecting millions of children worldwide. Following the growing concerns over excessive screen time, ChemCheemi provides a healthier alternative that fosters active listening, imagination, and problem-solving skills. By reducing screen dependency, it helps prevent attention span issues, speech delays, and social disengagement while promoting cognitive, linguistic, and motor skill development. Designed for low-resource settings, ChemCheemi operates offline, ensuring accessibility even in rural and underserved communities. Its solar-powered functionality eliminates the need for constant electricity, making it a sustainable solution. Additionally, it supports children with learning disabilities by offering a multi-sensory, interactive experience tailored to diverse learning needs. ChemCheemi also empowers parents and teachers by providing a structured, engaging way to facilitate learning. By integrating storytelling with problem-solving exercises, it keeps children engaged and nurtures strong learning habits, making education more interactive, fun, and effective. Through its innovative approach, ChemCheemi not only addresses learning poverty and early education deficiencies but also fosters a balanced, enriching learning environment. By equipping children with essential skills, ChemCheemi empowers them to thrive academically and socially.

Join us to be part of a bold movement to redefine early learning—by supporting scalable, inclusive, and tech-enabled educational solutions that empower every child to thrive. Your support helps build strong foundations for lifelong learning and unlock the potential of the next generation of problem solvers.

Financial Accountant

Volunteer Role Description (remote, unpaid)

Record, synthesize, and present business operational transactions, such as revenues, expenses, assets, liabilities, and equities. Gather and monitor financial data, prepare statements, forecast costs and revenues, manage tax payments, and conduct internal audits to ensure compliance with accounting regulations.

Weekly Time Commitment

4-6 hours per week

Duration of Volunteer Role (remote)

3-5 months

About the Back-End Node.js Course Designer role

From 2020 to 2021 we developed and delivered a full-time course that allowed twenty students to progress from absolute beginners to industry-ready front-end software developers, and they are now all working in US/European tech teams remotely from Madagascar.

Our challenge now is to scale our organisation, bringing opportunities to hundreds, moving to thousands of students. An important part of this will be diversifying our tech stack and train back-end developers to work alongside our front-end developers. Your mission as our Back-End Course Designer is to rebuild this back-end course, from the ground up, into a highly scalable online-style programme.

Your responsibilities include:

• Conducting preliminary research to determine which languages and technologies should be included in the course. 
• Finding existing online material and incorporating useful material into the course
• Creating engaging video lectures, learning activities and course content
• Collaborate with past Onja lecturers, incorporating their specific experience into your course design.

• Deciding on the criteria used to assess students’ performance and develop assessments.
• As we are a startup social enterprise there will likely be opportunities to wear many hats, contributing to other parts of the organisation. 

Requirements

• Twelve month commitment (this ensures sufficient time to make a truly meaningful impact) with potential to renew/extend.

• At least one year professional Back-End experience
• Preferably three or more years of Back-End experience however a willingness to learn and grow in the role is most important to us.
• An interest in teaching and course design. 

What you can expect

• You’ll join our tight-knit, committed team in Toamasina, Madagascar. 
• We know it’s a big move so we will look after you and make sure you are secure and settled. 
• Secure, comfortable accommodation is provided
• Food is provided
• Unlimited annual leave. We recommend between 30 and 35 days as a guide, giving you time to explore the wonders of Madagascar
• We also offer 25% remote work but this has potential to be increased depending on position and person
• We’ll provide optional weekly lessons to bring you up to speed with the language.
• Your visa will be sponsored.
• Sponsored flights

Start date

We are ready for you now, but generally allow for two months from the time the contract is signed. 

About the Role

In 2019, we developed and delivered a full-time course that allowed twenty students to progress from absolute beginners to upper intermediate speakers (B2 level) in just one year, with some students even reaching an advanced (C1) level. Our first cohort contained 19 developers and we plan to train hundreds of students in the coming years. Our challenge now is to scale our organisation, bringing opportunities to hundreds, moving to thousands of students. Your mission as our English Course Designer is to rebuild this course, from the ground up, into a highly scalable online-style programme.

Your responsibilities include:

• Creating engaging video lectures, learning activities and course content to build on an existing course. 
• Create supporting material/media (audio, video, simulations, role plays, games etc)
• Collaborate with existing Onja teachers, incorporating their specific experience into your course design.
• Applying tested instructional design theories, practice and methods
• Decide on the criteria used to assess learners’ performance and develop assessment instruments.
• Maintain project documentation and course folders.

This is a pivotal role for Onja at this exciting time. We are poised to grow fast and our dream is to train thousands of new students each year. You will be setting the foundations not just for this first cohort but the waves of youth that will follow in future years.

Requirements

• A twelve-month commitment is preferred.

• Instructional design experience as well as teaching English as a Second Language (ESL) experience is preferred however a willingness to learn and grow in the role is most important to us.

 
What you can expect

• You’ll join our tight-knit, committed team in Toamasina, Madagascar. 
• We know it’s a big move so we will look after you and make sure you are secure and settled. 
• We’ll provide secure, comfortable, beachfront accommodation and food. 
• Unlimited annual leave. We recommend between 30 and 35 days as a guide to give you time to explore the wonders of Madagascar
• We also offer 25% remote work, for when you are keen to get some city vibes in Madagascar.
• We’ll provide optional weekly Malagasy lessons to bring you up to speed with the language.
• Your visa will be sponsored.
• Sponsored flights.

Start date

We are ready for you now, but generally allow for two months from the time the contract is signed. 

About the Front-End Course Designer role

From 2020 to 2021 we developed and delivered a full-time course that allowed twenty students to progress from absolute beginners to industry-ready software developers, and they are now all working in US/European tech teams remotely from Madagascar.

Our challenge now is to scale our organisation, bringing opportunities to hundreds, moving to thousands of students. Your mission as our Front-End Course Designer is to rebuild this course, from the ground up, into a highly scalable online-style programme.

Responsibilities

• Rebuilding the existing course focusing primarily on React while including HTML, CSS, JavaScript, TypeScript and other related technologies, moving towards a scalable online-style programme. How this can be achieved is very open and will depend on you, another course designer, and some input from the wider team. We imagine it’s likely to include the following:
• Finding existing online material and incorporate useful material into the course
• Creating engaging video lectures, learning activities and course content
• Collaborate with existing Onja lecturers, incorporating their specific experience into your course design.

• Deciding on the criteria used to assess students’ performance and develop assessments.
• As we are a startup social enterprise there will likely be opportunities to wear many hats, contributing to other parts of the organisation. 

This is a pivotal role for Onja at this exciting time. We are poised to grow fast and our dream is to train thousands of new students each year. You will be setting the foundations not just for this first cohort but the waves of youth that will follow in future years.

Requirements

• Twelve month commitment (this ensures sufficient time to make a truly meaningful impact) with potential to renew/extend.

• At least one year professional React experience
• Preferably three or more years of React however a willingness to learn and grow in the role is most important to us.
• An interest in teaching. 

What you can expect

• You’ll join our tight-knit, committed team in Toamasina, Madagascar. 
• We know it’s a big move so we will look after you and make sure you are secure and settled. 
• Secure, comfortable accommodation is provided
• Food is provided
• Unlimited annual leave. We recommend between 30 and 35 days as a guide to give you time to explore the wonders of Madagascar
• We also offer 25% remote work
• We’ll provide optional weekly lessons to bring you up to speed with the language.
• Your visa will be sponsored.
• Sponsored flights

Start date

We are ready for you now, but generally allow for two to three months from the time the contract is signed. 

About the Role

Your mission will be leading efforts in safeguarding Onja’s legal interests as it continues to grow.

Responsibilities:

• providing accurate, relevant and timely advice to management and staff on a needs basis in respect of a broad range of issues, with a particular focus on employment law and dispute resolution;
• ensuring compliance with all laws and regulations that apply to the organisation;
• managing and mitigating legal risks by designing and implementing organisational policies and procedures;
• collaborating with third parties, including external counsel and regulators, as needed; and
• designing and delivering legal training to the organisation;

Requirements:

• Twelve month commitment (this ensures sufficient time to make a truly meaningful impact) with potential to renew/extend.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English.
• Bachelor of Laws or equivalent 
• Legal industry experience preferred
• Strong stakeholder management skills.
• High degree of professional ethics and integrity.
• Strong analytical and research skills.
• Ability to work well within a team and individually.
• Professional legal qualification and/or exposure to employment law/dispute resolution would be a plus

About the Role

From 2020 to 2021 we developed and delivered a full-time course that allowed twenty students to progress from absolute beginners to industry-ready front-end software developers, and they are now all working in US/European tech teams remotely from Madagascar.

Our challenge now is to scale our organisation, bringing opportunities to hundreds, moving to thousands of students. An important part of this will be diversifying our tech stack to train both front-end and back-end developers. Your mission as our Full Stack Course Designer is to build this course, from the ground up, into a highly scalable online-style programme.

Your responsibilities include:

• Conducting preliminary research to determine which languages and technologies should be included in the course. 
• Finding existing online material and incorporating useful material into the course
• Creating engaging video lectures, learning activities and course content
• Collaborate with past Onja lecturers, incorporating their specific experience into your course design.

• Deciding on the criteria used to assess students’ performance and develop assessments.
• As we are a startup social enterprise there will likely be opportunities to wear many hats, contributing to other parts of the organisation. 

Requirements

• Twelve month commitment (this ensures sufficient time to make a truly meaningful impact) with potential to renew/extend.

• At least one year professional Fullstack experience
• Preferably three or more years of Fullstack experience however a willingness to learn and grow in the role is most important to us.
• An interest in teaching and course design. 

What you can expect

• You’ll join our tight-knit, committed team in Toamasina, Madagascar. 
• We know it’s a big move so we will look after you and make sure you are secure and settled. 
• Secure, comfortable accommodation is provided
• Food is provided
• Unlimited annual leave. We recommend between 30 and 35 days as a guide, giving you time to explore the wonders of Madagascar
• We also offer 25% remote work but this has potential to be increased depending on position and person
• We’ll provide optional weekly lessons to bring you up to speed with the language.
• Your visa will be sponsored.
• Sponsored flights

About the Role

In 2019, we developed and delivered a full-time course that allowed twenty students to progress from absolute beginners to upper intermediate speakers (B2 level) in just one year, with some students even reaching an advanced (C1) level. Our first cohort contained 19 developers and we plan to train hundreds of students in the coming years. Our challenge now is to scale our organisation, bringing opportunities to hundreds, moving to thousands of students. 

Your mission as our English Teacher is to prepare lesson plans, design curriculums, deliver lessons based on English textbooks and oversee the English language progress of students closely by systematically maintaining student records, providing them mentorship or tutoring and administering exams. 

Your responsibilities will include:

• Helping design and deliver an online scalable English course to a class of high-potential and highly committed students
• Developing curriculum, lessons and strategies to make sure Onja’s recipient speaks English with clear RP pronunciation
• Executing lessons efficiently using different styles of teaching depending on the content.
• Editing and improving lessons after delivery
• Preparing, scheduling and correcting Onja English exams
• Systematically maintaining and updating student records with English KPI
• Mentoring the students at Onja academically

Requirements 

• Twelve month commitment (this ensures sufficient time to make a truly meaningful impact) with potential to renew/extend.
• Native speaker or close
• Eager to learn and grow in the position
• Results driven
• Good communication skills (interpersonal skills) 
• Love working with and mentoring young adults