Summer Volunteering Opportunities
Projects Highlighted in Red are summer specific opportunities.
How do I get involved?
If you would like more details of a particular opportunity or you would like to get in touch with an
organisations please email the volunteering team specifying the name(s) of the opportunities you
are interested in and one of our team will be in touch to support you through the process of
applying.
A – Z of opportunities
Anthony Nolan Trust
Every 20 minutes someone finds out they have blood cancer. For many, a transplant is their only
chance of a cure. At Anthony Nolan, we give them that chance. We match incredible individuals
willing to donate their blood stem cells or bone marrow to people in desperate need of a transplant.
Another, newer source of lifesaving stem cells is the blood from umbilical cords and placentas. Our
cord blood bank, set up in 2008, collects cord blood after births (with zero risk to mothers and
babies) at four hospitals in London, Manchester and Leicester. We store the blood at the Anthony
Nolan Cell Therapy Centre in Nottingham and check to see if it is a match for anyone in need.
Arkwright Meadows Community Garden
AMC Gardens officially began opening to the public and selling organically grown fruit and veg. The
aims of Arkwright Meadows Community Gardens are at the HEART of the Meadows. Volunteers can
be involved in community events and gardening, planting, construction, preparation of fruit and veg
in the growing season
Carers Trust
Carers Trust East Midlands Carers Services support over 800 family carers and the people they care
for across Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Northamptonshire. Volunteers are
required to visit people of all ages with a range of health conditions and disabilities, their families
and carers to offer practical and emotional support.
Caudwell Children
Caudwell Children provide family support services, equipment, treatment and therapies for disabled
children and their families across the UK. Volunteers are needed to visit families who care for a
disabled child across Nottingham who are in need of family support.
CHICKS – Respite break volunteer role
As a Respite Break Volunteer for CHICKS you will be a positive adult role model who will interact
with the children and allow them to develop and experience new challenges. To be a Respite Break
Volunteer you will be required to join a team from Monday through to Friday on a residential week
supporting up to 16 disadvantaged children.
ChildLine
If you are a good listener, non-judgmental and have 4.5 hours a week to spare go along to an open
evening to hear more about ChildLine volunteering. ChildLine aim to answer every contact made and
to offer comfort, advice and protection and they urgently need more volunteers in Nottingham to
make that happen.
Children’s Society
The Children’s Society is a leading children’s charity always on the lookout for talented, passionate
people to help make a difference to the lives of vulnerable children and young people across the
country. Volunteers are urgently needed to help run bright, modern charity shops. Tasks involved
would be sorting, pricing and steaming donated goods, merchandising, customer service and cash
handling.
Citizens Advice Witness Service
Witness Service volunteers are court-based and offer free, confidential, emotional and practical
support to people attending court as a witness, by helping them become familiar with the court
before trial, offering support on the day of the trial, giving information about court procedures and
arranging further help after court if required.
CPISRA World Games here in Nottingham this summer!
Cerebral Palsy Sport are hosting the CP World Games here in Nottingham from the 6 – 16 August
and are looking for volunteers to support the international event. They have a number of roles
available, from event support to media and communications.
CSV Heritage Camps
Heritage Camps is a volunteering programme for young people aged 16 to 25-years-old. Taking
place over the summer holidays the aim is to encourage young people into volunteering in their local
community whilst learning about the history and importance of historic buildings.
As camp volunteers or camp leaders, young people make friends, have fun and gain key skills such as
team building, leadership and increased confidence to help them in their education or future
employment.
Derbyshire Districts Citizens Advice Bureau
Derbyshire Districts Citizens Advice Bureau is a generalist advice service. Using the CAB’s unique
information system we can give you free, confidential, impartial and independent advice and
information on a wide range of areas.
Dream Enterprise
Dream is a creative 'Community Interest Company', a Social Enterprise which enables young people
(ages 5 – 25yrs) to grow in confidence, raise their hopes and aspirations, release their talents in a
positive way, gain new skills & develop in a supportive environment, become positive leaders in their
communities.
Emmanuel House
Emmanuel House is a drop-in provision for people who are homeless or vulnerable. People come for
shelter, warmth, food, advice and acceptance. During the summer period volunteers are needed to
support activities in the centre, kitchen and charity shop.
Girlguiding UK
Girlguiding is the leading charity for girls and young women in the UK. Thanks to the dedication and
support of 100,000 amazing volunteers, they give girls and young women a space where they can be
themselves, have fun, build brilliant friendships, gain valuable life skills and make a positive
difference to their lives and their communities. Alongside regular unit leaders, Girlguiding UK are
also looking at the possibility of opening a ‘Holiday Rainbow’ unit in the summer holidays, and so will
be looking for volunteers willing to help with this.
Great Nottinghamshire Bike Ride
The Great Nottinghamshire Bike Ride is the biggest cycling event in the county. It's also a big fundraiser for local charities. The 34th Great Nottinghamshire Bike Ride will take place on Sunday 21 June
2015 and you can help by volunteering!
Headway Nottingham
The Headway charity's objective is to promote understanding of all aspects of brain injury and to
provide information, support and services to people with brain injury, their families and carers in the
city of Nottingham and Nottinghamshire. Volunteers are needed to support staff in a variety of
workshops that are run by the centre and also on trips out into the local community.
Hope Church
Hope aims for children, families and young people to improve their quality of life in communities in
socially deprived areas of Nottingham. They offer a range of activities including a parent and toddler
group, after school clubs in both areas for varying age groups for children between 5 and 18.
Volunteers can help in supporting computer clubs, social, sporting, craft, adventurous play, games
and other activities in safe surroundings
Kidz United
Kidz United provides play opportunities and support to children living in Meadows, who are affected
by the asylum process. Volunteers are needed to help children with craft , sporting or other
activities, supervising children on trips or camps, befriending and supporting children,
general play, setting up and tidying away, some planning if the volunteer wishes.
Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire Air Ambulance
The Air Ambulance is a rapid response emergency helicopter covering the entire counties of
Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire. To ensure that the air ambulance can continue saving many lives
each year they need to raise £1.8million annually. They rely heavily on volunteer support to do this
and there is a wide variety of roles to fit around your lifestyle.
Maggie’s Nottingham
Maggie’s provide emotional, practical and social support to people with cancer and their families
and friends. All of their services are free and you don’t need an appointment or a referral - you can
just pop in for a cup of tea. Over the summer they have a number of different fundraising events
taking place that you can be involved in ranging from skydiving, tea evenings and theatre
performances to bike rides, summer fayres and golf days.
My Sight Nottinghamshire
My Sight Nottinghamshire promote greater independence for visually impaired people of all ages
from providing support, advice, information to adapted leisure activities. By volunteering at My Sight
Nottinghamshire you can assist local visually impaired people to realise their true potential.
Nottingham Arimathea Trust
The Nottingham Arimathea Trust is a charity that has been providing temporary housing and support
to destitute asylum seekers since 2007. As a volunteer your role as a mentor/befriender will be
primarily to offer a supportive relationship to asylum seekers
Nottingham City Libraries – Summer Reading Challenge
Recruitment for 2015 volunteers will start soon.
Each summer at your local City library, volunteers are recruited to help with the Summer
Reading Challenge, a national library scheme which encourages children to read 6 books
over the summer holidays, with incentives as they go. Volunteers are needed to support
their reading.
Nottingham County Council – Rushcliffe Youth Team
Rushcliffe Youth Team offer young people aged between 13 and 19 the opportunity to engage in
positive activities in Rushcliffe. Volunteers are needed to support these activities which run mainly
Monday – Friday evenings.
Nottingham Credit Union
Nottingham Credit Union is a cooperative that provides fair and affordable financial services to
anyone who lives or works within Nottinghamshire. There is a summer project taking place that
requires the support from two helpful volunteers. They would support in researching the Credit
Union database to find all of the loan customers who are unable to pay back their amount.
Nottingham Health and Education Support (NHES)
NHES aims to see young people and their families overcoming severe educational, health, language
and economic barriers to achieve their true potential. They need volunteers to help out with the
activities on Saturday Mornings to motivate, support and teach children.
Nottingham Hoods Basketball Club
Nottingham Hoods Basketball is a not for profit organisation that provides a safe and secure
basketball activity for both girls and boys from the ages of 5 years old and upwards and for all
abilities. Sports Leaders and Junior Coaches support the Head Coach and the age group leaders in
the teaching, demonstrating and coaching of children from the age of 5 to 18 years of age both girls
and boys of all abilities and to support the head coach with the Under 18 and Senior men's coaching
sessions.
Nottingham News Centre CIC
Nottingham News Centre CIC is a social enterprise, which supports the community through services
in community Journalism, Copy Writing, Publishing and Training. They are seeking students with a
desire to gain work experience (mainly online) in: Community journalism, marketing and adverting
through social media, sales and graphic design. This summer they are in particular need of journalists
to work on the Nottingham Carnival Heritage (HLF) project until the end of the summer.
Nottingham Refugee Forum
Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Refugee Forum, or NNRF, is an independent, voluntary
organisation set up to help and support asylum seekers and refugees in Nottingham and
Nottinghamshire. They are looking for General Advice and Youth Project Volunteers to support their
service users over the summer period.
Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust
Join the team of volunteers and help patients who will use the tram to find their way around
Nottingham’s hospitals. The tram is arriving at Queen’s Medical Centre this summer. This will make
QMC the first hospital in the country to be directly linked to a tram. Volunteers will be a version of
the games-makers that worked so well at the London Olympics and will help with meeting and
greeting patients and visitors, providing directions and way finding and information on bus and tram
times.
Nottinghamshire Country Parks and Green Spaces
Comprising of Country Parks such as Sherwood Forest and Bestwood this project offer a range of
events and activities to involve the whole community in quality experiences of an environmental
nature, including 'hands on' conservation work. You will be involved in a range of activities which
usually revolve around the management of varied wildlife habitats and may also include
maintenance and tidying of the park.
Nottinghamshire Rape Crisis Centre
Nottinghamshire Rape Crisis was established 30 years ago and provides a specialist service to
support survivors of sexual assault, whether this is recent or historic. They provide a telephone
helpline, counselling, group work and independent sexual violence advice. Volunteers work on
Helplines providing support, advice and information to survivors of sexual violence.
Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust
Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust is the country's leading wildlife conservation charity working to
protect and enhance local wildlife and habitats, managing over 70 nature reserves. Volunteers can
get involved in various wildlife and conservation projects running within Nottingham.
Notts Housing Advice
Notts Housing Advice is committed to providing a free, independent, confidential and accessible high
quality advice and advocacy service to meet the needs of the homeless and poorly housed people
within Nottinghamshire’s diverse communities. They operate from a base in Nottingham City centre
and have opportunities for Advice Volunteers, Admin Volunteers, Receptionist Volunteers and
Trustees.
NYAS
NYAS is a children’s charity and finds a befriender for children in care who don’t have regular or any
family contact. Their voluntary role, Independent visitors are asked to commit a few hours a month
for a minimum of 2 years to engage in an activity with their matched young person and to help them
gain confidence, self-esteem and to give them a friend just for them- independent of the local
authority.
Parkinsons UK – Peake District Walk
For more than 40 years Parkinson’s UK have been working to find a cure and improve life for
everyone affected by Parkinson's. On Saturday 6 June a sponsored walk is taking place in
Derbyshire’s Peake District. They need volunteer marshals to support with this event.
Playworks
Playworks works with after school clubs, holiday clubs, and adventure playgrounds providing play
volunteers that are trained and assist staff in play work. Volunteers are needed to assist play
workers deliver play activities to children at various after school clubs, holiday clubs and adventure
playgrounds across Nottingham.
Prison Advice and Care Trust (PACT)
PACT is a charitable trust which provides support, information, advice and guidance to friends and
families of prisoners. They provide meet and greet services, telephone support and visits bookings
together with provision of refreshments in the visits hall during visits. Opportunities for students to
create their own projects which support families are also available.
Rainbow Parents Carers Forum
Rainbow PCF is a support group and independent voice for parents/carers who have a child with a
disability or additional needs in Nottinghamshire. They run sessions on 2nd and 4th Saturday of
every month which is informative for parents/carers and a play setting for their child(ren). This
summer they would like to have one or two volunteers that can help with marketing, social media
and policies and also helping to set up monitoring systems for their 5 year Big Lottery Fund Grant!
Real United - Event Volunteers needed
Real United are hosing their annual ‘Taken Too Soon’ Charity football event at the Inspire
Community Stadium in Stoke Barndolph to celebrate the lives of many young people whose lives
have been ‘taken too soon.’ The event will see an ‘all stars’ football team comprising of
Rudimental, Union J & Rough Copy (amongst other artists) competing against a team comprised of
Channel 5’s Police Interceptors, followed by performances by Rough Copy, Union J, Ray Quinn and
other local names. Volunteers are needed to support the event, helping with ticketing, stewarding
and general event support.
Reach Learning Disability Southwell – The Flowerpod
Reach, previously the Southwell Care Project Support adults with learning difficulties. Flower Pod is
our new horticultural-based social enterprise. It is based on the Brackenhurst Campus so an ideal
location for students based at the campus. There will be lots to do and the project needs plenty of
enthusiastic support.
Rethink-Combat Stress Helpline
The Combat Stress helpline operates in conjunction with Rethink, the leading national mental health
charity, to provide a specialist mental health helpline for veterans of the armed forces, those serving,
and their families and carers. Volunteers will assist with calls made to the Combat Stress helpline,
via telephone, email or text messaging, and become familiar with call handling procedures and
signposting to other services.
Small Charity Week 2015
Small Charity Week is an annual week of initiatives to support small charities all over the UK. You can
set up your own fundraising event to take place between 15 – 20 June or take on one of many of the
other voluntary roles that are available during the week.
Stonebridge City Farm
Stonebridge is a city farm for the local community, but also works with adults with learning
difficulties and other special needs and vulnerable people within the community. The aim is to
involve people with varying abilities in the day to day work of the farm. Volunteers can get involved
in various opportunities ranging from animal care, planting and outdoor activities through to
supporting activities with visitors and other business related areas within the organisation.
The Conservation Volunteers (TCV)
TCV works throughout England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and around the world to bring
about practical environmental change. Each year 130,000 volunteers of all ages and backgrounds
give their time to take part in BTCV's practical conservation work. They undertake practical
conservation days on Sundays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays, providing a minibus pick up in the centre
of Nottingham at 10am and dropping off around 5pm.
The National Trust - Calke Abbey
The Abbey is a National Trust Treasure. Based in a beautiful area of Derbyshire you can volunteer
there during the summer helping families get in touch with nature and enjoy the gardens. The roles
also extend to conservation work and looking and surveying the land where the abbey is based. They
run internship roles for interested students, a great way to spend your summer. They are currently
advertising some summer specific roles. During the school summer holidays we are opening the
“Garden of Imagination” in our large kitchen garden. It will enable families to explore the grass
labyrinth, discover a mini world of beasties and create some natural art.
The Send Project
The Send Project aims to provide enjoyable and engaging sessions to young people enabling them to
develop transferable skills, whilst exploring their creativity. This is an exciting opportunity for you if
you're interested in gaining, using or refreshing your experience of supporting young people.