Volunteer
Make a real difference in your community by volunteering at the SVP.
Ways to Volunteer
We need you now! Volunteering at the SVP can be a very fulfilling and rewarding experience. There are many ways to get involved:
- Volunteer for a soup run.
- Do your own fundraising.
- Volunteer at your local SVP shop.
- Give your time to our St Vincent's centres.
- Give your time to Young Vincentian groups.
- Volunteer through the End of Life Companionship project.
- Help out at our London or Bradford offices - find volunteer vacancies.
Why volunteer with the SVP?
- Support your local community.
- Gain new skills, knowledge and experience.
- Meet new people and be part of a friendly team.
- Spend quality time away from work or a busy lifestyle.
What you can expect from us
- Reasonable expenses.
- Full induction and training.
- Ongoing support and development.
Contact us to find out more about volunteering
Volunteer at a St Vincent’s community shop
We are recruiting volunteers to help us run our busy shops. Our volunteer roles are rewarding and flexible to suit your schedule.
Typical volunteer tasks include:
- Serving customers.
- Displaying stock on the shop floor.
- Working on creative window displays.
- Preparing, sorting and pricing donations.
By joining one of our friendly shop teams, you’ll have the opportunity to give back to your local community, gain valuable retail and customer service skills and meet new people. If you’d like to volunteer at your local St Vincent’s, please complete our online application form and we’ll be in touch. Use our interactive map to find your local shop.
Volunteer at your local St Vincent's
Training and Development
As a volunteer, you are provided with all the relevant up-to-date Health and safety, Compliance training as well as on-the-job induction and support. Our internal learning platform provides you with the opportunity to increase your SVP knowledge, develop soft skills and build confidence in working with the SVP.
We also hold occasional public facing Society events that you are welcome to join.
I began volunteering with SVP in December 2017 through a Job Centre placement, but I have stayed. I volunteer around my childcare needs, so when they are at school I come to the shop and help out. I love working in the shop. The staff and volunteers have made me feel so welcome, it’s like one big family. I have received training in all areas of the job and I have gained so much confidence. I highly recommend volunteering with the SVP.
Sarah, volunteer, St Vincent’s Dudley Hill
Current volunteering vacancies
Retail assistant volunteer
Responsible to: Shop Manager
The Retail Assistant is a customer-facing role which involves helping with customer enquiries, making sales and assisting with stock rotation.
Typical tasks include:
- Dealing with a variety of enquiries
- Sorting and pricing donations
- Cash handling and serving customers
- Assisting with stock rotation and window displays
- Promoting and helping customers with Gift Aid donations
Induction, training and development
No experience necessary, each volunteer will receive an induction and training will be available in all aspects of the role.
Expenses and support
This is an unpaid role, but any travel costs incurred up to the value of £5 can be reimbursed with a valid travel ticket.
Safeguarding
This role will require volunteers to sometimes work unsupervised, and will involve handling money. References are required for this role.
This position is unpaid, but travel expenses will be reimbursed. Hours are flexible to suit you, and can be during the week, evenings or weekends. To apply please complete our online application form.
Stock sorting volunteer
Responsible to: Shop Manager
The Stock Sorting volunteer role is a backroom task which involves sorting customer donations, pricing and tagging items ready for sale.
Typical tasks include:
- Sorting donations and checking items for cleanliness and safety
- Pricing and tagging donations
- Assisting with stock rotation including manual handling of some white goods.
- Cleaning and tidying stock room and shop floor
- Helping set out the stock in the shop
Induction, training and development
No experience necessary although the role might involve heavy lifting of furniture items. Each volunteer will receive an induction and training will be available for all of aspects of the role.
Expenses and support
This is an unpaid role, but any travel costs incurred up to the value of £5 can be reimbursed with a valid travel ticket.
Safeguarding
References are required for this role.
This position is unpaid, but travel expenses will be reimbursed. Hours are flexible to suit you, and can be during the week, evenings or weekends. To apply please complete our online application form.
Van driver assistant volunteer
The van driver assistant volunteer plays a key role in helping our St Vincent's support centres to reuse and redristribute furniture to people in need. This role will assist the van driver while collecting and/or delivering furniture.
Main duties include:
- Assist the driver with the loading and unloading of the vans working with the assigned delivery and collection team to ensure that all loads are secured safely
- Communicate with staff and volunteers at the support centre about deliveries and collections
- Communicate with customers when collecting and delivering goods to meet service standards and customer expectations
Induction, training and development
No experience necessary, however there will be manual handling and heavy lifting. Each volunteer will receive an induction and training will be available in all aspects of the role.
Expenses and support
This is an unpaid role, but any travel costs incurred up the value of £5 can be reimbursed with a valid travel ticket.
Safeguarding
References are required for this role.
To apply please complete our online application form.