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We have moved our registration system to a new provider. Click for details.

Volunteers’ Week

Monday 2 June to Sunday 8 June

Volunteers are the backbone of our community, driving countless activities and initiatives. That’s why each year Volunteers’ Week is dedicated to honouring and recognising their hard work and invaluable contributions.

As well as helping others, volunteering has been shown to improve volunteers’ wellbeing. It’s human nature to feel good after helping someone out. Volunteering can also help you gain valuable new skills and experiences and boost your confidence.

We aim to build support from all members of the community by showcasing volunteering opportunities and inspiring positive change.

Want to volunteer but don’t know where to start? Talk to us, let us know what you’re interested in. We have volunteering opportunities supporting many causes to suit all levels of commitment, experience and time availability.

New opportunities

New opportunities are also posted to our Facebook and X pages. All current opportunities can be searched here. Feel free to contact us for further information or advice.

SCHOOL GOVERNOR An expanding primary school in Thornbury needs governors to support the leadership team and help the school function effectively. You would be joining an enthusiastic and welcoming governing body. More details.

VOLUNTEER CO-ORDINATOR At our office you will help people volunteer and organisations find volunteers. Must enjoy talking on the telephone and in person and be computer literate. Wednesday mornings, 10am-12 noon. More details.

BIRD HUSBANDRY You will be assisting the living collections team of a local conservation charity with all aspects of caring for their birds. It is a hands-on role which includes working with rare and endangered species. Full training offered. More details.

ARCHIVE ASSISTANT To assist the manager of a small local museum with basic archival functions such as processing, preservation and reference. This is a fascinating opportunity for those interested in heritage. More details.

VISITOR ASSISTANT You will join the front-of-house team at a small local museum to provide visitors with an excellent experience, help interpret displays, answer questions, and sell tickets and shop items. More details.

MARKETING/SOCIAL MEDIA ASSISTANT You will develop effective marketing for a small local museum, including writing copy for events, press releases, updating events listings database, and social media. Can work from home. More details.

RETAIL ASSISTANTS A charity shop seeks volunteers to: serve customers; sort donated items and price stock; create window and shop displays; keep the shop tidy. Two hours per week/fortnight. More details.

WISH FULFILMENT/DONATIONS MANAGER needed by a charity that delivers magical experiences for children and young people with life-limiting illnesses, matching wishes with potential donors and ensuring smooth delivery. You can volunteer from home. More details.

WOODLAND & GRASSLAND MANAGEMENT A group needs volunteers for jobs such as coppicing, scything, path building, hedge laying and bramble clearing. No experience needed. More details.

ARTS COMMUNITY VOLUNTEERS An arts venue is seeking community volunteers to help in very varied roles, everything from administrative jobs, ticket sales, housekeeping, to front of house. More details.

VOLUNTARY CAR DRIVER Volunteers use own vehicle to take people to hospital appointments, either waiting up to 1½ hours or returning later in the day. Expenses reimbursed. More details.

VOLUNTARY MINIBUS DRIVER Or an accessible car for individual passengers. Opportunities vary from taking groups to school extracurricular activities to older people going for a meal or a day out. More details.

PRIDE COMMUNITY EVENT VOLUNTEER You will welcome people attending Pride events and provide information about the activities, engagement opportunities and ‘giveaways’ available. Events take place locally and throughout the region. More details.

FAMILY SUPPORT VOLUNTEER You will visit a family with young children weekly, to give emotional and practical help, a listening ear and encouragement during challenging times. You’ll receive full training and ongoing support. More details.

LOCAL COLLECTION TIN COORDINATOR You will help coordinate a local charity’s fundraising through collection tins. You will ask shops, restaurants, pubs etc to host a tin and return to collect full ones. Could be as little as an hour a month or more. More details.

MANAGEMENT/ADMINISTRATION SUPPORT Play a vital role in keeping a charity’s operations running smoothly while directly supporting the delivery of magical experiences for children and young people with life-limiting illnesses. More details.

WEBSITE/SOCIAL MEDIA VOLUNTEER Must have an interest in art and art-related events. Will liaise with programme, publicity and exhibition leads. Creative input welcomed. More details.

We’ve gone live!

Organisations can now sign up to our new volunteering platform.

After months of planning, we’re there at last.

By registering:

  • You will have a personalised dashboard to keep track of all your opportunity roles in one place.
  • You can post roles and instantly see a list of volunteers whose profiles match what you’re looking for.
  • You can post opportunity roles and instantly see a list of volunteers whose profiles match what you’re looking for.

Note that all organisations registered with us must re-register and post their current opportunities. We can send you a digital printout of the data we hold to ease the transition. Just ask.

We will continue to provide our quality service that links organisations and potential volunteers. If you have any problems or queries about the new system, we are here to help.

What we do

Composite image of volunteers in action
Some volunteer activities L to R: Trimming undergrowth in Filnore Woods; helping in the Lions Bookshop;caring for donkeys at the local sanctuary; giving computer advice in Thornbury Library.

We help individuals find volunteering opportunities that suit them best. We work with local organisations to find volunteers for recurring and one-off projects. We advise organisations about creating schemes that give employees the opportunity to volunteer. We provide advice, support and training.

Be a volunteer

Volunteering is about giving your time to a good cause. You don’t get paid, but you do get the chance to use your talents, develop new skills, and experience the pleasure that comes from making a real difference to other people’s lives, as well as your own.

A volunteer serving tea in the café.
Volunteers run the Over 60s Café in the Town Hall.

Who can be a volunteer?

Anyone. Whatever your age, background or work experience, you will have a skill someone needs. No matter how busy you are, there will be something you can do. It can be trickier to find volunteer roles if you are under 16, but not impossible. Just ask us.

What can I do?

Anything. (Almost.) More than 100 different volunteer roles are available in the Thornbury area, from driving to gardening, fundraising to shop work, befriending to administration. There’s something for everyone.

How do I get started?

Search our listed opportunities to find one you like, then follow it up with us. Or you can ask us to suggest an opportunity that inspires you. Either way, it’s best to register with us first so we know a little about you and your interests. See also our frequently asked questions page.

For organisations

Every month, new people register to volunteer with us from all walks of life. We provide a range of services to help you to find the volunteers you need.

Red Cross volunteers at an event.
Red Cross volunteers at an event.

More than just great volunteers

With nearly three decades of experience, we know that finding a volunteer is only the start. Planning is essential to successfully place and retain volunteers. That’s why we can also provide you with good practice advice, resources, support and training and help you provide successful experiences for both yourselves and your volunteers. We can also help you set up an employer-supported volunteering scheme.

Getting started

To start recruiting volunteers, you need to complete our organisation registration form and register your volunteering opportunities so that we can promote them for you. For advice and information at any time, get in touch via our contact form. See also our frequently asked questions page.