We are a West-Yorkshire based charitable company dedicated to providing support and homes to refugees and asylum seekers who find themselves destitute on our streets.

This includes those who have been refused asylum but cannot reasonably return to their country of origin and those given refugee status who have to leave their NASS housing.

We partner our brilliant volunteer tutors with school pupils to increase their subject knowledge, whilst building on confidence and study skills. We are an official provider for the National Tutoring Programme (NTP), a government initiative to support disadvantaged pupils to recover from the educational disruption caused by COVID-19. Disadvantaged pupils have been hit hardest by this crisis and we want to help as many as we can!

Opportunities for volunteers to support include the following:

Community Activities, crafts, events, trips, creative workshops, small group activities

Befriending: Accompanying older people, face to face contact, walking and exercise programmes, telephone support

Digital learning service

Alzheimer’s Society is the UK’s leading dementia charity. We campaign for change, fund research to find a cure and support people living with dementia today.

Dementia is the UK’s biggest killer. Someone develops it every three minutes and there’s currently no cure.

We know it is scary facing up to it, but we must confront the biggest health and social care challenge of our time.

Thanks to your support, Alzheimer’s Society is facing dementia head on. Whether you’re a fundraiser, donor, partner, or affected by dementia in any way, we’re working with you to build a movement. Inspired by your voices, we’re leading the way in support, society and research.

We are calling on everyone to unite. Working together we know we will achieve our vision - a world without dementia.

As England’s largest provider of specialist housing and care for those in later life, we’re committed to creating choice and opportunity for everyone. We put our customers at the heart of everything we do, listening carefully and shaping our homes and services around them.

And we’re proudly not-for-profit, which means every penny we make is reinvested into our properties and services, building more and innovating for the future so that people can have a home where they love living in later life.

ABA aims to provide a variety of services and support for the BAME community that enriches the lives of our services users and empowers them. We ensure that the support and services we deliver are flexible and accessible for all visually impaired people within the BAME community by regularly listening to feedback from our service users. We strive to promote choice and independence while reducing stigma and overcoming barriers that people with visual impairments often face.

We offer services to reduce social isolation and to improve the health and wellbeing of an individual. We take part in events to raise awareness of issues that affect people with sight loss in BAME communities and aim to be both informative and supportive. We also provide support to carers and families of the visually impaired, offering advice, helpful information, and more.

Our goal is to provide support, advocacy, and access to services for all those across Leeds affected by sight loss in the BAME community to improve lives and promote independence.

We are a small, dedicated, 100% survivor-led and run charity offering local, regional, national as well as international support around self-harm.

Self-harm is far more widespread and complex than most people think. It's also mostly hidden and often judged due to the stigma attached to it. Our aim is to break down this stigma, raise awareness, dispel the myths and support those affected by self-harm irrelevant of gender, age, background and location. 

Beacon Volunteer Project provides meaningful activities for individual Beacon service users who face many barriers to personal development. You may support individuals who are the beginning of their journey away from homelessness.

We also give service users the chance to receive 1-1 Befriending and peer support from trained volunteers with lived experience.

Please see more about our service here: Beacon Housing - Touchstone (touchstonesupport.org.uk)

The Beacon Volunteers Project offers individuals the opportunity to train to volunteer with our service users many of whom face significant barriers in their lives. You may be able to use your own lived experience, perhaps as a previous service user, or gain invaluable experience supporting clients to move forward by providing befriending support and volunteering alongside support workers across the Beacon service.

Tasks and responsibilities

• Supporting client activities at supported housing environments
• Providing one-one befriending support to identified clients
• Attending mandatory and ongoing training in the role
• Accompanying clients to recreational, training and community activities
• Ability to work collaboratively with Support Workers
• Gain experience of homelessness-related housing services

We are a Registered Charity (Charity No: 514371). The 1 Burley Project is a Community Based Project using the principles of Asset Based Community Development empowering communities to Identify/Plan/Deliver Initiatives the community wants to access.

Each year, eight children in an average class will leave primary school unable to read well. These?children will often struggle in school, and beyond. Many children have fallen even further behind with their reading after the devastating impact of Covid-19. 

As a Bookmark volunteer, you could do something incredible and change a child’s story. 

You’ll help a 5-9 year-old learn to read, developing their skills and confidence. You will read together, play games, and see your reader progress, either through our secure online platform or in person at a local school.  

Our programme involves 30-minute sessions with the same child, twice a week, for six weeks. You book your programme through the Bookmark app and select sessions at times that work with your schedule. 

“It was such a wonderful experience. I was very happy knowing that I was helping someone. The child really improved a lot during the 6 weeks. It was really rewarding for me to see the improvement.” — Joe, Bookmark volunteer 

There are lots of interesting and rewarding volunteer opportunities at Bradford Cathedral. Our volunteers help to make the building welcoming for visitors and support our hospitality, music-making and ministry. That might involve being a Welcomer, helping with flower arranging, being part of our verger team, gardening, singing in the choir, or ringing our peel of twelve bells.

Bramley Elderly Action & Older Wiser Local Seniors

Bramley Elderly Action (BEA) is a community based charity and company limited by guarantee that was set up in 1994 by local people, for local people. We work with older people in Bramley, Swinnow and parts of Stanningley. We also have a community shop, UpBEAT to support the delivery of our work. At OWLS we work to reduce loneliness and social isolation for seniors living in Burley, Hyde Park, Little Woodhouse, Headingley and Kirkstall. We help them to stay healthy and independent and enjoy life to the fullest.

Our vision is simple. We want all older people in our catchment areas to know who we are, and consider becoming a member. Our mission is to provide friendship, support and opportunities for older people, leading to improved wellbeing and happiness.

We recognise the difference that volunteers make to our members, and the difference giving back can mean to our volunteers. We want to create meaningful, welcoming and enjoyable volunteer experience for all of our volunteers.

We are situated in the heart of the city, surrounded by terraced houses. Every inch of our school is valued and we encourage our children to be outdoors at every opportunity.

Our vision is to raise the aspirations of all our pupils by providing a creative and responsive curriculum that encourages pupil’s thinking and reasoning.  We aim to nurture positive attitudes to challenge, develop skills and increase knowledge of all pupils so they become happy, confident independent lifelong learners.

At Buy Nowt LS6 we believe we can all make an environmental difference by borrowing instead of buying. Buy nowt! Reduce waste creation, share resources, meet people in your local community and borrow stuff with a pay-as-you-feel donation. Win, win!

We are now open Fridays 4pm – 6pm and Saturdays 1pm – 4pm.

Headingley Methodist Church

Centenary Room
1-3 Chapel Street
Leeds
LS6 3HZ

Each year, over 150 children in Yorkshire are diagnosed with cancer. When a child is diagnosed, lives are turned upside down instantly: not just for the child but the entire family. Getting well again can be a long and challenging journey, emotionally, physically, and financially. Supporting children and families throughout that journey is why our charity, Candlelighters, was formed more than 40 years ago. Our mission is to bring light to every family affected by childhood cancer across Yorkshire by providing emotional, practical and financial support, as well as bringing hope, by investing in vital research to improve the outcomes and lives of children with cancer.

At The Scouts, we offer young people fun and challenging activities, unique experiences and the chance to help others in the community. Every week we give almost half a million 6-25 year olds the skils they need for school, college, university, the job interview, the important speech, the tricky challenge and the big dreams: the skills they need for life.

What you’ll do

You’ll volunteer in our Leeds Childline base, offering counselling support to children and young people over the phone or through our 1-2-1 online chat. Your supervisor will help you develop and evaluate your counselling skills. After your initial training, you will be able to help young people as well as identify when a child or young person may be at risk, but don’t worry a supervisor will be on hand to give you plenty of support.

What you’ll get

You’ll receive training sessions over 12 weeks to prepare you for the role. When you start your regular shifts, a supervisor will be around all times to support you. Every shift includes a briefing and debriefing alongside other volunteers. Supervisors will also give you regular one-to-one support and group supervisions.

What we’ll need from you

Signing up to be a Childline counsellor is a big commitment and requires lots of training so, we do ask people to stay in the role for a minimum of one year.

We’ll also need to do some routine safeguarding checks, including an enhanced criminal record check and at least two satisfactory references with at least one covering a period of five years or more with no gaps. It’s nothing to worry about, and we can answer any questions you have about this.

Who’s right for the role?

While we think this role is suitable for a whole range of people, we are particularly looking for those with the following qualities and experience.

• Passionate about helping young people and children
• Great communication skills
• Empathetic and perceptive
• able to think on your feet
• works well within a team
• emotional resilience

Why volunteer with us?

Not only will you gain valuable experience throughout your volunteering journey, you’ll also have access to useful resources including a catalogue of online training, discount portal and NSPCC inMind – an online mindfulness resource.

You’ll be fully supported throughout your volunteer journey with us and will have a dedicated key contact should you have any questions along the way.

Volunteering with CLASSS is an excellent opportunity to contribute to the community and to gain valuable experience in tutoring and working with young people.

It is a great way to meet new people whilst also giving back to the local area and making a difference to our pupils.

You will be supported throughout your time here by the team, and thanks to kind contributions from High Speed Training, we also offer all volunteers free online training courses such as safeguarding and dyslexia awareness.

We also socialise together regularly outside of classes and have volunteer meetings to keep everyone in the loop.

Climate Action Leeds provides a platform for people, organisations and communities to come together to take action on climate change, in Leeds and beyond.

Our collective purpose is to help shape a Leeds which is zero carbon, nature friendly and socially just by the 2030s.

Our approach is focused on mobilising communities, campaign groups and sectors to plan and act together. Over 40 groups in Leeds contributed to planning the project, and it is supported by many more.

Cloth Cat Leeds is a charity based in inner-city Leeds that uses music training to help local people learn new skills.

Vision: For all people in Leeds and beyond to find a sense of purpose and belonging, and gain more control over their own lives. Mission: Cloth Cat harnesses the power of music to create community, build potential and transform people’s mental health and well-being. Our projects include:

1. Get Your Act Together. A National Lottery funded project providing free, formal, but structured, practical and fun courses in music based subjects with groups of young people learning together.
2. Man About Town: reduces social isolation for men who are at risk of suicide to engage them back in to the wider community through a series of creative, practical and fun music based sessions.
3. Repair & Recycle brings together and supports a community of unemployed adults who have mental health issues from disadvantaged communities in Leeds. Members learn to repair, recycle and sell musical equipment, instruments and vinyl. The project reduces carbon emissions by diverting items destined for landfill, and social isolation.
4. Our open mic night has been running for over 25 years in Leeds and built a wonderful community of new and established performers in a friendly and supportive environment.
5. We offer a range of opportunities for volunteering from helping with IT and social media to helping out at gigs or supporting learning.
6. We offer adult education classes at different times according to demand, including learning the ukulele, guitar, sound engineering or electronic music production.

Working in partnership with Public Health England, NHS  and Leeds City Council at vaccination clinics and health and well being events city wide.

Volunteers are trained and supported to have meaningful conversations and receive updates on key health messaging to share with friends/family or attend events in communities. Community Champions will be supported, receive an induction, training and will be invited to attend monthly peer support sessions.

Role will include : 

• Supporting a range of partners including LCC and NHS in response to COVID-19 outbreaks, vaccination clinics/sites to promote health messaging in the community as well as attending health and wellbeing events.
• Design and deliver their own community engagement activities/events to share COVID-19 and key health messages with support provided by delivery providers.

We are looking to recruit enthusiastic and committed people who can help strengthen local governance at our academies within West Yorkshire. We are a part of the Co-op Academies Trust, a Multi-Academy Trust (MAT) of 27 schools across Greater Manchester, Leeds, Bradford, Stoke and Merseyside. Our Trust has been recognised by the Sutton Trust Charity as one of the top performing MATs for disadvantaged students and is dedicated to changing the lives of young people from disadvantaged backgrounds in the north of England through great education. Please feel free to explore our website to see what our Trust have been up to recently: https://www.coopacademies.co.uk/   

We have 13 academies within the West Yorkshire region and we are currently looking for Community Governors to join a number of our Academy Governing Councils (AGC). The AGCs are supported by a governance team and have a wealth of training resources available to support in their role. 

We welcome all applications and are particularly interested in increasing diversity in our AGC’s. The only requirement is that you will be a minimum of 18 years old. 

What do you get out of the role?
- Gain relevant and transferable board level experience
- Opportunity to undertake a link governor role (eg Finance, Health and Safety or Safeguarding Link Governor to name a few) and develop your professional skills (eg data analysis, report writing, strategic planning). 
- Opportunity to develop leadership skills, through the role of Vice Chair, Chair.
- Access to extensive internal training sessions derlivered by senior Co-op Colleagues as well as access to the NGA and NGA learning link.
- Support from the central Governance team
- Satisfaction of giving back to the community

What we’re looking for:
- A commitment to the role (a minimum of 6 x 2 hour meetings a year - 1 per half term, and minimum 3 link governor visits to the academy per academic year)
- A desire to develop your own skills and knowledge
- A minimum age of 18 years old
- No previous experience in governance required

Above all else - we want enthusiasm and commitment. Knowledge and skills can be developed and supported by the team but enthusiasm and commitment cannot!

If you’d like to discuss the opportunity further please do get in touch.
 
*Applicants will be asked for 2 references before they are appointed and a DBS check will be carried out after a successful appointment.

Everyone who contacts us remains 100% anonymous.  In over 30 years, we have always kept this promise.

Crimestoppers is a small charity with a big reputation.  We have a relatively small workforce, most of whom are based at our central office south of London.  We do rely on the support of local volunteers to help be the voice of their community. 

Some people have been personally affected by crime, for others it’s a chance to give something back to the community and make a difference for the people around them.  Our volunteers come from all walks of life, all ages and backgrounds, all types of skills and experiences, and that’s exactly what we want.  We look for the widest representation from all our communities to ensure everyone has a voice to speak up about crime.

In each area we have volunteer advocates who share our promise of anonymity

Emma’s Embrace is a charity set up to hear and listen to the voice of the young. It seeks to understand what pressures young people are under, the challenges they face and the stress this brings. We are striving to understand the reasons why so many young people are reporting poor mental health and identify ways to address the causes, whatever they are.

We live in a time different to any other we have experienced before. New technology, high costs of living and education and uncertain job security are just a few issues that young people face today.We can’t let our young people go without support anymore. We challenge the use of language that medicalises everything to do with mental health. We know this can lead to young people internalising issues, rather than looking at the environmental factors that could be affecting them. We fear this prevents young people seeking support early as they worry they will be labelled as mentally ill or feel like something is 'wrong' with them. All too often what they are feeling is a completely natural response to a given set of circumstances.

The purpose is to promote the mental wellbeing of young, to ensure they receive the social support they need, when they need it, to deal with life’s challenges, with a focus on early intervention and prevention 

The Emmaus Leeds community is made up of a diverse range of people. We support up to 29 formerly homeless people, have a dedicated group of local volunteers, a small staff team and a wide range of supporters who shop, donate and get involved to support our charity.

Three volunteer co-ordinators oversee the roles of volunteers who support people to feel more socially included. 

By volunteering with Enage, you can help create positive changes in health and wellbeing for the people we support. 

We offer a comprehensive induction programme to all new volunteers, along with 1-2-1 meetings at regular intervals to ensure volunteers feel fully supported.    

The national governing body of Cricket in England and Wales, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) are creating more volunteer opportunities for South Asian females to help deliver their national cricket programmes for children from Spring 2022, but you can get involved and start your volunteering journey now!

Through their mantra Dream Big Desi Women, they are looking to inspire more and more women like yourself and those within your communities.

If you are interested in helping children to learn, play, have fun and create memories that will last a lifetime then read on and become a volunteer today. You don’t need any cricket or sports coaching experience, just an unshakeable can-do attitude and a desire to be part of something special.

At Epilepsy Action we want high quality, accessible healthcare services, so that people with epilepsy have the support they need to manage their condition. We want wider awareness and understanding of epilepsy, so that people living with the condition are treated with fairness and respect. Our supporters, members, staff and volunteers are united by these common goals.

Flourishing Families Leeds combats food poverty and poor nutrition through family cookery clubs, supports family literacy through our Story Tellers Clubs, and helps tackle the challenges faced by primary school-aged children living in deprivation through activity-based mentoring.

Our team works in areas of Leeds ranked amongst the most deprived 1-10% across the country. In our city, nearly 200,000 people live in these communities, with over 40% of children living below the poverty line.

Those are big numbers, but what does that look like in reality? It means children are going to school hungry, and their families don’t know where to turn or who to trust for help. Children and young people have to cope with the challenges of low confidence and poor self-esteem and can often find it hard to do well at school. It’s so easy for families to get caught in a cycle of intergenerational poverty, and that can make it feel like there’s no hope for change. But we believe that by working together with local families, we can change the story.

We work alongside the community to equip families with the skills they need to move forward. Our projects focus on healthy eating, literacy, language and mentoring. We’re interested in getting to know real people, hearing their stories, and providing practical support where it’s needed.

We are FoodCycle, and our vision is to make food poverty, loneliness and food waste a thing of the past for every community. With community dining, week in, week out we feed the hungry and give company to the lonely in our communities; providing delicious meals and great conversation, and using food which would otherwise go to waste.

Our work locally has an impact nationally as our tireless volunteers roll up their sleeves and help to:

- connect communities

- support mental health, wellbeing and reduce loneliness

- nourish the hungry 

- promote sustainability 

- inspire change

Our charity’s missions and aims are to support those who menstruate by challenging the stigmas, taboos and gender inequalities associated with menstruation through education, provision of menstrual health management solutions and actively being at the forefront of the wider campaign against period poverty.

We are based in Leeds, West Yorkshire, which is the primary area of our practice. We also have a number of projects that run in regions of East Africa, predominantly across Kenya and Uganda.

We are passionate about educating all people on the importance of normalising conversations about menstruation, from challenging stigmas and myths associated with periods, to providing education sessions that offer a safe space for healthy conversations about periods.

Equally, we place a focus on the importance of education on the range of different menstrual products that exist as well as promoting the use of re-usable, environmentally friendly products that we both create internally and which are also donated to us by our incredible partners. 

Creating a world that provides for menstrual equity and a reduction in socio-economic inequality also places us at the forefront of campaigns that highlight in the existence of period poverty and period positivity.

We envisage a world in which no girl or woman suffers from period poverty or stigma associated with their periods.

No girl should miss school because she is on her period.

No woman should be forced to miss work because she is on her period.

Please help us end worldwide period poverty, together!

Our Global Village is made up of students and staff who are here to help you settle into life in Leeds and make new friends. 

If you have questions, please drop us an email at GlobalVillage@leedsbeckett.ac.uk. 

Our team of committed individuals work mostly across two sites: the Springboard Day Centre and our 16-bed Hostel- both located in Harrogate town centre, just a short walk from the bus and train stations.

Our Springboard Day centre provides a safe space for homeless and vulnerable people to receive a cooked lunch, stay throughout the day, see a GP, access laundry and washing facilities, and receive donations and supplies. Meanwhile, our Hostel offers safe and secure accommodation alongside comprehensive support, strategies, and assistance that allows our clients to transition on to truly independent living again.

Our team are an incredibly friendly group who possess the knowledge and expertise needed to offer multifaceted & judgement free support to everyone experiencing homelessness from all walks of life. We’re committed to recruiting and working alongside volunteers who are essential to the running of our services. We always incorporate the individual skill sets of our volunteers into the work they do with us, and our opportunities for volunteering are extensive.

Your independent watchdog ensuring people’s voices are at the heart of shaping health and care services in Leeds.

Healthwatch Leeds gives people a powerful voice on health and social care services in Leeds and beyond. Healthwatch Leeds helps the citizens of Leeds to get the best out of their local health and social care services - whether it's improving them today or helping to shape them for tomorrow. Healthwatch Leeds is all about local voices being able to influence the delivery and design of local services. Not just people who use them, but anyone who might need to in the future.

Healthwatch Leeds is the independent champion of people who use Health and Social Services, created to gather and represent the views of the public.

Healthwatch Leeds plays a role at both national and local level and makes sure that the views of the public and people who use services are taken into account.

We know that being a parent isn’t always easy and that life can bring stress and challenges that get in the way of family life.

Our volunteers from all communities and backgrounds visit parents in their home once a week for around 2-4 hours and develop a supportive relationship to help them to build brighter futures for their children and themselves.

Who we are

We are committed to reducing deprivation and exclusion and to improving people’s well-being.

How we work

Our vision is for people of all ages to be safe, building ambitions for the future and reaching towards their full potential.

What we do

We create services to meet people's complex health and social needs, helping them to build happier lives.

Humankind offers services covering drugs and alcohol, clinical services, housing-related support, housing, employment, training and education, health and well-being, children, young people and families, women, criminal justice and community and offender rehabilitation. We also run the MoreTime social enterprise.

Hyde Park Source works with nature to improve health and wellbeing. We work collaboratively with other organisations and local communities to improve outdoor spaces. Volunteers are intergral to what we do and we have a number of volunteering opportunitites available. We run 7 weekly gardening groups with our community garden volunteers. We have a design and build team who design, build and install outdoor spaces with the help of our building skills volunteers. Education support volunteers assist our facilitators during our outdoor education sessions and Healthy Holidays. 

IntoUniversity is an educational organisation that supports young people to explore their future options and to develop skills and knowledge to achieve their goals. We have learning centres across the United Kingdom. Our mission is to bring a university education within the reach of young people from underrepresented backgrounds in higher education. We work with young people aged 7-18 and provide long term pastoral and academic support.

It's a Penalty works collaboratively to end human trafficking, exploitation and abuse. We run local and global education and awareness campaigns highlighting penalties for offenders, the signs to look out for, and how to make a report.

Our Student Ambassador Programme educates and empowers UK university students to prevent human trafficking, the world's fastest growing crime.

It’s a Penalty run global campaigns during major sporting events such as the Olympic & Paralympic Games and the NFL Super Bowls, working in partnership with the sports, travel and tourism industry, NGO's, law enforcers and top athletes. We also advocate for legal reform to improve protection from sexual exploitation and abuse for children through our CommonProtect programme.

Run For All is part of the lasting legacy of the late amateur athlete and fundraiser Jane Tomlinson CBE. Jane, from Leeds, made headlines around the world by taking part in a series of incredible endurance events - despite being diagnosed with an incurable cancer. The mum-of-three defied her devastating diagnosis to complete challenge after challenge – from marathons and triathlons to ironman contests and cross-Europe cycle rides. By 2007 her declining health meant she was unable to take part in any more extraordinary undertakings. However, using the money she raised on her epic American adventure, Jane was able to sow the seeds for the Run For All Leeds 10K – the cornerstone of what would become her continuing legacy. Today that one run has grown into one  of the UK’s biggest not-for-profit events companies, providing a fundraising vehicle for a huge number of local and national charities.

Volunteers help us at a club where we bus in hundreds of children on seven double decker buses. They sing songs with actions, compete in games to win prizes and listen to a bible story or watch a film before returning home on the bus.

We also have volunteers that visit all our children at their own homes every week during term time. They give the children colouring sheets to colour in and bring back to clubs to win prizes.

Volunteers can also help in our smaller Hub Clubs in Bramley, Beeston, Holbeck and Middleton. The first club is for children from Reception to Y2, the second for children from y3 & y4 and the third is for children from y5 & y6. There are about 20 children in each club, they sing songs, play games, do crafts along with many other things.

Although we are a christian charity we welcome all children and our volunteers do not have to be christians to volunteer with us..

Do you want to support a worthy cause in just a few minutes? Gain an insight into the running of huge cultural events in Leeds? Run and manage your own volunteer project? Or make a regular commitment to a charity you care about? You can do all this and more with Leeds Beckett Students’ Union.

We link with over 200 local charities to offer you a wide range of opportunities that fit around you and your commitments. If you can volunteer on a long term basis or just have a few spare minutes, anyone can take part.

Take a look at what we offer and, if you see anything you would like to get involved in, get in touch via email – lbsu-volunteering@leedsbeckett.ac.uk

Please note that only students and staff at Leeds Beckett can apply for our opportunities.

The West Yorkshire Youth Commission is a peer-led project that enables young people to get involved and have their say about urgent issues that affect their lives and help build a safer community.

We are a group of 14-25-year-olds working with the Violence reduction unit to help shape approaches to youth-led initiatives, particularly in response to violent crime & exploitation.

Have your say on four key issues:

• Rehabilitation and Prevention
• Attitudes and violence towards women
• Gangs, drugs and knife crime
• community relationships & Life

Let's Read is a primary school literacy programme which aims to address the link between deprivation and poor educational achievement and raise levels of literacy amongst inner-city children. Through the support of reading volunteers, the programme helps children struggling with their literacy skills to become confident and able readers, to access the education they deserve and achieve their potential.

Once recruited, trained and safeguarding checks completed, volunteers are allocated to one of our participating primary schools and following an induction session, attend on a weekly basis to provide support to targeted children who are struggling, falling behind and/or underachieving.

The volunteer support also encourages the children to enjoy books and reading which helps them discover the power of a good story and inspires them to read for pleasure

2023 is going to be a year that changes our extraordinary city forever and for the better. We’re embarking on a year-long celebration of culture, happening all over the city and everybody can be a part of it.

2023 will be a transformational year like no other. 12 signature events and a multitude of creative experiences are happening all over our city. From dance to design, art to architecture, poetry to pop, sculpture to sport, grassroots community theatre to performances on our world-class stages, there’s something for everyone, no matter where you live or what you like.

We think culture is everywhere in this city and this is our time to shout about it. We’re working with local, national, and international artists and communities to create a celebration that’s for Leeds, with Leeds, and inspired by Leeds.

LEEDS 2023 will be an explosion of colour, noise and brilliance that will show the world in our city and our city to the world.

Leeds Arts, Events & Venues runs the largest volunteer programme across the city's cultural institutions, which include the Carriageworks Theatre, Leeds Town Hall and Pudsey Civic Hall. Volunteers can also get involved with some of the city's biggest festivals - Light Night, Leeds International Film Festival, and Beer Fest, to name just a few!

Advocacy - We can help make phone calls, fill in forms and give a voice to those who need it the most in times of crisis. Find Out More

Information and Signposting - Whether it’s through our drop-ins, one-to-one or online, we provide information and signposting to you. Find Out More

Resources - We produce free resources for you that can help with such things as accessing health services and expressing your feelings. Find Out More

Post-Diagnostic - We are running a project to provide fortnightly post-diagnostic support sessions to autistic adults in Leeds. Find Out More

Mentoring - We provide mentoring services to autistic adults in Leeds with little or no support who would benefit from some independent, autism-specific support. Find Out More

Health Access Project - The project will work with autistic patients to improve services and address health inequalities faced by local autistic people. Find Out More

Leeds Baby Bank is dedicated to ensuring all children can thrive and develop as they should by having safe places to sleep, food to eat, and toys to grow and develop as they should.

From 2017, Leeds Baby Bank has helped provide thousands of families in need with essential items to ensure that their little ones are safe, growing and developing.

Baby banks should not have to exist, but while there are children in poverty in our city we will do everything in our power to help struggling families.

GamCare is working in partnership with NECA to provide integrated support services to anyone experiencing gambling harms across Leeds and the surrounding area.

The Leeds Community Gambling Service offers a range of support which can be provided face-to-face, online or over the phone. We can support gamblers as well as those who are affected by the gambling behaviour of a family member or friend. All of our services are free of charge and completely confidential.

Understanding the role gambling plays in your life can be the first step in making changes to reduce the harm it causes. It is unlikely that there will be a single answer, and you may need a combination of strategies to make lasting changes. You are more likely to be successful if you have support from others.

If you are affected by someone else’s gambling, there is a range of support available to you. We can help you understand why people gamble despite the negative consequences, as well as helping you work through your thoughts and feelings about your own situation.

Our practitioners are here to support you and help you to understand your situation better, so you can identify the goals which matter to you and make positive changes in your life.

We offer a range of short- and longer-term interventions, either over the phone, face-to-face or online. You may receive one-to-one support, or you may take part in group courses where you can meet others in similar situations.

Gambling problems may be complicated, but getting the right support doesn’t have to be. Your support and treatment plan will be tailored to you so that you get the right support at the right time. You can access our services however you feel most comfortable:

• Call us on 0113 388 6466
• Email us at leedscommunitygamblingservice@gamcare.org.uk
• Complete the referall form here; https://www.gamcare.org.uk/get-support/find-local-treatment/leeds/

Leeds Women's Aid provides refuge services, drop in services, and the 24 hour helpline on behalf of Leeds Domestic Violence Service.  Behind Closed Doors provides the Community (outreach) service, and Women's Health Matters run support groups.

We support NHS staff to deliver the best care for over a million patients and their families each year. Working with local communities, schools and businesses across the city and beyond, each year we provide £5 million in additional funding for Leeds Teaching Hospitals Trust.

We a charity sports club based in Hyde Park Leeds, established in 2017, as a hub for our community. We started with the goal of providing a safe space for local kids to play sports and socialise.We have have grown from 7 junior members, to now 300 of all ages.

We are passionate about ensuring that those growing up in our community are happy, healthy and have opportunities for productive and safe leisure-time. We care deeply about the personal, not just the sporting, development, of the local children and adults that we work with, so feel privileged to be able to provide a service that benefits their physical, and mental health.

LHPFC is primarily volunteer-ran. The majority of our coaches and organisational staff are un-paid and keep the club alive through their hard work and commitment. We are always on the lookout for more student volunteers to help grow our club and keep the dream alive. We currently have several Leeds students working in a variety of roles from coaching to admin, in addition to social media and club management. Everyone is welcome and all skills are desirable. We understand that students lead busy lifestyles and so want our volunteers to work in their own time, and if they cannot commit to helping out one week that is not a problem!

We are endlessly flexible and a great way for anyone to gain some volunteering experience and improve their CV. We can work with you to develop any skills which will make you more employable: from leadership to events planning, we can help you learn or improve any practical skills.

Do you have interests which you would like to share with young people? Do you like to have fun? Could you be a positive role model for a vulnerable child?

Independent Visitors befriend children living in care and young adults who have recently left care, meeting them once a month to participate in a fun activity together. Independent Visitors provide a positive, stable, consistent adult for children who often have little or no contact with people who are not professionals.

No formal qualifications are required for the role as all required training will be provided. Applicants just need to have a genuine interest in spending time with children and young people. Volunteering usually takes place at weekends and all Independent Visitors are required to give a minimum of 2 years commitment to the role. Applicants must be over the age of 18. All young people accessing the scheme are particularly vulnerable, therefore full safer recruitment practices are followed including the need for 2 references and a full, enhanced DBS check.

This role is an in-person volunteering activity which cannot be undertaken remotely. 

We've come a long way since we opened our doors more than 65 years ago. Now, we support more than 450 families and individuals on their journey with learning disabilities.

Not only do we offer important services to people with learning disabilities, we recognise the needs of the whole family too. We're on hand to provide advice, support and long-term help to all those we work with, because we're all on this journey together.

Leeds Museums and Galleries are the largest local authority run museum service in the country. We care for a large multi-disciplinary collection, many designated as nationally important, and run nine museums and galleries across the city of Leeds.

Our sites include;

• Kirkstall Abey
• Leeds Industrial Museum
• Leeds Discovery Centre
• Abbey House Museum
• Leeds Art Gallery
• Leeds City Museum
• Lotherton Hall
• Temple Newsam Hall
• Thwaites Watermill

Leeds Nightline is a confidential, anonymous, non-directive and non-advisory phone listening service run by Leeds students for the support of Leeds' student population. So when you’re under pressure, making a decision, facing a crisis, feeling down, or just need to chat about something, give us a try – it might just help.

We first started in 1973 and since then has been constantly evolving. In the past forty years we have continued to develop and expand our services to provide the best support available for students. This is achieved through the provision of our listening and information telephone line and more recently online, using ‘Instant Messaging’ (IM).

Leeds Nightline supports students from all over Leeds including those studying at the University of Leeds, Leeds Beckett University, Leeds Trinity, the Northern School of Contemporary Dance and other higher education institutions.

We deliver a range of projects under our five principles of Education, Health, Sport, Art and Heritage. Sport is an engaging tool that allows our staff to work with a whole range of individuals, delivering important lifestyle messages to inspire others to make positive changes to their own lives.

We work alongside primary and secondary schools, community clubs and run holiday rugby camps, rugby festivals, community days and health and education projects year round to engage with both children and adults from all over the community.

Our Mission Statement

Changing lives by engaging, inspiring and transforming through the power of sport.

Key Sectors

Sport, Heat, Education, Heritage and Arts

Our Aims

Enabling all to develop healthier and more meaningful lives and working collaboratively to support the creation and maintenance of thriving communities.

Increase skills, confidence and self esteem of the most vulnerable to enable them to realise their potential and be the best they can be.

Provide more opportunities for inclusive physical activity, sport, well being and play, encouraging participation and inspiring progression.

Deliver excellence in all our work utilising a talented, passionate workforce with highly effective leadership and governance.

Our Values

TRUST – We aspire to be trusted by everyone we work with to deliver excellence.

ENJOYMENT – We look to create a positive environment to inspire everyone we work with.

PROGRESSIVE – We are forward thinking and innovative

INCLUSIVE – We treat everyone fairly, with dignity and respect and do not discriminate.

Leeds Space Network is a Christian youth organisation working in Leeds with 11-18 year olds from the inner-city areas. It runs weekly groups which provide consistent support and opportunities for young people in every aspect of their lives, including faith.

Space groups empower young people to make the best choices towards a better future and are focussed on the all-round development of these young people, proactively nurturing their social, personal, emotional and spiritual wellbeing.

Space groups are led by volunteers who represent a variety churches and christian communities from across Leeds. Over 80 young people attend the Space groups each week. Some of these young people are also involved in smaller groups which allow them to explore other issues in greater depth.

Alongside the weekly groups, leaders regularly carry out home visits to strengthen relationships with young people and their families. In addition to weekly meetings, regular trips and residential opportunities are organised.

Street Angels usually patrol on Saturday nights…

• We normally walk between 3-5 miles per night
• We seek to ‘love the people in front of us’ – whether that be door staff, police, party-goers or people that have become vulnerable
• That ‘love’ may be anything from a listening ear, having a friendly chat, to giving a bottle of water, booking a taxi or sitting waiting with someone who is intoxicated
• We do not judge the people we meet
• Street Angels welcomes volunteers from all faith backgrounds or none. It is a project, run by Christians, and we expect volunteers to be sympathetic to our ethos.

Leeds Survivor Led Crisis Service (LSLCS) was set up in 1999 by a group of service users, who had campaigned for five years to develop the service (which became “Dial House”). Initially, LSLCS was run in partnership with Social Services, becoming a registered charity in 2001.  Dial House was set up to be a place of sanctuary, as an alternative to hospital admission and statutory services for people in acute mental health crisis. LSLCS was established, and continues to be governed and managed, by people with direct experience of mental health problems. We have our own unique perspectives on what it feels like to be in crisis and what helps and does not help.  We have developed our LSLCS based on this knowledge and experience, while responding to the needs articulated by our visitors and callers.

We are part of a network of mental health services in Leeds.  We liaise with and undertake joint work with other services, while maintaining our identity as an innovative, service user led voluntary sector organisation providing face-to-face crisis services (Dial House, and Dial House @ Touchstone),  telephone and video chat support (Connect Helpline, Teen Connect, Deaf Connect) and Groupwork; along with partner working with other mental health services, we are part of the Leeds Suicide Bereavement Service (in partnership with Leeds Mind) and The Wellbean Cafes (in partnership with Touchstone).

Our hospitals are hugely enriched by the selfless work of volunteers who do so much to help support NHS staff by helping to make a patient's stay in hospital more pleasant. Volunteers are vital in helping the Trust deliver the highest quality healthcare possible to our many patients and their carers. Volunteering is also an excellent opportunity for people to give back to their local hospital and to help make a real difference to their local community.  

Part of Leeds City Council and supported by the British Film Institute, Leeds Film delivers three annual film festivals: the Academy Award and BAFTA qualifying Leeds International Film Festival (November); the UK's largest family film event, Leeds Young Film Festival (Easter); and the new Independent Directions Film Festival (Easter). Leeds Film also delivers: year-round audience development support for film culture in Leeds and the wider city region, including LIFF Presents and LIFF Selects; projects and programmes for young people including Burberry Inspire, the INDIs Network, and the BFI Film Academy Leeds; and the Leeds Short Film Awards with seven regional, national and international competitions.

We are on the lookout for volunteers throughout the year to support our three film festivals so keep an eye out for exciting opportunities coming up with Leeds Film!

Situated in the heart of Burley, LS6, we're the home of an evolving programme of projects, initiatives and creative events.

Our café-bar is open every day and has become a meeting spot for locals, freelancers and families as well as an expanding network of artists, innovators and makers.

Whether you want to meet friends, learn new skills, work remotely in an inspiring environment, attend one of our events or just grab a coffee on the way to work — we’re here for you.

We want this to be a well connected community which recognises its power to bring about and sustain positive social change.

Our mission is to build upon the strengths of our community by working to develop activities and opportunities, promoting the area as a vibrant and exciting place to live, work, and bring up a family. 

WE BELIEVE IN....

AUTHENTICITY 
Being loyal and true to our community. We will always start by listening to and working with the people who are around us.
EMPOWERMENT
We want to work together to bring out the gifts, skills and potential we all have as individuals and as a community. 
COLLABORATION
It’s always better to work together.
HOSPITALITY
There's nothing better than a good old cuppa tea and a natter. When people feel welcome and part of a community things begin to change for the better. 
FUN
Life’s not just about hard work – you’ve got to let your hair down! We want our community to be a place of joy and fun.
SYSTEMIC CHANGE 
We want to work towards real lasting change in our community that will make it a better place to live for our children and grandchildren.

The Maggie's Yorkshire centre is an award winning building designed by the Heatherwick Studio. Maggie’s has now grown into a network of centres built beside NHS hospitals across the UK. 

Every Maggie’s is thoughtfully designed to be calming and welcoming; a place to escape from the clinical environment of the hospital. There are no reception desks and no clocks; instead, we have comfy sofas and plenty of time.

Our workshops, courses, one-to-one, and group support help people to change the way they live with cancer.

We focus on the things that really make a difference, like money worries, help with stress and low mood, managing side-effects and relationship and family support. Our support has been shown to improve physical and emotional wellbeing and to help people take control when cancer turns life upside down.

Understanding every person’s individual circumstances is central to what we do and means we can guide them to the support that will help them the most

Our Cancer Support Specialists are experienced oncology nurses, radiographers and other healthcare professionals. We have a Psychologist available to provide private, group, or family support.

Our Benefits Advisors can offer guidance on how to claim for practical things like parking permits and extra money.

Group support is available for people with any type of cancer and their friends and families: before, during or after treatment.

At Maggie's Yorkshire, we're here to support everyone affected by cancer.

If you would like to gain experience working with children in a Primary School setting, we invite you to apply to join our ECaR (Every Child a Reader) team. We work with children one to one to develop their reading skills with a structured, multi-sensory and engaging programme. Full, on the job, training will be provided and all the resources that you need will be ready for you. You will be working with our fabulous 5 and 6 year olds who are lots of fun. This is a very successful programme and a hugely rewarding role. We ask you to commit to 1 afternoon per week (1pm-3pm) during term time. We are flexible during exam periods. Manor Wood School is walking distance from Headingley (if you like walking!)... otherwise there are buses available.

Our mission is to create healthy communities by enabling people to improve their wellbeing through exercise.

Move Mates is a walking buddy project which makes getting out for a walk a reality for people who would otherwise find it difficult to leave their homes. Our volunteers give people the confidence and moral support to leave their homes and go for a walk, improving their physical health, reducing isolation and ultimately making people feel happier!

We pair people with one of our trained, friendly, local volunteers to meet regularly for a walk. These regular walks boost people’s confidence, reduce anxiety and improve physical and mental health outcomes.

Move Mates helps adults of all ages by providing motivation and company, enabling people to become more active and less isolated.

Our wonderful volunteer Move Mates support people to get out for a walk – for any purpose – when they would usually struggle to do so on their own.

We are the leading charity changing the face of men’s health. We know what works for men – and what doesn’t.

Mental health and suicide prevention, prostate cancer and testicular cancer – we’re taking them all on.

Since 2003, Movember has funded more than 1,250 men’s health projects around the world, challenging the status quo, shaking up men’s health research and transforming the way health services reach and support men.

Our mission is to support parents through the first 1,000 days to have the best possible experience of pregnancy, birth and early parenthood.

We achieve our mission though three interconnected aims:

• Sharing evidence-based knowledge to support parents to make informed decisions.
• Creating networks of vital support and life-long friendship.
• Campaigning on the issues that matter most to families throughout their early experiences of becoming a parent.

Every year, we support thousands of expectant and new parents across the UK and Channel Islands to feel more connected and confident during this major life transition.  

We provide evidence-based information on our website, which is accessed over six million times a year. We support parents through antenatal and postnatal courses, attended by over 100,000 expectant and new parents. Our national network of?volunteers support over half a million parents through free community-based activities and events. NCT breastfeeding counsellors support thousands of parents via our free infant feeding line and in homes, community drop-ins and services. We also provide a range of funded peer support programmes to support women and families facing specific challenges, such as social isolation or poor mental health. 

The New Bridge Foundation is a charity which was founded in 1956 with the intention of using volunteers to support people in prison to resettle back into the community after release, by prominent prison reformer Lord Longford.  Over the years we have run a variety of additional projects to support people to this end, including Through The Gate programmes and family support programmes.  However our core offering since our inception has been a befriending service delivered by volunteers, which we continue to run today.  For over 65 years, our volunteers have offered a bridge to the outside world to people serving prison sentences across England and Wales by offering non-judgemental social contact to some of the most isolated and vulnerable in our society. 

We are proud to have Michael Spurr, CB (former CEO, HMPPS) as our President, and Professor David Wilson (criminologist, author and former prison governor) and Jonathan Aitken as our Vice Presidents, as well as a royal patron in HRH Princess Alexandra. 

Our vision: Every person in prison feels a meaningful connection to the outside world.

Our mission: We match people in prisons with trained volunteers who offer long-term support through a combination of correspondence and visits.  This provides people in prison with a bridge to the outside world, along with an increased sense of value and potential for their future.

Our values:

-          Non-judgemental: we believe every person has value

-          Inclusive: we accept applications from any person in prison, and any volunteer who shares our values

-          Independent: we are wholly separate from and not influenced by the criminal justice system

-          Prisoner-led: our volunteers shape their support, correspondence and visits around the needs of the person they support

-          Constant: we provide a reliable connection between those inside and outside prison

Northorpe Hall Child & Family Trust is an established, fast-growing charity based in Kirklees and operating across the region. We make a real difference by supporting hundreds of children and young people every month, helping them to improve their mental health through counselling, family work, group activities and one to one support and advice. We work closely with schools, Councils, NHS services and other public and voluntary sector organisations.

The NSPCC is the leading children’s charity fighting to end child abuse in the UK and Channel Islands. Using voluntary donations, which make up around 90 per cent of our funding, we help children who’ve been abused to rebuild their lives, we protect children at risk, and we find the best ways of preventing child abuse from ever happening.

• When a child needs a helping hand, we’ll be there.
• When parents are finding it tough, we’ll help.
• When laws need to change, or governments need to do more, we won’t give up until things improve.

Our Childline service provides a safe, confidential place for children with no one else to turn to, whatever their worry, whenever they need help. Children can contact Childline 365 days a year.

Our free NSPCC helpline provides adults with a place they can get advice and support, share their concerns about a child or get general information about child protection. 

Adults can contact the helpline 365 days a year.

If you have any queries please do contact us on the details provided below or speak to Nick on 0773 506 3326

Open Source Arts works for the benefit of the environment, society and the arts.  We believe these elements are intrinsically linked, and each one benefits from the strength of the other. This is exemplified in our portfolio of partners and activities.  

Open Source Arts engages communities to actively create better places for themselves to live in, whilst showcasing and encouraging creativity, environmental and social sustainability. We are passionate about relating well, both to each other within our team and outwardly within our community and our city. We aim to strengthen networks in our communities, believing that when communities are well connected and more equitable, people have more space to think about improving things for themselves, for others and for the environment- rather than simply thinking about their own survival.

Open Source Arts is based in a homely urban warehouse space opposite ITV Studios on Kirkstall Road.  From our base we host regular, open to everyone sessions in a range of disciplines, including circus, dance, yoga, music, as well as practical making skills.  We couple this with a programme of many other performance, wellbeing and practical life skills workshops and courses which help people develop their personal skills portfolio.  We believe that resilience comes not only from diversity of connection but also from diversity of skills in our community and our skill-up & make-it-yourself ethos is at our core!

Make a difference in the beautiful Yorkshire town of Otley, if you volunteer with Otley Town Council you will take part in big events from Christmas Light Switch ons to smaller local community events. 

We have a range of standard roles and some more specialist roles. We like to give volunteers an opportunity to try a range of areas before they find something that suits them. You might become a Shop Volunteer, Bookshop Volunteer or Music Shop Volunteer. Or you might find yourself in a more specific role such as a Social Media Volunteer, an Admin Support Volunteer, or even a Lead Volunteer.

Whatever your skills or interests, there’s something for everyone…

PAPYRUS Prevention of Young Suicide is the UK charity dedicated to the prevention of suicide and the promotion of positive mental health and emotional wellbeing in young people.

PAPYRUS exists to reduce the number of young people who take their own lives, by shattering the stigma surrounding suicide and equipping young people and their communities with the skills to recognise and respond to emotional distress.

We do this in three ways: supporting those who are experiencing thoughts of suicide, equipping communities through suicide prevention training and awareness raising, and influencing government policy on a local and national scale.

At HOPELINE247 – PAPYRUS’s dedicated suicide prevention helpline – our trained advisers work on a safety plan with young people aged 35 and under who are experiencing thoughts of suicide, to help keep them safe for now.

For more information about PAPYRUS’s services, visit papyrus-uk.org

People in Action (Yorkshire) is a thriving Leeds based charity, established in 1983 to benefit people with learning disabilities and autistic people. The charity makes a real difference to the lives of the most vulnerable and socially isolated; inspiring and empowering people to recognise their potential, fulfil their aspirations and lead safer healthier, better connected lives.

People In Action provides a range of innovative, inclusive, person centred services which reflect the needs of the people it supports. The activities are wide ranging and include the provision of opportunities for leisure, learning, employment, health, wellbeing and the development of life skills.

The range of activities runs from practical courses in cooking skills to social groups that meet in the community to enjoy leisure time together, through to individual care packages the charity also provides practical one to one support tailored to the needs to the individual.

People Matters provides outreach support services, an employment programme, wellbeing groups, social groups, and run a social enterprise called Nourishing People.

We have a commitment to improving the lives of people who experience disadvantage, especially through learning and other disabilities. We strive to break down barriers and social misconceptions and work with our members supporting them to achieve their full potential. We are committed to offering innovative and person centred support to ensure each individual’s needs are met.

Between 30% and 50% of all food produced ends up being wasted. Some of this food has involved huge amounts of time, energy, care, fertilisers, pesticides, and money to produce. Then it’s been processed and transported half way round the world for it to be rejected and sent to landfill. This is seen by some of us as criminal when so many people are starving and when we are also concerned about Climate Change.

By intercepting waste food and using it to help feed people we aim to reduce food waste and to educate ourselves and others about how unsustainable this is.

Many of our communities have been devastated over the years. We are encouraged to think of “them” and “us” and to fear “them”. By bringing people from all walks of life together around a table of food, side by side in the kitchen and working together to reduce food waste and food poverty “we” hope to build better community where “we” can trust and support each other.

Revive Leeds is a Community interest Company We accept donated reusable items and sell them in store (and on eBay) to raise funds for our Member charities SVP who work to Alleviate Poverty and SLATE  who support people with learning difficulties.

Our Mission  

To become the number 1 household waste site shop in England, providing work and  volunteering opportunities for people from socially excluded backgrounds.  

Objectives  

• To reduce the amount of waste going to landfill
• To educate the community about reuse and recycling  
• To provide employment and volunteering opportunities for people from socially  excluded backgrounds 
• To work with the Leeds Furniture Reuse Group therefore helping to alleviate poverty  and hardship  
• To become financially sustainable  

The values of Revive Leeds are: -

• Respect for ourselves and others  
• Pride In everything that we do 
• Solidarity helping those in need  
• Empowerment having a “can do” attitude 
• Professionalism a first-class customer service  

RHEAs vision is to develop and provide services, support and social opportunities which enhance an older persons life assisting in them staying in their home for longer and living the life they choose.

We host activities and events in our community centre and other venues in our community.

Our aim is to provide activities that are designed to engage our members and this is where we value our volunteers. 

RNIB, the Royal National Institute of Blind People, is the UK's leading sight loss charity. We offer practical and emotional support to blind and partially sighted people, their families and carers. We raise awareness of the experiences of blind and partially sighted people and campaign for change to make our society more accessible for all. We want to change our world so there are no barriers to people with sight loss.RNIB, the Royal National Institute of Blind People, is the UK's leading sight loss charity. We offer practical and emotional support to blind and partially sighted people, their families and carers. We raise awareness of the experiences of blind and partially sighted people and campaign for change to make our society more accessible for all. We want to change our world so there are no barriers to people with sight loss.

Save the Children is a global charity that works alongside children in 115 countries. Around 24,000 staff around the world strive to give children the future that they deserve. Save the Children UK has 5 million amazing supporters whose dedication makes our work possible.

In the world’s biggest listening exercise of its kind, we asked children about their experiences of climate change. 50,000 children in more than 35 countries including the UK told us about the future that they hope for. They want to live in a world where everyone has enough to eat, children get a fair chance in life and the environment can flourish for the benefit of all.

However, they also told us about their fears. 70% of children in the UK told us that they are worried about the world that they’re going to inherit.

Climate change is putting the next generation’s safety at risk.

The science is clear, if we are to protect children from severe climate conditions, there is no room for fossil fuels.

The UK is moving to expand oil and gas drilling, but we have the power to change this.

We’ve launched the Generation Hope campaign to speak out against new fossil fuels in the UK. Our volunteer Changemakers will show decision-makers that the public wants a greener and fairer future by bringing communities across the UK together.

We believe that no one, no matter how complex their disabilities, should be isolated, left out, or unable to fulfil their potential. Our experts offer support that’s tailored to the individual needs of each person, whether that’s at our centres, through our holidays and short breaks, or in people’s own homes. In addition to practical support, we also provide information to families, and campaign for the rights of people with complex disabilities to take part in life.

Whether your interests lie in growing, cooking, or eating we have sustainable projects on campus for you.

Shop Zero provides in-house volunteering opportunities based on campus for you to get involved in. Providing students access to affordable food and access to a refill station for dried food items.

If you are looking for an opportunity you get involved in from the comfort of your own Campus, get in touch to find out more or visit our shops during their opening times on Tuesdays and Thursdays between 11 - 2pm.

William Merritt Centre – Shopmobility is trying to make Leeds a more accessible place for people with limited mobility. Our goal is to make more people aware of the service to enable greater independence for the people of Leeds so individuals can explore Leeds, contribute to the local economy and socialise with friends and family. Creating a platform for people to live independently.

SNAPS vision is to be an inspirational place connecting families and children with a wide range of challenges and opportunities. We aim to promote health and well-being for all by providing opportunities for people to meet, learn, play, and build relationships. We are an inclusive organisation, involving the whole family, including siblings with no special needs.

In 2004 We identified an unmet demand for hydrotherapy, swimming, and physical activity experiences, all of which can have such a positive impact on both the children with additional needs and their families.. Based in West Yorkshire, we work with families to improve physical and mental wellbeing by providing sport & leisure services, including hydrotherapy and rebound therapy sessions, (making use of a trampoline) and swimming lessons to dramatically improve their lives and future opportunities. We also provide fun activities such as music therapy, dance classes, sing and sign classes, sensory activities, football sessions and free play in a safe environment. We aim to deliver these much-needed services for the whole family whilst also providing parents and carers the opportunity to share information, ideas, and experiences.

During the pandemic, many of the families we work with have suffered disproportionately having already felt isolated and under supported. Sadly, many are now in crisis and need more support urgently. We identified a need for more formal support and therefore launched a new Family Support Project in April 2021 to ensure our families had the help they desperately needed

Sport & Active Lifestyles provides a wealth of sports, fitness, wellbeing and employability opportunities to Leeds Beckett students and staff across both our campuses. We also host major events such as the annual Leeds Varsity and support elite athletes through our pathway programmes.

St Gemma’s Hospice is a Leeds-based charity providing expert care and support for local people with life-limiting and terminal illnesses. We offer care to patients and their carers in the Hospice’s In-Patient Unit, through the St Gemma’s community team and via our day services, which includes a Day Hospice and Out-Patient Department.

St Gemma’s welcomes and provides care to everyone regardless of people’s age, gender, disability, race, religion, sexual orientation or diagnosis. Our care is always completely free of charge.

St Gemma’s is the largest hospice in Yorkshire and one of the largest in the UK.

We have a large chain of charity shops across Leeds and surrounding areas and an online eBay shop. Our charity shops are the biggest single source of income for the Hospice and collectively raised £3million in the last year.

Our local St Gemma’s charity shop is run by a dedicated team of staff and volunteers. We sell a fantastic range of women’s, men’s and children’s clothing and accessories, books, furniture, toys, homeware, electrical items and more.

St George’s Crypt has come a long way from its roots back in 1930, but the vision remains; supporting the homeless and vulnerable of Leeds. We have built a range of social enterprises in retail and catering, offering development and training opportunities to our homeless and vulnerable clients.

Positioned in the centre of Leeds, St. George’s Crypt provides award-winning, 24/7 emergency accommodation for men and women who are homeless or rough-sleeping.

• 12,382 Showers - Over 12,000 hot showers provided last year to anyone in need.
• 65,700 Hot Meals - Hot food for our residents courtesy of our catering team.
• 10,920 Beds - Provided last year for occupants needing a safe place to sleep.

We are the charity that steps forward in the moments that matter, to save lives and keep communities safe. All our charitable work is entirely funded by donations, and we are a market leader in the provision of workplace training, first aid supplies and event and ambulance services.

We believe in the power of communities to improve the health of the nation. Communities that preserve and protect life through volunteering for health and first aid.

We have a deep heritage of caring, compassion and health. Promoting the relief of sickness, distress and suffering. Helping others at some of the most vulnerable moments in their lives.

We are proud of the work we do and how we do it, and we promise:

• To serve humanity without judgement
• To take time to care
• To be skilled to meet health needs
• To develop new and better ways to preserve and protect life

Student Volunteering Week celebrates student volunteering in the following ways:

1. Improves student wellbeing
2. Develops students' employability
3. Contributes positively to the wider and local community life

This is a unique week-long opportunity where the whole of the country will be getting involved. SVW gives you a great platform whether you’re a student, university, college, students’ union, charity or social enterprise, to showcase your innovative projects and events. We hope you use this time to promote student volunteering and share your ideas, best practice and challenges with the rest of the sector.

To find out more about what students all over the country are up to, make sure to follow the Student Volunteering Week social media channels on Twitter and Instagram, and tag us to share your stories.  Our national team, led by the Student Volunteering Network, will be available to offer help to you in running your SVW activities, before, during and after the week.

Founded in 2001, Support Through Court is the only organisation exclusively dedicated to increasing access to justice for people without legal representation facing the civil or family courts. Our trained volunteers provide practical support to clients at any stage of the court process. We ensure that people facing court alone can represent themselves with dignity and we support them to take a full part in court proceedings and achieve better access to justice.

Tailored to each individual, our volunteer support is wide-ranging and includes providing practical and procedural information, explaining what would happen in court, helping people to fill out complicated forms and write witness statements, and supporting clients as they plan what they would like to say to a judge. Our service is free and open to anyone who needs it. As we cannot give legal advice or provide representation, we signpost clients (where necessary) to firms providing legal aid or pro bono advice, and to specialist agencies for other client needs.

Many of Support Through Court’s clients face life-changing issues, such as debt, bankruptcy, homelessness and loss of contact with their children, and come to us in extreme stress. We can help at any stage of the court process.

What will you gain from volunteering with us?

We offer practical experience in a supported environment, including: 

·       A clear understanding of the challenges facing litigants in person 

·       Vital, first-hand experience of the court process to complement legal studies 

·       Practical skills in completing court applications and witness statements for the civil and family courts and tribunals  

·       Experience in explaining court procedure to clients 

·       Experience of the remote courts and up to date knowledge of processes as the courts become more digitalised 

·       The unique opportunity to attend remote hearings to provide moral support and note taking (for de-briefing purposes)

·       Encouraging a client to consider their next steps and the various possible outcomes of their case  

·       Client interviewing skills - learning to tailor support dependent on client need while effectively managing an appointment 

·       Soft skills in communication, active listening, problem solving, evaluating, dissecting information, and using initiative

·       Increasing confidence 

Our volunteers often cite their experience volunteering with us as a key factor in supporting their entry into the legal profession. Throughout your time volunteering with us, you will make a huge impact on the lives of often extremely vulnerable people, who are struggling to navigate the complicated procedures and processes required when going through the courts. 

To volunteer, please complete this online form!

We work to improve the University's environmental, economicsocial and sustainability through a range of projects involving staff and students

Immerse yourself in our imaginative and exciting galleries, from the history of healthcare to the advances that have shaped the way we look after ourselves, and each other.

Wander through the grimy streets of Victorian Leeds, watch gruesome operations taking place in our 19th-century operating theatre, visit a seventies-style sexual health clinic, chart how well the world responds to crisis, and discover the medical innovations that changed the world.

Through play, creativity, talks, experiences, social events and formal education, we’re both a place to pay fitting tribute to our health heroes and inspire the next generation of big thinkers.

Volunteers are a valued part of our team at Thackray and we’d love to hear from you, whether you can spare a couple of hours a month to assist in our archives, or a day or two to greet visitors. We welcome everybody, so talk to us about how we can work together to keep inclusion at the heart of what we do.

The programme provides in-school support which includes one to one mentoring, university trips and workshops as well as personalised academic tuition, to help disadvantaged young people gain places at top-third ranked universities.

• DBS's are paid for and provided by The Access Project
• References and Recommendations are provided by The Access Project

Advonet provides statutory and nonstatutory advocacy across Leeds.  We also provide volunteer-led advocacy. 

We aim to:

• Empower clients, communities and colleagues
• Increase inclusion and challenge where needed
• Demonstrate integrity and accountability
• Build alliances with marginalised communities
• Open to challenge but also celebrate success

We are a small hostel based in Leeds, in the UK with a total of 60 beds across 12 rooms, with both private en suite and dorm rooms. 

We value and rely on local volunteers who want to engage further with the community and help keep the Art Hostel running smoothly.

We are a social enterprise for the arts' charity East Street Arts and as such, all the money we make goes directly into supporting artists locally, nationally & internationally.

Please feel free to take a look at our websites- www.arthostel.org.uk and www.eaststreetarts.org.uk

There are more than 600 conditions affecting the brain, spine and nervous system. We champion neurodiversity and provide practical help, emotional support and social activities for every single one.

We see the hope and courage in young people every day and we support them for as long as it takes for them to break free from their trauma.

By 2030 we will have overturned the damaging decline in children’s well-being, setting a path for long lasting growth. 

The Children's Society is an organisation and therefore informs everything that we do. It is made up of our vision, mission and values. By this we mean what we want to achieve, how we will go about achieving it and the way in which we will approach everything that we do. It reflects the history of our charity and will determine our future.

Our look focuses on why hope matters and the importance of restoring, protecting and strengthening young people’s hope and happiness. We want you to see the essence of youthful hope we know exists in every young person in the country, even in those who have it toughest of all, through the stories, pictures and voices of young people.

UNLOCKING POTENTIAL
With support, guidance and opportunities every young person can reach their full potential, ensuring no young person is left out or left behind.   

CREATING OPPORTUNITIES
Young people deserve a seat at the table to shape decisions about our shared future.  Their voice enriches decision-making and inspires us all to do more and do better. 

INSPIRING ACTION
With the right support and advocacy, young people have the passion, energy and insight to lead the change they want to see, for themselves, their communities and the world around them. 

Through our term-long, after-school programme, we develop the literacy, confidence and perseverance of children aged 9-13, who are falling behind in class and have fewer opportunities in their personal lives, so that they can succeed at school and beyond. 

Approximately 20 children from different schools attend one after-school session per week via our specially created online platform to practise their reading and writing. We also professionally publish their work so that every Young Pirate finishes the programme a published author. 

Our main aim is to ensure that The Old Fire Station is a thriving, welcoming centre in East Leeds where all are made to feel valued and safe whilst providing the opportiunity to learn, develop and engage in positive activities.

During the School Holidays we run a holiday program which aim to tackle holiday inactivity and hungry, for the most vunerable young people in the city.  These include a variety of activities from sportst to art.  

RBL would appreciate your time & help as a Poppy Appeal Volunteer during October and November’s two week appeal,

Poppy Appeal Volunteers help raise vital funds to support the Armed Forces community and their families by collecting donations and raising awareness of the Royal British Legion (RBL) work..

You don’t need to be an RBL member or have links to the Armed Forces, you just need to be willing to assist our cause, and excited to be part of a team committed to ensuring the unique contribution of our service men and women is never forgotten.

Volunteering with us is a great way to:

• Join a committed and friendly team

• Meet new people and get involved in your local community

• Show your support for the Armed Forces

We're working tirelessly to make veganism an easily-adopted and widely-recognised approach to reducing animal suffering and environmental damage. We do so through peaceful and factual dialogue with individuals, organisations and businesses.

We achieve this vision and mission by providing information, supporting and advising individuals and health professionals, caterers, manufacturers, and influencing policy makers. We also fund vegan initiatives set up by members and supporters, and work with volunteers and partners towards making our vision a reality. We work with the media to help reinforce a positive view of veganism and to help a larger audience see that veganism is a rewarding, enjoyable and viable lifestyle.

The Vine is a child contact centre that offers a safe, friendly, and neutral place where children of separated parents can meet their non-resident parent of family member. This can include grandparents or siblings for contact visits. The centre aims to help children whose parents have separated where there is no reasonable alternative. It offers a child centered environment that reflect the diverse needs of children affected by separation.

The Vine Child Contact Centre is accredited to NACCC (National Association of Child Contact Centres) which promotes safe child contact within a national framework of Child Contact Centres and NACCC holds the following values: Ensuring safety; child-centered within the family; promoting equality, celebrating diversity; is independent and impartial; respects individuals and preserves confidentiality; values and supports the voluntary service and shares skills and expertise to achieve better outcomes for children and their families.

NACCC's member Child Contact Centres have an endorsed accreditation process which shows that all NACCC child contact centres work to agreed and approved national standards, which ensure that families using the Child Contact Centres are safe and well cared for.

The Vine is a charity that exists to serve the people of Leeds and the surrounding area. Our vision is a vibrant, thriving city where the people we work with fulfil their pe-rsonal, social, economic, and spiritual potential. As a charity we are committed to joining in with the vision for Leeds and building bridges into our communities.

Victim Support provides emotional support, practical help, information and signposting to people affected by crime.  Volunteers work in the community and also visit people at home to provide this support.

To register your interest in volunteering please email our office: leeds.vs@victimsupport.org.uk

Volunteering From Home is designed to provide you with easily accessible and virtual opportunities to make a difference. From crafting for charities, supporting national research, or even digital campaigning there are opportunities to suit everyone. 

VFH might be perfect for you if; 

• You are a distance learning but you still want to join the LBSU Volunteering Community.
• You are strapped for time but you still want to volunteer.
• You want quick and easily opportunities to get involved in with no regular commitment. 

Look out for the VFH logo for all virtual opportunities!

WYDAN Night Shelter is a volunteer led project. Volunteers, after completing the introduction/training session, work in pairs under the supervision of an experienced Lead Volunteers, who in turn is backed up by a second oncall Lead Volunteer. The whle project is over seen by the Project Manager

The Shelter does not take walkins. All guests are referred by support agencies and come with an assessment of their suitable for the Shelter.

As well as offering overnight accommodation we provide a hot evening meal and  breakfast to our guests.

Volunteers on the evening shift (5-10pm) will be asked to welcome the guests when they arrive and help serve the evening meal. They will eat with the guests socialise during the evening.

The ovenight shift is 10pm - 9am, though the morning time can be varied to suit with prior notice. Sleeping accommodation is provided. From 7am the volunteers oversee breakfast  and undertake some light 'housework' before the guests leave for the day

The West Yorkshire Community Chaplaincy Project - WYCCP Resettlement Service - aims to create a better society for us all by working alongside people who have been in prison to help them achieve settled and productive lives back in our community.

We begin working with people inside prison and this help can continue for many months post-release with them and their families. Our team of dedicated full time staff are assisted by a committed team of volunteers who are vital in providing both practical and emotional assistance to ex-prisoners as they settle back into the community.

The people we work with are doing well and we have excellent success rates. Based on over 8 years of monitoring figures we expect that 68% of the men who receive our support in the community will not have returned to prison one year from release.

References - Volunteers may request a reference from the volunteer programme manager after 6 months of volunteering.

Expenses - We value our volunteers and want to ensure that there are no barriers to volunteer involvement. All volunteers will have their travel and other agreed expenses reimbursed. In order to claim expenses, an expense claim form, receipts (if applicable), and proof of volunteering activity (signature in the visitor book, case notes, etc) must be completed and submitted to the volunteer programme manager within three months of the volunteering activity.

Volunteering to help at stalls, bucket collections and events help raise funds and awareness.

Yorkshire MESMAC is one of the oldest and largest sexual health organisations in the country. We offer services to various communities across Yorkshire, including men who have sex with men, people of colour and other marginalised races, people misusing drugs, sex workers and LGBT+ young people and adults.

We offer access to a range of STI/HIV testing interventions, mental health and wellbeing services, including counselling,  1-2-1 support, volunteering opportunities, group sessions and training.

Our vision

Our vision is clear and simple, to cure a devastating disease that affects so many people. Whilst we are working to find a cure, we will provide the best patient and family support network we can.

Why we are here

Around 9,000 new cases of primary brain tumours are diagnosed in the UK every year, 15 each week in Yorkshire. Whilst we are working to find a cure, we will provide the best patient and family support network we can.

We want to make this number smaller, and make life easier for those who are affected, by:

• Raising significant funds to support dedicated research projects into treating and curing child and adult brain tumours and sharing our findings with other charities.

• Giving grants and financial assistance to brain tumour patients and their carers.

• Arranging for hospital wards, patients and research centres to be provided with all the equipment they need.

• Supporting patients and their loved ones through providing practical advice (our benefits clinic), running support groups, offering counselling and a range of other holistic therapies.

When a child is diagnosed with cancer it threatens everything, for them and their family.

At a time when they should be busy being children, enjoying their rollercoaster teenage years or finding their feet at uni, life becomes full of fear. Fear of treatment, but also of families being torn apart, of overwhelming money worries, mental health stretched to breaking point, of having nowhere to turn, no one to talk to.

At Young Lives vs Cancer, we get that. We are the charity that helps children and young people (0-25) and their families find the strength to face whatever cancer throws at them.

We know everyone's different, so we work hard to make sure each family has what they need to get through cancer. Children and young people with cancer deserve the same opportunities as anyone else. We’ll always have their back, because we’ve been there before.

Powered by the kindness of our supporters, we’ll face it all together.

What we do:

• Provide a range of sports and other activities targeted at older adults, including walking football, walking netball and tai chi 
• Work with schools to get younger people (and their parents!) more active
• Support people/older adults to get online
• Provide exercise classes online
• Help community groups get funding to improve their facilities (e.g. parks, play areas, community buildings)
• Help communities do action plans to make their areas even better places to live
• Look at innovative ways of improving green spaces-e.g. Ground Source Heat Pumps and Renewable Energy

And anything else that will help us achieve our/your goals!

Whether you'd like to volunteer once a month by attending our monthly meetings or further develop your skillset and widen oppurtunities by being more proactive, Youthwatch Leeds are happy to help tailor your volunteering experience to what best suits you! We're an organisation that like to work creatively and are always open to sharing/discussing different ways of working.

We meet once a month within a venue based in central Leeds to discuss current topics affecting children and young people within health and social care. From here we focus on curating key projects to influence change within the sector and ensure the voice of children and young people are best represented. Every meeting provides an oppurtunity to meet like-minded young people - there's always an icebreaker, have guest speakers whereby possible and will always have food inc. infamous Dominos Pizza. The work we do at Youthwatch feeds into the city wide work that goes into ensuring Health and Social Care services are operating at optimum levels, we bring the creative spin and breath in the voice of the youth.

Aside from monthly meetings there are many more  oppurtunities available inc: Monthly meetings, oppurtunities to be Board Director reps, Training, Collaborating with other organisations inc. other youth groups/organisations, the NHS/ICB - i.e. Leeds Teaching Hospitals Trust, Schools/Colleges/Universities etc., Outreach work inc. Enter and View, Data Input and Analysis, Campaigns/Project Work, Organising/ holding and attending events, Filming/Photography and Interviewing, Admin, Placement and much more. The team here are Healthwatch are all supportive and are open and receptive to your suggestions/ tailoring your volunteer experience to best align with your goals.

Once you put your application in we'll arrange an informal face to face interview at our office in the Old Gipton Fire Station, here you can meet the team and it enbales us to get to know you better so that we can best support you.

If you have any questions or would like to further discuss, please contact Rameesah via:

Email - rameesah@healthwatchleeds.co.uk

Telephone/ Mobile -  0113 898 0035  /   07496 403 308

Making Leeds a better place for everyone.

Zest offers support and opportunity to people living in disadvantaged areas of Leeds, addressing health inequalities and social isolation through activities which improve physical, mental, social and emotional wellbeing. 

Meet Me At The Old Fire Station is a partnership between three charities at The Old Fire Station in Gipton. 

Zimbabwe Educational Trust provides financial assistance to grass-roots partner organisations in Zimbabwe that engage orphans and other vulnerable in education and enable them to complete their primary education and realise their potential for better lives, and enhance the achievement of Millennium Development Goals 2 and 3, and in the longer term MDG 1.

Zimbabwe is also one of the countries most severely affected by HIV/AIDS. Around 1,300 people die each week, many of them parents with children who need educational and economic support. UNICEF estimates that 1 in 4 children in Zimbabwe is an orphan. Very few estates are registered and not all deaths are registered despite so many dying. As a result orphans and other vulnerable children find it difficult to obtain birth certificates and parental death certificates without which they are unable to sit for public examinations or access any assistance meant for orphans.

At ZET, we offer a great deal of flexibility to our volunteers. You don’t have to stick to just one role; some overlap, and you are free to change role if you fancy doing something different. Furthermore, if your area of specialty/interest is not covered in these more specific roles, there is the scope to discuss with the Operations Manager a role that is more suitable to you. We want to make sure that you enjoy your experience and get something out of it, so don’t hesitate to get in touch and find out how else you can get involved.

We are a small charity, and this makes our volunteers’ experience unique; their work has a big impact and volunteers are given genuine responsibilities. For this reason, volunteering at ZET is a great way to enhance your CV and boost your career prospects (if you happen to be at that stage in your career); such hands-on experience will help you develop a range of skills in your area of interest. Not only this, but volunteers work closely with ZET’s Operations Manager, gaining a broad and deep insight into the work of an international development, non-profit organisation. This makes volunteering for ZET particularly suitable for those with an interest in International Development/International Affairs and a career in the third sector, or someone who wants to gain first-hand experience in the operations of a non-profit organisation.