Category: Volunteering

Toe Beans Cat Rescue rescues, rehomes and reunites cats and kittens across Uttlesford and surrounding areas. The charity is run solely by volunteers.

We are looking for volunteers to become a volunteer administrator to manage day-to-day admin and develop relationships with vet practices, other cat rescues and Toe Beans’ corporate partners, Pets at Home. You would need to work closely with the Trustees, the Homing Coordinator and the Foster Coordinator to put processes in place to ensure the smooth running of the charity.

Tasks would include answering general enquires via email or phone and you would need to attend the Board Meetings in Saffron Walden, of which there are approximately 4 per year.

This is a work from home role and you would need to be flexible with your availability and be able to take some calls throughout the day, although there is potential for the phone to be shared on a rota basis.

Skills needed:

• The ability to work as part of a busy team
• Good Organisation
• Good Communication
• Experience in using Google Drive, basic spreadsheets and databases
• A love of cats
• Experience in charity admin is helpful but not essential

For further information:

Contact us on T: 01371 404525 E: volunteer@ucan.org.uk

Saffron Walden Museum is one of the oldest purpose-built museums in the country. We are looking for volunteers to help staff at Saffron Walden Museum with the museum’s social media sites.

The role would include varying activities such as researching and monitoring popular social media trends and hashtags, researching and compiling content for social media and blog updates and resizing and editing digital images for social media and website use.

Skills needed:

• Good ICT skills
• Knowledge and experience of using social media.
• A demonstrable interest in social history, archaeology or natural history
• Strong written communication skills
• Attention to detail and accuracy
• Experience of working both within a small team and independently
• Confidence to contribute and share ideas and new perspectives
• Ability to work to set guidelines
• Awareness and understanding of internet security issues
• Experience in creating content for digital platforms is desirable but not essential

The Museum Society, our charitable wing, also needs volunteers who would be willing to be the administrator/editor for their Facebook page and who would be able to help by taking notes during their monthly local history talks at the Parish rooms for review in their quarterly newsletter.

For further information:

Contact us on T: 01371 404525

E: volunteer@ucan.org.uk

Saffron Walden Museum is one of the oldest purpose-built museums in the country. We are looking for volunteers to become desk volunteers at the Saffron Walden Museum and provide a friendly and welcoming environment for visitors.

Desk volunteers are the first point of contact for visitors and the face of the museum. Therefore, it is essential for them to provide good customer care and equal treatment for visitors of all ages, ethnicities, and backgrounds.

The role would include varying activities such as greeting visitors on entry, issuing tickets, providing information on the location of facilities as appropriate, providing information on the layout of the galleries and a suggested route, highlighting special activities for children and families when relevant, answering enquiries and being responsible for the till and shop.

Skills needed:

• Good customer care
• Equal treatment for visitors of all ages, ethnicities and backgrounds

We also need volunteers who can provide ad hoc cover for our regular volunteers when they have planned absences, such as holidays or hospital appointments.

For further information:

Contact us on T: 01371 404525

E: volunteer@ucan.org.uk

Are you looking for a rewarding way to give back to your community? Consider becoming a hospital car driver with Uttlesford Community Travel. Their hospital car service plays a crucial role in ensuring that individuals who are unable to access regular transport can still attend their medical appointments with ease.

As a hospital car driver, you’ll have the opportunity to make a meaningful difference in the lives of others by providing essential transport to medical facilities. Whether it’s driving patients to routine check-ups, treatments, or surgeries, your support can alleviate the stress and uncertainty often associated with accessing healthcare services.

Flexible volunteering hours to suit.

Skills needed:

• Driver with a clean licence
• Caring and compassionate
• Friendly and helpful

For further information:

Contact us on:

T: 01371 404525

E: volunteer@ucan.org.uk

Volunteer Gardeners are needed for weekly sessions that take place on Monday & Thursday mornings (weather dependent). No experience is necessary just an interest in helping out with various tasks such as watering, sowing seeds, weeding and much more…

Dig It Community Allotment is located at the Byrds Farm Lane Allotment site which is tucked away just behind Crocus Fields road, just off Little Walden Road at the north end of Saffron Walden. It was launched with the purpose of enabling anyone to be able to come and learn how to grow their own fresh, fruit and veg in a friendly social atmosphere. The site has been made wheelchair friendly and has several raised beds with plans for more, so it’s easy for anyone of any age or level of fitness to join in!

Gardeners are needed for:

• Maintaining our community allotment and ensuring it is clean and tidy.
• Carrying out small maintenance and repair jobs on the allotment.
• Helping with planting and harvesting of produce
• Assisting with composting and soil maintenance.
• Maintaining the safety and cleanliness of the allotment.

The above list is not exhaustive, and volunteers may be asked to take on other tasks to support and assist the smooth running of the allotment.

Volunteers should wear suitable clothing/footwear for the garden and wear garden gloves.

Skills needed:

No previous experience is required but you must be enthusiastic, friendly and enjoy working outside and working with people.

For further information:

Contact us on T: 01371 404525

E: volunteer@ucan.org.uk

The disability benefits team are specially trained volunteers who visit people in their homes to help them to complete complex disability benefit application forms. Last year they helped 563 clients apply for disability and carer’s benefits worth over £1,548,000 a year!

What will you be doing?

As a home visit volunteer, you will help people who, because of limited mobility, pain levels, confusion or caring responsibilities, are unable to attend the office. Undertaking one visit a week, on average, you will receive specialist training so that you can help clients to complete disability benefit applications and provide support and advice on fall prevention, social transport, care options, befriending and support groups, handyman services, access to priority registers, warm homes or budgeting advice, which can vastly improve the quality of life of disabled people and their carers.

This is a flexible role that works very well around other commitments.

Skills needed:

You don’t need any specific qualifications or experience; you will receive full training for this role. But you should:

● be friendly and approachable

● be non-judgmental and respect views, values and cultures that are different to your own

● have good listening skills

● have excellent verbal and written communication skills

● be able to understand information and explain it to others

● be willing to learn about and follow the Citizens Advice aims, principles and policies, including confidentiality and data protection

● be willing to undertake training in your role

● have access to a car, as travel around the district is required. Travel expenses will be reimbursed.

For further information:

Contact us on:

T: 01371 404525

E: volunteer@ucan.org.uk

Audley End House and Gardens are looking for outgoing and enthusiastic people to join our team of Storytelling Volunteers to help bring their site to life. You will be dressed in a relevant historical costume.

Dressed in replica costume you’ll interact with visitors and share stories of life from the era.  This role isn’t about acting, or portraying a particular individual, it’s about using your costume to engage with visitors to help them connect with the site’s past.

Each interaction you have with visitors can be different and no two conversations will be the same. To help visitors get the most from their visit you could be:

• Describing what life would have been like living or working at the site
• Answering visitors’ questions and providing accurate information in a lively and engaging way
• Using handling objects or demonstrating historical activities

Skills needed:     

• You’ll need to enjoy meeting and talking with people of all ages and backgrounds
• Have a passion for sharing historical stories and information
• Some historical knowledge would be beneficial, but we will provide you with all of the information and training you need
• A desire to learn and a want to share your knowledge with our visitors

For further information:

Contact us on T: 01371 404525 E: volunteer@ucan.org.uk

Audley End House and Gardens are looking for Buggy Drivers to take visitors around the site.

Buggy Drivers are there to offer this transport whilst providing a warm and friendly welcome.

What will I be doing?

• Making sure that the buggy is clean and safe to drive by carrying out a driver’s daily checklist and giving the vehicle a clean at the end of your shift
• Driving the buggy around the designated route
• Inspiring visitors with stories about the history of the site and the various features of the garden
• Helping visitors orientate themselves around the site and provide recommendations of interesting parts of the garden to explore
• Keeping an eye on the site to ensure visitors are enjoying the garden in a safe and responsible manner and reporting any issues to the site supervisor
• You might also be asked to provide ad hoc support to the Visitor Operations, Hospitality and Events staff as required. This could range from transporting guests around the site through to conducting the evening sweep (checking and closing garden buildings) to ensure all visitors have left.

Skills needed:

• Driving Licence
• Practical experience driving a similar type of shuttle or golf cart vehicle is desirable but not essential
• Shuttle Drivers will need to be confident engaging with the public and enjoy chatting to visitors throughout the day

For further information:

Contact us on T: 01371 404525

E: volunteer@ucan.org.uk

Volunteers are needed to support our Mobile Hub to promote the work of UCAN and increase access to the support services available to people in Uttlesford.

Our Mobile Hub is taken out to local events and rural areas in Uttlesford to promote our work and increase access to support services available to people in Uttlesford.
We are looking for a team of friendly faces to come along and support UCAN and the mobile Hub.
This is on an ad hoc basis times and dates to be agreed.

What will you be doing?

• Supporting individuals to explore what is on offer within the service and what options are available.
• Help with setting up the Hub
• Interact and engage with service users
• Handing out of leaflets
• Serve refreshments

The skills you will need?

• A friendly, positive and approachable manner
• non-judgmental
• work independently and as part of a team
• empathise with the challenges faced by the people using our services
• respect and maintain confidentiality
• Enthusiasm about UCAN and the work we do (training will be given)

Further Information and to Apply

For further information, and to register your interest please contact us on:

T: 01371 404525

E: volunteer@ucan.org.uk

Audley End has a large Volunteer team who look after the House and Grounds. The team are a wonderfully diverse and friendly group who help to give a warm welcome to all visitors at Audley End.

We are looking for volunteers to become Explainers for visitors at Audley End House and Gardens. The role would include varying activities such as providing a warm welcome for all visitors, helping to tell the story of the house and collection, helping with family trails, helping to protect and preserve the collection and attending the relevant training courses and workshops to increase your knowledge of the site.  Full training on the role and health and safety will be provided as well as site and role induction with your dedicated Volunteer Manager.

Skills needed:

• A friendly, enthusiastic manner and an enjoyment of dealing with people from all walks of life
• Confidence in ability to communicate well with all age groups
• Keenness to learn more about English Heritage sites
• Confidence in being alone with members of the public

For further information:

Contact us on T: 01371 404525 E: volunteer@ucan.org.uk