Statistically the UK is the most charitable country in Europe, and one of the few countries in Europe that upholds its promise to give 0.7% of GDP as foreign aid — along with some Scandinavian countries, Holland and Luxembourg.
At Integritty Food we’ve declared a war against poverty — we refuse to rest until nobody goes hungry or has to sleep rough. We’re a social business — giving a meal to a person in need for every meal we sell — but also take inspiration from the many charities across the UK with similar goals to us.
So You Want To Volunteer? Here’s Some Options
Many people who don’t have the money to donate want to instead give their time to a cause they believe in. But often they feel that with so many charities out there doing great work, they get analysis paralysis and can’t pick between options.
So in accordance with our mission to fight poverty, we’ve created a guide to 10 large UK charities currently looking for volunteers and who have opening all across the UK. Integritty Foods focuses on homelessness and hunger primarily, so we’ve included a few charities in this area, as well as a number of others that also do fantastic work.
We’ve included a link to each charity’s volunteer page for quick access to sign up for volunteering.
1. Crisis
Crisis is dedicated to to ending homelessness and has centres across the UK to help house, advise and educate homeless and ex-homeless people to get themselves back on their feet.
There are numerous ways you can volunteer to help Crisis, for example if you’ve got a spare four or seven hours per week you can volunteer as a retail assistant in either a Crisis shop or cafe.
Additionally, you can offer your time and skills at a Crisis Skylight Centre to help train and educate homeless people in skills such as numeracy, writing or computer skills.
To find out more about local volunteering opportunities at Crisis, click here.
2. Shelter
Shelter is another key homelessness charity in the UK, tackling issues that not only result from homelessness, but also helping change laws and fight against systems which lead to more people being made homeless.
Shelter have volunteering positions open in their shops, or you could also volunteer as an event fundraiser. Moreover, there are opportunities for you to make a difference in your local community in roles such as in HR, or operations where you’d help schedule meetings for clients with debt and housing advisers, among other important tasks.
To find out more about local volunteering opportunities at Shelter, click here.
3. Trussel Trust
Trussel Trust is a charity fighting against poverty with over 28,000 volunteers helping to keep their many food banks running.
You can help by volunteering at their charity shops, volunteering in their back office helping with administrative support, as well as sorting food parcels in their warehouses.
To find out more about local volunteering opportunities at Trussel Trust, click here.
4. British Heart Foundation
The British Heart Foundation funds research to beat heart and circulatory diseases — and is a contributing factor to the number of deaths from heart disease halving between 2001 and 2015 in the UK.
You can help fund further lifesaving research by volunteering at one of the British Heart Foundation’s many shops, helping to sell products, during which you’ll meet new people and gain insight and skills by trying something new.
Moreover, you can help with the BHF’s Heart Stars programme. This could involve participating in one of their campaigns such as fundraising at your local Tesco.
To find out more about local volunteering opportunities at British Heart Foundation, click here.
5. FoodCycle
FoodCycle run projects all across the UK dedicated to serving hot meals to people in need, as well as providing a much needed source of social interaction and the chance to have a chat with someone who will listen.
The charity already provide meals for over 1,500 people every week and helps people make friendship, too. You can help FoodCycle’s project by collecting food with your vehicle — be it a van or bike — or volunteer to assist in cooking meals for FoodCycle’s visitors.
To find out more about local volunteering opportunities at FoodCycle, click here.
6. London Wildlife Trust
London Wildlife Trust focuses on conservation and keeping London’s natural habitats, ecosystems and wildlife intact.
The charity offers a wide range of exciting volunteering opportunities, including habitat restoration, grassland management and tree care — for those who really want to experience nature and help by getting in the field.
There are also additional volunteering opportunities in educating young people about the environment, or as a warden to welcome people to wildlife areas and answer any questions they may have.
To find out about local volunteering opportunities at London Wildlife Trust, click here.
7. Great Ormond Street Hospital
Great Ormond Street Hospital have over 100 volunteering opportunities catering to your passions — as long as you’ve got four hours time to spare per week.
Some of their exciting volunteering positions include acting as a buddy — befriending a young person and helping them feel better while in the ward — or by dressing up as a superhero and visiting children in the hospital to put some smiles on their faces. For those less extroverted, there are a number of admin positions available to make a real difference too.
To find out about local volunteering opportunities at Great Ormond Street Hospital, click here.
8. British Red Cross
The Red Cross does huge amounts of work — not just in the UK but all over the world.
The British Red Cross offers opportunities to volunteer not just in the UK, but across Europe in areas such as refugee support — though these positions are also available domestically. You can also volunteer in fundraising, volunteer your skills for education, or help the elderly by assisting with the mobility in a wheelchair.
To find out about local volunteering opportunities at the British Red Cross, click here.
9. Cancer Research UK
Cancer Research UK is Britain’s largest cancer charity, funding lifesaving research with the goal of finding a way to beat all cancers in the near future. Different cancers make up 4 of the 10 most common causes of death, so funding research to prevent this is hugely important.
Ways you can get involved include volunteering in your local Cancer Research charity shop, as well as volunteering to promote a race or event. All you need is a minimum of 2 hours per week to give.
To find out more about local volunteering opportunities at Cancer Research UK, click here.
10. Alzheimer’s Society: United Against Dementia
Dementia is now the leading cause of death in women, and is a close second to heart disease in men — and with people living longer, dementia is affecting more and more people.
In volunteering for Alzheimer’s Society, you can provide support for people with dementia, or participate in their ‘Side by Side’ programme. This involves helping people with dementia get back to doing the things they love, such as going to football matches or seeing a film at the cinema.
To find out more about local volunteering opportunities at Alzheimer’s Society, click here.
