Volunteering with Action Tutoring is a rewarding way to make a difference to the lives of young people living in your community. You will be directly supporting disadvantaged young people to build their confidence and help ensure they leave school with the grades needed to build a bright future.

We offer a range of services including Help at Home support to help people remain independent in their own homes for as long as possible. We work with partners in the city including the NHS and Livewell South West to create opportunities that support individuals in their journey to return to independent living. Our current aim is to tackle loneliness in Plymouth through numerous activities and one off events to help people feel more included in the community. We partner with organisations and charities in the community to recommend and provide information, advice and options for improving lives and helping people Love Later Life.

This year Age UK Plymouth celebrates 80 years of supporting over 50s in the City of Plymouth. From determined and ambitious beginnings, the Charity’s origins can be found in the work of Elspeth Sitters OBE, who after volunteering with elderly people following the devastating effects of the Plymouth Blitz, knew that more had to be done for Plymouth’s older community. Over the years the charity has transformed, the challenges have changed but one thing has always remained at the heart of it all; Age UK Plymouth was, is and will be here to support over 50s continue to Love Later Life.

What will you get from volunteering with Age UK Plymouth

You will make a difference to our clients  - You will feel valued (volunteer celebration week in June, to name one event) - You will learn new skills (great for those wanting to gain skills transferrable to employment) - You will make new friendships  - You get to be a part of Age UK Plymouth Volunteer Team - You will get specific job role training - You can claim your travelling expenses to and from your volunteering sessions - You will get free refreshments during your volunteering sessions

Where

We are searching for passionate and caring volunteers to join our Volunteering Teams at The William and Patricia Venton Centre, Astor Drive, Mount Gould, Plymouth and at our William Venton Day Centre, Memory Lane, Plymstock. Your volunteering can make a difference to you and a massive difference to our clients and Age UK Plymouth.

Barnardo’s is the children’s charity with the largest number of services on the ground in the UK. It runs over 900 services in local communities. Its work includes reaching and helping children who have been sexually exploited, young people leaving the care system, children with a parent in prison and families struggling to cope. Barnardo's finds loving, adoptive homes and foster placements for children in care. Barnardo’s believes in children no matter who they are, what they have done or what they have been through. Barnardo's will ensure their needs are met and their voices are heard

There are many reasons why people volunteer with us. For some it's to meet new people, whilst others want to gain retail or warehouse experience, or simply keep busy and give back to a cause. What bonds them is a determination to fight heart and cirulatory diseases, the UK's biggest killers.

A few hours of your time when it suits you around your studies can help us save a life. We need your help in our Plymouth shops where we have fun, are energised and work hard to change lives and make a difference.

Can you help? 

Save lives, help save the planet, feel good.

Butterflies and moths are a vital part of our wildlife heritage and are valuable as sensitive indicators of the health of our environment. The stark fact is that butterflies and moths continue to decline at an alarming rate, despite Butterfly Conservation's best efforts over the last 40 years. Our data shows they are both declining faster than most other well-documented groups of plants and animals, so our task is both daunting and complex. For many species, we know what needs to be done to halt the decline and support recoveries. In order to tackle these losses and achieve the aims of the charity, we have to dramatically increase our capacity and influence over the next few years. Our work will benefit other wildlife and the ecosystems upon which all life depends. 

Falling numbers are an early warning to all wildlife that cannot be ignored. We have more than 40,000 members in the UK and 32 volunteer-run Branches throughout the British Isles.  We employ over 80 people, including many highly qualified scientists, making us the world's largest research institute for butterflies and moths. We operate 36 nature reserves and we are leading or involved in 73 landscape-scale projects to conserve habitats.

These volunteering opportunities are being run by the Cornwall Branch of Butterfly Conservation. We are working hard to engage more volunteers and to provide students with new learning opportunities in practical conservation work. Whilst all of our volunteering work occurs in Cornwall, a large proportion of it is conducted in Bodmin Moor, North Cornwall. The easiest way to volunteer with us is to drive but you can also catch a train into Cornwall. Either the volunteer coordinator or one of our regular volunteers who is attending and passing a nearby train station can pick you up and bring you to the site. 

Our group of regular volunteers hold some incredible Lepidoptera knowledge and are always eager to pass it onto to anyone who is interested. There could also be the opportunity to work with our volunteers and conduct specific survey work to support an individual project on your course. If you are intersted in volunteering with us in any capacity please don't hesitate to send an email to discuss this further. 

Cancer Research UK is a cancer research and awareness charity. Its aim is to reduce the number of deaths from cancer.

may we care for ourselves, may we care for each other, may we care for this place

Care Nest is a socially purposed organisation delivering relational wellbeing services for adult individuals and groups across Plymouth and the South West. 

Our vision is a kinder, slower, quieter world in which our relationships can recover. 

Our mission is to 'lead people back to an understanding of who we are as human beings, to create the conditions for our basic human qualities of generosity, contribution, community, and love to be evoked no matter what'. (Wheatley, 2017) 

We do this by providing opportunities for local people and communities to directly experience, engage with, and learn from a variety of relational wellbeing practices that help:
i.) guide, empower, and better equip these individuals and groups as they;
ii.) explore, acknowledge, and actively respond to; 
iii.) their needs, interests, and concerns.

THE KEY PRACTICES IN OUR DELIVERY ARE:                             
* relational wellbeing 
(e.g. conflict management, consensus decision making, restorative practice)                              
* trauma-sensitive     
(facilitating safe spaces for symptoms of trauma to be identified, named, investigated, and responded to)
* the circle way 
(established form of group process that enables deep conversations and wise outcomes) 
* mindfulness
(practices in awareness of body, emotions, thoughts, and lived experience)        

AND ARE FACILITATED THROUGH:            
* 1-to-1 / groups                                    
* workshops / talks                               
* classes / courses                          
* bespoke events
* partnership projects      

ALL OF THIS WORK INVITES THOSE WHO ENGAGE WITH IT TO: 
* pause and slow down
* identify and language lived experience
* develop greater awareness and understanding of self and other
* nurture and strengthen relationships whilst embracing diversity
* become empowered to reach a fuller potential

The Cinnamon Trust is a national charity for elderly and terminally ill people and their pets.

Citizens Advice Plymouth depends on its volunteers to deliver face to face and telephone information and advice to the clients who need us. We helped over 11,000 people across the city last year, dealing with nearly 78,000 enquiries and helping our client’s access over a £1 million of income. We also deliver national projects such as our advice services for EDF customers and other energy companies.

Devon and Cornwall Police welcome volunteers from all communities to be part of our wider policing family. We value the skills and experience that members of the public can bring in assisting us to forge closer links with our towns, villages and communities. Volunteering with Devon and Cornwall Police as Police Support Volunteers helps you to can gain new skills, meet new people and obtain an insight into the role of the police whilst making a positive contribution to your local community.  

In addition to local Police Support Volunteer roles we also recruit Special Constables and Volunteer Police Cadet Leaders.  

Climate Action Plymouth is a grass-roots movement affiliated to Friends of the Earth. We exist to bring together people and organisations wanting to take action and promote positive change in this time of global climate crisis.

The Historic Collections of Devon & Cornwall Constabulary remain one of the most complete collections in the UK. The collection began in the 1970s as a result of police mergers in the late 1960s, and a desire to protect the history of the police forces that had come before. Earliest items date from the 1810s and the collection contains archives, photographs, artworks, uniforms and equipment, as well as an extensive library relating to criminology and law enforcement. It also represents a rapidly disappearing genre – a complete collection of a profession – and the organisational memory of a large, regional police force, but which in the past included smaller borough forces and two county forces.

Devon is lucky enough to have two air ambulances, each flying 7 days a week. Together they have flown over 25,000 missions. We can get to most of Devon within 10 minutes and the whole of Devon within 15 mins. We're a vital service as in a medical emergency every minute counts

Fighting hunger | Tackling food waste

Right now, 1 in 4 children across the South West are living in poverty. 

Together we can stop food from going to waste and get it where it should be – on people’s plates.

FareShare is a unique charity fighting hunger and its underlying causes by redistributing surplus food to hundreds of local charities across the UK.  By ensuring good food is not wasted, we turn an environmental problem into a solution.  FareShare delivers environmental benefits by reducing food waste while supporting over 400 charitable organisations across the South West.

Since the launch of the Plymouth depot, the Sisna Park team have: sourced, packed and delivered a total of 793,120 tonnes of surplus food; provided 8000+ families and individuals with food to create 1,890,000 nutritious meals; co-ordinated almost 4,000 hours of volunteering and in return, supported local people to increase their confidence, practical skills and social connections; saved over 3 million tonnes of greenhouse gases from entering the atmosphere - equivalent to the emissions from a person flying around the world 557,000 times!

At the heart of guiding are the unit meetings that girls go along to each week. Volunteering at unit meetings means getting messy, meeting new people and running activities that help girls discover their potential. You’ll volunteer directly with young people and can choose to work with girls in Rainbows, Brownies, Guides or Rangers. Unit meetings are usually an hour and half once a week.

These roles are perfect if you want to:

• Support girls on a regular basis and see them grow
• Get stuck into adventurous (and often messy!) activities
• Have a rewarding role where you'll develop great relationships with girls and volunteers

Hearts Together is a south-west based charity which provides patients, carers, relatives & healthcare professionals with a safe and comfortable place to stay, just a stones throw from Derriford Hospital, DDRC and The Nuffield.

It offers support & counselling to Hospital Hotel guests, their carers & relatives.

It also provides grants to local communities & hospitals to improve health & wellbeing.

Jeremiah's Journey provides free support to children and their parents/carers when the future feels uncertain or when hope feels lost. We have been providing this service in the local area since 1996. Children who feel more able to cope with their grief often report that they have improved concentration at school and less difficulties in expressing and dealing with their emotions.

Macmillan Cancer Support is a national charity that provides local and national services to support people affected by cancer. Macmillan provides medical professionals such as Macmillan Cancer Nurses at local hospitals and other health professionals such as GP’s, Speech Therapists, Dietitians etc. Macmillan’s Cancer Support Centres offer practical and emotional support to cancer patients and their families.

Medical Detection Dogs trains dogs to detect the odour of human disease with the aim of developing faster, more efficient and less invasive diagnostics that lead to better patient outcomes.

We are at the forefront of the research into the fight against cancer and other life-threatening diseases, including Parkinson’s disease and bacterial infections.  Our Bio Detection Dogs are trained to find the odour of those diseases in samples such as urine, breath and sweat and our work has the potential to benefit millions.

We already apply what we know about the science of canine olfaction to benefit people by training Medical Alert Assistance Dogs to detect minute changes in an individual’s personal odour triggered by their disease and alert them to an impending medical event, helping them manage complex, life-threatening medical conditions and improving their quality of life.

We take the welfare of our Medical Detection Dogs extremely seriously. From the moment they come to us as puppies we ensure the highest standards of care for our dogs. We have a strict no kennel policy and all our dogs live in the homes of our staff or fantastic local volunteers where they are loved and cared for as part of the family.

We rely on the generosity of our supporters, charitable trusts and foundations and members of the public to fund our life-saving work.

Volunteers help Moor Trees to collect local seeds, to care for thousands of seedlings in our nurseries and to plant and maintain conservation woodland.

We have two large nurseries at Broadley Farm, Diptford, near South Brent and Hunter’s Moon in Dartington.  Woodland sites are scattered around Dartmoor and in the South Hams.

Tree planting takes place between November and April while nursery work – potting, planting and weeding seedlings happens throughout the year.

In summer we visit newly planted sites and in the autumn we collect seeds, nuts and acorns and learn various treatment methods to encourage germination.

The Motor Neurone Disease Association (MND) is a national group with branches across the UK, all run by volunteers. The MND Association needs your help to develop a Plymouth branch to: • Improve care and support for people with MND, their families and carers. • Fund and promote research that leads to new understanding and treatments, and brings us closer to a cure for for MND. • Campaign and raise awareness so the needs of people with MND and everyone who cares for them are recognised and addressed by wider society.

The National Marine Aquarium, a self funded charity, is the largest public aquarium in the UK welcoming 300,000 visitors per year (including the 30,000 school students who engage with our innovative Just Add H2O Schools Programme). The National Marine Aquarium's aim is to conserve marine biodiversity by encouraging people to value the marine environment and undertake pro environmental behaviour in the form of small lifestyle changes. Put another way: If we can help people LEARN about the oceans, we hope that they might LOVE the oceans and then ACT to protect them.

Can you tell a great tale, or are you a keen gardener? From buggy driving to raffle ticket selling, there's a role for everyone at Buckland Abbey. Here are just a few of the opportunities available at the moment - do get in touch to find out more.

We are always looking for volunteers at Antony and Cotehele. We wide range of volunteering opportunities including House Experience Volunteers, Bakers at the Mill, Gardeners and working with the Ranger team as well as being part of our busy Food & Beverage teams.  We are very flexible with volunteering; it can be ad hoc or very regular depending on the volunteer,

Saltram House overlooks the River Plym and is set in a rolling landscape park that provides precious green space on the outskirts of Plymouth. The house itself is described as a "treasure of Georgian England". There is a wealth of different volunteer roles available, both indoors and outdoors, including gardening and land management, marketing, catering, administration, retail, event planning and of course engaging with visitors

NSPCC help to protect children and find ways to prevent abuse. 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 we make that change.

We can all play a part in the fight for every childhood. Big or small, there’s something each of us can do to make things better.

Oxfam is a global movement of millions of people who share the belief that, in a world rich in resources, poverty isn't inevitable. Oxfam works with others to end poverty and suffering. Its many retail trading shops to help support its work include a local shop on Mutley Plain, Plymouth.

Pembroke Estate Management Board (PEMB) is a not for profit company established in 1994 to manage the Pembroke Street housing estate. With a resident led Board of Directors, PEMB works as a grass roots community organisation, in partnership with the housing landlord Plymouth Community Homes. In addition to its housing management remit, PEMB also delivers other local services including community transport, youth work and community development projects.

PEA is a practical conservation volunteering organisation based in Plymouth. We aim to involve and inspire people of all ages and abilities to conserve and learn about the natural environment whilst having fun and making new friends! PEA is run by volunteers, for volunteers. We have dedicated leaders who have a great amount of nature conservation knowledge and experience in the field. Volunteering with PEA gives you the skills and experience to compliment an environmental or biological science degree, but any student is welcome to join us. Transport is free from Plymouth City Centre.

Plymouth Highbury Trust is a charity providing a diverse range of services and social events for people with learning disabilities, living in the City of Plymouth. The Society started out as a self-help and support group with the aim to improve the services available for people with a learning disability. The Society’s membership increased considerably over the ensuing years and a lasting fellowship developed between members that still stands today. 100 years on Highbury Trust is still the leading organisation for Learning Disability Services. 

Morgan a 2022 Graduate at Plymouth Uni studying Criminology volunteered with the WISER programme at Highbury Trust for over a year and said.

"Being a Volunteer at WISER was an extremely rewarding experience for me, It was a joy to work alongside the women accessing the service who have had so much adversity and trauma in their lives. I enjoyed working with the other volunteers and staff and the training and support that was given was really good. not only did the clients become WISER, so did I "

we are looking for committed and enthusiastic volunteers with a passion for coming alongside clients with a Learning Disability who are victims of Gender Based Violence to provide encouragement and support.

If that's you we would love to hear from you.

*Please note that due to the nature of the work with vulnerable clients this volunteer opportunity will require a DBS and is open to females only. 

Plymouth Hope is a Devon based charity with aims to promote social inclusion for the public benefit by preventing people from becoming socially excluded. All our programmed are the promotion of racial harmony; children and young people issues; advancing education and raising awareness about different racial groups, to promote good relations between persons of different racial groups and community participation in healthy recreation by providing facilities and coaching for the playing of football and other sport.

Rotary is a non political and non religious volunteer organisation which distributes funds for charitable causes and gets members directly involved locally and o/seas. Mayflower Club is Plymouth based with links to clubs throughout the UK. Regular activities include running an evening for the Plymouth Soup Run, taking inner city children for a day out in the country, helping children and young adults to participate with youth competitions - public speaking, cooking, photography, musical performance. Assisting at activity days for the disabled and stewarding at Plymouth Albion and Argyle games

Powderham Castle, a jewel nestled on the banks of the river Exe, is the family home to the Earl of Devon and their family. Steeped in over 600 years of history, Powderham Castle stands as an iconic testament to the rich cultural heritage of Devon. The castle was started in 1390 by Sir Phillip Courtenay the 6th son of the 2nd Earl of Devon, Hugh, and his wife Margaret De Bohun. The Castle is now home to Charlie, The 19th Earl, and his two children Joss and Jack. Charlie inherited the estate in 2015 upon the passing of his father, Hugh Courtenay, and the family moved back to England from their home in California. 

At Powderham Castle, we offer many opportunities for volunteers to get involved with a variety of departments and projects, offering skills and experience in rare and niche skills such as Conservation work, Animal care or Heritage customer service. As a result, our volunteers have the opportunity to build their CVs with invaluable skills while having a great time. Have a look at our page for our full range of volunteering roles and projects available. To make our volunteering roles as accessible as possible, we have a very flexible volunteering rota, allowing you to adapt your volunteering around your schedule, so you are free to volunteer as much or as little as you need. Furthermore, we provide contributions to travel expenses, up to £9.00 per session, to make it even easier to get involved. Last but certainly not least we offer several perks to our volunteers, from a 10% discount at our cafe and entry tickets to free or discounted tickets to Powderham and third-party events such as our Food Festival, Let's Rock and Christmas at the Castle.

So if you are looking to gain experience and skills or just looking for a fun way to get involved with a local community, then apply to volunteer at Powderham Castle!   

Refuge is a United Kingdom charity providing specialist support for women and children experiencing domestic violence.

Routeways is a Plymouth based charitable organisation that supports children and their families to enhance their welfare and wellbeing through providing projects at Devonport Park Activity Centre and the Beckly Centre which offer safe and supportive environments for children and young people to engage in and benefit from a range of social, play and informal learning opportunities. Many of those participating in activities have physical learning or other specific disabilities so have high levels of support and care needs. Check us out www.facebook.com/routeways

Royal Navy Family and People Support (RN FPS) volunteers primarily help to assist service family community groups and events held at both Radford (Plymstock) and Crownhill Community Centre's. These provisions aid in reducing isolation, offer support for service families, and promote well-being. Volunteers are under no pressure at all to volunteer regularly, individuals may volunteer when it suits their availability as RN FPS understands that volunteers have their own families, jobs, and other commitments. Some volunteers prefer to support weekly groups, whereas others only volunteer a couple of times a year to support big events such as Easter, Halloween, and Christmas service family parties. RN FPS volunteers are required to undergo a DBS Criminal Record Background (CRB) check and will have to undertake some short online courses in Safeguarding, Food Hygiene and First Aid. Online courses and the CRB check are fully funded by RN FPS.

We are a friendly and fun group of young people and adult leaders in Woolwell, on the northern edge of the City of Plymouth. We offer an exciting range of activities for boys and girls aged between 6 and 18 in a friendly and caring environment. Whilst there is frequently an emphasis on fun, we are not just a youth club. As part of the worldwide Scout Association we aim to widen our members' experience, equip them with practical skills and foster team building and co-operation.

We are the charity looking after the UK’s longest and best-loved National Trail. We believe everyone should have access to the South West Coast Path as a place to connect to nature, relax, exercise, and take time away from the stresses of daily life. With the help of our members, fundraisers, volunteers, and partners, we’re protecting and improving the Trail for the benefit of society now and in the future. We hope you enjoy the Path and consider supporting our cause.

St Luke’s Hospice Plymouth provides specialist end of life care, helping to alleviate pain and distressing symptoms, whilst offering practical, emotional and spiritual support to patients and their families. They rely on volunteers within all aspects of their organisation, with opportunities ranging from assisting their finance team with money counting and accounts administration, to befriending and supporting one of their patients.

Supporting Brighter Futures

Safe Spaces For Young People's Mental Health

We are a holistic, not-for-profit organisation promoting mental health, resilience and free thinking for children, young people and those adults that inhabit their world. We provide a range of person-centred, outcome-led, orbital and unique training and support services.

The Bank of Dreams and Nightmares is a children’s charity based in Bridport, Dorset. We are a creative writing centre for children aged between 7 and 18 years old. We work on the principle that creative writing can change lives, and by creating an environment that allows children to explore the possibilities can have transformative results. Here we provide child led workshops in storytelling assisted by one to one mentoring via our story volunteers. All the inspiring workshops are developed with teachers and industry professionals that not only challenge writing but all of them have real outcomes at the end. So it could be anything from having a story published, recording a podcast or having a campaign film professionally made, to show the children just how far their writing can take them. It is transformative stuff! We work with schools during term times providing class visits to the Bank, and out of school workshops during the holidays often with events held at the conclusion from theatre productions to movie premiere events.

All our programmes are run by teams of volunteer writing mentors and illustrators – people just like YOU.

Location is not an issue as our illustrators can attend via zoom. We love to see the stories really come to life with the illustrations, it's a huge part of the creative process! 

The Box (formerly Plymouth Museum and Art Gallery) is an exciting and major new cultural centre, a museum for the 21st century, bringing together extraordinary gallery displays, high profile artists and art exhibitions, film, image and record archives.

We have opportunities for local surfers and volunteers to provide one-to-one mentor support in group surfing lessons for young people with mental health issues as a way of getting them outside, doing physical exercise and feeling more confident about themselves. We aim to help young people reduce anxiety and improve their emotional health through surf therapy.

Are you interested in becoming a volunteer? Do you want to help your local hospital or gain experience in a hospital setting? Do you want to give your time supporting the NHS?

Our Trust welcomes volunteers to complement the work carried out by paid staff and there is always room for more. As a Trust volunteer you’ll gain a unique insight into hospital life, receive relevant training (both of which will be great for your CV or life experience), as well as being a valuable part of our #1BigTeam.

The Social Sport timetable is run through the Sports department in the Students' Union. There are three elements to the social sport programme. Give It A Go (GIAG) is a weekly timetable of low level activities, on campus at low price. The activities are open to all students who study at the University of Plymouth and it doesnt matter if you have any experience in the activities the idea is to turn up and try it. All equipment is provided. Unfortuantely this year there is a restricted timetable and numbers per session but I hope to add to throughout the year. 

The second strand of social sport is Intramural, these are semi competitive leagues run throughout the year. The two leagues are Netball and 11- a-side football. You can form a team through a group of friends, house mates, course friends, or be a club or society. The teams then play each other in a round robin format throughout the year. The idea of Intramural is less competitive then clubs and no commitment to training weekly, just turn up play the games in a fun and informal environment. Intramural also has one off tournaments like UV Volleyball, Dodgeball, Netball where you can enter a team just for the event for some additonal fun. Intramural won't start until term 2 because of the current situtation.

The final project of social sport is Be Active, Reduce Stress (BARS). This is a wellbeing project that started two years ago due to allocated funding. If you are feeling anxious or lonely or need some additional support you can access the SU and University wellbeing services and refer yourself to BARS. You will then be paired with a buddy who is a student who has recieved additonal training. You both will then have access to the Give It A Go activities for free for 8 weeks. The idea is that going with someone will take the pressure and anxiety off the individual as the buddy knows where all the events are and what time etc. The group also meet up to do activities together. 

What we do

An award winning organisation, Veterans With Dogs is the first in the UK to train and provide specialised assistance dogs for Veterans with mental health difficulties. 

Our goal is to improve quality of life and help Veterans lead more independent lives by training assistance dogs in task-specific skills appropriate to better mental health.

Wembury Marine Centre, managed by Devon Wildlife Trust, provides marine education and awareness activities to school groups of all ages and to the general public.

YMCA Plymouth is a charity working with children, young people and vulnerable adults to develop their full potential through providing activities and education.

When cancer strikes young lives CLIC Sargent helps families limit the damage it causes beyond their health. We provide specialist support, to help and guide each young cancer patient and their family. We will fight tirelessly for them, individually, locally and nationally, so they can focus on the important things.