Learn more about how you can help our community, check out our listings for an opportunity that suits you
Volunteer for Cambridge Fair
After a successful inaugural event that saw more than 80 organizations represented and over 600 people through the doors, Volunteer for Cambridge is back. The event will take place on 30 January from 11am to 4pm in Cambridge Guildhall, and has been organized by Cambridge City Council and Cambridge Hub. This year, almost 100 organizations will be present providing information about themselves and offering ways for people to get involved. The event aims to get more people involved in volunteering, bring together organisations with shared aims, and break down the town and gown divide. As well as the stalls there will be talks, a kids activity area and healthy refreshments on hand. It promises to be a great, fun day and if you can spare a little time drop in to learn more about our community and the ways you can help.
www.cambridgehub.org/volunteer-for-cambridge
Arts and Local Heritage
Get hands-on with gardening at the Farmland museum, or DIY at the Burwell. People person? The Museum of Cambridge and The Churches Conservation Trust are looking for event helpers and visitor welcome volunteers. If you’re creative, Heritage at Great St Mary’s is asking for arts and crafts volunteers help run activities for families, and if you prefer alone time, you can contribute to by studying local history and writing lesson plans and family activities from home.
Community Support
Be a Community Champion for the Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service and serve to protect and support local people whilst receiving both training and experience. Bring books to people unable to leave their homes with Cambridgeshire Libraries Library at Home service and meet new people on the way. If you want to get more fresh air and exercise, check out the You Can Hub CIC’s You Can Bike Too project and go on bike rides with people with and without physical disabilities. Finally, Riverside Housing has a number of ways in which you can help vulnerable local people. If you’re an experienced cook, help out at their ‘Come Dine With Us’ evenings; if you’re a fitness instructor, consider volunteering to induct and instruct on the gym facilities. You can also help as a mentor and befriender, or in an activities role, where you can assist in providing activities for vulnerable adults and people aged between 16 and 60.
Young People
Work with young carers between the ages of eight and 18 with Centre 33’s Young Carers Project by providing support at meetings, outings and fortnightly youth groups. If you’re aged between 16 and 25, you can work with people around your age at Fulbourn Action for Youth. Adults of all ages can help out with the Cambridge District Scout groups and Cubs. Volunteer as a leader, assistant leader, or helper at a pre-established group for one evening a week, or help to deliver scouting to an area in which there is not currently a group. The 1st Oakington Scout and Cub groups in particular are currently looking for some assistant leaders.
The Elderly
Age UK Cambridgeshire has various positions on offer, from administrative roles as an Addenbrooke’s hospital volunteer to visiting scheme volunteer opportunities, in which volunteers are asked, essentially, to provide their company. The Abbeyfield Society Browns Field House is looking for people to provide time and activities to residents with dementia. Cambridgeshire Care Network is requesting short-term visitors and community group supporters. They’re also asking people to get involved with village car schemes and as community navigators, helping find information on local activities and services. Finally, the Histon and Impington Community Minibus Ltd is looking for a keyboard player for their over 50s singing group.
Animals & Outdoors
Dog lovers can help Guide Dogs East Anglia as puppy boarders, walkers and events helpers. Great for people who’d like a dog but can’t commit, being a puppy boarder means looking after a puppy for just a week or two. People interested in more can take on up to 15 months as a puppy walker, helping to train, develop and care for a guide dog puppy. Training provided!
If you prefer the outdoors we’d highlight the Cambridge National Trust volunteers, who perform voluntary conservation work on Sundays at National Trust properties. Or get involved with Cambridgeshire East’s Girl guiding woodland conservation effort at their outdoor activity centre.
People with Disabilities
Cam Sight is calling for befrienders for adults with sight loss, volunteers for rural support groups and, unusually, tandem cyclists. They’re also looking for drivers, and a stamp group helper. Meanwhile Vision4Growth CIC is recruiting tennis coaching assistants to help at weekly training sessions. Cambridgeshire Hearing Help CIO is asking for support volunteers for group sessions, which is a great way to learn more for people looking to expand their knowledge and skill sets. In-depth training in hearing loss and hearing aids is provided.
Illness and Medicine
Volunteer with Cambridge and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust as a gardener at the Mental Health Hospital if you’re a fan of the outdoors, or as a reception officer if you’re comfortable with administrative responsibilities. You can be a hospital trolley helper for the Royal Voluntary Service, selling confectioneries and toiletries in pairs on the wards, a café helper or a volunteer in the A & E department, where you’ll support patients waiting to be assessed and treated. If you’re creative, check out Radio Addenbrooke’s, which is always looking for presenters, request collectors and librarians. For historians, Headway Cambridgeshire is currently looking for oral history volunteers to collect and archive research.
Mental Health and Learning Difficulties
If you’re interested in helping out in a hands-on way you can, at both Eddie’s and local mental health charity Make, Do and Mend, which is dedicated to helping people with arts and crafts. They’re currently looking for events assistants to help at stalls in local events, leaflet distributors, and workshop assistants and leaders to get stuck in with the arts and crafts side of things. Eddie’s is asking for a variety of people, from befrienders for young people aged between 15 and 25 as well as adults older than 25, to artwork helpers and gardening support workers.
Homelessness
Help out at Jimmy’s Night Shelter, which is currently looking for reception volunteers to take calls and assist with basic administration, or at Wintercomfort for the Homeless.
Wintercomfort has a range of openings: they’re looking for a hairdresser to commit three to four hours once a month at their drop-in centre, an ESOL teacher to plan and teach regular classes, and mentors for volunteers at the Food4Food café. They also need a clothing store manager to help manage their stock of donated clothing and assist clients in finding suitable items.
