The joy of volunteering: fun, flexible and fulfilling

People offer their time to volunteer with charities for lots of different reasons – it could be a cause close to your heart, or you want to give something back to your community. We have about 70 charities that are members of the Chamber, all doing brilliant things across our city (and beyond).

In 2023, I started volunteering with one of those charities, Together Co, who work to tackle loneliness and isolation. I’m a befriender volunteer and have been seeing my befriender pretty much every other Thursday since then.

Before I started volunteering though, I spent a lot of time figuring out what I wanted to do. For me, I wanted to connect with other people, feel like I was having an impact, and have fun doing it. It also had to be something that fit around my full-time job. And I was pleasantly surprised at the amount of flexible volunteering opportunities that are out there.

So, if you’re considering volunteering, here are a few of those charities in the Chamber that have some different volunteering opportunities to get involved with. They might be an hour or two a week, evening, weekend, or one-off things you can do – my volunteering fits into my lunch break. 

Take Shelter: one for the history buffs

If you’re interested in local history, this might be the one for you. Take Shelter is a volunteer led charity offering guided tours of the original World War 2 Air Raid Shelters at Downs Junior School (if you haven’t been, it’s worth a visit – we’ve done some Behind the Scenes events there and it’s fascinating!) The project is all about exploring what life was like for families in Brighton during World War 2.

Volunteer roles include tour guides, workshop coordinators, researchers and exhibit curators. You don’t need to have specific World War 2 knowledge as you’ll get full training, but it’s suited to people interested in local history. Their oldest volunteer turned 95 this year, and their youngest cohort are students from the University of Brighton. Once trained, you’ll volunteer on an opt-in basis, choosing the days and times you’re free – some volunteers attend most weekends, some once a year – all are valued! Find out more about the project here or contact Al Mackintosh on 07974 648238.  

Supporting local charity shops with Sussex Beacon

The Sussex Beacon provides specialist care and support for people living with HIV, through palliative and end of life care services, as well as day services to promote independence and improve health and wellbeing.

They’re looking for retail volunteers who can work flexibly at their two charity shops in Brighton. You can apply here or get in touch: volunteering@sussexbeacon.org.uk.  

Become a befriender through Together Co

Brighton & Hove’s leading loneliness and social health charity, Together Co, helps people in our city build lasting connections and feel part of their community through befriending, social prescribing and volunteering services.

They’re looking for befrienders to support people who are at risk of social isolation as a result of their age, disability or health condition. Befriending offers supportive, reliable and mutually rewarding relationships with volunteer befrienders to people who would otherwise be socially isolated.

Volunteers are matched with a lot of care with people they’re going to get on with. Typically, a volunteer will spend 30-60 minutes each week or fortnight with the person they befriend. You could do this over the phone or in person, visiting them at home or going for a walk or a coffee. It’s all about friendly conversation and a listening ear.

There’s a lot of flexibility in this role for the volunteer and the person you befriend to decide together how you’d like to spend your time together. For me, I pop round to my befriender’s for an hour on my lunch break, every other week. Find out more here. 

Open gardens with Friends of Brighton & Hove Hospitals

Friends of Brighton & Hove Hospitals is a local charity with one simple aim: to make life better for people in hospital. This year, they’re running a programme of open gardens and looking for volunteers to help with setting up, serving refreshments, baking, or any other jobs that need doing on the day. The gardens are all in and around Brighton – mostly taking place on weekends including:

• 17-19 April, The Garden Show, Firle
• 3 May, Launch event
• 31 May, Bankside, Ditchling Common
• 20 June, Newtimber Place
• 11-12 July, Stanmer Villas

Find out more about volunteering for any of these dates by getting in touch with Katy Wells: katywells@brightonhospitalfriends.org.uk 

Support your local community at The Old Boat

A warm, welcoming community hub with inclusive projects, support and affordable spaces for all, The Old Boat is run by the community for the community. They have a few different volunteering opportunities to suit different interests and availability. You could volunteer as a:

• Tree guardian (once a month, flexible) - help care for local trees by clearing litter, watering during dry periods, checking guards and supports, and reporting any damage or concerns. No specialist knowledge is needed - just reliability, care, and enjoyment of being outdoors.
• Soft play maintenance volunteer (Mon–Wed, 12:00) - support their soft play sessions by helping pack equipment away and assisting with monthly deep cleaning. You should be reliable, happy to help with practical tasks, and able to lift and carry soft play items.
• Old Boat companion volunteer (Tuesdays, 14:00–16:00) - welcome members, serve refreshments, chat with attendees, and support activities like games or gentle sports. This role is about creating a warm, inclusive atmosphere – ideal for someone who’s friendly, supportive and wants to volunteer with a team.
• Events volunteer (key weekends throughout the year) - help set up and pack down events, support vendors and attractions, chat with visitors, collect donations, and be a welcoming presence. Ideal for someone sociable, flexible, hands-on, and available occasionally at weekends.

For more info, visit their website or email: oldboatvolunteer@gmail.com.  

Whoopsadaisy: helping children with physical disabilities to live full and independent lives

Whoopsadaisy have been providing conductive education to children with cerebral palsy and other motor disorders for over a decade. Based in Preston Park (you might have spotted them just up from the Rose Garden), they support children with disabilities and their families to live full and independent lives.

Whether you’d like to offer your time on a regular basis for about two hours a week, assisting a conductor with session with the children, or want to help at one-off things like their summer party, annual Christmas party or marathon events – there’s a good range of volunteering to choose from. Find out more on their website or get in touch with their volunteering team: volunteering@whoopsadaisy.org. 

Impact Initiatives - one for the green fingered!

Founded in 1978, Impact Initiatives helps people live healthy and fulfilling lives through a range of targeted support programmes – including supported housing, youth advise, safe social spaces, advocacy for people with disabilities, food and wellbeing support for older adults, employment advice and training services.They’re looking for a friendly volunteer to help tidy and maintain the courtyard garden at the Young People’s Centre, based in the heart of Brighton.

This is a great opportunity for someone who enjoys gardening and wants to support creating a welcoming space for young people – it's used for barbecues, a meeting place for small groups of young people, and as a place for staff to take a break. This could be one or two hours a week, including tasks like weeding, tidying, light maintenance and keeping the harden looking cared for. Get in touch with Jennifer Tulloch to find out more: jennifer.tulloch@impact-initiatives.org.uk. 

Find more volunteering opportunities in Brighton through Community Base

The Volunteer Centre at Community Works can help you find lots more volunteering opportunities in our city. Whether you’re interested in mentoring a young person, supporting a fundraising event, or even becoming a trustee. Search online here.

So, are you ready to discover the joy of volunteering?

Hopefully this has sparked some inspiration if you’re on the fence about volunteering, or weren’t sure where to start.

My best advice? Juts go for it. It’ll be one of the most rewarding things you decide to do. 

Hannah Withey is Marketing & Engagement Manager at Brighton Chamber.

You can see all the charities that are part of our supportive, inclusive and welcoming business community here. If you’re interested in joining our business community, find out more about becoming a member here.  

If you want to contribute to the Chamber blog, contact us on hannah@brightonchamber.co.uk