The best volunteering roles in London

One of the best things you can do while you’re at university is volunteer work. Especially since securing a job that caters to your university schedule and social life isn’t always that easy. In big cities such as London, there are plenty of opportunities around. Volunteer roles are a rewarding way to gain experience, strengthen your CV, meet new people, and give back to your community.

Here’s a list of the best volunteering roles in London that are currently recruiting and how you can get involved.

How to know what role is for you?

1. Identify Your Motivations

Ask yourself:

• What field do you want to gain experience in?
• Is there a specific cause or group you want to give back to?
• Are there any skills you want to develop?

2. Explore Interest Areas

Think about what you’re passionate about:

• Working with Children
• Supporting Animals
• Community Development and Support
• Education & Mentorship
• Saving the Environment

3. Consider Your Strengths and Availability

Be honest about what you can offer:

• How much time can you commit?
• What skills can you offer?
• Do you have any preferences? (working indoors vs. outdoors, solo vs. in a team, remote vs. in-person)

Top volunteering opportunities in London

Mentoring and working with children

Noah’s Ark

A children’s hospice that supports babies, children, and young people with life-limiting or life-threatening conditions. They offer clinical and respite care as well as community-based support in their hospice called The Ark.

What roles are available?

• Event Volunteer: Help support and run fundraising events
• Fundraising Researcher: Research and identify new fundraising ideas
• Kitchen Volunteer: Support the kitchen at ‘The Ark’ with serving, preparing and cooking food for visitors
• Family Activities Volunteer: Running and assisting with family events, such as outings, activity days, sibling groups, and parent support sessions.
• Home Support Volunteer: Provide non-medical support such as playing, helping siblings, practical tasks like ironing or gardening, or assisting with family outings

Locations: Across North London, ‘The Ark’ in High Barnet

IntoUniversity

A UK charity that provides local learning centres where young people (aged 7 and up) can access academic support, skills development, and career inspiration in a safe and welcoming environment. By volunteering with this charity, you can support young people from disadvantaged backgrounds through mentoring and academic support.

What roles are available?

• Academic Support Tutor: Help with homework, revision, study skills, or teach the charity’s curriculum.
• University Student Mentor: Lead one-to-one sessions, supporting your mentee with academic skills, social and emotional development, and future thinking.

Locations: Centres across London

Bookmark Reading

A charity committed to helping you ‘change a child’s story’, helping children develop reading skills to help them succeed in school and beyond.

What roles are available?

• Reading Volunteer: 10 weeks of 30-minute reading sessions with a child between 5 and 8 years old. You’ll help develop their literacy skills and their confidence.

Locations: Schools across London

Action Tutoring

A charity aiming to help disadvantaged children across the UK thrive academically

What roles are available?

• Volunteer Tutor: Work with 1-3 pupils to improve their English or maths, in-person or online for an hour a week across 10-20 weeks.

Locations: Across London

Refugee Education UK

Giving refugees access to an education where they can thrive, reach their academic potential and find a pathway to employment

What roles are available?

• Volunteer Mentor: Help with homework, English practice or passing an exam whilst becoming a role model and companion for your mentee

Locations: Across London

Food banks

Trussell Trust 

A UK-based anti-poverty charity working to end hunger and the need for food banks. Through 1,400 food bank centres across the nation, they provide emergency food and support to people facing crisis.

What roles are available?

• Session Volunteer: Meeting and greeting people at centres and giving out food parcels.
• Warehouse Packer: Preparing food and household item parcels.
• Volunteer Driver: Collecting donations from supermarkets, warehouses and delivering food parcels to food banks.

Locations: Across London, including Hackney, Kensington and Chelsea, Bermondsey, Barking

Foodbank Aid

A charity that collects, sorts and distributes donations of food, toiletries and essential household goods to local food banks across North London and Herts

What roles are available?

• Centre Volunteer: You will sort donations and pack deliveries at the hub, as well as collect and deliver donations to local food banks.

Locations: Across North London, Hub in North Finchley

The Felix Project

Help fight food waste and feed those in need by collecting and delivering surplus food.

What roles are available?

• Warehouse Assistants: Sort surplus rescued food or household items and prepare deliveries for community organisations.
• Driver & Co-Drivers: Rescue and deliver food to local community organisations
• Kitchen Assistant: Support with cooking and packing nutritious, ready-made meals using surplus food to support people in need of food relief.
• The Green Scheme Food Rescue: Rescue and deliver food through a service that is done on foot, by bicycle or electric vehicle.
• Events Volunteering: Volunteer to support fundraising events throughout the year

Locations: Hubs across North, West, and East London

Environmental, nature, and wildlife

National Trust

A charity with the mission to protect places of historic interest or natural beauty so that everyone can enjoy them. The National Trust maintains over 500 historic properties and promotes sustainable tourism and heritage conservation.

What roles are available?

• House Volunteers and Room Guides: Welcome and engage visitors, share stories of the history of the venue and help visitors understand and enjoy the history
• House Experience Volunteer: Deliver engaging 45-minute tours, share stories about the history of the venue and help visitors enjoy their day
• Visitor Welcome Volunteer: Provide a warm and informative welcome, help visitors plan their visit and offer a personalised thank-you for a lasting impression

Location: Osterley House (Isleworth) and Red House (Bexleyheath), more locations across London available throughout the year

RSPCA

A UK-based charity dedicated to promoting animal welfare and preventing cruelty to animals.

What roles are available?

• Fundraising Volunteer: You’ll help organise and run fundraising events to raise money that directly supports local animal welfare work. This involves planning, promoting, and participating in activities that bring in vital funds.
• Animal Rescue Volunteer: This role supports the front-line work of the RSPCA by collecting, transporting, and releasing wild and domestic animals. You’ll be trained to safely handle animals and equipment and help with rescue and rehabilitation efforts.
• Microvolunteering: Help the RSPCA with small tasks such as liking and sharing posts on social media to raise awareness, completing short online surveys and signing petitions and campaigns.
• Wildlife Friend: Complete small but important actions in your local area without touching or handling any wildlife. This includes improving wildlife welfare, sharing RSPCA advice online, helping with campaigns and petitions and creating wildlife-friendly spaces in your garden or public areas. All activities are logged through an online app called Assemble.

Locations: North and South London, Remote

London Wildlife Trust

A conservation charity dedicated to protecting London’s wildlife and wild spaces. The Trust manages nature reserves, runs education programmes, supports urban conservation, and works with communities to protect and enhance biodiversity across London.

What roles are available?

• Conservation & Land Management: This includes habitat restoration (clearing scrub, planting trees), wildlife gardening, river cleanups and reserve management support.
• Community Engagement and Buddying: This includes meeting & greeting guests, leading tours, stewarding events or volunteering in the café or shop.
• Education & Youth Support: Helping with ‘Nature Tots & Wild Child’ sessions and supporting school groups and youth leadership programmes.
• Wildlife Monitoring: Completing tasks such as bird, reptile, and insect surveys, as well as pond dipping & water-quality testing.

If you’re particularly interested in volunteering with animals, check our recommendations for the best places for animal volunteering in London.

Charity shops

Charity shops such as British Red Cross, Cancer Research and Oxfam are always looking for volunteers. These shops contribute huge amounts of donations to the charities’ causes every year.

What roles are available?

• Shop Volunteer: This role would include sorting through donations, pricing items and creating displays.

Locations: Various shops across London

Volunteer roles are a meaningful and impactful way to spend your spare time at university. Volunteering is truly an incredible opportunity that allows you to grow as a person and give back to society. Whichever of the above volunteering roles in London you choose to pursue, you’ll have the chance to contribute to the change you wish to see in the world.