We’d love for you to join us. Whether you have a few hours to spare or more time to give, St Margaret’s offers a range of volunteering opportunities.
We’ve tried to answer many of your questions below, but if you need more information, please contact our friendly volunteering team via email at [email protected] or call 01823 346959.
FAQs
Volunteering opportunities at St Margaret’s are open to everyone. We welcome people from any background, with any level of experience. We’re committed to equal opportunities and building diversity across St Margaret’s through our volunteers.
The minimum age for volunteering in St Margaret’s’ retail shops is 14. There are some age restrictions for certain roles within the hospice or as an Event Volunteer. Please check each role description to find out if there are any age restrictions.
You can volunteer as often or as little as you like. Sometimes, it will depend on the role you are doing, as some roles have fixed days and times and may require a minimum time commitment to meet the needs of patients and their families. But mostly it depends on your availability, and how much time you can comfortably give.
Volunteering does not affect your benefits, but it is best to check with your benefits office before volunteering, to get their confirmation. People claiming Job Seekers Allowance (JSA) can volunteer as long as they remain available for work and are actively seeking paid employment.
Yes, we pay expenses. We believe no one should be out of pocket by choosing to give their time to us and we want to ensure that there are no barriers to volunteering with St Margaret’s. We reimburse agreed out–of–pocket expenses, such as car parking, bus fares and car mileage.
If you have a criminal record, it won’t necessarily stop you from becoming a volunteer. Some of our roles, particularly where there is regular patient contact or where you will be handling money, may require a DBS check. Each case is considered individually, and we do not discriminate unfairly against any applicant based on a conviction or criminal record information disclosed to us.
If you are not a British national, then please note that we are not able to provide sponsorship for anyone wishing to come to the UK to volunteer. If you are an Irish citizen, EU/EEA citizen with settled or pre-settled status there are no restrictions on volunteering and refugees and asylum seekers are fully entitled to volunteer. If you are applying from outside of the EU, or are already in the UK on a visa, you will need to check that you are entitled to volunteer, before applying for a volunteer role at St Margaret’s.
If you have a disability, please consider volunteering for St Margaret’s. We aim to ensure that volunteering is as accessible as possible and will endeavour to make reasonable adjustments to support your volunteering wherever possible.
It’s easy to find your perfect volunteer role – check out our current volunteering opportunities! When you see a role that you’re interested in, please complete an online application form or email volunteer.recruitment@st-margarets-hospice.org.uk to request a paper copy.
Alternatively, call 01823 346959 to speak to a member of our friendly volunteering team.