Volunteering

Click here for more information on becoming a Volunteer Litter Picker

Within the District we are currently looking for volunteer walk leaders to take on the following walks across the district:

Monday (Not on Bank Holidays)

• Kirby Muxloe (Brisk) - 11am-12pm - Kirby Muxloe Library, Station Road, Kirby Muxloe, LE9 2EN
• South Wigston (Easy) - 11am-12pm - Tesco, South Wigston, LE18 4SE
• Braunstone Town (Beginner) - 2pm-3pm - Braunstone Town Library, Braunstone Civic Centre, Leicester, LE3 2PP

Tuesday

• Oadby (Brisk) - 10am-11am - Parklands Leisure Centre, Oadby, LE2 5QG
• Stoney Stanton (Brisk) - 10am-11am - Stoney Stanton Memorial Playing Fields, Stoney Stanton, LE9 4TQ
• Countesthorpe (Beginner) - 11:30am-12:30pm - Countesthorpe Library - Station Road, Countesthorpe, LE8 5TB

Wednesday

• Walk Together Glen Parva (Beginner) - 10:30am-11:30am - Glen Hills Library, Dorothy Avenue, Glen Parva, LE2 9JD
• Walk Together Glen Parva (Brisk) - 10:30am-11:30am - Glen Hills Library (address as above)
• Wigston (Easy) - 11am-12 noon - Two Steeples Pub, Wigston, LE18 1AD

Thursday

• Oadby (Easy) - 10am-11am - Brocks Hill Country Park, Oadby, LE2 5JJ

Saturday

• South Wigston (Easy) - 9:30am-10:30am - South Wigston Methodist Church, LE18 4PB

Find out more information, including on how to contact our team to become Volunteer Walk Leader on the Active Blaby website in the link panel below.

A Place To Grow supports people living with mental health, learning disabilities and long term health conditions and is free to use for our residents. The sustainable Community Garden was created with the purpose to support positive health and well-being. We encourage people to learn new things by producing and eating healthy food, being physically active, getting involved in the community and meeting new people in a friendly, informal and safe environment.

The site is aimed at supporting and encouraging those living with or affected by a health condition to enjoy the outdoors. To find out more please visit our A Place to Grow page. 

Commbus is a local community transport service. Our organisation is run entirely by volunteer drivers, escorts and office staff who give their time freely to make our customers' lives more independent.

We are always looking for new volunteers who are willing to give something back to the community, whether it is as a driver (who will be MIDAS trained), a bus escort to help our passengers onto the buses or an office co-ordinator to answer all our enquiries and bookings. We also provide full in-house training for all our positions.

If you would like volunteer for any of the above positions, please contact Kim Richardson on 07899 668 034 or email kim.richardson@outlook.com

Countesthorpe Scouts offer Skills for Life for over 130 young people aged 6 to 17 years through our Beavers, Cubs, Scouts and Young Leaders Sections. Our varied indoor and outdoor programme is full of fun and adventure for young people and adult volunteers alike, and we welcome anyone to join our team. No previous experience needed - there will be something you can help with!

Roles available:

• Helping deliver Skills for Life, fun and adventure for our Young People in weekly Section meetings, on trips or camps. You don’t have to come every week, any time you can give is great!
• Supporting our charity’s functions as a trustee on our Executive Committee, including finances, governance, health, and safety and building matters
• Joining our hut maintenance team, helping to keep our ageing building safe and secure for generations to come
• Joining our Fundraising Team, including for our Annual Scout Gala, raising vital funds for the Group to ensure the cost to members is as low as possible in these challenging times and that Scouting can be available to everyone, regardless of their background

For more information contact Jack (Group Scout Leader) on 07811 100 301 or jack.barber@countesthorpescouts.org.uk

Community Action Partnership is a Leicester/shire based charity providing high quality community services and community transport in Blaby District. We are passionate about community development and volunteering and aim to provide the highest standards.

Community Action Partnership are looking for enthusiastic individuals who are willing to use their own car to take local people to the doctors, dentist, shopping lunch clubs, etc. We also need Drivers, Passenger Assistants and Office Volunteers. Mileage is paid monthly.

If this is something you are interested in, please contact community@communityap.org.uk.

Countesthorpe Cricket Club are seeking volunteers to fill two of the following roles: Schools Partnership volunteer and volunteer Fundraisers.

We are keen to bring young players into the club as we feel that our junior section is part of the building blocks for our future development which is where our School Partnership volunteer would help by making contact and develop links with primary and secondary schools in the local community. This role requires 30 minutes of commitment each week.

Our fundraiser would volunteer to help raise funds to support the club moving forward in this time of financial uncertainty.  We would love more people to know about us a club as we want to get to know the local community better, not only for sport but also community events. We would love to have one or two more volunteers to help us contact potential sponsors and look at new ways of generating income for the club. This role requires one hour of commitment each week.

For further information please contact James Popplewell or Annie Bell on countesthorpecricketclub@outlook.com

In Leicestershire over 8800 people who are aged 65 and above who are living with dementia and additionally there are over 700 people in Leicestershire and Rutland living with dementia who are under the age of 65. Alzheimer’s Society supports people living with or affected by any of the 100+ types of dementia.

Volunteering is at the heart of what we do to support people at Alzheimer’s Society, and we would love to have more volunteers in Leicestershire to help raise awareness which helps to improve diagnosis rates, help to connect local people to resources, services, and information. Volunteers are also needed to help support vital fundraising activities and events as well as ambassadors to help connect with the community.

If you are interested in any of the roles listed above, please contact Heidi Wilkinson on 07483 925 953 or heidi.wilkinson@alzheimers.org.uk

We have an eight-person Committee at present all of whom are volunteers, but we have a further two vacancies as our projects are gaining more momentum. For those who wish not to join our committee, there is always room for more volunteers to join. Without volunteers, Friends of Narborough Station would not exist, nor would it be the dynamic function it is today.

If you are interested in helping us to fulfil our exciting projects, which include making the station dementia friendly, more accessible and creating a cycle storage hub please contact john@harrisonhome.force9.co.uk

Croft Good Neighbour Scheme assists villagers with varied tasks such as: transport to appointments, help with their shopping, DIY, befriending and many more. The request for our services is growing and to be able to deliver these, we require more volunteers to help with this much valued service.

Volunteers will be asked to complete a DBS application which is supplied and paid for by Croft Good Neighbours scheme. 

We are currently looking for volunteers to fill the role of a Telephone Co-ordinator. This role involves answering incoming calls on our community phone, taking details of the request and contact the volunteers to see who is available for the specific task. The co-ordinator will then be required to contact the service user to inform them they will be contacted by a volunteer.

If this is something you can help with, even if its just half an hour every once in a while, please contact us on 07590 246 386 visit the website in the links panel below.

We are the UK’s largest girl only organisation. With more than 4500 members, Girlguiding Leicestershire gives girls and young women space where they can grow, develop, build brilliant friendships, and make a positive difference to their lives and their communities. We continue to give girls and young women, of all backgrounds and faiths, an opportunity to make their voices heard so that they can realise their full potential to become dynamic members of the 21st century. We cater for girls aged 4 to 18 years old and are open to new volunteers over the age of 18 years.

We have various roles available including helping at weekly meetings, occasional helpers, admin roles etc. Parents and volunteers can register on the website in the links panel.

Whetstone Good Neighbour Scheme is made up of a group of local volunteers who aim to provide neighbourly assistance to those residents of Whetstone who are vulnerable or in need of short-term assistance. Our volunteers have been able to help service users with their shopping and assist them with appointments including hospital, doctors, dental, opticians and hairdressers.  We have also taken service users out to lunch clubs or social events and helped with DIY jobs, gardening, form filling and befriending.

The team continue to work diligently and safely to develop the services we offer in line with the needs of the community. Befriending work remains a lifeline to residents, taking away the isolation aspect of everyday life. We continue to be recognised by our service users and other organisations as a key service provider to our community and remain an asset. If you would like to volunteer and help continue to grow our service, please contact Lou Hathaway on 07939 685 537 or visit the website in the links panel at the bottom of the page for more information.

Blaby Mind Matters meet at Blaby Social Club and help support anyone with a mental health diagnosis. No expertise in mental health is required to volunteer at our group. Activities such as bingo take place during the event, and we occasionally venture out for a pub lunch.

The group is a chance for people to get together, make friends and support one another, over a cup of tea/coffee and some biscuits.

We are always looking for volunteers to help deliver these events, if this is something you are interested in, please contact Karen Szczurek on 07530 554 2155 or email karen@szczurek.co.uk for more information.

Toys on the table is a registered charity which gives new toys to children who would otherwise receive nothing on Christmas Day. Children are referred to us by local authorities’ social services, schools, Women’s aid, and other social charities. Toys are donated by the public, although we must purchase some toys/gifts for children where donations do not meet demand. Last year we helped provide toys to over 4800 children.

If you would like to donate any toys, Blaby District Council offices, located on Desford Road, Narborough, have a collection point. Only new gifts from donors, or funds to purchase new gifts can be accepted. We ask that gifts are not wrapped as they have to be inspected before distribution under health and safety rules. We collect from the offices on a weekly basis. If you would like to find other donation points, please visit www.toysonthetable.org.uk/how-can-you-help/

Further information is available on their website in the links panel below.

We are currently not looking for volunteers until November 2023. If you would like to help nearer the time, please email toysonthetable@aol.com

Blaby and Whetstone Activity Centre's main objective is to deliver services for the young people of Blaby and Whetstone district. We can do this through the funding of other business ventures that the club offers. Any profit made from the social club events, the hire of the building facilities, the use of the pub and businesses regular use of the building, go back into providing youth provision for local young people and a support service for young adults aged 18-24 years who have a learning disability, as well as maintenance upkeep of the building and pitch facilities. 

We hold a youth club every Friday between 6-8pm as well as a Young at Heart Day which is held on the second Monday of each month for anyone over the age of 65 years to come along and enjoy a cup of tea or coffee with a piece of cake or biscuit and a chit chat.

We are always looking for volunteers to help us run these events, if it is something you are interested in, please contact Alaina on 07483 152 779 or email alaina@theactivitycentre.org

We are a Scout group in the heart of Braunstone Town. We have young people, both boys and girls, from the age of 6 years upwards, to learn new skills and develop friendships that could last a lifetime. We have over 80 youngsters come to us every week.

We rely completely on volunteers to run our friendly group and welcome all new help and members over the age of 18 to help our leaders. Training is provided and you can get involved as much or as little as you want. We are currently looking for volunteers who can help with our evening activities.

If this is something you are interested in, please contact the group scout leader on 07712 660 595, or email 4thleicesterscoutgroup@mail.com

Lubbesthorpe Alive is all about helping to build a healthy community. The Community Hub officially opened in March 2018 and was located at the entrance of New Lubbesthorpe.

Our Team seeks to be community innovators and inspire others to do the same. Primarily they are here as a community development organisation, to bring people and organisations together to keep the community story alive here in Lubbesthorpe.

We have plenty of volunteering roles available to help with our Bumps and Babes (pre walkers) on Wednesdays or Tea and Toast (pre-schoolers) on Thursdays, both events taking place between 10am and 12 noon. Please note, this post requires a DBS check. Help is also required at the Lubbesthorpe Connexions sessions, taking place on the second and fourth Wednesdays of the month between 1.30pm and 3pm. Finally, we are always looking for seasonal event volunteers throughout the year.

To receive updates on upcoming opportunities, complete the volunteer sign up using the webpage link at the bottom of the page.

If you would more information on volunteering and would like to get involved, please contact Sue or Becky at lubbesthorpealive@gmail.com

Cross Counties radio can be found on 92FM and 95.4FM and is looking for residents in Blaby District to contribute to the service. If you are interested in radio, broadcasting, and the community you live in, then why not get involved? We have a range of roles available. If you experience difficulties with travelling and getting out the house, we can bring the radio to you.

No experience is necessary, and we will support you along the way. If you are interested in a role, get in touch today. Contact studio@crosscountiesradio.co.uk or call 0116 326 300 and leave a voicemail.

Leicestershire Shared Reading is a voluntary organisation which supports a thriving network of shared reading groups for adults. The groups, led by volunteer Reader Leaders, meet weekly in public libraries around the county, or on Zoom, and are open to anyone to drop in and sit for a while, listening to stories and poems being read aloud. This engaging atmosphere enables social connection and interaction, improves mental wellbeing, and provides a friendly support network.

We have several vacancies available for Reader Leaders to help get our Blaby library group going again or to join our zoom Reader Leader team. These roles involve selecting and preparing literature to read, managing the running of a group meeting, reading aloud with the group, facilitating discussions which allows participants to comment on and connect with the literature and finally producing a brief report on each session and keeping a log of material covered.

To find out more, please visit the website link at the bottom of the page or email on leicssharedreading@gmail.com

We are a community managed library run entirely by volunteers and offer a friendly, welcoming environment for our local community. As well as book loans we have public access computers, free Wi-Fi, and a range of activities. Our café is a wonderful place to meet and enjoy a nice drink and a piece of homemade cake. Our volunteers feel a sense of achievement and companionship.

Glenhills Library is looking for Library Volunteers to help assist customers, manage the issue, and return of books and maintain the professional presentation of the library. If you are interested in this role, please contact Linda Sidorowicz on linda.sidorowicz@gmail.com. Furthermore, if you would like to assist in the running of the café, please email Jan Martin at janmartin66@yahoo.com or call 07445 880 889.

St Crispin’s Church used to run a successful lunch club but unfortunately are unable to continue. The church is currently running a coffee morning for residents however are keen to begin the lunch club again monthly.

To get the lunch club back up and running, St Crispin’s Church is looking for volunteers. There are three chef positions and group management positions available. Chefs would require a level two hygiene certificate which can be completed online, and the church has a fully functional kitchen with all the equipment required to cook.

If you are interested in any of the above roles, please email VCSHub@blaby.gov.uk

Horses for Causes has a mission of making a difference to the quality of people’s lives. We support people of all ages within varying degrees of mental and physical health, using horses to help.

Our organisation is run by a small committee, who give their time freely to ensure all nine horses and ponies are looked after and the high standard of welfare is maintained.

We have a couple of roles available which are Horse Welfare and Bookkeeping. If you are interested in volunteering and providing growth and change for the community, please contact Sharon Woods on 07753 639 228 or via email horsesforcauses@hotmail.com

You can also view more information on the website linked at the bottom of the page.

We are a community library run entirely by volunteers. Most of our volunteers work in the library itself manning the desk which involves checking books in and out and dealing with customer enquiries. Volunteers also help customers to use the printing and photocopying facilities, help with specific book requests or any other enquiry that might arise.

We have other volunteers who run children’s activities in the library or help us with IT or premises issues.

Anyone wishing to find out more or wanting to volunteer can visit the website linked at the bottom of the page where there is a contact form, or email directly on enquiries@stoneystantoncommunitylibrary.co.uk

Homestart Horizons is a local charity that provides help to families with young children through their challenging times. A child’s earliest years are irreplaceable, and the earliest years make the biggest impact. Our volunteers have parenting experience and 2-3 hours a week to support a local family.

Five reasons to volunteer for Homestart Horizons:

• Families need support more than ever
• You can make a difference in your own community
• You can share your skills
• You can gain valuable new skills
• It can boost your mental health

For more information visit the website linked at the bottom of the page  or call 07493 149119

Age UK Leicester Shire and Rutland is looking for befriending volunteers to visit older people living in the local area.  Enjoying a cuppa and a chat really does make a difference to a lonely older person and can brighten your week too.

To find out more contact 0116 204 6440 or email befriending@ageukleics.org.uk

Hope Against Cancer is Leicestershire’s only cancer research charity. We fund projects which work to prevent and improve treatment for many types of cancer, many of which take place at our Hope Cancer Trials Centre at the LRI. The lifesaving treatments we can deliver, give hope to many families locally and around the country. To continue this groundbreaking research, which saves and prolongs lives, we need your help to raise funds around the county. 2023 is our 20th anniversary and we aim to use this celebration to engage a much wider audience in our mission.

We need volunteers who can:
Act as proactive ambassadors to promote the charity in their neighbourhood
Run local fundraising events
Place and keep track of collection boxes in local businesses

Skills required:
Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with approachable manner
Reliable, organised and trustworthy

Please fill in the form in the links panel at the bottom of this page to register your interest, after which Jessica Southworth will be in touch to discuss how you can best work with us.

For good practice resources see our Volunteer Management Strategy in the downloads section below. Please complete the checklist to ensure you meet the standards required.

Blaby District Council runs an employer supported volunteering scheme, which allows staff time off, during working hours, to provide volunteering support to local community groups and organisations.  For further information see the Employer Supported Volunteering Policy and Procedure below.

Business Volunteering is when a company’s employees offer their time and expertise for the benefit of local voluntary and community groups during work time, all with the support of their employer.

Employee volunteering is good for the community, good for those who volunteer and good for your business.

We can offer team challenges or individual volunteering opportunities.

If you are a local business that wants to give back to the local community, recognises the important role of voluntary and community organisations and wants to contribute to their sustainability please get in touch using the contact us form below.