We offer a free, confidential service open to anyone in the UK who is volunteering now, has volunteered in the past, or is thinking about getting started. You don’t have to be sure what you want yet – we’re here to listen, talk things through and help you work out the next step that feels right for you.

Before you start: finding the right role

If you’re not sure where to begin, we can help you:

• Clarify what you care about, what you’re comfortable doing and how much time you have
• Explore local and remote opportunities that fit your interests, confidence and circumstances
• Understand what different roles really involve, including time commitment, checks and support
• Ask the right questions before you say yes, so you don’t feel pressured into something that isn’t a good fit

Whether you’re completely new to volunteering, returning after a break, or changing direction, we’ll focus on roles that work with your life, not against it.

While you’re volunteering: support when things are difficult

Sometimes volunteering doesn’t feel how you hoped. Maybe:

• The role isn’t what you expected
• You’re not getting the support you were promised
• You feel overwhelmed, unsafe or unsure how to raise a concern
• You’re wondering if it’s okay to step back or move on

We can:

• Give you space to talk about what’s happening
• Help you think through your options and what you’d like to change
• Support you to have a conversation with the organisation, or decide if it’s time to leave
• Point you towards information on your rights, good practice, and what “well‑supported” volunteering should look like

Our aim is to make sure you don’t have to deal with problems on your own.

After a role: reflecting, skills and next steps

When a role ends – or if you’re thinking about your next step – we can help you:

• Reflect on what you’ve learned and what you want to do more (or less) of in future
• Identify the skills and experience you’ve gained, even if they don’t feel “formal”
• Turn your volunteering into CV bullet points, personal statement examples or job/study application answers
• Think about how to talk about your volunteering in interviews or conversations about next steps

We can also offer guidance on asking for:

• References from your volunteer manager or organisation
• LinkedIn Recommendations or brief statements you can use online
• Confirmation of training or certificates related to your role

How to contact us

You can use our support whether you currently volunteer through Volunteer Coalition or not.

Simply fill in our contact form with a few details about your situation and what you’d like help with. We’ll get back to you within 2–3 working days.