top of page

VOLUNTEER

Steve the chef square.png

Who can volunteer?

  • All adults are welcome to apply regardless of age, gender, race, nationality or ethnic origin, religion, disability or sexual orientation.

  • For insurance and safeguarding reasons, we are unable to accept volunteers under the age of 18 while Christmas Care is running.

  • For young volunteers, we need to be confident that they have the skills and maturity to be able to cope with any challenging issues that arise.

 

Volunteers' Personal Data

Please read our privacy policy to learn how we use your personal data, in line with current legislation requirements.

Shifts have now been allocated.

​​

Our elves have now finished their lists, and checked them (twice).  Emails have now gone out to all volunteers with your confirmed shifts.  Please check your email and your junk folders if you haven't received any emails yet.  You should have one email for each shift you have been selected for.​​

​

Thank you to everyone who has applied this year, we are extremely grateful to each and every one of you.  We really couldn't do this without you.

​

If you have any questions, please check the rest of the website, and if still not answered, please contact us.

​

Volunteers are the lifeblood of the project and the key to providing a warm, safe and welcoming environment for the homeless, vulnerable and lonely over Christmas.  They are organised into shift teams, each with a Shift Leader.  

  • There are two types of shift team: general teams and those who work in the kitchen.  Volunteers can do more than one shift, but not consecutively.

  • In 2025, we are offering a day-time café-style service, running 9:00am - 5:30pm each day for guests, finishing at 3:00pm on the last day.  General & kitchen volunteer shifts will both be 3 or 3.5 hours long, starting at 8:30am and running through potentially to 6pm.  

​​​

How can you volunteer for Christmas Care 2025?

  • Our volunteer application process is now open until 9 November 2025.  Once we have the applications, our elves will begin working through the list, checking it twice, to fit as many of you in as possible.

  • If you can't volunteer this year, but still want to support us, there are plenty of ways that you can on our Donations page

​

When will you know what shifts you have been allocated?

We will start to put our shifts together once the application period closes on the 9th November.  Please bear with us as it takes us time to carefully organise the 260 slots required.  We expect to email volunteers their allotted shifts by the end of November.  If you haven't heard from us by 1st December, please check your email junk folder, or get in touch with us through our contact page.​

​Do volunteers need to have particular skills?

Neither type of volunteer needs to have any specific formal skills. 

  • General volunteers need to be good team players, willing to help with anything that's needed, empathetic with our guests and mindful of the issues that can arise.  If you have any previous experience which demonstrates these qualities, please include details on your application form.

  • Kitchen volunteers need to be comfortable preparing and cooking homemade food, able to operate safely in a busy shared kitchen space and work as a team.  We do also welcome volunteers with formal commercial catering / food hygiene skills/experience.  

 

We do also appreciate volunteers with first aid skills and experience in relevant areas of counselling and social work.  

​

bottom of page