Student volunteering

Volunteering roles

If you wish to look at active roles that are seeking 18-25 year olds, follow this link 

Research

In February 2025, we launched a piece of research into student volunteering in Greater Manchester, bringing together VCSE organisations, universities and colleges, and student volunteers. The session sparked valuable cross-sector conversations and confirmed a strong appetite to make student volunteering more inclusive, visible, and impactful across the city region.

The research explores the motivations and barriers for students, alongside organisational challenges and practical recommendations. What stood out in the room were the stories: students keen to contribute but feeling unsure how to connect; organisations open to working with students but needing clearer pathways and support; and a shared recognition that small, intentional changes – like flexible opportunities and targeted recognition – can unlock real value.

Download The Current Climate of Student Volunteering in Greater Manchester Impact Research Project: Business Report By Anushka Swannell, Volunteer Development Worker

Download Student Volunteering Research Tool Kit


Get involved or share your ideas, we'd love to hear from you. You can get in touch by emailing: info@volunteercentremanchester.co.uk 

Volunteering Opportunities

Displaying 1 - 24 of 120
Volunteer tutor - English or maths
Summary: Every child deserves the chance to succeed, regardless of their background. Action Tutoring is a charity dedicated to closing the attainment gap and creating a more equitable future for young people.
Area of Interest: Children Young People & Families, Education & Literacy, Virtual Volunteering
Redistribute food to local communities
Summary: Volunteering with the Bread and Butter thing will mean you will become part of the team for the day and help us to redistribute food to your local community. This will include helping to load our vans in the morning to deliver affordable and healthy food to our food hubs that day, as well as helping to sort our surplus stock in the warehouse. Activities in the warehouse will include bag packing, relabelling, stock reconciliation and sorting.
Area of Interest: Construction & Practical work, Environment & Conservation, Food Cooking & Foodbanks, Student Volunteers (18+)
Marketing Assistant
Summary: Community Revival are looking for volunteers who can support them to plan a marketing strategy, identify sources of marketing to help to raise their profile and use mediums to send information to potential customers and partners.
Area of Interest: Administration, Campaigning & Advocacy, Marketing & Social Media
Shop Volunteer - Edition
Summary: Marie Curie are looking for positive and friendly Shop Volunteers to join our retail team and help deliver a great shopping experience to our customers
Area of Interest: Finance & Fundraising, Health & Social Care, Retail, Student Volunteers (18+)
Wednesday Core Volunteer
Summary: We are looking for enthusiastic volunteers to join our weekly Core Volunteer Day – our main volunteering opportunity at Hulme Community Garden Centre.

This role offers a unique opportunity to gain hands-on experience in a working community garden environment while learning directly from our expert horticulturists, nursery managers and wider leadership team.

Volunteers will become part of the day-to-day running of the centre, supporting a wide range of horticultural, maintenance and community activities. This is an ideal opportunity for anyone interested in gardening, environmental sustainability, practical skills development, community work or exploring a future career in horticulture.
Area of Interest: Arts Culture & Music, Environment & Conservation
Holiday Supporter and Driver
Summary: Being a helpful member of the team for the holiday - and a spart of the team; befriending, making meals and drinks, encouraging engagement with activities, chatting with guests, and being friendly, compassionate, patient and supportive. Role is with Dementia Adventure.
Area of Interest: Befriending, Driving, Events, Health & Social Care, Older People
Charity Governance Trustee
Summary: Charity Governance Trustee - MileShyClub is a preventative health charity. We help people who feel excluded from traditional fitness settings become more active, supporting their physical and mental health now and reducing the risk of health problems in the future. We do this through welcoming running, walking, mental health and Restore groups. Our guiding principle is simple: no one gets left behind.
Area of Interest: Disability, Mental Health, Migrants & Refugees, Older People, Sports & Movement
Trustee
Summary: Chorlton Good Neighbours (CGN) is a well-established charity supporting older people in Chorlton and Whalley Range since 1967, offering a wide range of social activities, practical support and befriending services. Based at Wilbraham St Ninian’s Church, it is supported by a small staff team, activity facilitators and over 100 volunteers. Trustees play an active role in overseeing the charity, supporting its management, shaping its future direction and ensuring good governance. The Board meets monthly, with additional training and development opportunities.
Area of Interest: Befriending, Trusteeship & Coordination
Careers Advice and Guidance Assistant
Summary: Community Revival are looking for volunteers to support helping people progress in their careers, education, and personal development.

Volunteers will support with the resource preparation and administration for learning activities and provide high quality learning support.
Area of Interest: Advice & Employment, Education & Literacy, Mentoring
Social Media Assistant
Summary: Help to create hype for The Plastic Free Gathering 2027 by creating engaging social media posts
Area of Interest: Environment & Conservation, Events, Marketing & Social Media, Virtual Volunteering
Retail Volunteer (Ashton Under Lyne)
Summary: Barnardos are looking for volunteers to help in their charity shop. You would:
Work on the till processing sales and returns
Prepare stock, including sorting, steaming and pricing
Create stylish window displays
Replenish stock on the shop floor
Stock-take and other administrative tasks
Area of Interest: Children Young People & Families, Finance & Fundraising, Retail, Student Volunteers (18+), Young Volunteers (under 18)
Retail Volunteer (Denton)
Summary: Barnardos are looking for volunteers to help in their charity shop. You would:
Work on the till processing sales and returns
Prepare stock, including sorting, steaming and pricing
Create stylish window displays
Replenish stock on the shop floor
Stock-take and other administrative tasks
Area of Interest: Children Young People & Families, Finance & Fundraising, Retail, Student Volunteers (18+), Young Volunteers (under 18)
Weekly litter picking group - Wednesdays at 10am
Summary: Heaton litter pickers...
Our friendly litter picking group meets each Wednesday at 10am for a group litter pick. Join us to enjoy some fresh air, explore the park and help keep Heaton Park beautiful.
Area of Interest: Environment & Conservation, Sports & Movement, Young Volunteers (under 18)
Volunteer Youth Football Coach
Summary: Join ESCA-UK as a Volunteer Youth Football Coach in Manchester! Backed by Sport England, our project provides weekly 2-hour Sunday sessions for children aged 5–16 from diverse communities.
You will assist in delivering fun, high-quality football drills and mini-matches, setting up equipment, and acting as a positive role model in a safe, inclusive environment. The project runs until April 2027. We reimburse travel expenses and fully fund your Enhanced DBS check.
If you hold a valid coaching certificate and want to make a real community impact while building your CV, apply today!
Area of Interest: Children Young People & Families, Migrants & Refugees, Sports & Movement
Volunteer Speaker
Summary: Do you enjoy public speaking and presenting? Can you inspire others passion for transforming lives? If so The Leprosy Mission would love to hear from you!
Area of Interest: Campaigning & Advocacy, Disability, Finance & Fundraising, Race Ethnicity & Religion, Sports & Movement
Trustee
Summary: We're looking for new trustees to join our 'Friends of' Board.
We're particularly keen to hear from candidates who have finance, legal, strategy, fundraising or communications know-how. You'll attend one board meeting a month and work with other trustees to set strategy, oversee risk, champion our library and help us reach new audiences.
This is an exciting time to join us as a plan a new strategic direction. Do you want to be part of our journey?
Area of Interest: Trusteeship & Coordination
Dementia Home Visit Volunteer
Summary: Together at Home is our 1:1 befriending service for people who are unable to attend our groups. It's a little more laid back and relaxed compared to our groups, so if you'd enjoy offering support and creative activities to somebody living at home, and you're able to commit to a 1.5 hour visit every week or fortnight - this could be the role for you.
Area of Interest: Befriending, Health & Social Care, Older People
Foodbank session volunteer
Summary: We urgently need volunteers for our weekly foodbank sessions at the Neighbourhood Project, Conran Street, Harpurhey (Thursday mornings), St Clement's Church, Openshaw (Tuesday afternoons) and Brunswick Church, Ardwick (Friday mornings). As a foodbank volunteer you'll be helping desperate families who can't make ends meet during the cost-of-living crisis. You will be packing emergency three-day food parcels, meeting clients and talking through the packing list with them.
Our foodbank sessions are busy so you will be making a huge difference to struggling families. There's nothing more rewarding than giving practical help to people in need and offering them some kindness.
Area of Interest: Food Cooking & Foodbanks
Homework Club Volunteer
Summary: Northmoor Homework club is a free after-school project for children aged 8-16 which provides a safe, nurturing space for children to do their homework and to take part in games and arts and crafts afterwards. The homework club is an informal, relaxed environment but we still maintain the strictest of Safeguarding procedures and expect the children to adhere to the agreed boundaries.
Area of Interest: Children Young People & Families, Education & Literacy
Retail Volunteer (Donation Centre, Chorlton)
Summary: Barnardos are looking for volunteers to help in their charity shop. You would:
Work on the till processing sales and returns
Prepare stock, including sorting, steaming and pricing
Create stylish window displays
Replenish stock on the shop floor
Stock-take and other administrative tasks
Area of Interest: Children Young People & Families, Finance & Fundraising, Retail, Student Volunteers (18+), Young Volunteers (under 18)
Squirrels Section Team Member (Volunteer/Helper) 4-6yo
Summary: Bringing the ‘Wow!’ to our youngest Scouts (4-6yo), in a welcoming, safe and inclusive environment, the Section Teams make it happen for our Squirrels
Area of Interest: Children Young People & Families, Finance & Fundraising
Coram Beanstalk Reading Helper (Primary School) Atherton
Summary: Support children with reading for pleasure on a 1-1 basis. You must be available on a consistent afternoon weekly throughout the school year.
Area of Interest: Children Young People & Families, Education & Literacy
Bid Writing Support
Summary: We're looking for a keen and able volunteer to research and write funding bids to meet challenges of newly arrived BME communities and updating on any local funding bids or opportunities. Searching and preparing for bids by collating and gathering information.
Area of Interest: Administration, Campaigning & Advocacy, Education & Literacy
Resettlement Volunteers
Summary: Caritas Diocese of Salford is leading the Afghan Welcome Project, a partnership initiative supporting the safe and legal resettlement of 125 Afghan households in the North West UK and nearby areas over the next five years.

Caritas Diocese of Salford is looking for community groups and volunteers to support with this mission, securing housing, help families access English classes, healthcare etc.
Area of Interest: Administration, Advice & Employment, Campaigning & Advocacy, Disability, Education & Literacy, Finance & Fundraising, Health & Social Care, Homelessness & Housing, LGBTQ+, Mental Health, Migrants & Refugees