Volunteering
We support volunteers across a range of our services and can help organisations to recruit and support their own volunteers through appropriate training, support and signposting to other services. All our volunteers receive full training in their roles, are treated with the same respect as our employees and can gain experience, a work reference and useful contacts in the sector by volunteering with us. If you would like to register to volunteer, click here
For further information, please contact us:
Email: volunteering@cvoea.co.uk
Phone: 01563 574000
Ayrshire Cancer Support
Volunteering Opportunities
Please email volunteering@ayrshirecs.org or call 01563 538008 for more information on any of the opportunities below.
Driver Volunteers
Why not join our team of dedicated driver volunteers? Some are available five days a week, whilst others prefer to transport our service users to and from The Beatson Cancer Centre in Glasgow and/or to other local Ayrshire based appointments one or two days per week. All we ask of you is to have a four door car, clean driving licence, current MOT (where applicable) and insurance. We also provide a mileage allowance.
Therapeutic Support Volunteers
Therapeutic Support Volunteers are directly involved with visitors to either of our centres (Kilmarnock or Ayr) or the Kyle Ward Oncology Day Unit, Ailsa Campus, offering support in a safe environment complementing the work of staff and fellow volunteers.
Retail Volunteers (Ayr Shop)
We require enthusiastic individuals, who are able to build positive relationships with staff, fellow volunteers and members of the public assisting in our shop on a voluntary basis.
Fundraising & Events Volunteers
Our fundraising and event volunteers contribute directly and meaningfully to the work of our fundraising team, by representing our charity at a wide range of events throughout Ayrshire.
Ayrshire Hospice’s volunteers are at the heart of everything they do. From supporting patients in their beautifully transformed In-Patient Unit to offering a warm welcome at their Gargowan Café and shops, every volunteer plays a vital role in helping them deliver palliative and end-of-life care in the community.
Why volunteer with Ayrshire Hospice in 2026?
Gain experience in the charity sector Take on a new challenge and meet new people Learn and develop new skills and use your existing skills to help others Training and support to carry out your role Enjoy the unique Ayrshire Hospice volunteer benefits package
Find our more below:
https://careers.ayrshirehospice.org/pages/volunteering
Call 01292 269200, or email: volunteer@ayrshirehospice.org
British Heart Foundation – Scotland
Here are a few of the volunteering opportunities available in East Ayrshire:
Foregate, Kilmarnock:
Retail Volunteering Taster Session
Cash Desk Volunteer
Fashion Accessories Volunteer
Gift Aid Volunteer
Stockroom Volunteer
Sales Floor Volunteer
Work Experience Volunteer (16+)
Titchfield Street, Kilmarnock:
Retail Volunteering Taster Session
Cash Desk Volunteer (Homestore)
Electrical Department (Homestore)
Electrical Items Tester Volunteer (Homestore)
Furniture Assembly Volunteer (Homestore)
Homewares Volunteer (Homestore)
Housekeeping Volunteer (Homestore)
Telephone & Administration Volunteer (Homestore)
Warehouse Volunteer (Homestore)
Check out the full range of opportunities available across Ayrshire at the link below:
https://myvolunteer.bhf.org.uk/event/list
Guide Dogs Scotland
Volunteering with Guide Dogs is life-changing – and not just for the people we support. Join the pack and you’ll quickly see how the time you give benefits people with sight loss, our four-legged friends and you!
Whether you’re raising pups or raising pounds, you’ll be making a massive difference to the lives of children and adults with sight loss.
Click on each of the following roles to find out more…
Puppy Raiser
Fundraiser
Collection Box Coordinator
Fundraising Group Coordinator or Deputy
If you are interested in applying for any of the above roles or for more information, click here
Guide Dogs also offer a more casual way of supporting by helping put out posters and leaflets, for more information visit: Volunteering Champion Pack
If you have any questions, or would like to attend a ‘come and try’ fundraising volunteer opportunity, contact Emma at VolAttractNorth@guidedogs.org.uk
Below are details of Volunteering Opportunities in East Ayrshire and surrounding areas:
Volunteering for CVO East Ayrshire.
Being a Volunteer – Vision and Mission: To develop a culture of positivity in individuals through volunteerism. To build a community where the extremes of our society, both the ‘haves’ and the ‘have-nots,’ work together to make a beautiful place to live in.
Over the past couple of years, many of the services we as community members rely on has dramatically reduced and the call out for Volunteers has now become the norm. This has left the volunteers within the CVO East Ayrshire running at an all-time low, so we are looking for a dramatic increase of volunteer numbers over the next year. You may ask “what is in it for me,” as we all know that time is precious and limited for many. Well, when volunteering you become a valid and special person and you gain many benefits from giving your time to us. Volunteering can help you gain confidence by giving you the chance to try something new and build a real sense of achievement.
As a volunteer, you will:
- Gain confidence.
- Make a difference.
- Meet people.
- Be part of a community.
- Learn new skills.
- Take on a challenge.
- Have fun!
We also have a vast amount of training available to give you the knowledge, skills and ability to try something new if you want. For example, you can get your Food Hygiene certificate, First Aid training, and general Health & Wellbeing training.
The Volunteer opportunities within CVO East Ayrshire at present are as follows:
- WG13: a national award-winning social enterprise that was developed as an avenue into employment, creating a café/restaurant and venue space in Kilmarnock where we could offer commercial work experience in a supportive environment.
- Positive Destinations: a double-decker catering bus called Positive Destinations @ WG13. We will attend local community events and a unique venue for special event. More info
- Little Shop @ WG13: a social enterprise gift shop, located in WG13, offering work experience for young people locally while selling every product from morning cup of coffee to personalised gifts and candles. These products also tackle a huge range of social and environmental issues, from homelessness and mental health to global food waste. Visit the Site
- Grafix Design Studio & Print Shop: a social enterprise design studio and print shop, based at Belford Mill in Kilmarnock, offering creative training and work experience placements for East Ayrshire residents to build the confidence and improve their chances of gaining employment.
- Media and Marketing: with technology playing an ever-increasing role in the creative industries, careers in marketing and advertising require young people to have digital skills.
- Foodbanks: this role involves making up suitable food parcels and distributing them to people in need who have been referred to the Foodbank. The key skills are empathy for people facing hardship, willingness to listen and a desire to help others. More info
- Connect Call: our fantastic team of volunteers provide a free, confidential service offering friendship and support to people in East Ayrshire who may live alone and experience isolation or are just in need of a friendly chat (see more info below). More info
- The GRAFT Project:(Gain Respect And Foster Trust) has its roots in addiction recovery, The ethos of all GRAFT services is to empower people to take ownership of their situations and enable them to make positive and productive changes in their lives, “helping people to help themselves.” More info
You will be doing good for others and the community, which provides a natural sense of accomplishment. Your role as a volunteer can also give you a sense of pride and identity and we appreciate every one of the volunteers, as without volunteers and people like you we would be lost as a company and organisation. We also reward our volunteers with a ceremony and activities throughout the Volunteer Week (1st – 7th June starting 2023) where each volunteer will be thanked for their time and service.
Connect Call – Telephone Befriending Service
Connect Call at Belford Mill aims to improve socialisation within the community by connecting people for a chat. We aim to signpost people to services and groups which would have a positive impact. Our fantastic team of volunteers provide a free, confidential service offering friendship and support to people in East Ayrshire who may live alone and experience isolation or are just in need of a friendly chat.
We are seeking more volunteers who will engage in a friendly chat and pass on any relevant information to our clients. Training is provided in house and by shadowing experienced connect callers. Key skills are empathy and a willingness to listen to others.
If you are interested in finding out more about volunteering with our service and making a difference to our clients life, please contact Connect Call:
Email: connect.call@cvoea.co.uk
Phone: 01563 574000
Special Constable Opportunities with Police Scotland
With a long and impressive history, the Special Constabulary is a part-time, volunteer body consisting of voluntary officers with identical powers to that of police officers. As a special constable, you’ll work alongside our police officers in your spare time – forging strong partnerships in the community, patrolling our streets, preventing crime, and interacting with all kinds of people to give back, keep your local community safe and make a real difference. Find out more
Volunteering Roles with Equal Futures
There are currently three volunteering roles available with Equal Futures.
- Volunteer Befriender
- Community Event Volunteer
- Volunteer Professional
For more information on all of these roles, click here
Find out more about Equal Futures, click here
Volunteering with Friends of Dean – Lend a Hand
Are you available on the first Sunday of the month 1.30-4pm or last Tuesday of the month 9.30-12pm? If you love being outdoors, whatever the weather, learning new skills and doing practical work, this could be the volunteer role for you. Lend a hand to keep the Park looking great and encourage wildlife to flourish. For more details and to find out how to get involved, click here
Volunteer Youth Worker
Time commitment: 2 hours for a minimum of one evening per week.
Kilmarnock YMCA are looking for a volunteer:
- To engage with members (aged 5 – 18 years) in both structured and unstructured, indoor and outdoor activities.
- To always be a positive role model for young people.
For a full details and how to get involved, click here
British Heart Foundation various roles
Shop Floor Assistant
Time commitment: Monday PM, Thursday PM, Friday AM & PM
Whether you want to upskill, keep busy or meet new people, we have a role for you and Covid-secure measures in place to keep you safe. If you would like to volunteer in one of the British Heart Foundation shops and you are interested in retail this could be the role for you. We are looking for someone to assist shoppers with purchases, keep the shop clean and display stock.
If you would like to know more about this role, click here
Stockroom Assistant
Time commitment: Monday PM, Wednesday PM, Friday PM
Whether you want to upskill, keep busy or meet new people, we have a role for you and Covid-secure measures in place to keep you safe. If you would like to volunteer in one of the British Heart Foundation shops and you are interested in retail this could be the role for you. We are looking for someone who is friendly and can be part of a team. This role would require you to carry donations from the shop floor to the stockroom, to sort through the donations and to prepare items for sale.
If you would like to know more please, click here
NHS Ayrshire & Arran Patient Experience Team
NHS Ayrshire & Arran is proud to invest in its volunteers and promotes the benefits of their valuable contribution throughout its hospitals and communities. Our volunteers bring a wealth of skills, knowledge and experience – who all make such a difference to patients, their families and staff. Click on each of the following roles to find out more…
Emergency Department Volunteer
Patient Experience Volunteer
Ward Volunteer
Gardening Volunteer
Courtyard and Car park Volunteer
Welcomer
Activity Volunteer
Discharge Lounge Volunteer
Welcomer at Woodland View
If you are interested in applying for any of the above roles or for more information, click here
East Ayrshire Council
There are various exciting volunteering roles within Vibrant Communities (see below). Opportunities are subject to placements being available and vary depending on the time of year. If you would like to find out more, click here
CHIP Van Assistant
CHIP Speaker
Walk Leader
Voluntary Active Schools Sport Activity Assistant
Large Indoors Event Assistant
Outdoor Events Assistant
Early Years Assistant
Child Healthy Weight – MEND
DUG Out Assistant
Play Volunteers – Fun 4 Hire Assistant
Volunteer Befriender
StreetSport Assistant
Mobile Skatepark Assistant
Youth Work Assistant
Youth Work Assistant (Equalities)
All Abilities Sports Coach (Children and Youths)
All Abilities Sports Coach (Youths and Adults)
Sports Coach
Volunteer Tutor (Literacies)
Volunteer Tutor (Generic)
Auchinleck Community Development Initiative
There are various exciting volunteering roles within ACDI. Opportunities are subject to placements being available and vary depending on the time of year. If you would like to find out more about ACDI, click here
Party – Tuck Shop Volunteer
Party – Supervision Safety Volunteer
Party – Food Assistant Volunteer
Party – Games Supervisor Volunteer
Cinema – Tuck Shop volunteer
Cinema – Supervision & Safety Volunteer
Cinema – Snack volunteer
Cinema – Event Set-up Tidy
Youth Club – Tuck Shop Volunteer
Youth Club – Supervision & Safety Volunteer
Youth Club – Games Supervisor Volunteer
Youth Club – Art Crafts Prep. Volunteer
Youth Club – Art Crafts Activities Volunteer
Tiny Tots – Snack Prep Volunteer
Tiny Tots – Activity and Interaction Volunteer
CommuniTea – Tea Coffee Prep Volunteer
CommuniTea – Set-up Clear-up Volunteer
CommuniTea – Partner Connector Volunteer
CommuniTea – ‘Happy to Chat’ Volunteer
Photography Digital Storytelling
Events – Art Crafts Prep Volunteer
Events – Art Crafts Activities Volunteer
Intandem Mentoring Service
Ayrshire Intandem Mentoring Service offers support to young people looked after at home aged 8-14 years living in Ayrshire.
Volunteer Mentors main tasks will be to:
- Provide weekly 1:1 mentoring support.
- Build a positive, trusting, supportive and secure relationship with children and young people aged 8 to 14 years old.
- Promote the wellbeing of every child through creative and fun approaches.
- Communicate and link with the Intandem Mentor Coordinator on a regular basis.
You have the potential to make a real difference in a young persons life by helping build confidence and self-esteem and most importantly being someone they can talk to about anything. This role is subject to an application form being submitted, providing 2 references and completing a PVG Disclosure (which is free for volunteers).
Ayrshire Recording Services for the Blind
ARSB are looking for volunteers for the following roles. Full training is provided to new volunteers about our computer systems and procedures. We only ask for a few hours of your time per week.
Audio Engineer (x2):
Ayrshire Recording Services for the Blind need volunteers with skills and expertise in audio engineering (e.g., Audacity; Windows 10/11, Excel, Office 365) who can work on an audio digital recording system for our Talking Newspapers Service for the visually impaired. We need volunteer audio engineers to help us maintain and keep this vital recording equipment in good running order.
Digital/Social-Media Wizard:
Are you a whizz with social media? Ayrshire Recording Services for the Blind need volunteers with relevant I.T. skills and good knowledge of operating popular social media platforms to monitor and maintain contact with various social media outlets for online streaming of our Talking Newspapers and information about our various projects. You will have the chance to put your skills to very good use. Build on your expertise & knowledge while gaining some essential practical experience to add to your CV.
Reader:
This position requires a weekly commitment.
Ayrshire Recording Services for the Blind is looking for Volunteer Readers to provide the voice for an audio version of newspapers. They are also looking for readers for recording the sports pages. You must have a good, clear speaking voice and enjoy reading. You will need to be comfortable reading aloud and be able to put a bit of colour and personality into the stories you will be recording to make the experience more interesting for the listener. Someone with a background in radio or journalism would be a great advantage, although this is not a requirement. We are always on the look for more readers to increase the variety of voices available to listeners.
Secretary:
Ayrshire Recording Services for the Blind are looking for a secretary with good written and spoken English and good communication skills, to assist us with writing letters and emails to the business sector and form-filling to obtain funding. If you have any spare time and are able to help, please support our charity for the visually impaired in the East & North Ayrshire region. This position will be on a when-required basis.
Video Producer:
Ayrshire Recording Services for the Blind are looking for a video producer who can produce and direct videos for the YouTube channel of our charity, making it informative and fun. This would be an ideal opportunity for a college or university student studying in this field to gain some useful experience and strengthen your CV.
Kilmarnock Visually Impaired Social Group
Kilmarnock Visually Impaired Group is asking for your help. We require the following volunteers to support and manage a vibrant club for visually impaired people in Ayrshire.
Part-Time Chairperson
- Support individuals to prepare activities at their weekly club, including: games, day trips, various social parties and events, organising various speakers to visit the club, and general entertainment.
- Be responsible for Health & Safety protocols and wellbeing.
- Comply with the rules laid out in the constitution.
- Be part of a team, working with the Secretary and Treasurer, assisting to raise funds through events and fundraising.
- If you like a challenge and you are motivated, good with people and an organiser, then this could be for you.
Part-Time Secretary
- Good with finance and numeracy.
- Comply with the rules laid out in the constitution.
- Be part of a team with the Chairperson and the Treasurer.
- Weekly commitment to the club and their activities.
Part-Time Treasurer
- Financial handling.
- Income and Expenditure transactions.
- Be part of a team with the Chairperson and the Secretary.
- To comply with the rules laid out in the constitution.
Christians Against Poverty
CAP are currently looking for volunteers in the East Ayrshire area:
Debt Coach:
A debt coach is required for a few hours a month to visit clients in their own homes, with a CAP befriender, to gather financial information to enable our head office to put together a budget plan and a route out of debt for clients. A debt coach must be able to keep all information gathered confidential. Full training will be provided. You won’t be there to give financial advice, just to gather information.
CAP Promoter:
We are looking for someone who is free between 1pm and 3pm on a Wednesday afternoon to attend a drop-in centre in Kilmarnock. You will be required to sit at a table and tell people who are looking for help with debt how CAP works to help them become debt-free. This is a confidential service and full training will be given. Please contact Julia Clark, Debt Centre Manager on 07485 723 855, or by email at juliaclark@capuk.org, for more information.
If interested in any of the above roles, please contact us:
Email: volunteering@cvoea.co.uk
Phone: 01563 574000
