Donate your time to make a difference today.

Aid Box started as a voluntary project run on people power and continues to this day with volunteers at the heart of what we do.

Volunteering opportunities include a weekly shift in our Free Shop, helping at our groups, becoming a connection friend, supporting fundraising events and offering administrational support. Come and get involved and help us spread Love & Hope.❤️

Volunteer with us!

Volunteering at Aid Box Community is what feeds my soul.
— Free Shop Volunteer

Volunteer Roles

We have a welcoming and kind community of loyal volunteers and team members that will take care of you! Click on the roles to find out more.

  • involves taking part in our 10-week befriending program, where you will be connected with someone seeking asylum for friendship and support.

    Availability required: Approx. 3 hours a week (flexible, remote, evening/weekends).

    Application deadline: APPLY NOW

    Interviews: will be held in mid-November!

    Program start date: January

    Training dates: To be confirmed

    Basic DBS required

    Full Role Description Here

  • involves working in our Free Shop & Welcome Hub welcome hosting, aid sorting, shop assisting, and signposting

    Availability Required: 1 weekly shift, 10.15am - 3.30pm on a day between Mon-Fri

    Enhanced DBS required

    Full Role Description Here

  • involves taking part in one of our weekly activity groups (football or women’s group).

    Availability required: Approx. 3 hours a week (can vary)

    Basic DBS required

    You would be welcoming newcomers, signposting to other services, and would need to be up for a chat and a mingle!

    Women’s Group Role Description Here

    Men’s Group Role Description Here

  • Drivers are essential for us to operate. You will be delivering referral orders around Bristol; driving service users on day trips; and in the festive season delivering some Christmas trees!

    Availability required: Approx. 3 hours a week (can vary)

    Own car required, clean driving license

    ⭐Basic DBS required

    Full Role Description Here

  • 'Refutrees' - Christmas trees that support refugees. For Refutrees to operate we rely on over 100 volunteers. Come and do a shift or two; it’s a great way to get into the Christmas spirit with family, friends, or colleagues whilst giving to a greater cause SIGN UP

    ⭐Availability required: 1 or more, 4 & 1/2 hours shift

    ⭐Shift Times:

    • TBC for 2024

    ⭐Roles:

    • Christmas Shop Volunteering (help customers find a tree) 🎄

    • Tree Delivery Drivers (deliver trees in Bristol, own transport needed, mileage available) 🚘

    Refutrees Volunteer Handbook Here

Currently Recruiting!

Connections Volunteers

Sign-up now, interviews held in Dec.!

Next program start date: January

Committment: 10 weeks (min. 2 hours a week)

Training provided ✔️

Contact

For more information please contact Naomi on naomi@aidboxcommunity.co.uk

Volunteer Requirements

(does not apply to Events Volunteers)

  • Enhanced online DBS check. This will be at a cost to you of £15. Please let us know in your application if you would find this fee difficult to pay.

  • Two references, 1 professional and 1 character reference. 

  • Applicants must be Bristol based and over 18 years old. 

What’s it like to volunteer with Aid Box Community?

Free Shop & Welcome Hub

Are you kind and passionate about supporting displaced people with essential items? Join our fun & dynamic team!

I feel such humility being useful and helping out. New families have so very little and gently assisting them, giving them space to choose personal items and helping to bring a small amount of dignity and joy to their lives is so rewarding.
— Sue, Free Shop Volunteer

Your role would involve sorting and organising aid donations, welcoming our service users, shop assisting, signposting to other services and thanking our item donors. All of this you will do as part of a team.

The Hub has a loving and welcoming atmosphere where many teas, some food and a lot of laughter is often shared.

Commitment

In order for operations to run smoothly, it is essential that Hub volunteers can commit to a WEEKLY volunteering session from 10.15am - 3.30pm on a selected day for a minimum of 1 year.

Aid Box Connections (Befriending Program)

Got space in your life for a new friend? Come and join our awesome community and connect with a displaced person in Bristol.

We will connect you with a refugee or person seeking asylum for friendship and signposting support over the phone throughout a 10 week program; with the hope that friendships will grow beyond.

We are looking for dedicated and reliable volunteers who are passionate about supporting refugees, with time to spare, who are friendly, empathic, like a chat, yet know when to listen.

We are particularly keen to welcome individuals from diverse backgrounds and with additional languages (French, Kurdish, Arabic, Farsi, Urdu, Albanian, Tigrinya, Ukrainian, Russian, Mandarin, Spanish, and Vietnamese).

The Connections Program runs 3 times a year!

Application deadlines: NOVEMBER-MARCH-JULY

Interviews: a month after application deadline

Program start date: FEBRUARY-MAY-SEPTEMBER

Training dates: JANUARY-MAY-SEPTEMBER

Commitment

  • ABCs Connections program for a minimum of 10 weeks.

  • To contacting your friend minimum twice a week via phone, what’s app or video call for a chat, to build a friendship and signpost to support services where necessary. 

  • To completing a short online report form weekly or more as required. 

  • To attending weekly ZOOM wellbeing support sessions: 1pm or 6.30pm on Wednesdays. These wellbeing sessions will be weekly for the first 4 weeks and alternate weeks thereafter.  

  •  Attending our full training program that includes an introduction to Aid Box Community and ‘Connections’, asylum system in the UK & safeguarding, and ‘Voices’ cultural awareness.

I have felt very lucky to have been connected with N. Getting to know him has been fun - his humour and general outlook on life are brilliant.
— Connections Volunteer

Activity Groups

Are you sociable, open-minded and keen to get involved in different activities and day trips?

This a safe and friendly space where many chats & laughs are shared whilst we facilitate different activities. You will have the opportunity to meet people from around the world, develop new friendships, and become part of our community.

Your role would involve helping set up spaces for our groups, ensuring all feel welcome, keeping a register of attendees, reporting any welfare or safeguarding concerns, and simply filling out the space with a friendly face.

Commitment

Weekly volunteering commitment, please find days and timings of our activity groups below.

  • Women Group - Mondays from 11am - 1pm.

  • Football Groups - Tuesdays from 3pm - 5pm OR Wednesdays from 2pm - 4pm

They have such a good laugh, it’s nice to see them out and about and running around, having some freedom. I enjoy it, it’s really rewarding.
— Mick, Football Group Volunteer

Events

Don’t have time to volunteer on a regular basis? Support our cause by volunteering at our events!

Our events volunteers take on many roles depending on what event we have on. From selling and delivering Christmas trees to stewarding at assault course challenges to joining us in sponsored events such as The Great Bristol Run or a Flashmob!

Another incredible way in which you can support us is by organising your own fundraising initiative, this can look like raising sponsorship for a challenge you’ve set yourself or taking donations at a party!

Volunteering with Refutrees is a Christmas highlight, you get a real sense of community and you feel you have the opportunity to contribute to an important cause.
— Conor, Refutrees Volunteer