Become a volunteer
Use your time to change a life
We are proudly part of a volunteer group that has transformed thousands of lives. Currently we have 230 volunteers giving up over 50,000 unpaid hours every year, which allows us to benefit from a wage saving of over £500,000. Our team is like a family working towards a shared goal; to grow, collect, prepare and serve around 55,000 hot meals every year.
As a testament to the incredible work or volunteers do, we were humbled to receive Royal recognition in 2014. We were bestowed with the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service – an annual award given to groups in the voluntary sector in the UK. This award is the equivalent to an MBE, and is the highest award given to a voluntary group, which goes to show how spectacular our team is.
All that we ask is that you commit to the same weekly session of at least 4 hours to a set timetable, on a regular and long-term basis. Everybody who volunteers to support the homeless will be involved with tasks such as food preparation, serving, cleaning, storeroom organising, interacting with our Friends, and much more.
To view our current vacancies, please take a look at our volunteer page. You can apply online or email us [email protected].
Warehouse
Our work starts in the warehouse, where our volunteers organise goods, sort food, receive menus, and load the cages that deliver essentials to the Alison Centre.
Allotment
To serve our Friends with nutritious meals that are important to keeping them healthy, our team of allotment volunteers work hard to grow fresh produce for The Kitchen.
Drivers
Our drivers collect food donations from local businesses, religious groups, and community groups, as well as undertaking bulk shopping, and washing and maintaining our vans.
Welfare
Volunteers provide support services and vital information to our Friends by becoming part of our welfare co-ordination, Your Futures, the welfare team providing support to our Friends in times of crisis.
Team leaders
Our team leaders keep The People’s Kitchen running by overseeing staff rotas, food hygiene and temperature checklists, health and safety, ordering equipment, and liaising with the warehouse and outside agencies.
Support
We rely on a variety of supporting roles, including our Board of Trustees, as well as recruitment, fundraising, treasury, admin, press, IT, training, transport, speaker, and health and safety teams.
Events
Our lively event volunteers bring Friends together for social activities including music nights, bowling, day trips, the Rambling Club, Camera Club, cards and crafts evenings, and the beloved Christmas celebrations.
In-house friendship & food
Seven days a week, our crews deliver friendship and food from the Alison Centre to our Friends in need.
Food preparation
Meals at The Kitchen are the cornerstone of our service, so our team of cooks work hard to prepare soup and meals for our Friends and in-house teams.