Volunteering FAQs

Volunteering Frequently Asked Questions

We have over 1200 volunteers who help us in all areas of The Children's Trust's work. Some volunteers work directly with the children while others help with admin work, gardening, at our fundraising events or in our charity shops.

Our volunteers get a huge amount out of helping us so whatever you decide to do, you will make a real difference and help us to support thousands of children with brain injury and their families every year.

Below is more information about how you can help us.

Can I volunteer if I am under 18?

If you are under 18 (minimum 13) you can volunteer your time in one of our charity shops. Volunteers under 18 can also volunteer at our events. If volunteers are under 14, they must volunteer with a parent/guardian. Volunteers under 18 must have parental consent to volunteer in our shops or at our events. There is no upper age limit.

Where will I be based?

The Children's Trust's headquarters and our residential services are based on one site: Tadworth Court in Tadworth, Surrey, KT20 5RU. Many of our volunteers are based here, but other volunteers are based at our charity shops around Surrey, Sussex and Kent, while others help at fundraising events around the country. We are also looking for Ambassadors working from home around the UK to give some time raising our profile in their local area.

What type of work could I volunteer to do?

We list specific volunteering vacancies, but would still like to hear from you if you would like to volunteer in a particular area of the Trust.

How do I become a volunteer?

Contact The Children's Trust either by email, phone or letter, or apply directly online to register for a specific opportunity.

We will then arrange a time for you to come in for an interview to discuss your interests and how you might help. Depending on your role we may need to undertake a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check. 

Does it matter if I have no experience in this sort of work before?

No, many of our volunteers perform tasks that they have never tackled before. This is one of the many reasons why people enjoy volunteering so much. However, if you have a skill, qualification or area of interest that can be applied within the Trust then we would do our best to place you in a role which would suit you and your interests.

What would my hours be?

This would depend on both the needs of the role and the time you have available to volunteer. We value whatever time you can give to us.

I'd like to volunteer in one of the shops. What would I be doing there?

We simply couldn't run our network of charity shops without our brilliant shop volunteers, who do all kinds of work: from running the tills to sorting and pricing the stock and setting up window displays. You can find out more about volunteering in our shops here.

How can my company/organisation donate our time/money to The Children's Trust?

We would love to hear from you! Companies help The Children's Trust in all sorts of vital ways, like adopting us as their Charity of the Year. You can find out more about corporate partnerships here.

If you have any other questions, please contact us at volunteering@thechildrenstrust.org.uk.