As we’re all being encouraged to stay at home, most face to face volunteering roles have now stopped. Many of us still want to help and do something constructive with our time. The good news is that you can volunteer online from the safety of our own home. Why not reach out to a charity and ask if they need any support with administration or if you’ve got a skill such as being a wiz on social media, you could help support local charities by volunteering your skill sets.

We have been in contact with the Students Unions’ and University Volunteering teams and found that there are loads of opportunities you can get involved with from the comfort of your own home.

Bradford

• Bradford Uni

Leeds

• Leeds Uni
• Leeds Beckett
• Facebook groups:
  • Leeds Covid 19 Mutual Aid
  • LUU COVID-19 Community Group
  • Leeds Beckett Coronavirus Community Group
  • Mutual Aid COVID 19 Hyde Park and Headingley

Nottingham

• Nottingham Trent
• Nottingham Uni
• Facebook groups:
  • Nottingham Covid-19 Mutual Aid

Here’s a few volunteering opportunities we have found that you may be interested in.

FamilyLine Volunteer
FamilyLine provides telephone, text and email support to adult family members as they go through the trials and tribulations of family life. Service users contact FamilyLine for many reasons, which may include but not limited to parenting, hardship, isolation, relationship breakdown, domestic abuse, immigration, education, disability and additional needs.

To find out more;
Email 
Ayse.Hassan@family-action.org.uk
Neil.Candlish@family-action.org.uk

Brightside
Brightside’s work is only possible with the dedication of our volunteers, who use their own skills and experience to help young people achieve their potential. Much as there’s no ‘typical’ young person, there’s no ‘typical’ volunteer either. We work with thousands of volunteers from a wide range of backgrounds, and are always looking for more.

Brightside’s work is only possible with the dedication of our volunteers, who use their own skills and experience to help young people achieve their potential. Much as there’s no ‘typical’ young person, there’s no ‘typical’ volunteer either. We work with thousands of volunteers from a wide range of backgrounds, and are always looking for more.

https://brightside.org.uk/volunteering/

Phrase Detectives
Work together to improve future generations of language technology.

http://anawiki.essex.ac.uk/phrasedetectives/index.php

ZSL Instant Wild
ZSL’s instant Wild empowers you to take part in vital conservation work by bringing you LIVE images and videos from amazing locations all around the world for you to indentify.

https://instantwild.zsl.org/intro

Covid-19 Affected International Students: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1842781812521685/about/

Taiwan: https://www.facebook.com/groups/889736338130271/?ref=br_rs

Malaysia: https://www.facebook.com/groups/198659964900503/?ref=br_rs

Student COVID-19 support: https://www.facebook.com/groups/659470484816133/?ref=br_rs

Zooniverse
The Zooniverse is the world’s largest and most popular platform for people-powered research.

https://www.zooniverse.org/projects/

NHS Project
Are you able to knit, crochet or sew (a felt) heart for families currently separated by the Coronavirus that are unable to visit in hospital? 

Hearts need to be roughly 6.5cm.

Mail to:
York Hospital ICU, Wigginton Rd, Clifton, York, YO31 8HE

Post Pals
You can send post from anywhere in the world, no matter how old or young you are. You are welcome to send something as a one off or on a regular basis. You don’t need to register, just go to ‘Find Pals’, read through the current children’s pages (we also send post to some siblings of memorial Pals) and pick a child. You can send a hand written card/note, make one or order one from sites like MoonPig and Funky Pigeon, you can also send a gift (again this could be a bought one or handmade). Pop it in the post to the address on the child’s page and know that you have made a child smile!

https://www.facebook.com/postpals1/

LibriVox
LibriVox volunteers read and record chapters of books in the public domain (books no longer under copyright), and make them available for free on the Internet. Practically, this means we record books published before 1923. All our recordings (including yours, if you volunteer for us) are also donated into the public domain.

We record books in all languages.

You do not need any prior experience to volunteer for LibriVox, nor do you need to audition or send us samples. All you need is your voice, some free software, your computer, and maybe an inexpensive microphone.

Missing Maps
Each year, disasters around the world kill nearly 100,000 and affect or displace 200 million people. Many of the places where these disasters occur are literally ‘missing’ from any map and first responders lack the information to make valuable decisions regarding relief efforts. Missing Maps is an open, collaborative project in which you can help to map areas where humanitarian organisations are trying to meet the needs of vulnerable people.

https://www.missingmaps.org/

Translators without Borders
Translators without Borders depends on volunteers to translate millions of words, but also has other roles if you’re not fluent in another language.

UNVolunteering
The United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme contributes to peace and development through volunteerism worldwide. Online volunteering allows organizations and volunteers to team up to address sustainable development challenges – anywhere in the world, from any device. Online volunteering is fast, easy – and most of all, effective. When skilled, passionate individuals join forces online with great organizations working toward sustainable development goals, everyone wins.

https://www.onlinevolunteering.org/en