Volunteer and Champion Programmes
Newham have a dedicated Volunteers Team that can help you find volunteering opportunities.
Volunteering in Newham – Newham Council
Why Volunteer?
Volunteering is a great way to give something back to the community. It makes a difference to your local area and to the people who live here. It is also a fun, rewarding way to meet new people, improve the environment and the lives of others, and learn new skills.
Volunteering is a great way of impressing potential employers. Helping at a local resident or community organisation can fill gaps in your work experience, boost your CV and allow you to try different types of roles to help you get a reference.
Giving up your time to help others is rewarding in many ways and allows you to meet new people and learn some valuable new skills, raise your self-confidence and self-esteem.
Welcome Newham - Translator Volunteer
The Welcome Newham Team are looking for volunteer translators to assist with the weekly one-stop shops and private rented sector-housing sessions.
Please see the advert for more information and how to apply - Welcome Newham- Translator Volunteer.
A “Taste” of Community Interpreting
- Do you speak other languages?
- Can you learn interpreting skills?
- Do you want to help people, and perhaps earn money from interpreting?
Refugees in Effective and Active Partnership (REAP) run a community interpreting training programme.
If interested, please call or whatsapp Rachaporn on 07983 419388 or email interpreting@reap.org.uk.
Volunteer’s Stories
PD started volunteering summer 2022. She said ‘I have struggled since graduating university to realise my career path, I discovered volunteering as a way to try new things and meet new people- Libraries was something I was particularly interested in and was lucky enough to find a volunteer role in a Library in Newham.
PD volunteered for 2-3 days a week, for approx. 2 months, during which a full time role at the library came up. She said ‘By volunteering with the libraries I had a greater chance of securing a permanent role. I learnt how the libraries worked and was able to translate that experience during my application process. I was successful in gaining the permanent role and have now been working in Newham Libraries for approximately 2 months’.
But it’s not just a full time job that PD has gained ‘By volunteering I was able to gain a lot of confidence working with different people. I gained an insight into myself and was able to do things that I thought I wouldn't be able to’.
PG joined the volunteer’s team on October 2023 with the intentions of connecting with the community better. In the short time that she has been an active volunteer, she has been involved with some of the projects that have been set up to help and enrich our communities from the food bank, coffee mornings and seasonal events.
She said, "Volunteering has been a wonderful way of meeting new people and gaining new skills or to refine existing ones. They also advertise training and employment opportunities within the borough which is how I found out about the apprenticeships for Newham council. I am now an apprentice for the Resident Engagement and participation team where I will be able to learn more about and take part in how the volunteer’s team deliver these services".