General volunteer

Centres are run almost entirely by volunteers, and managed by an experienced shift leader. They are supported by up to 5,000 general volunteers who help with the day-to-day running of the centres.

What kind of jobs will I be asked to do?

General volunteers may be asked to do anything from:

  • Greeting guests at the gate
  • Giving out clothing and toiletries in the store
  • Looking after the guests' luggage store where they keep all their possessions
  • Keeping fire watch in the sleeping areas
  • Cleaning duties
  • And so on

There may be times during your shifts when you are not given a specific task to do and one of the most important things you will do is to chat with the guests and make them feel welcome.

What experience do I need?

No experience is necessary for the General Volunteer role. Just a willingness and ability to 'muck in' and assist where necessary.

What commitment do I need to make?

As with other types of Crisis at Christmas volunteering, we need you to commit to a minimum of two shifts, so this means volunteering on two days from 23 to 30 December. The shift times are as follows: 08:30 to 16:00 and 15:15 to 22:00 in day centres; 07:45 to 16:00, 15:15 to 23:00 and 22:15 to 08:30 in residential centres. Reliability is a key issue and we need you to turn up on time for your allocated shifts.

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