This winter, your time can give someone the urgently needed safety, support and belief to build a life beyond homelessness. With your help, we can support people to go from crisis to home.
Find your volunteer roleCrisis works at Christmas and all year round in Newcastle to help people experiencing homelessness find their own stable home and access education and training.
Join our friendly and supportive volunteer community that’s passionate about ending homelessness. With many volunteer’s returning year after year, the connections you make this Christmas can be long-lasting and the relationships you build with people experiencing homelessness can be lifechanging.
You’ll gain skills, have inspiring experiences, build confidence, and above all, help someone as they build a life out of homelessness and go from crisis to home. Not only this, but you will also be part of a once in a generation moment being led by the Prime Minister – to end rough sleeping and achieve real, lasting change.
In 2026, our festive offer to members will focus on ensuring a lasting impact beyond Christmas.
We will deliver a range of enriching activities, focused on building connections with community and friends, specialist housing sessions and health and wellbeing events. Members will receive a festive hamper including vouchers, toiletries and wellbeing items, generously donated by our partner, Lloyds Banking Group. Members will also have access to a warm space with hot food and a clothing store.
We are looking for driver volunteers to collect donations and distribute our festive hampers, and health and wellbeing volunteers, to provide a range of services at our health and wellbeing events. We are also looking for entertainers to support us at our festive launch event.
With your help, we can support people out of homelessness.
Once you have applied for a role, your application will be reviewed by our Christmas team. We will contact you once a decision has been made.
If your application is approved, you will then be able to book your shifts. If your role requires a disclosure check, we will inform you of the process for this.
You must attend a volunteer induction and complete any essential e-learning to ensure you’re prepared to volunteer.
Once all these steps are complete, you can begin volunteering with us!
Training varies for each role, however you must attend a volunteer induction prior to commencing your shifts. You will also be required to complete any essential e-learning relevant to your role.
Our Christmas events are for Crisis members only. If you are homeless or living in temporary accommodation, contact us on 0191 222 0622 to find out about joining our Skylight.
Thanks so much for wanting to donate to Crisis Skylight Newcastle!
We can accept donation in many ways:
Card Payment: Call us on 0191 222 0622 to make a donation over the phone.
Bank Transfer: Please contact us (details below) to request our bank details.
Cheque: Made payable to Crisis Skylight Newcastle and posted to us at 1-3 City Road, Newcastle, NE1 2AF
Just Giving: www.justgiving.com/fundraising/crisisne
Please contact us at enquiries.newcastle@crisis.org.uk or 0191 222 0622 to discuss any planned fundraising or donations.
Crisis will work to support an individual who has immediate accommodation concerns, which may include funding emergency hotel accommodation. At a local level we do not provide a residential offer.
Please email christmas.newcastle@crisis.org.uk if you have any questions.
Most of our events and activities will be held at Crisis Skylight Newcastle.
We have volunteering opportunities that come up year-round and are advertised on our volunteering webpages.
If you don’t see anything you are interested in at the moment, please email our Volunteer and Involvement Lead on volunteering.newcastle@crisis.org.uk and they will keep you in mind when new opportunities arise.
If you need to access your volunteer account please visit My Crisis Volunteering. Here you can access information on your shifts, including if you need to cancel or amend them and any learning relating to your volunteering as well as update your contact details.
If you think someone is homeless, or at risk of homelessness, you should contact the Newcastle Housing Advice Centre.
Telephone: 0800 1707 008
Email: housingadvicecentre@newcastle.gov.uk
If you think someone is homeless or at risk of homelessness, outside of Newcastle, check your local authority’s website for further details.
There is pay to park multi-storey car parking at Manors and Quayside car parks. Crisis Skylight Newcastle is a 15-minute walk from Newcastle Train Station.
The voice and expertise of people with lived experience is vital in ensuring our service is truly meeting the needs of our members. We encourage anyone with lived experience to apply for our volunteer roles.
We also involve members and people with lived experience of homelessness in opportunities across the organisation including our Experts by Experience panel. For more details, please speak to your local Volunteer and Involvement Lead.
Some roles require previous experience and/or qualifications, while some do not.
Professional service volunteers, such as those completing health checks or haircuts will require the relevant qualifications and insurance.
Information about each role will be listed on our website and throughout the volunteer application form.
Please check this information before applying to ensure you are applying for the most suitable role for you.
We do not ask for references for Christmas volunteers.
Due to the volume of volunteers recruited at Christmas, we are unable to provide detailed references. We will only provide a start and finish date for those who have completed a volunteering shift in the previous two years.
The only exception to this is for the lead/senior volunteers who work closely with Crisis and members of staff beyond the Christmas service delivery period.
Due to the volume of volunteers recruited at Christmas, we are unable to cover expenses.
Many of the roles will require a disclosure check (either basic or enhanced) - you will be able to see this on the role description. We use a digital system to manage DBS checks which we will request and pay for (where payment is needed).
If you have a criminal conviction, this does not automatically mean you cannot volunteer for us. However, we may need to ask you for more information about the conviction to conduct a risk assessment and decide if you are able to volunteer.
Of course. You are welcome to volunteer in a new shift, location, or a different role, if there is availability.
It’s great that you want to support us this Christmas! There are lots of opportunities to support us through fundraising or campaigning work. To find out more, click on the Other ways to support buttons below or visit the Crisis at Christmas webpage.
If you are feeling poorly, we urge you to not volunteer until you are feeling better.
As we prioritise the health of our members, volunteers who display any symptoms will be asked to leave their shift.
Unfortunately, due to the limitations placed on us by our insurance, we are unable to offer volunteering opportunities to those not based in the UK.
There’s more than one way to make a difference this Christmas. If you can’t volunteer with us, your donation, event participation, or fundraising support can help change lives and end homelessness for good.
