Our volunteers work alongside companions (the formerly homeless people we support) and staff in everyday tasks and activities to support our community and busy social enterprises.
We currently have volunteers helping in support, upcycling & online sales and are looking for more!
Volunteer retail team
We are looking for sociable people to volunteer in our charity shops (both Stokes Croft and the new sustainability hub Sparks) and help to raise money for the vital work we do supporting formerly homeless people. You’d need to be confident arranging stock, talking to customers and taking donations. Full training would be given on our delivery booking system and pricing. Great for building your professional charity, social care and sustainability experience. Retail experience a bonus, but not necessary.
If you are interested contact us
Volunteer drivers/drivers mates
Want an vital role volunteering in our van crew? You’d ideally be happy to commit to one day a week, or more. You either need to be licensed to drive a 3.5 tonne truck, or happy being van crew. You’ll be working with an experienced crew collecting and delivering pre-loved furniture around Bristol.
If you are interested please contact us
Online Listing Volunteer
A great role if you already have some basic IT skills and a love of eclectic pre-loved treasure! You’d be:
- Researching & photographing items to list online
- Dispatching; helping to prepare, pack and post sold items.
- Part of a fun team based in our warehouse in Stokes Croft BS2 8QJ.
Specialists – Do you have a particular interest or specialism? This could be anything from books, antiques, fashion or jewellery to Pokémon cards. Please mention this when you contact us. We’d love to hear from you.
If you are interested contact us
Trustee
If you have an interest in governance and want to help Emmaus Bristol on a strategic level, apply to become a trustee. You’d be:
- Attending board meetings around 5 times a year
- Taking a strategic overview and making sure our Five Year and Annual plans and budget stay on track
- Fulfilling the requirements of a trustee, as set out by the charity commission
Specialists – We are particularly interested in hearing from potential trustees with either lived or work experience in homelessness.
If you are interested contact us
What to expect?
A warm welcome, training needed to fulfil their roles, and the opportunity to attend Emmaus UK events and training. If you’re looking to get experience or get back to work after a break, we’re a great place to build confidence, gain skills and get a reference. Some of our staff members started as volunteers 10 years ago!
Working alongside our companions, you will also positively and directly affect the lives of formerly homeless people.
Please note all volunteers must be over 18 years of age.
Team volunteering
Work for a local business and want to bring a team to help? We have a regularly updated list of team volunteering projects that also make great team building activities.
Team building and corporate volunteering opportunities at Emmaus Bristol
Emmaus Bristol helps homeless people by providing a home and work experience so that they can re-build their lives in a stable, welcoming and encouraging environment, gain valuable employability skills and get the support they need. We welcome volunteers from businesses to help us improve life for the people we support, and in so doing, providing a great team building activity too.
Why do we charge for team volunteering?
We are a small, local charity with a small staff team. As well as needing lovely volunteers to help us with projects, we also need the resources to make the projects happen, whether that’s bags of compost, tins of paint, or extra staff for the day to help lead a group. We can also order in lunch for your group (additional charge) or you can bring or order in your own. Note that all prices quoted are ex VAT.
Upcycling, 10am – 4pm (Maximum 10 people – £355)
Work in pairs to sand and repaint a piece of old furniture to give it a new look and a new life. A companion with skills in upcycling will be on hand to help and advise you.
Benefits to your team: a creative task with the huge satisfaction of giving a new lease of life to old bits of furniture.
Benefits to Emmaus Bristol: You will be helping to add value to donated furniture that we sell and to attract customers to our shops.
Leaflet delivery, a morning or an afternoon (Maximum 20 people – £0)
We’ll provide you with a map and a stack of leaflets promoting Emmaus Bristol to deliver.
Benefits to your team: Working outside and working together as a team.
Benefits to Emmaus Bristol: Helping to promote our charity and social enterprises helps us to continue helping people out of homelessness.
Decorating, 10am to 4pm (Maximum 10 people – £240 for the group)
Work together to prepare and then to paint a room. Depending on need this could be in an accommodation or social enterprise building.
Benefits to your team: Team work and team building. Satisfaction – seeing a finished room at the end of the day.
Benefits to Emmaus Bristol: We have to frequently decorate between tenants, or just as general upkeep. You’ll be helping us to keep our buildings looking fresh for the enjoyment of all who use them.
Greening the grey, 10am to 4pm (Maximum 15 people – £ 295 – £590 depending on the materials needed)
A fantastic project for any time of the year. Around our building we have four patches of garden. We’ve been transforming them into beautiful gardens for the benefit of everyone who uses our building and the whole community. In one day you’d transform one patch – from clearing it to adding compost and plants. Or you could choose to create a beautiful garden outside our newest social enterprise, our eco holiday pods.
Benefits to your team: Working outdoors which is good for body and mind. Team work and team building. Satisfaction – seeing a finished garden at the end of the day.
Benefits to Emmaus Bristol: You will be helping to make our building more beautiful, for the enjoyment of the companions (formerly homeless residents), staff, volunteers, customers and the local community. Green space is known to have mental health benefits and we need more of it in our inner city
Warehouse work-out, 10am to 4pm (5-25 people – £235 for up to 15 people and £24/ person for additional)
This is a great project for a team wanting to make a visible impact. With a collection van out picking up donated furniture all day Monday-Friday, the warehouse gets jam-packed and periodically needs a good sort-out. Your team, led by a staff member and companions, will be moving stock around, arranging and sorting it to make it easier to see what we’ve got, and to send it out to our shops.
Benefits to your team: a fun physical task that encourages good team work.
Benefits to Emmaus Bristol: Around half of our income comes from our shops and all of our income helps to support people out of homelessness. By helping sort the warehouse you’ll help us by making it more efficient, so that we can sell more items.
