Volunteer

In celebration of Volunteers Week 2026 we put together a little thank you for our hard-working and wonderful volunteers-

The Wilberforce Trust supports people with sight and hearing impairments, including those with other disabilities. We offer a wide range of services including housing, support assessments, support with daily living to rehabilitation services, technology and equipment assistance as well as activity and educational groups. These services and activities create opportunities that enable individuals to live fulfilled lives as independently in their community as possible.

We are looking for volunteers to support the planning and delivery of activities, help to create materials for sessions, support events, fundraising, befriending and much more. By volunteering with us you will get a chance to meet new people,  the satisfaction of helping others, the opportunity to develop new skills and gain experience in supporting children and adults living with a sensory impairment and gain insight into the third sector and how charities work. In exchange for this we will expect you have an open and friendly nature, to be adaptable, reliable and patient; to have sense of humour and good communication skills and that you feel confident approaching and talking to members of the public.

Volunteer Roles

Our current vacancies are listed below, please click on the role name to find out more details:

Befriending >

There are some times when limitations posed by disability restrict the number of social opportunities that our service users have access to. As a befriender, you will be providing a much-needed social contact through regularly meeting a person at their home , or supporting them with weekly phone call. Befriending can have a great impact on the service user as well as the befriending volunteer. It gradually enhances lives by providing a regular social contact that can, eventually, expand people’s horizons, increase their self-esteem and confidence as well as providing an opportunity to share interests and learn from each other.

Visually Impaired Children & Young People Club Support Volunteer >

We believe in enabling everyone to achieve their potential regardless of their disability. Anyone can be affected by sight loss and it is our goal to help to smooth out the bumps in the road that parents of children with visual impairments encounter, which is why we have set up Club Wilber. We need volunteers to support the activities and events organised for these children and their families, which may include planning and delivery of sessions, providing support to facilitators during activities, helping us to create materials for sessions, supporting sports events or fundraising and much more.

Micro Volunteering >

This position that will suit people who are keen to help but who cannot commit to regular hours or extensive training. People joining our micro volunteer team will be invited to support the planning of activities, help to create materials for sessions, support events, fundraising and much more.

Corporate Volunteering Opportunities >

If your company runs a corporate volunteering scheme, we would love to invite you to spend time with us making a tangible difference. Whether you’re looking to give back, strengthen team dynamics, or develop new skills, we are happy to talk with you about ways that we can help each other.

FAQs

What special qualities do I need to be a volunteer?

• An interest in supporting visually impaired individuals who may have other disabilities
• Some spare time
• An open and friendly nature
• Patience
• Adaptability
• Good communication skills
• A sense of humour
• Some roles will require a DBS check (which the Trust will apply for)

How much time will I need to give?

We always aim to be as flexible as possible to meet the needs of our volunteers – there may be some roles which require availability on certain dates and times, others that require a longer commitment but all we ask is that you communicate your needs with staff as we may have just the right volunteering opportunity for you.

What will I get out of it?

Volunteering for the Wilberforce Trust gives; a chance to meet new people; to develop new skills; gain experience and knowledge; to be respected and valued for your involvement; the satisfaction of helping others; and valuable use of your spare time.  You will also gain insight into the third sector and a small local charity, the opportunity to develop your skills and receive training and ongoing support from staff.  We like to thank and recognize our volunteers in a number of ways throughout the year as well.

We also encourage volunteers to suggest fundraising and event ideas.  If you have specific interests and ideas which we can support and to get involved with the planning and running of events if that is something you are interested in.   

What our volunteers say

”I would wholeheartedly recommend volunteering, it’s probably one of the best ways to give you a sense of peace, gratitude, and connection to everyone around you. You’re always appreciated and valued as a volunteer which is a lovely feeling. I think the skills you develop as a volunteer can be applied in so many areas of your life and just make you a more compassionate, well-rounded person. Volunteering is great especially if you are new to an area or if you’re a student, it’s brilliant for getting to know the people in your local area.” – Bex 

Read more about what our volunteers have to say in these case studies.  

Apply to join our volunteer team

Now is the time to get involved and help us to make a difference to the children and adults living with a sensory impairment across Yorkshire. To join our growing group of volunteers, please complete the the Volunteer Application form below or download it and send to us.

If you have any questions about the role, need help to complete the application form or wish to speak to us about any reasonable adjustments or accessibility requirements, please email volunteering@wilberforcetrust.org.uk or ring us on (01904) 760037. 

VOLUNTEER APPLICATION FORM

Name *

First

Last

Select as many volunteering options as you wish to participate in. We will discuss these with you, in more detail, before you join us *

• Befriending
• Visually Impaired Children & Young people Club Support Volunteer
• Microvolunteering (Fundraising, marketing and event preparation)
• Other

If you wish to become a Befriender, we require a minimum commitment period of six months. Please confirm that you can meet this requirement. *

• Yes
• No

Please confirm whether you have the legal right to work and undertake voluntary roles in the United Kingdom *

• Yes
• No

Phone *

Email *

Address *

Address Line 1

Address Line 2

City

State / Province / Region

Postal Code

--- Select country ---AfghanistanAlbaniaAlgeriaAmerican SamoaAndorraAngolaAnguillaAntarcticaAntigua and BarbudaArgentinaArmeniaArubaAustraliaAustriaAzerbaijanBahamasBahrainBangladeshBarbadosBelarusBelgiumBelizeBeninBermudaBhutanBolivia (Plurinational State of)Bonaire, Saint Eustatius and SabaBosnia and HerzegovinaBotswanaBouvet IslandBrazilBritish Indian Ocean TerritoryBrunei DarussalamBulgariaBurkina FasoBurundiCabo VerdeCambodiaCameroonCanadaCayman IslandsCentral African RepublicChadChileChinaChristmas IslandCocos (Keeling) IslandsColombiaComorosCongoCongo (Democratic Republic of the)Cook IslandsCosta RicaCroatiaCubaCuraçaoCyprusCzech RepublicCôte d'IvoireDenmarkDjiboutiDominicaDominican RepublicEcuadorEgyptEl SalvadorEquatorial GuineaEritreaEstoniaEswatini (Kingdom of)EthiopiaFalkland Islands (Malvinas)Faroe IslandsFijiFinlandFranceFrench GuianaFrench PolynesiaFrench Southern TerritoriesGabonGambiaGeorgiaGermanyGhanaGibraltarGreeceGreenlandGrenadaGuadeloupeGuamGuatemalaGuernseyGuineaGuinea-BissauGuyanaHaitiHeard Island and McDonald IslandsHondurasHong KongHungaryIcelandIndiaIndonesiaIran (Islamic Republic of)IraqIreland (Republic of)Isle of ManIsraelItalyJamaicaJapanJerseyJordanKazakhstanKenyaKiribatiKorea (Democratic People's Republic of)Korea (Republic of)KosovoKuwaitKyrgyzstanLao People's Democratic RepublicLatviaLebanonLesothoLiberiaLibyaLiechtensteinLithuaniaLuxembourgMacaoMadagascarMalawiMalaysiaMaldivesMaliMaltaMarshall IslandsMartiniqueMauritaniaMauritiusMayotteMexicoMicronesia (Federated States of)Moldova (Republic of)MonacoMongoliaMontenegroMontserratMoroccoMozambiqueMyanmarNamibiaNauruNepalNetherlandsNew CaledoniaNew ZealandNicaraguaNigerNigeriaNiueNorfolk IslandNorth Macedonia (Republic of)Northern Mariana IslandsNorwayOmanPakistanPalauPalestine (State of)PanamaPapua New GuineaParaguayPeruPhilippinesPitcairnPolandPortugalPuerto RicoQatarRomaniaRussian FederationRwandaRéunionSaint BarthélemySaint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da CunhaSaint Kitts and NevisSaint LuciaSaint Martin (French part)Saint Pierre and MiquelonSaint Vincent and the GrenadinesSamoaSan MarinoSao Tome and PrincipeSaudi ArabiaSenegalSerbiaSeychellesSierra LeoneSingaporeSint Maarten (Dutch part)SlovakiaSloveniaSolomon IslandsSomaliaSouth AfricaSouth Georgia and the South Sandwich IslandsSouth SudanSpainSri LankaSudanSurinameSvalbard and Jan MayenSwedenSwitzerlandSyrian Arab RepublicTaiwan, Republic of ChinaTajikistanTanzania (United Republic of)ThailandTimor-LesteTogoTokelauTongaTrinidad and TobagoTunisiaTurkmenistanTurks and Caicos IslandsTuvaluTürkiyeUgandaUkraineUnited Arab EmiratesUnited Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandUnited States Minor Outlying IslandsUnited States of AmericaUruguayUzbekistanVanuatuVatican City StateVenezuela (Bolivarian Republic of)VietnamVirgin Islands (British)Virgin Islands (U.S.)Wallis and FutunaWestern SaharaYemenZambiaZimbabweÅland IslandsCountry

Preferred method of contact *

• Email
• Text
• Phone

We are also interested in increasing service provision to people with hearing impairments. are you able to communicate using *

• British Sign Language (BSL)
• Makaton
• British Sign Language (BSL) & Makaton
• Neither, but I am happy to volunteer in activities that do not require them

Please let us know about yourself and your motivations to volunteer with us *

Please select as appropriate *

• Employed full time
• Employed part time
• Currently unemployed
• Retired
• Student

Please provide an indication of your availability, for example, a few hours in the weekend, Thursday afternoons, Monday mornings, etc *

For the purposes of training and communication, could you please indicate if you have access to... *

• Smart phone
• Computer
• Printer
• None of the above

Do you require adaptations due to disability, mobility problems or or other health issues like allergies or dietary restrictions? *

How did you find out about volunteering with us? *

How did you find about volunteering with us?

Emergency contact full name *

Please include: - Full name - Address - Email address - Nature of relationship, for example mother, sibling, etc.

Emergency contact address *

Emergency contact email address *

Emergency Contact telephone *

Emergency Contact - Nature of relationship, for example mother, partner, friend, etc. *

We require DBS checks for volunteers who will be working with children and/or vulnerable adults. We will provide you with a link to apply for one and we will cover its cost. Once the check is completed, you will get a DBS Certificate by post, which you will need to email to us and bring with you on your first activity. Please confirm that you agree for this check to take place *

• I am happy for a DBS check to take place and provide you with a scan/photo of both sides of the certificate.
• No DBS required (Microvolunteering)
• I do not consent to a DBS Check

Reference 1: Please provide the full name and email address of someone who knows you as an employee or student (not a family member) and can provide a reference covering the past three years. If you are unable to provide a single reference covering this period, please provide additional referees to cover the full three years. *

Please provide the full name and email address of someone who knows you in any capacity (not a family member) and can provide a reference covering the past three years. If you are unable to provide a single reference covering this period, please provide additional referees to cover the full three years. *

Do you need any communication support with this enquiry? *

• Large Print
• Audio
• Easy read
• No additional support required.

By submitting this application I give consent to the Wilberforce Trust to process and store my data for the purpose of participation in volunteering activities.

I agree for my data to be processed and stored as per General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) and understand that I can request for this consent to be removed by emailing volunteering@wilberforcetrust.org.uk

Submit

The Wilberforce Trust has signed the York Citywide Volunteering Pledge to show our commitment to contributing towards a thriving culture of Volunteering in York.

Nearly two-thirds of people living with sight loss are women.