Volunteer with PACT
PACT is enormously grateful for the time, skills and talents given freely by the range of volunteers working with us today.
Both the families we work with and PACT staff benefit from the life experience and generosity that our volunteers bring to our projects and services.
By donating your time and energy to volunteer with PACT, you can help us build and strengthen forever families for the future.
To find out more, see our FAQs below and hear from some of our volunteers about why they love volunteering at PACT.
Volunteering FAQs
Who can volunteer with PACT?
Anyone can apply to be a PACT volunteer and we always welcome applications from anyone with time or skills to share.
Why volunteer with PACT?
Volunteering at PACT is a fantastic way to support the work we do. PACT prides itself on valuing its many volunteers and giving them an excellent volunteering experience. You can hear what our volunteers have to say in the quotes further down this page.
Both the staff who work at PACT and the people who use PACT’s services benefit hugely from the time, skills, energy, perspectives and life experience that our volunteers bring to our projects and services.
How much time do I need to give to volunteer?
Each role at PACT is different so you can choose to volunteer as much or as little as you like. You can contact our team at volunteering@pactcharity.org to discuss your availability and see if there would be any roles that suit you.
What skills do I need to volunteer at PACT?
You don’t need specific skills to be able to volunteer and a full induction and any relevant training will be provided. We have lots of different roles at PACT – visit this page to get an idea of some of the roles undertaken by our current volunteers. If you have a particular skill you would like to make use of in a volunteering role, or if there are certain skills you would like to develop, please get in touch at volunteering@pactcharity.org to find out if there are roles that might be right for you.
How do I apply to become a volunteer?
You can fill in our application form here on our volunteer opportunities page, or you can get in touch with our team by sending an email to volunteering@pactcharity.org and we will be happy to chat to you about your interests and possible roles that might suit you.
What checks will I need to undergo to become a volunteer?
Safeguarding is at the heart of everything we do at PACT. We have robust measures and best practices in place to safeguard and protect the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and we take pride in maintaining outstanding safeguarding standards.
We expect all volunteers, both current and prospective, to uphold and share this commitment and we value everyone’s engagement and co-operation with our safeguarding processes to ensure that these are completed without delay.
Anyone joining our team is subject to PACT’s safer recruitment pre-appointment enquiries. These enquiries include providing documentation to evidence the right to work in the UK, a Disclosure Barring Service (DBS) check, overseas police check (if applicable), references covering at least 5 years, a complete previous education and employment history timeline and the completion of mandatory safeguarding training.
Further information is available here – See PACT’s Safeguarding policy, Safer Recruitment Procedure and Code of Conduct.
Hear from some of our volunteers…
My summer of volunteering with PACT was the best decision I could have made. Everyone was great at getting me involved straight away and really challenging the skills I already possessed as well as teaching me new ones. I always felt welcome and excited to come into the office and for what the day could entail. PACT were flexible when it came to hours and time I could give and were so appreciative. They went out of their way to ensure that I was experiencing everything I wanted to get out of volunteering which was amazing.
Alana House volunteer
I can’t say enough how good this has been. The voluntary experience that you offer is ridiculous high quality. I’ve been volunteering on and off since I was 15 and this is totally different.
BB4K Champion
One of the strengths of PACT that always comes to mind when people ask me about the organisation is that they really understand the volunteering role, and how to make the most of the opportunity for both volunteers and staff. I think the fact that there are many volunteers here, and many who have been here a long time, speaks volumes about how embedded we feel in our different roles and how much we feel part of the organisation. Something I always feel in and around our workplace is a real generosity of spirit – no-one is an outsider – and I think our service users must feel that too.
Alana House volunteer
PACT is a wonderful organisation to volunteer with. The work is very rewarding and I always feel appreciated by my team and the wider organisation.
HR volunteer
It has been really rewarding seeing the women learning new skills in the kitchen. I am so pleased with how willing they have been to try new things and how quickly they picked up techniques which they could then go on to recreate with their families.
Alana House baking volunteer
I have really enjoyed the opportunity to meet and support adopters on different stages of their adoption journey.
CATCH peer supporter
Alana House is an amazing place that provides such an incredible service to the women and I feel so proud to be part of a brilliant team.
Alana House volunteer
I volunteer at Alana House because I so admire the service users who are brave and strong enough to ask for the help they need to enable them to live a better and happier life. The staff and other volunteers are professional, compassionate and inspirational and there is a wonderful working atmosphere.
Alana House volunteer
It has been an absolute pleasure working with PACT and alongside the amazing women who make up the Alana and BB4K team, as well as working with all our services users. PACT has been a wonderful environment to work in and has given me great opportunities and experience. I have felt valued and supported by PACT throughout my time as a volunteer and placement student and I can’t praise them enough.
Placement Student for BB4K and Alana House
PACT allowed me to develop as a person in so many different ways including my confidence and communication skills which will help me later in my career.
Reception volunteer
There is nothing more rewarding than seeing the ladies experience real success and develop a feeling of self-worth. I just love the work and hope to continue to volunteer for some time to come.
Alana House volunteer
I enjoy working with people and this was an opportunity to join an organisation making a difference to a wide variety of children, families and vulnerable women. I have always felt welcome and valued. I look forward to my weekly volunteering. I have built a friendly relationship with staff and also many of the service users.
Alana House volunteer
Hear from our volunteer coordinator Chris and volunteer Ashton
The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service
In 2022, Alana House was honoured to receive a prestigious award in recognition of its fantastic team of volunteers. The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service is the highest award a local voluntary group can receive in the UK and is equivalent to an MBE. The award recognises outstanding work by local volunteer groups to benefit their communities.
A team of 13 volunteers give around 80 hours a week between them at Alana House to carry out vital roles such as counsellors, cookery skills instructors, administrators, assistant support worker, sewing instructors and supporting at drop-in sessions. Jan Norbury, a volunteer since 2016 said: “There is nothing more rewarding than seeing the ladies experience real success and develop a feeling of self-worth. I just love the work and hope to continue to volunteer for some time to come.”
Supporter of the month
Each month we celebrate one person, family or group that has gone above and beyond to support PACT’s work. Our Supporter of the Month initiative is a great opportunity for us to showcase and thank the many amazing volunteers (as well as fundraisers) who have made a positive impact on PACT’s work. Take a look to see what our latest PACT superstars have achieved.
Blog: From Events Volunteer to Enquiries Officer
By Anna Webster
Anna Webster works as an adoption enquiries officer for PACT. She first became involved with PACT four years ago when she was looking for volunteering roles while at university. Find out how Anna gained valuable voluntary experience at PACT which helped her secure a paid role.
