Volunteering - Frequently Asked Questions

Everyday hundreds of people volunteer for the Trust - without their time and contributions we wouldn’t be able to continue recovering nature. Volunteers often share how much they enjoy being part of the Trust and how they value the opportunity to make a real difference to London’s nature and communities. 

Volunteering offers an excellent opportunity to utilise your existing skills or develop new ones. It’s a chance to: 

• Use your skills and knowledge to benefit wildlife 

• Be actively involved in protecting wildlife for the future in London 

• Make new friends 

• Acquire new or improve existing skills 

• Be part of a team, helping build confidence and develop social skills 

• Gain valuable work experience 

• Keep fit and active – volunteering outdoors is a good alternative to the gym 

• Share your enthusiasm for wildlife with others 

• Learn more about London’s fascinating wildlife 

Anyone can volunteer and we really appreciate the help we get from supporters. We only ask that you are aged 16 and over, for under 18’s we require parental/guardian consent. We always have opportunities coming up so keep checking back on this page if there isn't anything for you right now.

Yes! We have a variety of opportunities that may suit your needs. Some of our volunteers are involved just for a couple of hours per week, others commit to once a month. Before you start with us, we explore volunteer roles and find the best fit for you!

If you’re a UK citizen, you’re free to volunteer. If you’re from outside the UK or living in the UK but on a Visa, we advise you to contact the UK Borders and Immigration Agency to find out if your visa allows you to volunteer before applying. Before you start volunteering with us, our People Officer will check your right to volunteer documents.

Volunteering is a great way to learn more about the wildlife in your local area and to help you understand how you can contribute to its protection. Some volunteer roles require more knowledge than others. For example, if you are a practical conservation volunteer you will be involved in practical wildlife and reserve management, but you will be taught everything you need to know. Other roles such as surveying do require a certain level of understanding. We welcome people from all backgrounds and experiences and hope that our staff and volunteers will be able to share some of their knowledge with you. We offer volunteers training appropriate to their role.

Each volunteer opportunity with the Trust is unique, with varying skill requirements. Often, no specific skills are needed - your dedication, enthusiasm, and willingness to collaborate are what matter most! If certain skills are necessary for a role, we will clearly specify them in the volunteer role profile.

Most opportunities will include an informal chat, and a nature walk with a Volunteer Manager, allowing you to learn more about the Trust and the volunteer role opportunity. The recruitment process includes a right-to-volunteer check, and you will be invited to take part in an induction. This is usually in a group setting with other new volunteers, or we can arrange for this to be held remotely or on a one-to-one basis to accommodate your needs. Just let the People Officer know if you have any reasonable adjustments or questions when they reach out after you have submitted your application.

No, we are very grateful for whatever support you can give.

All our volunteers have role profiles to show what typical tasks you might get involved in! Your Volunteer Manager will go through this information with you during your induction and make sure you are happy with all that the role involves. We are open to tailoring roles to your skills, and areas of interest. At this point, any training you need to carry out a task will be explored.

We give any training or inductions you'd need to carry out your volunteering role. The training you get will be different depending on what volunteering role you're doing. But all our volunteers cover training on health and safety, safeguarding, and equality, diversity and inclusion.

We'll make sure you have all the information and support you need to volunteer. The Volunteer Manager will always be your point of contact, so you'll always have someone to go to if you have any questions.

• A warm welcome with an induction to the work of London Wildlife Trust  

• Ongoing support from your Volunteer Manager tailored to you  

• Training for your role, including Health and Safety, Safeguarding, Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion, and more  

• Access to extra training opportunities  

• Branded volunteer clothing, including either a high visibility jacket or t-shirt  

• Access to all necessary PPE and working equipment, including a safety briefing and risk assessment before outdoor activity   

• Recognition for your contributions - we like to say thank you or words of encouragement through the day! 

• Discount in our cafes, including 40% during a volunteer session and 20% off at any other time when visiting   

• Fun social events like walks, talks, and our annual summer team get-together  

• Access to StaySafe app in the event of any unaccompanied session  

• Reimbursement for travel and food expenses, following our volunteer expenses policy  

• Plenty of tea/coffee and biscuits in our staffed reserves 

Yes. All volunteers will be paid for out-of-pocket expenses including travel and lunch. The exact expenses you can claim for will be confirmed once you start your volunteering role.

No. Volunteering does not affect the benefits payments you receive. We would always suggest that you tell your benefits advisor when you start volunteering.

Yes, all registered volunteers are covered by our insurance policy.

Unfortunately, almost all of our activities are unsuitable for bringing your dog along, many of them involve using hand tools, power tools or are inside.

Yes. We want all our volunteers to have a valuable, engaging and positive experience. We always welcome feedback on how we can improve our volunteering experience, and we hope you want to stay!

As a charity, we depend on our volunteers to help us with our work in recovering nature. The Trust has a policy that means volunteer roles are never used in place of paid roles. We believe that a volunteer is someone who is unpaid and gives up their own time, of their own free will, to support the Trust.

We don’t offer work experience or internships, but we do have our Keeping it Wild - paid traineeships and a range of volunteering opportunities.

Yes. If you would like to have a discussion about developing a bespoke partnership with us, to suit the needs of your business, please get in touch with Aaron Hart, Corporate Partnerships Officer at ahart@wildlondon.org.uk

No, we can’t usually organise volunteering for large groups of friends due to capacity levels. If you are a smaller group (under 4 people) please get in touch with volunteering@wildlondon.org.uk 

No, we are committed to equal opportunities for all volunteers. We strive to ensure fair treatment and non-discrimination against ex-offenders. Everyone is welcome! If you wish to make a confidential enquiry, please contact volunteering@wildlondon.org.uk  

We do not require a DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) check for most volunteer roles as volunteers will not be left alone with at risk adults or children. Our focus is on providing inclusive and accessible opportunities for everyone to get involved.

If your query is not covered above, please send a message to our volunteering inbox and get in touch.