5 great places to volunteer in Greenwich

If you’re looking to make a positive difference in your community, then you might be a perfect Dot Dot Dot property guardian.

At Dot Dot Dot Property we’ll offer you more affordable housing and the opportunity to join a community of people who think getting involved and making a difference is important. With our properties in Greenwich coming soon, we’ve delved into the area’s volunteering hotspots to bring you 5 great opportunities to make a positive impact.

1. Give your time to Volunteers Supporting Families

Established in 2013, Volunteers Supporting Families has since been dedicated to recruiting and training volunteers to mentor and support families with children at risk of being subjected to neglect or harm. As a volunteer, you’ll be matched to a family and conduct weekly visits to offer advice or a listening ear for any problems they may be facing. Through these visits, you’ll be helping to keep families together, helping parents to improve their parenting skills and reducing pressures and reliance on social care services. Apply now to offer your support to families at risk.

2. Make emergency food accessible at Greenwich Foodbank

Members of the Trussell Trust Foodbank Network, Greenwich Foodbank is driven by volunteers to ensure that emergency food is accessible for people in crisis. They have a number of voluntary roles available from warehouse volunteers, where you will be responsible for sorting through donated food and making parcels for collection. There’s always room to volunteer at the centres to manually hand out these parcels, or just have an informal chat and cup of tea with people who are in crisis and need signposting towards further support. They’d love to hear from you, so get in touch to join their ranks today. 

3. Help someone get back on their feet with Emmaus Greenwich

First and foremost, Emmaus Greenwich supports people to work their way out of homelessness by giving them the support they need to make a permanent change. Through having a home, meaningful work and a sense of belonging, those experiencing homelessness have the tools to gain new skills and the confidence to get back on their feet. They have a number of voluntary roles on offer including driving, book sorting, social media, upcycling and at local charity shops. Apply to volunteer with Emmaus by emailing volunteer@emmausgreenwich.org.

4. Get your hands dirty at Greenwich Peninsula Ecology Park

Four acres of freshwater habitat and home to a surprising array of wildlife, Greenwich Peninsula Ecology Park has rapidly become an established and bio-diverse urban wetland. With the help of a team of dedicated volunteers, the careful balance of habitats is maintained to take care of the varying wildlife species that call it home. Each Wednesday and Saturday you can volunteer to clear flora and fauna – the best part is, you don’t need to have any prior experience! Email gpep@tcv.org.uk to get your sign up form.

5. Provide vital care at Greenwich and Bexley Community Hospice

Local charity, Greenwich and Bexley Community Hospice care for over 2,500 people with terminal illnesses and their families each year free of charge. As they only receive a third of their funding from the NHS, they need to fundraise £5m every year in order to be able to continue to provide this invaluable service to the community. They are significantly supported by volunteers and have available positions for whether you can only spare a few hours or commit to a regular day or evening. Get in touch at volunteersdept@gbch.org.uk to hear about specific availability.

We love when Dot Dot Dot property guardians volunteer in their local communities but it’s not vital. Check out do-it.org or whatCharity to find thousands of volunteering opportunities across London and the UK.

To find out more about how volunteering and guardianship go together, check out our community website page or read some more of our property guardians volunteering stories here.