You can help out in our shops from the age of 15. It’s a great way to gain skills and boost your confidence.
Volunteer
We couldn’t do what we do without our fantastic group of dedicated volunteers who each play an integral role in the running of Shooting Star Children’s Hospices. We’re always looking for new people to join our volunteer team, whether that's for a few hours each week, or helping out a few times a year at our events – your support makes a huge difference.
Join our team
Volunteering information for schools and companies
Corporate volunteers
Take on an apprentice challenge with your colleagues in our shops, or lend your support at a key event, or at one of our hospices.
What you'll get out of volunteering
It’s not always easy to find the time to volunteer, but helping us doesn’t just help the children and families we support. It can also benefit you, your family and your local community.
Frequently asked questions about volunteering
It can take as little as a couple of weeks or up to three months depending on how quickly you fill in the forms, whether your chosen role requires a DBS and whether your chosen role is available.
Unfortunately, it is not always possible to match all our volunteer applicants to a suitable role.
Fill in an application form (or contact us for a paper version). Your application will be assessed and we will try to match you to a suitable role for your experience and requirements.
- We will contact you to organise a mutually convenient date and time for you to come and meet us and discuss volunteering in more detail.
- If there is a suitable role we will then take up two references (these should not be a relative or partner and at least one if possible should be a recent work colleague).
- For volunteer roles at our hospices we will also carry out a DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) check formerly known as a CRB.
- We also carry out an ID check on all our volunteers, you will need to produce one photo ID (e.g. passport or driving licence, or a birth certificate) and one of the following: bank/building society statement or utility bill.
- You will be invited to attend an induction and a start date will be agreed.
No, you will need to follow the application process described in the question above.
You will receive a general induction to the organisation and training tailored to the individual role you will be carrying out. We also have mandatory training in all roles which includes fire safety, manual handling and safeguarding children.
We have over 700 volunteers who help in a wide range of ways. There are volunteer roles at Shooting Star House in Hampton and Christopher’s in Guildford. The roles include receptionist, kitchen assistant, gardener, maintenance assistant and housekeeping assistant. There are a limited number of roles involved in care support, such as volunteer therapists. We also have fundraising administration, finance and research roles at Hampton, and retail assistant roles in our shops. You can also apply to be an events volunteer or photographer (dependant on experience) if you want to help out but can’t commit to specific times each week.
Unfortunately we are unable to accommodate requests for work experience.
Please visit our student placements page for more information.
You can volunteer at one of our charity shops from the age of 15, and at one of our fundraising events from the age of 16. For volunteering opportunities based at our hospice you will currently need to be at least 18 years old. In the past we have offered a young volunteering scheme at our hospice (16-18) but this is not currently running.
Apart from our young volunteering programme, we prefer volunteers for specific roles to commit to a minimum period of 12 months if at all possible. However we also have a team of events volunteers who help at our one-off events, so you could also apply to be one of them.
There are very few opportunities available to work directly with the children in our care and when these opportunities arise they are frequently allocated to those who have been volunteering within our hospices and have a teaching or nursing qualification. Having said that, we assess all our applicants on an individual basis and we are currently reviewing our care volunteer strategy.
It is Shooting Star Children’s Hospices policy to reimburse reasonable out of pocket expenses incurred by registered volunteers and volunteers are encouraged to claim expenses incurred while volunteering. Volunteers should always check with their managers what expenses can be claimed before they spend any money.
Most of our volunteers do not have to wear a uniform. Some volunteer roles in our hospices are provided with an apron or polo shirt and all volunteers are requested not to wear jeans.
Yes you can. Download our Volunteer policy here.