The Trust is governed by a small board of volunteer trustees, all serving in the parish. With a small handful of additional helpers from the parish they make calls, arrange lifts to hospital, pay practical visits to parishioners recovering at home, and review small grant requests under the Scheme of 1984.
A long-standing supporter of the Trust once said that quietly to a parishioner over a cup of tea — and the trustees think it is one of the best sentences anybody has written about volunteering at a small parish welfare trust like ours.
We do not need a thousand volunteers. We need a small handful of parishioners who can occasionally help — a visit, a lift to a hospital appointment, a practical hour with a parishioner who is unwell. That is what a small parish welfare trust runs on. If you live in the parish and have a little time, we would be very glad to hear from you.
We will not waste your time. Our induction is short. Our paperwork is the legal minimum. Our buddy system pairs you with somebody who has been doing the same role for a while. You can stop at any time, for any reason, and we will not chase you.
Every role lists the actual time commitment, the kind of person we are looking for, and a one-line honest description of what the work feels like at its hardest. We update this page in the first week of each month.
2 phone calls per week · ~40 minutes · ongoing
Twice-weekly twenty-minute phone calls with a matched older neighbour. We need patience, warmth and a quiet phone-room. At its hardest, a call can be about bereavement.
12 places open2–3 hours · occasional · ongoing
Small practical help — a short shopping run for a parishioner recovering at home, an hour with a garden that has been neglected during illness, a kettle put on at a quiet visit.
A few places open1–2 hours · occasional · 6-month commitment
Quiet, prearranged visits to a parishioner who is sick or convalescent — a kettle, a chair, a careful conversation. We need calm and discreet; the trustees will introduce you slowly to the role.
By trustee referralflexible · daytime weekdays · on a rota
Driving older neighbours to Worcester Royal or Hereford County hospital for appointments. Mileage is reimbursed at HMRC rates. We need a clean licence and a tidy car. At its hardest, you will wait three hours in a car park.
5 places open3 hours · Saturday mornings · seasonal
Digging, weeding, harvesting and chatting with the volunteer regulars at our two-and-a-half-acre site. We need willing more than experienced. At its hardest, you will be cold and damp by 10:30am.
6 places open2 hours · weekday afternoons · 12-month minimum
Sitting in casework meetings with Anita, taking confidential notes on a laptop, writing letters to the DWP, council, and energy companies. We need discretion, fast typing and a thick skin for letters.
1 place · selective3–6 hours per event · ad hoc
Helping set up, serve and tidy at the Winter Lunch, Apple Day, Volunteer Welcome Evenings and Summer Garden Party. We need cheerful, flexible, and able to carry trays. No long-term commitment required.
always open~8 hours per month · 3-year term
We hold an open competition every three years for two of our nine trustee places. Next vacancy: October 2026. We particularly welcome applications from younger parish residents and from communities under-represented on our current board.
applications Oct 2026
A two-hour, tea-and-shortbread introduction on the first Thursday of each month. No commitment required, just come and have a look.
Beatrice, our Volunteer Co-ordinator, will sit down with you for forty minutes the following week, in the Trust offices or on the phone. We want to find a role that fits.
Two simple character references. The form is one side of A4 and asks four questions. We will not chase referees.
For roles working with under-18s or adults at risk, we will arrange a free Enhanced DBS check. Around three weeks.
You are matched with a volunteer who has been in the role at least two years. You can ring them at any time, about anything.
If, at any time, the role is not right for you — say so. We will help you stop, or move you to a different programme, with no awkwardness either way.
No need to be exhaustive — Beatrice will ring you back within four working days for a longer chat. All fields except your name and a way to reach you are optional.
