Our vision for Newcastle is a city where everyone can access volunteering, volunteers have meaningful and rewarding experiences, and organisations thrive. Volunteer Centre Newcastle plays a pivotal role at the heart of the city, providing high-quality volunteering infrastructure across all four neighbourhoods.

Since 2005, we have supported residents, voluntary and community organisations, public sector partners, businesses and educational institutions to make volunteering visible, accessible and meaningful. We help residents find roles that match their interests, skills and circumstances, while supporting organisations to recruit, manage and retain volunteers effectively. Last year alone, we supported more than 1,200 organisations, assisted 2,500 residents interested in volunteering and advertised hundreds of opportunities across the city.

Funded by Newcastle City Council, Volunteer Centre Newcastle will continue to strengthen the city’s voluntary and community sector by providing volunteer management advice, recruitment support, training, volunteering health checks, practical toolkits, peer learning opportunities and networking forums. These services help organisations design high-quality, inclusive volunteer roles and build sustainable volunteering programmes that benefit communities across the city.

Volunteer Centre Newcastle will continue to be led locally by our staff members Karen Watson and Claire Devine, who bring extensive experience, local knowledge and strong relationships across Newcastle’s voluntary and community sector. They are brilliantly supported by our dedicated centre volunteers – Helen, Rendel, and Sem, whose long-term commitment, knowledge and enthusiasm make an invaluable contribution.