Volunteer for DEBRA UK

Join team DEBRA

Our 1,200+ volunteers are amazing and make such a difference to people living with EB every day. We always need more, though.

Whether you have a specific skill or want to learn something new, however much or little time you can give, and whatever stage of life you are at, there is a volunteering role for you here at DEBRA UK.

With a wide range of opportunities available we’re super flexible in terms of how much time you give, so you can decide which charity volunteering role suits you best.

You can also get your company involved! Find out more about corporate partnerships and how you and your colleagues can volunteer and support us here!

We have achieved the Investors in Volunteers quality standard which recognises best practice in volunteer management. This accreditation demonstrates how much we value our volunteers and hopefully will reassure you that you’ll receive an outstanding volunteer experience with us.

Through a volunteering role with us you can meet new people, learn new skills, and gain meaningful experiences to enhance your CV and career prospects. It can also boost your confidence and self-esteem.

So, if you have the time to give, please join us and help changes lives. With you we can BE the difference for EB.

Find out more about our volunteering roles below.

Meet volunteer Amber

“Working in a charity shop suits my skill set and I love giving back in a sustainable way, so working with second hand clothing and giving them new life is great!”

Join team DEBRA

apply now

Charity shop volunteering

Whether it’s engaging with customers, creating eye-catching displays, sorting stock or more, by volunteering in one of our shops you’ll be part of a team which plays a crucial role in raising the funds to improve quality of life for people living with EB today and to secure effective drug treatments for all types of EB for tomorrow.

We have various volunteering roles available in our shops as well as online volunteering roles, where you can use your passion for fashion and collectables to help grow our online sales.

Locations

We have volunteering opportunities available across our UK stores.

Find your local store

Commitment

Flexible, any time you can give is much appreciated, but if you can do at least 3-4 hours a week, this will help make a real difference.

What we need from you:

A willingness to learn (if you need training, we’ll provide it)
A willingness to uphold high shop standards
Excellent customer service
To be dependable, reliable and physically able to carry out allocated tasks
Ability to work as part of a team and on your own when required

In-store roles

Cash desk assistants:

- Operate a till to process cash and credit card transactions
- Engage with customers from all walks of life to make the most of every sales opportunity
- Promote our latest campaigns including raising awareness of EB
- Sign customers up to Gift-aid
- Assist with stock processing and replenishment

Sales floor assistants:

- Use your flair for fashion and eye for décor to help our customers find what they want in our stores
- Filling the rails and shelves of our stores with quality pre-loved items
- Dressing windows and creating eye-catching displays to entice and invite our customers to browse and buy
- Assist our customers with in-store donations and sign them up to Gift-aid

Stock room assistants:

- Ideal for those seeking a behind-the-scenes role, you’ll help sort through the donations we receive, sorting, tagging, hanging, bagging or boxing ready for sales
- Steaming clothes so that they are in very best condition ready for sale

eBay lister:

- Help our team spot the best pre-loved gems to sell on eBay
- Take clear photos of the items for sale
- Use a PC to create eBay listings
- Carefully pack items to be sent to customers

How to apply?

Complete our volunteer form to register your interest:

Apply now

Duke of Edinburgh volunteering

We are an Approved Activity Provider for the volunteering section of the Duke of Edinburgh (DofE) Award. This means our volunteering opportunities are pre-approved to meet the requirements of the volunteering section of any Bronze, Silver or Gold DofE Award, so whatever level you are at, whatever time you can give, there will be an opportunity to volunteer with us that will count towards your Award.

If you are aged 14+, you can volunteer in one of our retail shops, so take a look below to see what you can expect at each level when volunteering with us. Or download our full DofE guide for more information.

“What I like most about volunteering in my local charity shop is the variety of tasks, it was never repetitive or based on just one thing. Also, the shop were very flexible with my hours and so the volunteering fitted in nicely with my studies “

– Rohan, DEBRA DofE volunteer.

Benefits

As well as giving you the skills and experience you need to complete your Award and helping to raise vital funds that could be life-changing for people living with EB, volunteering is also great for mental well-being; a study by the National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO) found that 77% of volunteers reported improved mental health. In the same study 69% of 18–24-year-olds reported that volunteering improved their employment prospects too.

So, what are you waiting for! Apply now!

Bronze - what your role will involve

Bronze: introduction to charity shop work

Volunteering tasks you could undertake:
° Sorting donated stock
° Replenishing stock on the shop floor
° Visual merchandising
° Helping customers and giving excellent customer service
° Uphold shop standards through various cleaning tasks

Skills Development in line with the DofE strategy:
° The focus on basic skill-building aligns with the DofE’s aim to help young people
develop essential life and work skills, even at this introductory level.

Personal Growth: The experience is designed to be accessible yet challenging enough to promote personal growth, confidence, and a sense of achievement, which are central to the DofE objectives. With DEBRA you will:
° Give something back to your community
° Meet new people and make new friends
° Do things, you wouldn’t have necessarily done otherwise and be challenged.

Silver - what your role will involve

Silver: building business acumen

Volunteering tasks you could undertake:
° Operating a computerised till
° Processing cash and credit card transactions
° Shop administration and reporting
° Signing customers up to Gift-aid
° Use of clothing steamer
° Pricing of items

Skills Development in line with the DofE strategy:
° Learning about fundraising, customer service and Gift Aid directly contributes to a
student’s ability to gain new skills, which is a core objective of the DofE program.

Personal Growth: The focus on applying business principles within the context of a charity provides practical, real-world experience, which is valuable for personal development. With DEBRA you will:
° Learn personal and practical skills that will help you now and in the future
° Feel closer to your community and the world around you
° Feel more confidence and feel good about yourself in the knowledge that you are making a difference

Gold - what your role will involve

Gold: developing income

Volunteering tasks you could undertake:
° Dressing windows – creating eye catching displays to entice and invite our customers to browse and buy.
° Shop Social Media support
° Fundraising and resourcing campaigns
° Ecommerce support –
– Online research on fashion items and collectables
– Selecting items from donated stock to sell online
– Packing sold items for shipping
– Photographing and listing items on eBay and other online platform

Skills Development in line with the DofE strategy:
° Working on income generation and strategic planning develops high-level skills in
problem-solving and critical thinking, which are highly valued in the DofE program.
Students are given significant responsibilities, such as leading a fundraising or volunteering campaigns for the shop, or engaging with the local community to raise funds and awareness.

Personal Growth: The focus on sustainability and income generation aligns with the DofE’s goal of encouraging young people to make a positive, lasting impact in their community. With DEBRA you will:
° Gain real world experience in a retail business setting
° Develop practical skills to help you fulfil your potential in work and education
° Grow in confidence pushing yourself out of your natural comfort zone

How to apply?

Complete our volunteer form to register your interest, don’t forget to select the DofE option:

Apply now

Event and office volunteering

As well as volunteering to support our retail operations, we also need volunteers to support our member and fundraising events and office teams.

Pick and choose which event you want to support, whether it’s one of our nationwide member events, which provide vital access to our EB Community Support Team and the opportunity to meet other members of the EB community, or volunteering at one of our many fundraising events, which raise much-needed awareness of EB and the funding that enables us to support the UK EB community.

You could cheer on one of our runners, help at one of our gala dinners, or look after our loyal golf supporters at one of our many golf days.

If events aren’t your thing, we also need positive individuals with a can-do attitude to support our staff with a range of different administration tasks within one of our office-based teams.

Whatever volunteering support you can provide will make a big difference.

Events volunteering

Location

Various. We have member events, fundraising events and challenges, and golf days taking place across the UK throughout the year. For more information about events taking place near you, search our events:

Find an event

Commitment

Whatever time you can give is very much appreciated and the time commitment will vary depending on the event, for example our golf events normally need support first thing in the morning with registrations, whereas some of our gala events take place in the evening or on weekends.

What we need from you:

Good organisation, communication, and customer service skills
A willingness to uphold high standards to ensure our members and/or guests are well looked after
A willingness to learn (if you need training, we’ll provide it)
To be dependable, reliable and physically able to carry out allocated tasks
Ability to work as part of a team and on your own when required

Office volunteering

Location

Various. It could be at our offices in Bracknell, Berkshire and Blantyre, South Lanarkshire, or you could volunteer remotely.

Commitment

Flexible, any time you can give is much appreciated, but if you can do at least 3-4 hours a week, which will help make a real difference.

What need from you:

Good eye for detail
Computer literate with experience of Microsoft office packages
A willingness to learn (if you need training, we’ll provide it)
To be dependable and reliable
Able to work as part of a team or on your own when required

How to apply?

Complete our volunteer form to register your interest:

Apply now

Holiday home volunteering

To help DEBRA provide memorable holidays and vital respite to people living with EB and their families, DEBRA has a number of holiday homes that members can hire at a low cost.

We require volunteers to support us by visiting our holiday home to look over the property internally and externally spotting any maintenance required, health and safety issues, cleanliness and to generally making sure the holiday home is well equipped and report back to us.

Locations

We have holiday homes across the country: