19-20 September 2026

Shine Night Walk London starts at Battersea Park on Saturday 19th September, follows all the main great views that London has to offer and finishes at Evolution Dome in Battersea Park on Sunday 20 September. Your location will depend on what role and shift you would like to do and you will receive location and timings information nearer the time.

You can choose one of the following roles or, if you’re happy to help wherever you’re needed, you can opt to be a general volunteer and be assigned a role on the day.

Course Route Volunteer – You will be located at a strategic point along the course, ready to cheer and motivate the walkers as they make their way across the city.   You will be supported by a Zone Manager and be paired up with another volunteer.  You can also bring a friend to buddy up with!

Cycle Team Volunteer – Guide, support & motivate walkers by cycling parts of the route.

Pit Stop Volunteer – You could be placed at one of our pit-stops, helping to motivate the walkers & handing out refreshments.

Venue Volunteer – assisting in tasks at Start/Finish venues such as set-up and handing out medals and water.

Driver Volunteer – Our driver volunteers help us to look after Shine Night Walkers and fellow volunteers by driving our welfare and medical support vehicles, as well as operating our essential Bag Drop service to keep walkers’ valuables safe.

General Volunteer – Happy to help wherever is needed!

Have a look at the different roles and shifts and if you have any further questions before registering, please contact the Shine Volunteering team. Each role and shift will have a specific location and travel instructions.

YOU London transforms the experience of young people in London’s uniformed youth organisations by uniting groups to collaborate, share ideas and spread effective practice. Through inspiring events and access to high-profile opportunities, it brings leaders and young people together in ways that build confidence, connection and ambition.

The 12 partner organisations deliver affordable, transformative experiences and educational opportunities to more than 76,000 young people, supported by 20,000 adult volunteers, throughout London.

YOU London facilitated volunteer connections through:

• Engagement of civic leaders, volunteers and youth groups at community networking events to showcase member organisations and support volunteer recruitment efforts.

• Formation of WhatsApp groups connecting adult volunteers to improve partnership working.
• Delivery of a City of London Volunteering Conference, focussed on information sharing and exploring opportunities to support employee volunteering.

Volunteers’ Week is an annual UK-wide campaign to celebrate and recognise the contributions of volunteers.

Launched in 1984, this initiative has been running for over 40 years, providing organisations and communities a platform to thank current and past volunteers for their invaluable efforts.

Volunteers’ Week fosters connections between national organisations and grassroots groups, celebrating the spirit of volunteering that enriches communities each year.

The 2026 celebration will run from Monday 1st – Sunday 7th June.

Find out more about how you can support and get involved here! 

This report is the first in a series of three, exploring the value of local voluntary sector infrastructure in London.

In this report, we set out where the sector stands today – what Local Infrastructure Organisations are, the recognised difference they make, the challenges they face, the impact when their support is missing, and why strong local infrastructure is essential to London’s future.

You can read the report here- A System at Risk: London’s Voluntary Sector Infrastructure – London Plus

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) brought in new “right to try” regulations on 30 April. They seek to strengthen benefits claimants’ ability to volunteer without automatically triggering a reassessment of their claims.

DWP stated: “Right to try makes it clear that undertaking work or volunteering will not automatically lead to a reassessment.” However starting work or volunteering would not stop a pre-existing reassessment from taking place.

Right to Try: summary

Following commissioned research into volunteer contributions during the 2022 Wennington fire, one key recommendation was to better understand the role and value of spontaneous volunteering in emergencies.

This review brings together existing evidence on spontaneous volunteers – people who step in to help outside formal response structures – examining the roles they play, the challenges their involvement can present, and the guidance and models available to support their safe and effective engagement. It also highlights key gaps in evidence and practice, pointing to areas for further research to strengthen community-led emergency responses.

Read the review here.