Winter volunteering 2025/26

For the past 55 years, St Mungo’s has been on the ground every day and every night, supporting people to recover from homelessness and advocating for change. St Mungo’s has grown into one of the country’s leading homelessness charities, supporting tens of thousands of people a year.  

Volunteer with Us | Make a Difference at St Mungo’s 

The Whitechapel Mission will be open this Christmas, and throughout the winter, to ensure that everybody in need of hot food, showers, clothing, advice and safety will have somewhere to go.  

Volunteer with the Whitechapel Mission 

Citadel London from Housing Justice is a new community support service designed to help end homelessness and make a real difference to the lives of those who need it most. Housing Justice are currently recruiting volunteers and sponsors across London and are reaching out to community groups with a similar passion for social equality.  

Volunteer with Citadel London 

Shelter will be offered in a local church in West/Central Croydon from January to April 2026 every night. Volunteers are needed! If you are interested in volunteering,  there will be a range of induction/training sessions by Housing Justice with the next one being Saturday 20/12, at the CVA Resource Centre on London Road.  Book a place.

Ace of Clubs is a family-like community providing transformative support for homeless, vulnerable and otherwise marginalised people in our area. At their centre in SW4, they provide for the immediate needs of those in desperate circumstances with safety, food, warmth, clothing, laundry and showers.  

Volunteers would need to commit to at least one day per week (Monday to Friday) from 09:30am to 15:00pm, for a minimum of three months. Volunteers don’t have to commit to the same day each week.  

Volunteer with Ace of Clubs. 

The Passage runs one of the largest Resource Centres for those experiencing or at risk of homelessness in London, offering a wide range of services that help to prevent and end homelessness for good.  

Volunteer at The Passage. 

Glass Door Homeless Charity could not operate their winter night shelters without the dedication of their night shelter volunteer teams who prepare and serve guests a healthy home-cooked meal, as well as making them feel welcome and safe. Volunteers also support Glass Door’s women’s group, partner drop-in centres and office, deliver donations, and help with translating. There may be opportunities for women to join their women’s night shelter volunteer teams; complete the form online and they’ll be in touch if an opportunity matches your availability.  

Volunteer with Glass Door 

Robes offers amongst its services a rotating Winter Night Shelter in conjunction with churches in Southwark and Lambeth and with their amazing volunteers.

Established in 2007, Robes provides a volunteer-led Winter Night Shelter for those in need, providing safety, a warm bed, somewhere to sleep, and a community to connect to.

Robes is looking for volunteers this winter. There are numerous locations and a variety of volunteer roles and activities, including hosting, cooking, driving, shop, and helping with overnight shifts.

For example, at St. John’s Church, Waterloo they are looking for individual or small groups of volunteers for Monday evenings / Mondays overnight / Tuesday early mornings at from 5 Jan to 23 March 2026. Anyone interested in this opportunity can get in touch with volunteering@coinstreet.org for an initial chat and signposting to the relevant co-ordinator.

For other Robes winter volunteering opportunities and any further information please contact project.officer@robes.org.uk or check out www.robes.org.uk.

 There are plenty more winter night shelters across London. Why not Google ‘Local winter night shelter near me’ and contact your nearest one to see if it needs volunteers this year?  

More ideas, from the Big Issue: Volunteering on Christmas Day: How you can get involved – Big Issue 

The Community of Sant’Egidio in London is a charity dedicated to sharing food and friendship with older people, those living on the streets, and anyone who is struggling in our city. Throughout the year, they run regular services from the London Jesuit Centre in Mayfair and St. Cuthbert’s Church in Earl’s Court.

Every Christmas Eve, they host a free Christmas dinner, offering a home-cooked three-course meal, gifts, and friendly company to over 200 guests – people who are homeless or elderly. Volunteers are welcome to join us not only on the day, but also in the days leading up to it as they prepare.

Find out more here.

The Food Chain to ensure people living with HIV in London can access the nutrition they need to get well, stay well and lead healthy, independent lives. They deliver meals and groceries, offer cookery and nutrition education and communal eating opportunities to people living with HIV in London and their dependents. They are based on Caledonian Road, and run their twice-weekly meal service in Stepney Green. There are regular volunteering opportunities as well as volunteers often needed for deliveries over the festive period, including Christmas Day.  

Volunteer Vacancies – The Food Chain 

Basket Brigade UK is a charitable organisation that delivers baskets of food, love and hope on December 23rd in London every year to those who could really do with a helping hand at Christmas. 

Hundreds and hundreds of people (600-800) come together for one day in London and help create between 1000 -1500 baskets of food which they later deliver to those in need. It’s a hard working but fun day and it is so rewarding to those who volunteer. 

Get involved – Basket Brigade UK 

With the help of its valued volunteers, the Salvation Army spreads joy, love and hope to communities. For festive volunteering they encourage prospective volunteers to enquire in good time, so they can plan to accommodate everyone in roles that will have the greatest impact.  Activities for volunteers around the festive period might include helping to prepare and distribute meals to those in need, helping to wrap and deliver Christmas gifts to children & families, and supporting at various festive events.  

Christmas Volunteering | The Salvation Army

Volunteer at Jacksons Lane this Christmas!

For over 50 years, Jacksons Lane Art Centre in Haringey has opened its doors to isolated and vulnerable older adults in the local community who would otherwise be alone on Christmas Day.

This year, their staff and volunteers will be delivering Christmas hampers and gifts to 200 isolated adults living in Haringey. For Jacksons Lane in-person event, they will welcome 100 guests to a Christmas Day lunch full of festive joy, food and entertainment.

There is a range of different volunteering roles available both in the run up to the event, and on Christmas Day itself: present wrappers, cooks, bakers, decorators, table hosts and more! Particularly welcomed are applications from drivers to help deliver hampers and transport vulnerable guests to and from Jacksons Lane on Christmas Day.

If you would like to volunteer at Jacksons Lane this Christmas, click apply to complete an online registration form.

To find out more, visit Jacksons Lane website or email christmas@jacksonslane.org.uk

Check out our  food aid volunteering page for more. Many of the organisations mentioned there will likely need extra help during the busy festive period! Over Christmas, there can be a lot of surplus food donated from individuals and businesses, but fewer volunteers around to be able to process, prepare and distribute it.