15 Volunteering Opportunities in Birmingham To Make a Real Impact

From assisting the elderly to coaching aspiring athletes, there’s a wealth of volunteering opportunities to explore in Birmingham and the West Midlands.

Besides making a positive difference in the community, you’ll also learn new skills, hear inspirational stories, and work alongside an amazing group of people.

Let’s explore the 15 organisations with wonderful volunteering Birmingham opportunities

Read More:
Discover Where Birmingham is and Eight Fascinating Facts about this must-visit city. 

Check out 25 Exciting Volunteering Roles at the 2022 Commonwealth Games.

This Article Contains

15 Outstanding Places to Volunteer in Birmingham 

  1. Age UK 
  2. Birmingham Botanical Gardens 
  3. Birmingham Hippodrome
  4. Birmingham Mind
  5. Birmingham Museums
  6. British Red Cross
  7. 2022 Commonwealth Games
  8. National Trust
  9. Nightline
  10. Oxfam
  11. Refugee and Migrant Centre
  12. Sport Birmingham
  13. The University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust
  14. Thrive
  15. Cancer Research UK

15 Outstanding Places to Volunteer in Birmingham 

Here are 15 Birmingham organisations where you can take up a life-changing volunteering role:

1. Age UK 

Supported by the Birmingham City Council, Age UK is a charity that provides support to older people, their families, and carers. 

What you can do:  

  • Join the wellbeing team in organising exciting group activities for older people 
  • Hop on a phone call with the older people at the centre for a supportive and friendly chat
  • Give senior citizens advice on matters like welfare benefits, housing services, and more

Address: Stratford House, Birmingham, B12 0HT
Phone Number: +44 121 437 0033, +44 121 437 0479
Website: https://www.ageuk.org.uk/birmingham/

Nearby Bus/Train Station: 
Bus: Coleshill Street (4 min walk)
Train: Birmingham Snow Hill (30 min walk)

2. Birmingham Botanical Gardens 

Visit and volunteer at the Botanical Gardens – an attraction that lures you in with its stunning glasshouses, well-tended flower beds, and thousands of exotic plant species. 

What you can do:

  • Assist with daily horticultural maintenance (weeding, sweeping, lawn edging, and more) 
  • Shoulder administrative responsibilities in the reception area and gain valuable work experience
  • Play a vital role in protecting and taking care of the exotic bird species 

Address: Westbourne Road, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 3TR, United Kingdom
Phone Number: +44 121 454 1860
Website: https://www.birminghambotanicalgardens.org.uk/

Nearby Bus/Train Station:  
Bus: Fairway Dr And Somerset Circle (Ib) (6 min walk)
Train: Five Ways (21 min walk)

3. Birmingham Hippodrome

Take up a volunteer role at the prestigious Birmingham Hippodrome that’s also an independent charity. The theatre invests in projects alongside Arts Council England and Birmingham City Council.

What you can do:

  • Help theatre goers find their seats quickly
  • Encourage visitors to explore every event and fun activity during festivals
  • Give heritage tours highlighting the theatre’s dynamic history

Address: Hurst Street, Southside, Birmingham, B5 4TB
Phone Number: 0844 338 5000, 0844 338 5010
Website: https://www.birminghamhippodrome.com/

Nearby Bus/Train Station: 
Bus: Alexandra Theatre (Stop Sf1) (3 min walk)
Train: Five Ways (34 min walk)

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4. Birmingham Mind

Notable for its wide range of mental health services, this organisation takes a person-centred approach to help everyone build meaningful lives. 

What you can do:

  • Join the helpline team in offering guided assistance and compassionate advice to callers
  • Encourage the organisation’s service users to participate in exciting group activities 
  • Team up with highly driven individuals to streamline administrative processes 

Address: 17 Graham Street, Hockley, Birmingham B1 3JR
Phone Number: +44 121 608 8001
Website: https://birminghammind.org/

Nearby Bus/Train Station:  
Bus: Spring Hill Island (1 min walk)
Train: Five Ways (26 min walk)

5. Birmingham Museums

Birmingham Museums Trust is a registered charity managing the nine exceptional museums owned by the Birmingham City Council. 

What you can do:

  • Answer any questions museum visitors might have. 
  • Help with administrative tasks like fundraising and budgeting to gain valuable work experience 
  • Enlighten children and visitors about any upcoming event or activity by distributing leaflets 

Phone Number: +44 121 348 8000
Website: https://www.birminghammuseums.org.uk/

6. British Red Cross

Learn important life skills and make a positive difference by seizing a volunteering opportunity at the British Red Cross. Play an active role in supporting people affected by natural disasters, wars, and more. 

What you can do:

  • Help people in your local community get the wheelchair they need 
  • Rescue people affected by extreme weather conditions 
  • Support refugees with food, equipment, and medical aid

Address: Bradbury House, 7 Lowe Street, Camp Hill, Birmingham B12 0ER
Phone Number: 0344 871 8000
Website: https://www.redcross.org.uk/

Nearby Bus/Train Station: 
Bus: Milton Street (2 min walk)
Train: Birmingham Moor Street (12 min walk)

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7. 2022 Commonwealth Games

Any young person can sign up for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to volunteer at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games 2022!

What you can do:

  • Distribute access passes to thousands of athletes, delegates, and media members
  • Accompany new people to and from accommodations as they arrive and leave
  • Assist the volunteer coordinator in recruiting new team members

Address: 1 Brindley Place, Birmingham, West Midlands, B1 2JB
Website: https://www.birmingham2022.com/

Nearby Bus/Train Station: 
Bus: Crescent Theatre (2 min walk)
Train: Jewellery Quarter (7 min walk)

8. National Trust

Apply for a volunteering role with the National Trust, an organisation that helps preserve Birmingham’s historic sites and tourist attractions.  

What you can do:

  • Join the beach clean-up drive to restore the UK’s beaches to their former glory
  • Help preserve any antique object, vintage device, or ancient manuscript
  • Work alongside veteran gardeners to maintain Birmingham’s scenic grounds

Address: Studio 217 Zellig, The Custard Factory, Gibb Street, Digbeth, Birmingham B9 4AA
Phone Number: +44 121 224 7460
Website: https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/days-out/birmingham-and-the-west-midlands

Nearby Bus/Train Station: 
Bus: Old Repertory Theatre (Stop Ns11) (2 min walk)
Train: Five Ways (9 min walk)

9. Nightline

Support youngsters navigating unique life challenges at this confidential, anonymous, and non-advisory institution. 

What you can do:

  • Ease the stress and anxiety young people experience because of social media 
  • Offer academic tips to college-goers and empower them to make the right decisions
  • Lend your ears to any young person going through a traumatic experience 

Address: St Francis Hall, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT
Phone Number: +44 121 472 4621
Website: https://birmingham.nightline.ac.uk/

Nearby Bus/Train Station: 
Bus: King Edwards High School (5 min walk)
Train: University (11 min walk)

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10. Oxfam

Oxfam is a registered charity, constantly looking for new people to help collect a wide range of quality, reusable items like clothes, homewares, books and more. 

What you can do:

  • Put your work experience to good use in the HR, IT, and accounting departments
  • Use your marketing and communication skills to drive more visitors to Oxfam shops
  • Help the organisation bring their social media campaigns to life

Address: 171 High Street, Harborne, Birmingham, B17 9QE, United Kingdom
Phone Number: +44 121 426 5222
Website: https://www.oxfam.org.uk/shops/oxfam-shop-harborne/

Nearby Bus/Train Station: 
Bus: Lockwood Road (1 min walk)
Train: Northfield (8 min walk)

11. Refugee Council

Apply for the volunteer role at the Refugee Council and help refugees rebuild their lives.  

What you can do:

  • Give basic English lessons to help refugees improve their communication skills 
  • Offer cricket coaching sessions to children and young adults at the centre
  • Play a vital role training women in creative thinking, financial planning, and more

Address: 3 Stone Road, Birmingham B15 2HH
Phone Number: +44 121 446 5118
Website: https://www.refugeecouncil.org.uk/

Nearby Bus/Train Station: 
Bus: Rickman Drive (2 min walk)
Train: Birmingham New Street (7 min walk)

12. Sport Birmingham

Explore the volunteering opportunity to teach children or any young person about sports and exercise at Sport Birmingham. 

What you can do:

  • Help youngsters develop new skills and improve their fitness 
  • Give advice about sports training tools to public school students
  • Chat with children to discover their favourite sport

Address: 11, Cobalt Square, 83-35 Hagley Road, Birmingham B16 8QG, United Kingdom
Phone Number: +44 121 296 5190
Website: https://sportbirmingham.org/

Nearby Bus/Train Station: 
Bus: Edgbaston Village (1 min walk)
Train: Jewellery Quarter (4 min walk)

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13. The University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust

Join the volunteering programs at the Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust for an amazing work experience in the healthcare field. 

Build good rapport with the patients to make their stay more comfortable.

What you can do:

  • Keep patients comfortable and take care of their concerns
  • Help cardiac patients stick to their recommended diet and medications
  • Host discussions and help patients make new friends in the peer support groups 

Address: Trust Headquarters, Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham, Mindelsohn Way, Birmingham B15 2GW
Phone Number: 0121 371 2000
Website: https://www.uhb.nhs.uk/

Nearby Bus/Train Station: 
Bus: University Station (Stop Qd) (4 min walk)
Train: Five Ways (11 min walk)

14. Thrive

Develop your green thumb by signing up for an incredible volunteering opportunity at Thrive Birmingham – an organisation that hosts various outreach projects related to therapeutic gardening. 

What you can do:

  • Work alongside therapists and help them deliver amazing garden programmes
  • Use your gardening experience to nurture and maintain nurseries
  • Help any person who wants to know more about Thrive’s exciting programmes

Address: Horticultural Training Centre, Kings Heath Park, Birmingham B14 7TQ
Phone Number: +44 121 293 4531
Website: https://www.thrive.org.uk/

Nearby Bus Station: 
Bus: The Summit (5 min walk)

15. Cancer Research UK

Support the global fight against cancer by volunteering at Cancer Research UK. Their team of world-class oncologists deploy the latest technology to shape the future of cancer care. 

What you can do:

  • Embrace the volunteering role for planning cancer awareness events 
  • Encourage people in your local community to participate in fundraising events
  • Take up a creative role and help design the institution’s next campaign

Address: Unit 9, 23 Corporation Street, Birmingham, B2 4LP
Phone Number: +44 121 643 5199
Website: https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/

Nearby Bus/Train Station: 
Bus: Queen Elizabeth Hospital (Stop Qa) (9 min walk)
Train: Birmingham New Street (5 min walk)