Volunteer

Whether you work directly with our members in our befriending services, get involved in advocacy as an Opening Doors ambassador, or run fundraising and social events, all our volunteers are invaluable to our work - join our team at Opening Doors now and help make a huge difference to the lives of LGBTQ+ people over 50.

Our amazing volunteers are an integral part of our organisation. We currently have over 280 volunteers who support us in roles in the delivery of services to LGBTQ+ people over 50. From communication and engagement, getting involved in fundraising activities, helping us run social events for members and providing administration support, we have a whole range of opportunities for you! Volunteer with us now and be a part of something incredible!

To find out more about how you can support us, email [email protected]

What do our volunteers say?

Our volunteers tell us they like to work with us for a vast array of reasons:

To develop excellent skills and gain valuable experiences for future careers
The inter-generational friendships
The sense of wellbeing, purpose and satisfaction that accompanies supporting older members of the LGBTQ+ community
A valuable opportunity to develop a deeper understanding and awareness of experiences from sections of the LGBTQ+ community often underrepresented and ignored
A greater and more positive engagement with their own community

To hear more about what it’s like to volunteer with us, check out Ben’s story as a befriending volunteer:

Read about our volunteers here

Below are our current volunteer vacancies:

Ambassador Volunteers

Our Volunteer Ambassadors are all LGBTQ+ people over 50 who use their skills and experience amplify the voices of LGBTQ+ people over 50 in a variety of policy, research and media environments. We work with health and service providers in local and national government, academic institutions and NGOs and local, national and LGBTQ+- specific organisations, discussing the specific needs and experiences of people from our community. If this sounds like you we'd love to hear from you! Read more

BSL interpreter volunteer

Can you interpret BSL and help us support people with hearing impairment? Read more

Fundraising and Communications Volunteer

Right now one of the biggest challenges facing small charities like Opening Doors is funding. There is a huge and proven need for the services we provide (and more) but without more funding the people we could support are left to fend for themselves. Therefore we are expanding our Fundraising Team and as part of that strategy we are recruiting Fundraising and Comms volunteers. Read more

Melanin Vybz (MV): Admin Support Volunteer

Melanin Vybz is a group and network for LGBTQ+ people over 50 from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) backgrounds and communities. The key focus of this role is to assist our BAME/PoC Engagement Officer with admin support such as: data entry, spreadsheet maintenance, helping with emails and mailouts, updating listings and helping to organise meetings and occasional day trips. A good working knowledge of Microsoft Office 365 programmes is essential. Read more

Melanin Vybz (MV): Women/AFAB Group Volunteers

Melanin Vybz is a group and network for LGBTQ+ people over 50 from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) backgrounds and communities. It has currently two monthly meetups: one in-person in central London and one online social. The key focus of this role is to assist the BAME/PoC Engagement Officer to engage with all our women and non-binary members of colour who are traditionally under-represented within the LGBTQ+ community. Read more