Volunteering is crucial to the Rape Crisis movement and a really important part of our history. Lots of our Rape Crisis member centres are often looking for women to train and volunteer with them.
Volunteers might:
- Provide support to women and girls who have experienced sexual violence and abuse.
- Work on a telephone helpline, online or face-to-face.
- Become a trustee or member of a committee.
- Help with office admin.
- Raise funds and/or awareness.
What roles are available depends on the needs of individual Rape Crisis centres and not all centres are able to take on volunteers.
❗ Please note that you will usually have to be a woman aged 18 or over. You might also be asked to commit to a minimum number of volunteering hours each week or month.
Find out more below about how to volunteer with a Rape Crisis centre
Can you volunteer at Rape Crisis England & Wales?
Unfortunately, Rape Crisis England & Wales (the national organisation in the Rape Crisis network) is not currently able to offer any volunteering or internship opportunities.
Because of this, we kindly ask that you do not send us your CV. We're a small team and don't have the capacity to reply to enquiries about volunteering or internships.
However, we are always SO grateful to supporters who want to raise awareness or vital funds for us.
ℹ️ Interested in working for us in a paid position? Please visit our jobs page. If you don't see any positions listed then that means we're currently not recruiting. Again, we kindly ask that you do not send us your CV. Thank you!
How to start volunteering at a member Rape Crisis centre
Each centre has its own ways of recruiting, training and supporting volunteers.
If you are looking for voluntary work with a Rape Crisis centre in your local area, you can contact them directly to find out what is available. Use our Find a centre tool to find the centres nearest to you and their contact information. Please make sure to use the office number listed rather than the helpline number.
Our member centres also sometimes advertise their volunteering vacancies below:
Solace Women's Aid
Solace Women's Aid is a feminist charity located in North London.
They are currently recruiting the following volunteer positions:
Helpline Volunteer
North London Rape Crisis provides advocacy support for those choosing to go through the criminal justice system, practical casework support to survivors who don’t want to report, as well as therapeutic support like counselling and groups. They also provide support to the friends and families of survivors. The NLRC Helpline provides information about survivors’ options and referrals into our support services. They also offer callers up to an hour’s emotional support a week. Their Helpline is supported by their amazing volunteers. In the last quarter, they supported 394 callers, but they still miss around 40% of the calls they receive, due to not having sufficient cover.
Bradford Rape and Sexual Abuse Survivors Service (Bradford Rape Crisis)
Bradford Rape Crisis is a feminist charity located in Bradford.
They are currently recruiting the following volunteer positions:
Various Trustee positions
Somerset and Avon Rape and Sexual Abuse Support (SARSAS)
SARSAS is a feminist charity located in Bristol.
They are currently recruiting the following volunteer position:
Helpline Volunteer
This role will require you to provide emotional support to people who have experienced rape and/or sexual abuse at any time in their lives. To answer calls on the SARSAS helplines and/or LiveChat providing emotional support and signposting information. To support (and receive support from) your team of helpline volunteers. To complete admin as necessary for the role (use of SARSAS database, training provided).
Closing date: Sunday 14 January 2024
Support After Rape and Sexual Violence Leeds (SARSVL)
SARSVL is a feminist charity located in Leeds.
They are currently recruiting the following volunteer positions:
Various Trustee positions
TRC Sexual Abuse and Rape Support Greater Manchester
TRC is a feminist charity located in Greater Manchester.
They are currently recruiting the following volunteer positions:
Phone Helpline
Live Chat
Email Services
They will be hosting information sessions on Monday 11 March at 6:30pm (in person) and Monday 18 March at 6pm (online), contact the email below to book onto one of these sessions.
Rape and Sexual Abuse Counselling Centre, Darlington and County Durham (RSACC)
RSACC is a feminist charity located in Darlington and County Durham.
They are currently recruiting the following volunteer positions:
Emotional support volunteer
Volunteer group facilitator
Volunteer counsellor
Rape Crisis South London (RASASC)
RASASC is a feminist charity located in South London.
They are currently recruiting the following volunteer positions:
24/7 Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Line Volunteer
RASASC works in partnership with Rape Crisis England and Wales on the 24/7 Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Line. Support line volunteers provide telephone support, information and signposting to survivors of sexual violence aged 16+ across the country. The support line is open 24 hours a day. Shifts are 3 hours long and volunteers can choose which shift to sign up to, to fit in around any other commitments. We provide all our volunteers with an accredited training course from the Open College Network. All our training is online, and you can volunteer from home providing that you have a private quiet space to take calls in. The post is open to female applicants only as the role is deemed to be a genuine occupational requirement under Schedule 9, Paragraph 1 of the Equality Act 2010.
Gloucestershire Rape & Sexual Abuse (GRASAC)
GRASAC is a feminist charity located in Gloucestershire.
They are currently recruiting the following volunteer positions:
Charity Treasurer
GRASAC is looking to recruit a Charity Treasurer to join their board of trustees. This woman will oversee the financial affairs of the organisation and ensure they are legal, constitutional and within accepted accounting practice. Ensure proper records are kept and that effective financial procedures are in place. Monitor and report on the financial health of the organisation. Oversee the production of necessary financial reports/returns, accounts and audits.
Co-Chair of the Board of Trustees
GRASAC are currently looking to recruit a Co-Chair as the current incumbent is due to end their tenure: to help deliver our strategy and to support the staff and volunteers who provide the GRASAC service on a day-to-day basis.
Trafford Rape Crisis (TRC)
Trafford Rape Crisis is a feminist charity located in Greater Manchester.
They are currently recruiting the following volunteer positions:
Trustees
TRC is looking for women to join their board of Trustees who hold their values. Their values include; non-judgemental, accountable, passionate and feminist. They are particularly looking for trustees who specialise in the following areas; a financial background, a fundraising background, background in PR, marketing and/or digital media and a HR background with a CIPD qualification.