Introducing the Volunteer Passport
Volunteering is one of the best ways to give back, meet new people and pick up skills along the way. Now, thanks to our Volunteer Passport Portal finding the right role has never been easier.
The portal is a one-stop place where you can create your own volunteer profile, keep track of hours and training and even earn digital badges that celebrate your achievements. For local organisations, it makes things simpler too, helping with recruitment, onboarding and ongoing support.
What’s on offer
Education and learning
- Education and Studio Support (Northern Butterflies): Help deliver creative sessions for people with disabilities and learning difficulties.
- Northern Learning Trust roles: From supporting community gardening to boosting literacy and digital skills, there are plenty of ways to help people grow and thrive.
- Reaching Out Volunteer: Lend a listening ear and encouragement to those building confidence and skills.
- Blyth Tall Ship Workshop Operative: supporting the creation, maintenance and refurbishment of items using woodworking tools and techniques.
- Blyth Tall Ship Digital Archivist: help safeguard historical records and make them more accessible to the public, future researchers and the community.
- Blyth Tall Ship Archive Administrator: carry out essential administrative tasks that help us research, catalogue and prepare the collection for exhibitions and digitisation
Community engagement
- Action Team: Perfect if you prefer flexibility—you can dip in and out of short-term roles like event support and local projects.
- Healthwatch Volunteers: Gather stories and feedback from people in your community to help improve health and social care.
- Community Engagement Volunteer: Make sure local voices are heard where it matters most.
- Volunteer Retail Assistant (Children North East) – Support customers, process donations and help run the shop to make a positive impact for local children and families.
- Gardening Volunteer – Assist the Community Engagement Tutor with planning, planting and maintaining the Learning Hive garden
- NCC Community Hubs – Volunteer Hub Host – DBS Required: You will be the welcoming face of the hub creating a friendly, positive environment from a visitors first contact.
- NCC Community Hubs – Volunteer Hub Host: You will be the welcoming face of the hub creating a friendly, positive environment from a visitors first contact.
- NCC Community Hubs – Volunteer Activities Host DBS Required: Our Community Hubs in Alnwick, Cramlington, Haltwhistle and Newbiggin are looking for Volunteer Activities Hosts to lead and support engaging activities for local residents.
- NCC Community Hubs – Volunteer Activities Host: Our Community Hubs in Alnwick, Cramlington, Haltwhistle, and Newbiggin are looking for Volunteer Activities Hosts to lead and support engaging activities for local residents.
- Blyth Tall Ship Community Engagement Officer: help bring exhibitions and displays out into the community, ensuring that schools, libraries and local groups can access and engage with our history
- Blyth Tall Ship Tour Guide: welcome visitors to the Heritage Workshop, guiding them through exhibitions and workshops while sharing Blyth’s maritime and boat-building history.
- Blyth Tall Ship Fundraiser: support a wide range of fundraising activities, from community fayres and open days to mass participation and challenge events.
Advocacy and wellbeing
- Enter & View / Community Engagement Volunteer: Use your leadership skills to guide Healthwatch Northumberland’s work and future.
- Photography Volunteer (The Maltings): Capture moments at one of the region’s leading arts venues.
- Volunteer Driver (Cancer Care Transport): Provide a vital lifeline by helping patients travel safely to and from treatment.
- WATbus volunteer Out & About Car Driver: Help vulnerable people access essential appointments and make a real difference in your community
- Blyth Tall Ship Walk & Talk Guide: Lead guided walks and talks for adults, bringing local history and maritime stories to life in an engaging, accessible way
- Blyth Tall Ship Administrator (Workshop): provide vital administrative support within our Heritage Workshop.
Why get involved?
The Volunteer Passport is more than just a logbook, it’s a way to:
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Show off your skills and experience.
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Try different kinds of roles, depending on your time and interests.
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Build confidence, connections and even career pathways.
For organisations, it’s a chance to cut down on admin and focus on what really matters – making a difference.
Ready to join in?
Whether you’ve got an afternoon to spare, or you’re looking for something longer term, the Volunteer Passport Portal makes it simple to get started. Every role helps build a stronger, more connected Northumberland and you might just find something that changes your life too.
👉 Explore the portal today and see where volunteering could take you
Simplify your volunteer management
If your organisation depends on volunteers, our Volunteer Passport offers a streamlined, all-in-one solution for managing roles, applications and communication.
We’re providing FREE access to Assemble – an intuitive platform designed to help you:
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Streamline recruitment and onboarding – eliminate the hassle of chasing references and DBS checks
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Engage and motivate volunteers – track contributions and celebrate achievements
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Showcase volunteer impact – provide a portable, verified record of each volunteer’s experience
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Save time and resources – perfect for small teams delivering big results
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Boost retention and reduce burnout – for both staff and volunteers
Our team will get you started by adding your organisation and initial roles to the system, with ongoing administrative support available whenever you need it.
Ready to learn more?
Complete our short form, and we’ll send you an invitation to a demo session explaining how the Volunteer Passport works and the simple steps to get started.
Contact us
Kay – kayhk@thrivingtogethernorthumberland.org.uk
EmmaJane – emmajanemcguire@thrivingtogethernorthumberland.org.uk
Our Volunteering Stories
Our team are sharing their volunteering experiences, showing how giving your time – whether a few hours or regularly – can make a real difference. We hope these stories will inspire you to get involved, try something new or give a little time to a cause that matters to you.
Catherine freely admits to being a Parkrun Obsessive! These free, weekly 5k events are held across the UK, offering various volunteer roles, some of which allow you to run and volunteer simultaneously. Find out more ….
Helen has been volunteering since she was ten, finding her niche with animals – fostering dogs, walking rescue pups, and helping wildlife wherever she can! Find out more ….
Nicola has dedicated his career to supporting people and communities across Northumberland after starting as a Citizens Advice volunteer in Blyth over 20 years ago. Find out more ….
Join our Action Team
Looking for a flexible and meaningful way to give back to your community? Then why not join our Action Team
Whether you’d like to help at events, contribute from home, or get involved locally, there’s a place for you.
The best part? There’s no pressure – just opportunities. You’ll receive regular updates about upcoming events and activities, and you can decide when and how you want to take part. It’s volunteering on your terms.
Why we want you
Throughout the year, there are countless exciting ways to get involved. From cheering on runners and supporting street collections, to sharing information or helping behind the scenes, you’ll be playing a valuable role in helping your community thrive.
What you’ll be doing
Depending on your interests, you might choose to get involved in:
- Community Events: Help with setup, registration, or clean-up
- Fundraising: Support campaigns or events that raise vital funds
- Tutoring: Assist students with their learning and confidence
- Litter Picking: Help keep community spaces clean and welcoming
The skills you’ll bring
You don’t need any special qualifications to join. If you have a team-player mindset, good time management, and clear, confident communication, then that’s all that’s required to make a valuable contribution.
What you’ll get in return
When you join the Action Team, you will receive briefings and training tailored to your role, along with access to a personal volunteer profile and portal on our Assemble platform.
You’ll be supported and recognised by our dedicated volunteering team and will enjoy first access to new opportunities as they arise. If you wish, you can also grow into more fixed or specialised roles over time. Above all, it’s a fun and rewarding experience that fits around your schedule.
Your Safety Matters
We’re committed to creating a safe environment for all our volunteers and learners. That’s why we carefully select, check, and support all volunteers as part of our safeguarding commitment.
Ready to Take Action?
Be part of something meaningful. Empower your community, support those who need it, and join a network of people making a difference.
The Action Team is built around choice and flexibility
When something comes up that fits your interests or availability, you simply opt in - there’s no need to reapply each time
This project is funded by the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, with the North East Combined Authority as the Lead Authority.
