Ways to help out around Exeter: drop-in sessions you can just turn up to, one-off tasks, and longer roles with local charities and groups.
Ways to help out around Exeter: drop-in sessions you can just turn up to, one-off tasks, and longer roles with local charities and groups.
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Exeter · Food & homelessness
Sort and pack donated food in the warehouse, load vans, drive or ride along, and collect surplus food from shops and producers for local groups.
Exeter (city centre) · Food & homelessness · Free to volunteer
A free weekly community meal cooked by volunteers from surplus food and shared by anyone who wants to come. Volunteers cook, host guests and collect food; no experience needed.
How to start: Always looking for cooks, hosts and food collection volunteers; no specific experience required. Volunteers have allergen training.
Exeter city centre (Cathedral Yard) · Food & homelessness
Help St Petrock's, Exeter's homelessness charity, by sorting donated food and packing parcels, or by collecting donations as a volunteer driver.
Roles are arranged with the office
Clyst St Mary (east of Exeter) · Health & care · Free to volunteer
Local charity supporting families in Devon living with blood cancer, working with the haematology centre at the RD&E. Volunteers help at fundraising events and in its volunteer teams, with training for every role.
How to start: Multiple volunteer roles to suit different skills and interests; full training is provided for every role. Get in touch to join one of its volunteer teams.
Exeter (RD&E Wonford site; Heavitree) · Health & care, Charity shops
Welcome people to FORCE's cancer support centre at the hospital, help in its snack bar or Heavitree charity shop, or support fundraising events.
Current vacancies at Searle House include a grounds person and estates maintenance support (apply by 30…
Exeter (Wonford) · Health & care · Free to volunteer
Devon's local hospice charity, based at Searle House in Wonford. Volunteers help with patients and families, gardens and grounds, maintenance and its charity shops, with full training.
How to start: Volunteers aged 14 and up are welcome; most roles need no qualifications as full training is given. Each volunteer gets a named line manager and an experienced buddy (grounds role).
Wonford, Exeter · Health & care
Non-clinical help for patients at the Royal Devon hospitals, from outpatient visits to longer stays, such as welcoming people at the main entrances.
Exeter · Befriending & older people
Visit an older person at home for about an hour a week, make friendly phone calls, help in the community café or give information and advice.
Exeter Community Centre, 17 St David's Hill, EX4 3RG · Refugees & migrants
Trained volunteers run drop-ins, give accredited immigration advice, support people in hotels and garden alongside clients.
Not recruiting right now: register interest
Groups meet on weekday evenings across Exeter
Exeter (groups across the city) · Children & young people · Free to volunteer
Scouting for young people aged 4 to 18 across Exeter's groups. Adults help as occasional helpers or leaders; no experience is needed and there's an award-winning training scheme.
How to start: Always seeking adults; no prior experience necessary. Start as an occasional helper, from a few hours a month to a few a week, with training provided. Fill in the form to be put in touch.
Exeter (Haven Banks) · Children & young people · Free to volunteer
The Sea Cadets unit on Exeter's canal basin, for young people aged 10 to 17. Adult volunteers help run unit evenings and can gain sailing and paddling instructor qualifications.
How to start: Apply through the volunteer form; volunteers can gain qualifications to teach the unit's courses.
Exeter · Children & young people, Food & homelessness
Support young people in YMCA Exeter's housing, café project, exam mentoring, youth club and friendship groups, or help with maintenance and fundraising.
Exeter city centre · Heritage & museums, Arts & festivals
Steward, guide tours (including the roof), tell stories, help at events, in the shop and with education, or join the flower arrangers.
Broadclyst · 7 miles from the centre · Conservation & green spaces, Heritage & museums
Conservation work on the Killerton estate and in the house, welcoming visitors, driving the visitor buggy and behind-the-scenes help, plus one-off tree-planting days.
Exeter city centre · Heritage & museums
Guide exhibitions, welcome visitors, run object handling in the galleries or help with research at the Royal Albert Memorial Museum.
Not recruiting right now: register interest
The museum building is closed for major structural repairs
Topsham · Heritage & museums · Free to volunteer
Volunteer-run independent museum on the Strand in Topsham. Volunteers help with collections, research and oral history, displays, the garden, publicity and, when open, the shop and tea room.
How to start: New volunteers are given a very friendly welcome, whatever their experience; tell them your interests via the form.
Streatham campus, Exeter · Arts & festivals
Front-of-house audience care and special projects at the Exeter Northcott Theatre.
Not recruiting right now: register interest
Exeter city centre · Arts & festivals
Steward cinema screenings and events, invigilate the galleries or help with festivals and projects at Exeter Phoenix.
Not recruiting right now: register interest
Pride 2026 was on 9 May
Exeter (city centre) · Arts & festivals · Free to volunteer
Exeter's annual Pride march and festival, run by a charity with over 100 volunteers on the day: welcoming visitors, carrying flags, collecting donations and stewarding.
Not recruiting right now: register interest
How to start: No experience necessary; volunteers are trained before the event and can volunteer with friends or be paired with a steward. Health and safety training (online or in person) is required.
Exeter · Sport & events
Marshal courses, staff aid stations or ride as lead cyclist at Exeter running events such as the Quayside 5 series and the Exeter Half.
Exeter (St Thomas) · Repair & reuse · Free; donations welcome
A monthly repair café in St Thomas where volunteers mend clothes, small electricals, toys, crockery and small furniture. Repairers, refreshment helpers and welcomers are wanted.
How to start: Bring one item per visit; repairs by donation. Volunteers without repair skills are welcome for customer service or refreshments.
Email to ask about current volunteer roles (advice, campaigns and promotions)
Exeter (city centre) · Community centres & groups · Free to volunteer
Independent local charity giving free, confidential advice to Exeter residents by phone and face to face, largely through trained volunteer advisers.
How to start: Email the recruitment address for information about volunteering; volunteers are trained, supported and supervised.
King William Street, Exeter EX4 6PD · Community centres & groups, Health & care
Volunteer at CoLab, a community and wellbeing hub at Wat Tyler House in the city centre.
Not recruiting right now: register interest
Jelly shop shifts are usually 10am–1pm or 1pm–4pm
Exeter (city centre) · Community centres & groups · Free to volunteer
One of Exeter's oldest charities. Volunteers work in its Jelly charity shop, as Transitions wellbeing coaches and mentors, at a weekly Open Studios art group, or as ambassadors and trustees.
How to start: Training and support given for every role; it doesn't have to be a big commitment, some give a couple of hours a week or month. No experience needed for shop roles.
Not recruiting right now: register interest
10 Richmond Road, Exeter EX4 4JA · Health & care
Answer calls as a Samaritans listening volunteer after full training, especially overnight, or help with outreach talks and collections.
Exeter city centre (Sidwell Street) · Community centres & groups, Food & homelessness, Conservation & green spaces
Help in the community café and bakehouse, collect food for the community fridge, welcome visitors, support English classes or join the gardening team.
How to start: Come to the Friday volunteer drop-in to talk about roles, or apply online. Gardening sessions need booking.