Dive into our community and lend a helping hand. Our volunteers are essential to our work and we are always looking for committed individuals over the age of 18 to join our team and support us in delivering a quality service to our clients.
All volunteers will be asked to provide two references at application and be subject to a standard DBS check.
Details of our volunteers roles are listed below.
To enquire, please contact our Volunteer Co-ordinator on 01202 308 840 or email volunteering@starsdorset.org
STARS will reopen recruitment for volunteer counsellors, both qualified and working towards qualifications (placement), in 2026. Please check back then if you’re interested in volunteering as a counsellor with us. For more information about the role, please read the Volunteer Counsellor Role Profile and Specification 2025/2026.
Our volunteer counsellors must have completed or be completing at least a Level 4 Diploma in Counselling or equivalent; you must be in your second year.
We ask that you are able to commit to a minimum caseload of two clients (raising to three when you feel ready). We provide in-house fortnightly supervision and Continued Personal Development (CPD) opportunities.
There is a £250 fee for the training which must be paid before the training starts. You must be able to attend ALL of the training dates.
If you have any questions at all, please email volunteering@starsdorset.org or call the office on 01202 308840.
This role is hugely varied, one week you might be bag packing in the local supermarket, the next week you might be helping organise a quiz night and the next looking for raffle prizes for our charity ball. You can be based in either in our Poole or Dorchester centre depending on your preference.
Previous experience of fundraising is preferred but not essential. We are looking for friendly, adaptable and reliable fundraisers.
Training will be provided, as well as an induction where you will learn more about our history, our work and the role.
Volunteers will be asked to provide two references at application and be subject to a standard DBS check.
To apply please contact our Volunteer Co-ordinator on 01202 308 840 or email volunteering@starsdorset.org for an application pack.
STARS attends various events such as the Bournemouth Marathon, Bestival, Bourne Free and the Dorset County Show. At such events we need support for roles such as marshalling, handing out leaflets and talking to people about our services. The Events & Engagement volunteer role can be varied in hours to suit your needs and can be discussed on your application, where you can highlight your availability. You will normally be based in our Poole office or out and about with the team.
Any relevant experience of working at events is preferred but not essential. Ideally we are looking for people who are friendly, reliable, adaptable and happy to engage with members of the public.
Training will be provided, as well as an induction where you will learn more about our history, our work and the role.
Volunteers will be asked to provide two references at application and be subject to a standard DBS check.
To apply please contact our Volunteer Co-ordinator on 01202 308 840 or email volunteering@starsdorset.org for an application pack.
The Administration & Business Support Volunteer role covers a variety of office-based duties from data inputting, photocopying, filing, event support and if you are familiar with this, then website / social media posting / support. The admin volunteer role can be varied in hours to suit your needs and can be discussed upon application, highlighting your availability. You will be based out of our Poole office.
Any relevant experience of administration is preferred but not essential; good interpersonal skills, good organisational skills, knowledge of Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint, Microsoft Outlook and experience in handling sensitive and confidential information.
Full training in our office procedures and an induction to STARS and the work we do will be given.
Volunteers will be asked to provide two references at application and be subject to a standard DBS check.
To apply please contact our Volunteer Co-ordinator on 01202 308 840 or email volunteering@starsdorset.org for an application pack.
This role generally involves helping us with our IT requirements as well as assisting our Volunteer & Communications Co-ordinator with managing our website and social media postings.
Any relevant IT, website and social media experience required, together with being familiar being in an environment where we are offering support to vulnerable people. Good interpersonal, listening & understanding skills as well as patience are also desirable.
We ask for a time commitment of 3 or more hours a week, which can be based in either in our Poole or Dorchester centre depending on your preference. You might also be able to work from home, depending on the support required.
At STARS we believe training is a key part of our commitment to you as a volunteer. You will be given training on any tasks you are asked to complete, although for this role, we would expect you to come with your own knowledge of IT, website & social media. You will however be invited to join other in-house training, especially around trauma. Whilst this is not vital to your role, it is an opportunity for you to gain further knowledge about the way we deliver services to clients and, we hope, enhance your volunteer experience.
Volunteers will be asked to provide two references at application and be subject to a standard DBS check.
To apply please contact our Volunteer Co-ordinator on 01202 308 840 or email volunteering@starsdorset.org for an application pack.
If there is a role not listed here but you think you would be an asset as a volunteer, we’d love to hear from you! Please contact our Volunteer & Communications Co-ordinator, Jo, on 01202 308 840 or volunteering@starsdorset.org.
