At Emmaus Hertfordshire we help people leave homelessness behind them by giving them a place to live and the support they need to get back on their feet again. A key part of what we do is to ensure every companion benefitting from our support gives back to our community or social enterprises. As a volunteer van driver or van crew member you will be working alongside our companions.

Our main social enterprise and an important income stream to the charity is the sale of second-hand furniture through our shops. We source furniture via house clearances and one-off item donations. Driving a van, moving donations into our warehouse and then into our shops is an essential part of our operations. In our house clearance service, you would be involved in packing goods and loading them to and from the van. You could be involved in both van driving and house clearance packing or just one of these roles.

If you enjoy driving, you would be using one of our 3.5 tonne box vans, which will need to be collected from and returned to our premises at Hill End Lane, St Albans, AL4 0FE. There is plenty of on-site parking for your own vehicle. All driving is within a 30-mile radius of St Albans. You will be working with a team of 2 others including the team leader. We start our day at 8.30am and finish no later than 5pm, and often earlier. You will need to commit to these timings.

We can accommodate regular weekly or ad hoc shifts with notice.

What you will get from volunteering for Emmaus:

Driving or being involved in our house clearance scheme for Emmaus you will use the van driving/packing skills you already have or be willing to learn these to enhance your own CV or work experience. This may be the gateway to gaining confidence to get back into the working world after a break. Alternatively, you may be newly retired or have a day free in your working week which would enable you to give something back.

Should you want it, we can offer free NVQ qualifications in warehousing and storage, customer service, English Language, Maths and IT.

You will be giving back to your local homelessness charity by contributing to their social enterprises, raising vital funds for the running of the charity.

You will be working alongside our companions in a team. We offer a sociable and friendly environment. We provide complimentary lunch at our Hill End Lane premises for everyone.

We offer a 20% discount on all our goods for sale for our volunteers following induction.

Essential requirements for the role of a van driver

A full driving licence with a maximum of 3 points.

Minimum of 5 years driving experience.

You will need to be aged 25+.

Essential requirements for the role of a house clearance volunteer

You will need to be fit and capable of carrying furniture along with one or 2 others. You will need to be able to go up and down staircases.

Essential requirements for all

Available to give us one day of your time for each session of volunteering, from 8.30am to 5.00pm at the latest.

We will need to complete a basic DBS certificate check for you. This will be at our expense.

You will need to undergo basic health and safety and manual handling training.

You will need to undergo safeguarding training.

Desirable but non-essential requirements

Knowledge of safely transporting and stacking goods in a van. We will teach you how to do this if necessary.