As part of Volunteers’ Week 2025 our Chief Executive, Suki Binning, celebrates our volunteer alliance, who are among the most generous, thoughtful, and impactful people in our organisation.

 

From helping people in prison plan for life beyond the gate, to guiding participants through college enrolment or offering translation support our volunteers make a difference every single day.

 

Our diverse team of volunteers come from all walks of life and every age group based across the country. Whether they’re delivering sessions face-to-face or offering support remotely, they are a vital part of our community and a trusted ally for the people we work with.

 

People volunteer with us for many reasons. Some want to give back to their community after retirement, others are students hoping to build experience in the justice or social care sector. All of them bring their unique life experience, empathy and energy to the people they support. In turn, many say they learn just as much as they give.

 

Celebrating our Volunteer Alliance

 

Sue

 

Sue has been working on our Transition programme in one of the prisons we work in, helping men serving long periods in custody get ready for life outside. From budgeting to climate change, Sue helps bring the curriculum to life, supporting small group learning and one-to-one sessions. Her colleagues say she is “invaluable” and rate her 20 out of 10!

 

But Sue’s impact doesn’t stop at the prison gate. She also supports people in the community to improve their job prospects, using her background in careers advice. One participant said, “[Sue] signposted me to debt services and helped me create a functional CV. It was brilliant.”

 

Ailie

 

Then there’s Ailie, who was matched with a young person struggling with motivation and mental health. Through their sessions, Ailie helped him take a leap forward – he applied for college, signed up to re-sit his GCSEs, and re-engaged with his behaviour change programme. “I’ve sat still for too long,” he told us. “This is going to help me move forward.”

 

Kasia

 

Kasia speaks Polish and offered translation help to ensure a behaviour change programme was accessible for a participant who didn’t speak English. Her skills meant the sessions. “I could not have delivered the intervention without her,” said her colleague.

 

Training, support and safety

 

These stories are just a glimpse of the work our volunteers do. To support them, we offer structured training to make sure every volunteer feels confident and equipped – from handling sensitive conversations to safeguarding and managing data. Each volunteer receives a detailed induction and ongoing support through our coordinators, including live sessions and access to our online learning platform.

 

We also take safety seriously. Each volunteer goes through a matching process based on the needs and risks of the participant. We’re transparent about any essential background information and make sure safeguards are in place. It’s all part of making sure our volunteers feel confident and cared for because they are a core part of what we do.

 

So today, this week and in the weeks and months ahead, we want to thank our volunteers and make sure they know how valued and appreciated they are. Volunteers at Interventions Alliance – and the many organisations in the justice and social care sectors with a volunteering programme – make a tangible difference.

 

Interested in our Volunteer Alliance?

 

And if you’ve ever thought about volunteering, now’s the time. You don’t need a professional background. All we ask for is care for others, a curiosity to learn and the willingness to walk alongside someone as they take difficult steps forward.

 

If you’d like to learn more about volunteering with us, contact us at volunteering@interventionsalliance.co.uk.

 

Volunteers show us that everyone can be an ally for change. Thank you to our brilliant volunteer team who transform their time into lifechanging action every single day.