Volunteer Groups in Heaton

Heaton runs on goodwill more than most places. Its theatre has been run by members for more than a century, the city farm at the bottom of the Ouseburn relies on hundreds of volunteers a year, and the weekly foodbank session on Heaton Road depends on trained volunteers. If you have a few hours a week, or even a few hours a month, there is a group nearby that would be glad to have you.

Here is our guide to the main volunteering organisations in and around Heaton, and what each one is best for.

Start here: Volunteer Centre Newcastle

Volunteer Centre Newcastle

If you are not sure what you want to do, Volunteer Centre Newcastle is the place to begin. Run by the national charity Volunteering Matters and funded by Newcastle City Council, it keeps a citywide database of roles that you can search by postcode, distance and interest, and it offers free one-to-one appointments, in person or online, to help match you with something that suits your time, skills and any access needs. Many of the opportunities below, including council parks roles, are advertised through it.

The council's own parks team recruits volunteers through the centre for regular sessions in Heaton Park, Paddy Freeman Park and Walker Park: planting and tending flowerbeds, looking after borders, orchards and meadows, weeding and keeping paths clear. You register your interest online, then book a short introductory call. If you love the area's green spaces, our guide to parks and green spaces in Heaton shows what you would be looking after.

Best for: Best for anyone who wants to volunteer but does not yet know where.

Arts, heritage and the Ouseburn

The People's Theatre

The People's Theatre on Stephenson Road has been run entirely by its members since it began as the Clarion Drama Club in 1911. Every production is made by volunteers, on stage, backstage and front of house, and no experience is needed: the theatre offers hands-on training in lighting, sound, props, wardrobe, set building and stage management, as well as stewarding, box office and the Greenroom bar. You join as a member (aged 16 and over), and free New Members Nights are held a few times a year, with the next on 6 January 2027. Helping out as a steward or behind the bar is the usual way new members get to know everyone.

Best for: Best for anyone who fancies theatre, whether in the spotlight or behind the scenes.

The Ouseburn Trust

The Ouseburn Trust, based on Lime Street and best known for the Victoria Tunnel, is one of the most varied volunteer employers around. Roles include Victoria Tunnel tour guide and support, walking tour guide, Ouseburn brewery tour guide, heritage researcher, environment support and learning and engagement volunteer. Guiding visitors through a Victorian waggonway that became a wartime air-raid shelter is a memorable way to spend a weekend, and the research roles suit anyone who prefers archives to audiences. Get in touch through the Trust's website or on 0191 261 6596.

Best for: Best for history lovers and confident storytellers.

Heaton History Group

The Heaton History Group is a volunteer-run local history society that researches and publishes articles on Heaton's streets, people and past, and holds regular evening talks, usually at St George's United Reformed Church on Newton Road in High Heaton. Membership is £10 a year, and members are welcome to get involved with the group's research. It is a lovely, low-pressure way to put your curiosity about the neighbourhood to good use.

Best for: Best for researchers, writers and the endlessly curious.

Ouseburn Farm

Ouseburn Farm is a free-entry community city farm and charity, and 377 people volunteered there in 2024. Alongside caring for the animals and the site, the farm runs a year-round placement programme for adults with learning disabilities and autism, and it recruits Placement Support Volunteers to help lead small weekday workshops in its upcycling shop, crafts and art. Contact the farm on 0191 232 3698 to ask about current vacancies.

Best for: Best for patient, practical people who like a bit of mud.

Food and practical support

Newcastle Foodbank

Newcastle Foodbank, formerly Newcastle West End Foodbank, runs a weekly distribution session at Heaton Baptist Church on Heaton Road (Wednesday afternoons) and another at St Silas Church in Byker (Thursday afternoons). Trained volunteers welcome guests, sit down and talk with them, and hand out food parcels, while others help in the warehouse or at pantry sessions. Volunteers need to be 18 or over and sessions run on weekdays only, so it suits people with daytime availability. Apply through the vacancies page on the foodbank's website.

Best for: Best for kind listeners who can spare a weekday afternoon.

St Oswald's Hospice Shop

The St Oswald's Hospice Shop at 266 Chillingham Road raises money for the Gosforth hospice that cares for adults, children and young people across the North East. Shop volunteers serve customers, sort and price donations and keep the shop looking its best, and the hospice advertises its retail roles through Volunteer Centre Newcastle. It is a sociable role and a good way to build retail experience for a CV. Our guide to charity shops in Heaton lists other shops along Chillingham Road and Shields Road that also rely on volunteers.

Best for: Best for chatty people who enjoy a rummage.

Tips before you sign up

Think about how much time you can realistically give, and be honest about it: most groups would rather have someone reliable for two hours a month than enthusiastic for three weeks. Expect a short chat or induction, and for roles with children or vulnerable adults, a DBS check. Ask about expenses, training and whether there is a regular team you will be working with. And if a role does not suit you, it is fine to say so and try something else.

Know a Heaton volunteer group we have missed, or run one that is looking for helpers? Let us know via our contact page.