Volunteer
We simply couldn’t do what we do without the help of volunteers.
Whether you’re looking for a regular volunteering opportunity or just want to help out every once in a while, there are so many ways you can support us by giving your time.
Volunteering with ECHC
Volunteers help in many ways, from staffing our hospital shops, supporting us at our events, distributing and gathering collection cans and helping in the office.
As an ECHC volunteer, you will receive an induction and all necessary training. You will have a named contact and be welcomed to volunteer events to meet the wider team and other volunteers. We will also regularly keep you up to date with any new opportunities and how your support is making a difference.
Unfortunately, we cannot accept volunteers under the age of 16 unless they are accompanied by a responsible adult.
Please scroll down to find out about the current volunteering roles we have available.
Equal opportunities & access needs
We want everyone to have opportunity to take part. Having a diverse range of perspectives within our volunteer group improves our work and upholds our values. We encourage people that represent the diverse communities that we serve to apply to volunteer with us. We actively recruit volunteers with experience of disability, neurodivergence, ethnic minoritisation and from LGBTQIA+ communities.
We think carefully when creating our roles to cater to a broad range of access needs. We encourage you to discuss your access needs when invited to interview and we will then adapt our process as best we can. We can also explore together the role that might best suit you. Whilst we can’t guarantee a position that suits all access needs, we actively work towards broadening accessibility with our volunteers and staff. All disabled applicants who meet our role criteria will be interviewed.
Shop Volunteer
We are looking for enthusiastic individuals to help in our shop which serves staff and visitors at the Royal Hospital for Children & Young People. No retail experience is necessary as full training will be given, just a friendly attitude and willingness to learn. We are currently looking to fill the following shifts:
- Wednesday 8am – 11am
We are ideally looking for volunteers who can cover a shift on a weekly basis.
To apply for any of these roles, please click the button to complete the Volunteer Application form, ensuring you give details of relevant skills or experience for the role(s) applied for in relation to the role profile.
Hospital Volunteering
Please note: the volunteering opportunities we offer are to support the work undertaken and services provided by our charity. Many of our opportunities are NOT based within the Royal Hospital for Children and Young People.
If you are looking to volunteer within the hospital (e.g. ward volunteers), please visit the NHS Lothian volunteering page for more information.
