Volunteer

Voluntary Information

If any residents would like to undertake work on voluntary basis and would like help from West Lancashire Borough Council please click here.

Please provide as much information on the type of voluntary work you would like to undertake (eg litter picking), the location(s) that this will take place in and if any additional resources are needed.

To contact the Council you must have a self-service account. If you have not created one before, simply register as a new user, activate your account and click on the link above.

Please also see below a list of relevant link officers that can by contacted by anybody interested in either taking on services on behalf of the Council or for those groups who undertake work on an ad-hoc voluntary basis.

  • Sue Grffiths, Principal Member Services Officer - Revenue grants to voluntary organisations and Community Chest/Older People's grants. For more information please visit the grants to voluntary groups page 
  • Stephen Kent, Leisure Operations Manager - Service delivery transfers to local community groups (general)
  • Paula Campbell, Community Leisure Manager – Works undertaken by local volunteer groups (project based)

Voluntary Groups

There are a range of different partner agencies and groups who undertake work on voluntary basis throughout West Lancashire.

The Artz Centre

The Artz Centre is a creative arts centre that provides a wide range of unique opportunities to people of West Lancashire. The Artz Centre  works extensively to provide its local community with fun and innovative opportunities in the wonderful world of the Performing Ar

The Artz Centre offers an extensive range of volunteer opportunities in all areas of the creative sector. Over the years our volunteer team, have added great value to our business and we continue to place high calibre individuals in many different areas.

The Bike Works

Skelmersdale based community bike project The Bike Works benefits greatly from the support of volunteers and are always looking for others to join us. They hope to make volunteering a rewarding and enjoyable experience for all. Having a practical nature is useful but appropriate training is provided and the only qualification needed is enthusiasm.

The Birchwood Centre

The Birchwood Centre are an independent charity who work with 13-25 year olds to prevent homelessness and improve well-being. They also provide supported accommodation, deliver mediation, training, plus development and move on support.

The Birchwood Junk Food Cafe

The Junk Food café is a Birchwood community incentive that provides decent healthy food to the people of Skelmersdale. The Junk Food Café is part of an international project aiming to reduce food waste by intercept food that is close to or past expiration date and cooking it in to healthy meals.

Burscough Community Farm

Burscough Community Farm is an 18-acre community smallholding on the fertile West Lancashire Plain.  The farm grows seasonal fruit and vegetables but also hosts many other activities.

  • Phone: 07803 925446

Citizens Advice Lancashire

Citizens Advice Lancashire provides free, independent, confidential and impartial advice to everyone on their rights and responsibilities. It values diversity, promotes equality and challenges discrimination.

If you’d like to boost your CV and enhance your skills for life and work or simply help people in your community, then you should consider volunteering for Citizens Advice Lancashire.

CVS

West Lancashire Council for Voluntary Services provides information and support to voluntary organisations. Helps people to set up and develop voluntary and community groups, and network with other organisations.

Volunteers can do all sorts of things, from helping at a nursery, doing conservation work, to helping at a day centre. The Volunteer Centre recruits volunteers for over 200 hundred organisations and has a huge range of volunteering opportunities available.

Divine Days Creative Arts

Divine Days Creative Arts offer a wide variety of activities, projects, and workshops which aim to bring communities together to enjoy friendly new connections through the shared relaxed enjoyment of creative pursuits; arts and crafts; and dance and music, irrespective of artistic ability or disability.

Ecumenical Centre

The Ecumenical Centre is home to many different community groups and organisations, some of whom still use the building today, such as the cubs, scouts and beavers groups. 

Many of the services and activities which take place in the Centre are staffed entirely by volunteers.

Friends of the Tawd

The Friends of the Tawd Group has been set up to encourage community involvement in the Tawd Valley Project which aims to develop the Park into a popular amenity for both local people and those in the wider West Lancashire area.

The West Lancashire Borough Council Parks & Countryside Ranger Service run Team Tawd Eco days every Friday and the first Saturday every month, so why not volunteer to make a difference?

Martin Mere Wetland Centre

Martin Mere Wetland Centre is a wetland nature reserve and visitor attraction in Burscough, Lancashire. Open 364 days a year, our family-friendly site offers visitors of all ages and abilities a host of unforgettable and accessible wildlife encounters and beautiful scenery whatever the weather.

In many cases, volunteers are the public face of WWT, welcoming our visitors, ensuring their time with us is enjoyable, and helping them to understand the work we do to save wetlands for wildlife and people.

Ormskirk Food Bank

The Ormskirk Food Bank provide three days’ nutritionally balanced emergency food and support to local people who are referred to us in crisis. They are part of a nationwide network of foodbanks, supported by The Trussell Trust, working to combat poverty and hunger across the UK.

Volunteers are the driving force behind foodbanks and your skills could be just what they need.

The PULSE

The PULSE is a voluntary run centre supporting the community in Skelmersdale and West Lancashire. They run a variety of groups including craft, guitar, tai chi, yoga, fibromyalgia & chronic pain support, parents group, brain injury support and creative writing.

The Skem Men-Aces

The Skem Men-Aces is a football team solely for adults with varying degrees of disabilities based in Skelmersdale. They have won the prestigious Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service, the highest award given to local volunteer groups in the UK.

Twinkle House

Twinkle House is a Registered Charity who provide free support sessions for children and young people with Disabilities and Additional Needs 0-19 years. They also provide a range of sensory rooms and Hydrotherapy Pool available for all ages and abilities.

Volunteers are an integral part of their service and are valued no matter how much or how little time they give to Twinkle House.

Well Skelmersdale

Well Skelmersdale is an innovative, aspirational project that is looking to improve the health and well being of local people by doing things differently.