Charities & Voluntary Organisations in the UK

Finding local charities and voluntary groups in the UK

Charities and voluntary organisations are the groups that run on donations, grants and volunteers to help people, animals, places and causes: national charities with local shops and services, hospices, food banks, advice centres, homelessness and housing charities, mental health and disability groups, carers' centres, youth clubs, community centres and transport schemes, animal rescues, environmental and heritage groups, sports and arts charities, and the small local trusts and friends groups that keep a park, a church or a community hall going. Charity shops are the most visible part: over ten thousand across the UK selling donated clothes, books, furniture, homewares and electricals, and taking donations over the counter or by collection.

For anyone needing help, the local charity is often the quickest route to advice, food, furniture, company or support, without a referral; for anyone giving, donating goods to a shop, money to a cause or time as a volunteer all count, and Gift Aid adds 25 per cent to a taxpayer's cash donation at no cost. Registered charities in England and Wales appear on the Charity Commission register, with OSCR in Scotland and the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland, which show their accounts, trustees and purposes, and a genuine collector or shop is happy to give a registration number. Local councils for voluntary service and volunteer centres match people to opportunities and know every group in the area.

The listings here show each charity's purpose, services, shops and what they take, volunteering, opening hours, registration and contact details, so you can see who is nearby, who helps with what, and where people in your town go to give, get help or lend a hand.

What local charities and voluntary groups do

Charity shops: clothes, shoes, books, toys, homewares, furniture and electricals at low prices, donations taken at the counter with Gift Aid on the sale, free furniture collection from many, and specialist bridal, vintage and bookshops in some towns.

Help and support: food banks and pantries, debt and benefits advice, homelessness services, mental health support, carers' groups, dementia cafés, befriending and transport for older people, refugee and family support, and hospices.

Community: community centres and halls, youth clubs, lunch clubs, men's sheds, community gardens and allotments, friends of parks and libraries, heritage and environmental groups, and community transport.

Animals and environment: rescue centres and rehoming, wildlife hospitals, conservation volunteering, litter picks and river clean-ups.

Giving and volunteering: regular giving, fundraising events, legacies, volunteer roles from a couple of hours a week to trusteeship, and corporate volunteering days.

Before you donate, give or volunteer

• Check the charity's registration number on the Charity Commission, OSCR or CCNI register; a genuine charity gives it readily.
• Donate goods that are clean and working; shops pay to dispose of what they cannot sell, and electricals need to be PAT-testable.
• Ask the shop what it takes and whether it collects furniture; most need a fire-safety label on upholstered items.
• Sign the Gift Aid form when donating goods or money if you pay tax; it adds 25 per cent at no cost to you.
• Be careful with doorstep collectors and clothing bags; some are commercial, and the small print says how much goes to charity.
• For volunteering, ask about training, expenses, DBS checks and the time commitment; the local volunteer centre can match you.

What charity shops charge and what giving costs

As a rough guide, charity shops sell a shirt or top for £2 to £6, a coat or jacket £8 to £25, jeans £4 to £10, a paperback £1 to £3, a hardback £2 to £5, a children's toy £1 to £5, a dinner plate 50p to £2, a sofa £50 to £250, a wardrobe or chest of drawers £30 to £120, a dining table and chairs £50 to £200 and a tested washing machine £80 to £180, with designer and vintage pieces priced higher in the specialist shops; furniture collection is usually free within the area and delivery £10 to £30. Donating goods costs nothing, a monthly gift of £5 to £20 is typical for regular giving, and Gift Aid adds 25p to every £1 from a taxpayer. Charities are free to those who need their help.

A £150 sofa from the furniture charity shop, delivered for £20, furnishes a first flat for the price of a supermarket shop and pays for a week of the hospice's nursing.