Volunteer with us

Volunteering at LHA is open to anyone aged 18 or over who is enthusiastic, reliable, and ready to be part of our community. You don’t need prior experience, just a willingness to help and learn.

If you’re a British or Irish national, an asylum seeker, or if you hold Settled, Pre-Settled, or another type of visa, we’ll need proof of your right to live in the UK. This can usually be provided through documents that confirm your status, such as a valid passport, birth certificate, full driving licence, asylum registration card, or an Immigration Share Code. You’ll be ready to start volunteering once we have verified your right to live in the UK.

Yes! If you’re visiting as a tourist, you can volunteer with a registered charity in the UK for up to 30 days during your visit. We do recommend checking whether you’ll need a Tourist Visa or an ETA before travelling.

If you’re visiting London and offered the opportunity to join us, please bring valid proof of entry (such as your passport stamp or travel ticket) along with your passport when you check in.

We also partner with the Worldpackers platform, which offers tourists the chance to experience London through short stay volunteering opportunities. If you prefer to apply via Worldpackers, please submit your application there directly rather than applying through both platforms, as duplicate applications may delay the review process.

Volunteering for more than 30 days requires an alternative visa, such as the Charity Worker (Temporary Work) visa. Please note that currently LHA does not offer sponsorship.

To make the most of the volunteering experience, we usually hope that our volunteers will stay with us for a minimum period of 6 weeks (30 days), however, depending on role availability, shorter stays may sometimes be discussed. To ensure we can offer opportunities to as many people as possible, the maximum volunteering term at LHA is 2 years. If you’d like to give more of your time beyond this, it may be possible to extend, subject to availability and discussion with our HR Assistant (Volunteer Lead).

You’ll be joining a community of around 200 volunteers from all over the world who support our properties. Each property has its own team, ranging from 6 to 33 volunteers. The scheme is constantly growing, and we’re always excited to welcome new people on board.

Volunteering roles at LHA vary depending on the property (for example, catered vs. self-catered hostels), but all focus on supporting our staff team and contributing to our mission and vision. Volunteers take part in a variety of activities that enrich hostel life, promote community, and encourage personal growth.

Typical support activities include:

• Housekeeping Support – helping with linen duties and assisting in keeping shared spaces such as kitchens, toilets, and showers clean and welcoming for residents.
• Reception Assistance – greeting guests, responding to queries in person and by phone, and helping to maintain a friendly, helpful atmosphere at the front desk.
• Night Porter Support – offering a point of contact for residents after office hours and supporting the night shift team in ensuring a safe and welcoming environment.
• Kitchen Assistance (only at Bowden Court, Holland House, Sandeman-Allen, New Mansion, and Paddington hostel) – supporting the kitchen team with basic food preparation, meal service, and pot washing, helping to create a positive dining experience.
• Relief volunteering – a dynamic volunteering role for those who enjoy variety and change. Relief volunteers support different teams across our properties each week, taking on a range of duties. Most tasks focus on housekeeping and kitchen assistance, offering the chance to explore new environments, meet different people, and make a meaningful impact wherever support is most needed.

The specific duties may vary from house to house depending on operations, and they can change from day to day. Please be rest assured that once you have been offered a volunteering role, your duties will be confirmed and you will always receive the support and guidance you need to carry out your volunteering activities confidently. We also understand that everyone has different strengths, and we do our best to match duties with your skills and interests.

Besides our relief volunteers, all volunteers are undertaking their volunteering duties at the same property they reside. Yes, moving to a different property can be possible, and we’ll always do our best to accommodate your request. However, moves depend on volunteering roles availability and there is currently a high demand with a waiting list. Priority will be given to people who have already applied and already on the list.

We understand that sharing spaces may not be for everyone, but we believe that living alongside other like-minded volunteers is an important part of making a new place feel like home. Often, these shared experiences lead to lasting friendships and a strong sense of team spirit.

We do not offer single rooms for volunteers. Instead, accommodation is provided in same-gender shared rooms, which typically host between 2 and 6 people, depending on the property.

We recommend a minimum of 20 hours per week of your time, with the maximum being 25 hours per week.

When you are offered a role, your duty blocks will be confirmed. In general, volunteering takes place in the morning, late afternoon, or evening. We aim to balance volunteering time with personal time, so you’ll have plenty of support and opportunity to explore London during your stay.

You will also have between 1 and 4 days off duty each week, depending on how your hours are scheduled for the role at the property.

As this is a strictly volunteering role, there is no remuneration or pocket money provided.

At our catered hostels, volunteers enjoy the same meals as residents:

• Weekdays: breakfast and dinner
• Weekends: breakfast and lunch

If you are based at a self-catered hostel, you are welcome to visit one of our catered hostels for your meals. In addition, basic weekly food orders are provided for volunteers, and fully equipped kitchen facilities are available for your use.

Once you have completed the volunteering interest form on this page, you will hear back from us within 3–5 working days. After your application has been processed, you will receive an email confirming that you have joined our waitlist.

 If you don’t hear from us straight away, please know it’s only because we have lots of interest in the scheme, and roles may take a little time to open.

Roles can be filled anywhere between 7 days and 3 months in advance. When opportunities arise, we will always consider your preferred start date and, in line with our waitlist, our properties will reach out to you directly, subject to role availability.