South East Social Action Directory

Below is the information of organisations working on social justice issues in the South East:

BEfriend, Community Support 

BEfriend provide one-to-one volunteer befriending to people within the London Borough of Ealing who are socially isolated because of physical, sensory, cognitive or psychological impairment. BEfriend encourages their beneficiaries to go out when possible, as a change of scenery can make a big difference, and volunteers can support them in doing this. The visits are purely social and volunteers don’t do shopping, any form of personal care, DIY, gardening or cleaning. To find out more, visit their website.

Hestia, Community Support

Hestia deliver services to people who are at the moment of crisis across the Greater London area. They likewise run campaigns and advocate at a national level on the issues that affect their beneficiaries, who include the victims of modern slavery, women and children who have experienced domestic abuse, young care leavers and older people. Hestia are supported by nearly 950 volunteers across London who provide specialist skills such as art therapy, yoga, IT, gardening and cooking, as well as befriending and fundraising. To find out more, visit their website.

In-Deep Community Task Force, Community Support

In-Deep Community Task Force is a charity that works predominately with elderly people in the South of Westminster and Lambeth, London. Their aim is to combat loneliness by offering a range of activities and services to people living in the area, many of whom have no family, have family that live far away, or are living on low incomes. In-Deep are always looking for new volunteers for their lunch club and monthly community dinners, their children’s music therapy session, and with fundraising and administration. They believe that bringing the young, elderly and people from different backgrounds together can be of enormous benefit to the community. To find out more, visit their website.

The Brighton and Hove Food Partnership, Community Support

The Brighton and Hove Food Partnership is a non-profit organisation helping people learn to cook, eat a healthy diet, grow their own food and waste less food. Their aim is to connect and inspire individuals, community groups and organisations, and their work is based on the belief that food is more than just fuel; it brings people together and changes lives. The Brighton and Hove Food Partnership provide plenty of ways to get involved in their wider work, from attending a course or event, to highlighting food related volunteering opportunities across the local area. To find out more, visit their website.

RESTART, Homelessness

RESTART is a homeless charity operating in London. Their aim is to help London’s homeless break the cycle of homelessness, to move from the streets, confront the issues obstructing their futures and return to society, feeling more empowered and resilient. RESTART's underlying principles are: that food and temporary shelter are important starting points in meeting basic needs but they alone will not create transformational change; that an effective response to homelessness must address root causes (not just symptoms) by seeking to address mental health issues and promote positive well-being; that for many homeless men and women, long-term, sustainable employment is essential if they are to lead fulfilling, independent lives; that effective impact relies working collaboratively and strategically with other organisations to deliver dynamic change. To achieve their aim, RESTART relies on volunteers to support drop-in sessions, act as mentors, or fundraise for them. To find out more, visit their website.

The Vagina Museum, Marginalised Groups 

The Vagina Museum is the world's first bricks and mortar museum dedicated to the gynaecological anatomy. They have six aims, which are: to spread knowledge and raise awareness of the gynaecological anatomy and health; to give confidence to people to talk about issues surrounding the gynaecological anatomy; erase the stigma around the body and gynaecological anatomy; to act as a forum for feminism, women’s rights, the LGBT+ community and the intersex community; Challenge heteronormative and cisnormative behaviour; and to promote intersectional, feminist and trans-inclusive valuee work carried out by the Museum use their contact form heres.  The Vagina Museum hosts a number of events, including many online events – these can be viewed by clicking on the events section of their website. Volunteers are also essential to the work of the Vagina Museum and information about voluntary opportunities can be viewed on their jobs page here. Alternatively, if there are no volunteer opportunities currently listed but you want to see how you might get involved in the work carried out by the Museum use their contact form here.

St. Ethelburga's, Peace 

St. Ethelburga’s is a small charity in London whose work sits at the intersection of climate and peace. Their work is rooted in the belief that there can be no peace on Earth unless we also realise peace with the Earth. One of the core aims of St. Ethelburga’s is to be a ‘maker of peacemakers.’ As such, they offer events, training, leadership programmes and multimedia content, which equip and inspire people to become peacemakers in their own contexts. Their specific project areas include community reconciliation, refugee inclusion, radical resilience, viewpoint diversity, and spiritual ecology. In addition to providing training and events to help equip you into becoming active peacemakers, St. Ethelburga’s also have a number of internship and volunteer placements that you can become involved in. To find out more about the events and training St. Ethelburga’s offer, go to their main website and click on the appropriate tabs. To find out more about their internships and volunteer placements, visit their website.

Explore, Education & Youth 

Explore is a charity whose mission is to empower young adults to explore what it takes to create and sustain happy, healthy and loving long-term relationships that was founded in Portsmouth in 2000. They rely on volunteers to support them in the following four areas: as volunteer facilitators who support Explore by facilitating session with young adults; as volunteer couples who support Explore by participating in sessions with young adults, entering into an open dialogue with them about their experiences within their relationships; as trustees; and by providing ad hoc volunteer support, such as support with social media, comms or fundraising. In addition to these volunteer roles, there is also the opportunity for those aged between 14-22 living in Kent, Essex, Berkshire, Wiltshire, Hampshire, Buckinghamshire, London or Bristol to be part of Explore’s Youth Panel. This is a group of roughly 10 young adults who represent both their own views and those of their peers, to guide the work carried out by Explore – making sure it is focused on the issues that matter most to the young people it serves. To find out more about volunteering for Explore visit their volunteering page here, to find out more about being on the Youth Panel visit the Youth Panel page here.

Sustain, Animal Welfare

Sustain is a powerful alliance of organisations and communities working together for a better system of food, farming and fishing, and cultivating the movement for change. Together, they advocate food and agriculture policies and practices that enhance the health and welfare of people and animals, improve the working and living environment, enrich society and culture, and promote equity. Working in collaboration, Sustain develop networks of people and organisations to devise and implement projects and campaigns, and to provide a platform for recognition and replication of pioneering work; run highly effective and creative campaigns, advocacy, networks and demonstration projects, aiming to catalyse permanent changes in policy and practice, and to help equip more people and communities with skills as change-makers; advise and negotiate with governments, local authorities, regulatory agencies, funding bodies and other decision-makers to ensure that legislation and policies on food, fishing and agriculture are publicly accountable and socially and environmentally responsible. There are several ways you can support the work that Sustain do, from volunteering with them (mostly in their London office) to following their top 10 tips to getting active in your local area. To find out how to get involved, visit their website.

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Resource type: 
Campaigns
Resource theme: 
Animal Welfare
South East Organisations
Peace and Pacifism
Community
Education & Youth
Homelessness
Marginalised Groups