Volunteer opportunities

A sustainable community is one whose levels of service to its people can be continuously upheld even in times of adversity or disaster. Who does this job? In large part, volunteers do! The Volunteer Opportunities page is produced in partnership with Volunteer Kāpiti. Find out how you can get involved, learn skills and give back to your community through becoming a volunteer.

	Give a person a bike and they will ride until their tyre is punctured. Teach a person how to maintain and repair their bike and they will ride for a lifetime. Energise Ōtaki is looking for volunteers who have some time, knowledge and willingness to share how to maintain and repair bikes. Since 2017, the Ōtaki Bike Space at St. Peter Chanel has redistributed over 35 up-cycled bikes to the community. We have more bicycles to share, but we would also like a component of the space to be that the community can come and learn “easy” repairs from people who know and would be willing to share that knowledge. Location: The Bike Space Container at St. Peter Chanel, 2 Convent Road, Ōtaki Time: 3-5 hours When: End of Term 3, September 28 - 29, 2019. Please contact Sara on info@energise.otaki.net.nz or 027 621 8855 if you are interested in helping.
To find out more about the roles listed below, contact Volunteer Kāpiti on 04 905 8884 / 06 364 6887 or info@volunteerkapiti.org.nz
	One on One Coach Are you patient, positive and encouraging? Are you good at helping others to learn a new skill? This organisation fosters learning in young adults with an intellectual disability and needs someone just like you. You will be working one on one for maximum effectiveness and relationship building.
	Environmental Enthusiasts Are you an environmental enthusiast that is happy to get their hands dirty and has a desire to learn about native plants and birds? We are looking for keen people to assist with midweek planting and weeding at two local reserve in Otaihanga and Waikanae.
	Ant Suppression Programme Coordinator Do you have excellent organisation skills and the enthusiasm to see this project through to the end? We are looking for a Coordinator to organise an Ant bait programme in Raumati South, to help eradicate as many of the Argentine, Darwin and White Ant populations as possible. This short-term role involves letter dropping and door knocking at properties on the affected roads (Glen Rd, Dale Rd and Poplar Ave), and re-visiting properties that have already indicated they have an ant problem.
	Lead Cook (1 monthly shift) Do you love to plan and cook tasty meals? We are looking for two Cooks to join this friendly team of kitchen volunteers at a Paraparaumu Day Hospice. You will be rostered on to one shift per month and tasks include planning and preparing a light meal and dessert for approximately 14 people, preparing a shopping list for others to purchase ingredients within a budget, cooking meals in accordance to special needs and diets when required and cleaning up after the meal.
	Companion (Male) Are you friendly, easy-going and would like to support someone to take part in activities they enjoy at weekends? If so, this man in his 40’s would like someone to accompany him to watch sporting events, such as rugby games, stock car racing or motorbike events, or even take him fishing. He also has an interest in drawing so this is an activity you could explore together.
	Pink Ribbon Appeal Area Coordinators Do you enjoy meeting and organising people? Would you like to support Breast Cancer Foundation New Zealand in a fun and practical way? We are looking for Appeal Area Coordinators to help coordinate their annual Pink Ribbon street appeal collections in the Kāpiti area. The role involves with managing a small team of volunteers on collection days, providing collectors with the resources needed (from Breast Cancer Foundation New Zealand), banking donations and be the main point of contact for the day of collection.
	Health Shuttle Driver Would you like to be part of a driving service that makes a real difference to patients attending health-related appointments in Levin and Palmerston North? We are looking for drivers (that can ideally commit to regular shifts) to join our team.
	Retail Roles Available! Is retail your thing? Do you enjoy serving customers, getting to know regular shoppers and helping people find hidden treasures? We are looking for team members to join local retail stores. In this volunteer role, your duties will include customer service, tidying and merchandising, housekeeping and other general tasks. Whether you are looking to improve your customer service skills or just enjoy the retail environment, we would love to hear from you.
	Challenge for Change Mentor Would you like to make a real difference to the life of a young person in your community? Have you ever considered becoming a Mentor? This organisation provides an early intervention mentoring and family support programme that works with 9 to 13-year-olds who are experiencing difficulty. If you would like to offer guidance, friendship and support to a young person, we would love to hear from you. A weekly allowance will be provided towards expenses that may be incurred through participation.
	Gardening Roles Available Do you enjoy getting out into the garden and getting your hands dirty? Would you like to help create and maintain beautiful and inviting outdoor spaces for local not-for-profit groups? There are a number of gardening roles across a diverse range of organisations on the Kāpiti Coast available now.
	Governance Roles Would you like to be part of a team that assists with the setting and advancement of an organisation's strategic goals? There are a number of varied and interesting governance roles across a diverse range of organisations on the Kapiti Coast available now.
	Funding Coordinator/Specialist Are you a good planner and organiser? Would you like to help a local organisation grow? We are looking for Funding Specialists and Coordinators to help local organisations secure the funds they need for upcoming projects. You will work closely with members of the Committee to plan, scope and budget for funding applications and opportunities for the year ahead.
	Companion / Visitor roles Do you enjoy building relationships and having a good chat? Would you like to help others remain independent and connected to their community? We have a number of rewarding companion and visitor volunteer roles available across the Kāpiti Coast.
	Home Tutor Are you a teacher at heart and would like to help someone work on their English skills? We are looking for tutors to tutor English, one-on-one to adult migrants and help them integrate better into all aspects of their new life on the Kāpiti Coast.
	Youth Leader Are you passionate about working with girls or young women? Would you like to be involved in inspiring and empowering them to turn their dreams into reality? We are looking for FUN and ENERGETIC volunteers to run high-quality units! Currently 2 leaders need for Raumati Pippins and Brownies, however, all suburb enquiries welcome.
	Disaster Welfare Support Worker Disaster welfare and support teams are made up of highly committed, multi-skilled emergency service volunteers from a wide variety of professional backgrounds. You will be delivering essential services to affected communities during and immediately following a disaster. Yours will be the friendly face at the Civil Defence Centre, looking after people and families, or you could be out in the field, mucking in and getting on with the job. When you need to be mobile, it will be in state-of-the-art disaster welfare and support vehicles.
	Bike Mechanic Do you just love tinkering with bikes? Then help us repair, refurbish and maintain our stock of bikes at our local bike library. We are looking for someone that is familiar with bikes and happy to engage with others to pass on their knowledge.
	Restoration and Maintenance Enthusiast Do you enjoy working with machinery, tinkering and generally just working with your hands? We are looking for people to join our team and help with the restoration and maintenance of our vintage trams. We are looking for volunteers that are friendly, relaxed and keen to get their hands dirty. Help preserve and maintain the history of trams.
	Animal Caregiver If you love working with animals and helping to make a difference in their fluffy little lives, then this opportunity is perfect for you! In this role, you will be helping in the shelter feeding, cleaning, enriching and general care of the shelter animals. Help look after those who are unable to look after themselves.
	Patroller Are you passionate about empowering communities and creating safer environments? Then this is the role for you! We need patrollers to increase community awareness and resilience as well as being an additional set of eyes and ears for the Police. Join this technically savvy team to help create a safer community.
	Museum Host Do you enjoy learning about the past? If you want to get to know more about local history and bring it to life for our visitors, then this could be the role for you! Walk and talk them through the domestic, educational, social, occupational, transportation, telecommunications or military life of early Waikanae and Kāpiti. Enrich the experience of each visitor with your own blend of knowledge and interest. We are looking for welcoming and chatty volunteers that have an interest in local history and the lives of people in days gone by. Help keep our local history alive!
	Scout Leader Are you interested in youth development? Do you want to help the children and young adults of the Kapiti Coast reach their full potential? Scouts develop skills like teamwork, time management, leadership, initiative, planning, communication, self-motivation, cultural awareness and commitment and we are looking for a Leader to coordinate a team of well-organised people to deliver a fantastic programme of activities to youth members. This varied role includes responsibilities such as the recruitment, training and retention of Leaders; overseeing the financial viability of the group; quality review of programme content; communication with youth and their parents; membership growth; administrative and records management; safety and risk compliance; as well as providing general support when required. Help with the sustainability of the youth programmes on the Kāpiti Coast and watch our young people develop to get jobs, save lives and even change the world!
	Gardening in Schools Do you have green fingers? Create a beautiful and inviting space for students to learn about gardening and growing their own food. This can be done either, with students and teachers in school hours, or out of school hours or weekends. If working during school hours suits you would be working with young people from early childhood age to college age.
	Bike Repair The Paekākāriki Bike library is looking for people to help with bike repairs and fix-ups. Learns skills on the job and or offer your expertise to help others learn. Contact Jan Nisbet: bikeridenz@outlook.com