Serving community volunteering

Serving Community Teams provide SSAFA support in the heart of the active military community.

Our volunteer-led Serving Community Teams help the serving community access financial, practical and emotional support whenever they need it.  

Anyone interested in supporting the serving community can volunteer, whether you are serving or a family member, someone who lives on base or lives locally, or a veteran who wants to give back to the serving community.

Depending on the role you choose, you could be fundraising, managing finances, directly supporting beneficiaries or helping with marketing and events. 




Why does the serving community need SSAFA’s support?

Serving in the Armed Forces brings with it a unique set of challenges faced by individuals, their partners and families such as feeling isolated or lonely, being away from friends and family, or experiencing frequent deployments. This is why the community benefits from having SSAFA volunteers who can help.  

Support from SSAFA volunteers is confidential, with help extending to all serving personnel and families living on base or in their own homes, and to Reservists and their family members. 

Ways you can help

Provide assistance to those in need

If you’d like to volunteer to directly support those that require our help, then the Community Volunteer role may be for you. This role provides emotional and practical support to an individual or family on a one-to-one basis.

If you would like to help alleviate loneliness and social isolation in the serving community through running activities and groups, consider signing up to be a Community Connection Champion.

Fundraising and awareness

Raising funds for your local Serving Community Team enables us to meet individual requests for support and develop community initiatives.

We’re always on the lookout for new ideas and ways to bring people together around a good cause. If you would like to help us raise funds or run events, you could be our next SSAFA Fundraising Coordinator or Events and Engagement Coordinator.

Supporting your local SSAFA

There are a few administrative roles that help support the team. If you have experience in leadership and enjoy networking with others, the Chair role could be a great fit for you. If coordination and organisation are your strengths, then consider applying for our Secretary or Team Administrator roles.

For those of you who are skilled in managing finances, our Finance Coordinator and Treasurer roles would suit you well, or as a Grant Giving Coordinator you could helping to ensure local beneficiaries can be supported financially.

Serving Community Volunteers in the News!

The work of Serving Community volunteers is varied but always built around delivering a positive impact on their local serving Armed Forces community!  You can read just some of these recent stories here:

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Frequently Asked Questions

  • Do I have to be serving to join a Serving Community Team?

    No, if you have an interest in supporting the community and understand some of the challenges faced, we would welcome you using your skills to volunteer.

  • Do I need to live on a military base to be able to volunteer?

    Not at all, we welcome applicants who live off base as well. We support serving personnel and their families living in many different circumstances and therefore we welcome volunteers with different skills and experiences, as this can add so much value to support the needs of the serving community as a whole.

  • I move around a lot, can I still volunteer?

    Absolutely, we understand that assignments happen frequently which can lead to change of location. If you become a SSAFA volunteer and then need to move, we can relocate you to another Serving Community Team.

  • How can I find my local Serving Community Team?

    Contact us at sct.interest@ssafa.org.uk to find out more.

    You can also find our about our Overseas Serving Community Teams here.