Become part of our volunteer ‘ground crew’ at the Great North Air Ambulance Service.
Our ground crew volunteers have been supporting the charity since it started in 2002, representing the cause and carrying out a wide range of activities; getting involved in events, manning show stalls, delivering public presentations, store collections and raising awareness of our numerous campaigns.
Why we need volunteers
Our aircraft cover an area of about 8,000 square miles. We must raise more than £5.3m each year just to keep the service flying. We depend on the members of the communities we serve to support us in delivering our life-saving service.
Last year alone, volunteers contributed 1,590 hours of their time to helping to raise the money we need. We would not have been able to carry on without them.
We are hugely grateful and proud of all our volunteers.
Available rolesWhy volunteer?
It’s not all about us – we get regular feedback from our volunteers about the benefits to them, including:
- Improvements in self-esteem, confidence and skills
- The positive feeling of being a valued member of a team
- Using their expertise for the benefit of wider society
Depending on how much you would like to be involved with volunteering at GNAAS, you can join in a range of activities and progress your volunteering career.
Find your volunteer role
Volunteering in our head office at Urlay Nook, you will help with mailouts and photocopying, cash counting, answering phone calls and other office duties.
You will need good IT and communication skills and be able to volunteer four hours a week between 9am – 5pm Monday to Friday.
We have over 2,500 collection tins distributed across the region, in shops, pubs, restaurants and businesses.
The collections volunteer will help us find new locations for our collection tins, as well as emptying and replacing them at regular intervals throughout the year.
This is a long-term role based in your locality, at a time to suit you. Enquire about opportunities near you.
Greet participants and help at our events, or join the miles of smiles in one of our cheer teams.
Events roles are usually one-off and can involve varied tasks throughout, from setting up in the morning to greeting participants, marshalling courses or handing out refreshments.
If you’re full of enthusiasm and don’t mind travelling to different locations, working outdoors, and getting stuck in, we’d love to hear from you! Find out more and apply here.
Help generate new income in your area by getting involved in regular bucket collections.
Not only will you attend collections arranged by the charity, but we’d love you to go out there and seek new locations.
If you like speaking to the public and can make a regular commitment, find out more about being a fundraising volunteer.
We need green-fingered volunteers to assist in the maintenance of our Urlay Nook base.
Working outdoors, you’ll help keep the exterior of our head office and helicopter base in tip-top shape – caring for the plants and keeping weeds at bay, with any other maintenance as required.
The role requires 2-5 hours a week, depending on the season. Find out more here.
Presenter volunteers help us raise awareness of the charity within community groups.
You may visit a school, a business or a local club, taking our message across the North of England.
If you love speaking to people and are confident to talk about the charity’s work, this might be the role for you. Full training is given beforehand. Find out more here.
Based out of either in Penrith or Newton Aycliffe, you could be helping at various locations within your local community and/or places of work.
You’ll promote and coordinate local recycling appeals, leaflet drops, and recycling collections in your area.
If you have a clean driving licence and can physically lift bags as needed, get involved here.
One of our biggest income streams, our recycling team turn pre-loved clothing into pre-hospital care.
As a recycling volunteer, you’ll help by collecting and processing recyclable items at our Newton Aycliffe or Penrith sites. This is a hands-on role that requires strong organisational skills. To find out more, click here.
Rita Craddy, volunteer
“I do my best to help out and I feel appreciated in what I do. You need to feel that at any age but when you get to my age, it’s easy to feel useless and like you can’t help. But this has shown me that you can, and you can feel wanted and that’s a big thing.”
Sally Astbury, volunteer
“I enjoyed volunteering as a marshall. The event was well organised, the weather held and it was lovely to have a chat with everyone at the GNAAS stand and get to know them. Without a doubt I would recommend volunteering, because GNAAS has a special place in my heart.”
