Work with us

Work with us
We're currently recruiting for prison-based volunteers in Cambridgeshire, Nottingham, Surrey, Derbyshire & Buckinghamshire.
Prison-based volunteers are the backbone of Fine Cell Work (FCW). Supported by the Fine Cell Work programmes team and by other staff at the FCW office, they teach and administer FCW stitching groups in prisons. Prison volunteers work in teams to organise classes and teach our stitchers, as well as providing groups information to the prison and to the FCW office. The precise mix of skills will vary from prison to prison.
Volunteering in prison for Fine Cell Work requires ideally a good level of needlework skill (or a willingness to learn), some teaching experience and/or experience of working with socially-excluded groups. Volunteers must be patient and non-judgemental in order to work effectively. Each group has a lead volunteer who reports to the Volunteer & Programmes Manager at the Fine Cell Work office, however, we do encourage regular communication between the programmes team and all volunteers. We are constantly improving our systems to better support our volunteers.
Prison-based volunteers generally run classes for two hours every 2 weeks. We ask for a minimum commitment of at least a year or two years, as this allows time for group participants to complete qualifications and develop their skills to a high standard.
All volunteers must be over 18 years of age. Volunteers will be required to undertake security vetting for relevant prisons.
To apply, please complete the online form here, or email the Programmes team at volunteer@finecellwork.co.uk for more information.
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At Fine Cell Work, we know diversity fosters creativity and innovation. We are committed to equality of opportunity, to being fair and inclusive, and to being a place where all belong. We therefore particularly encourage applications from candidates who are likely to be underrepresented in FCW’s workforce. These include applicants from Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds, people with disabilities, LGBTQI+, and male identifying applicants as these are currently under-represented in our volunteers groups.