Volunteer
Online registration for volunteering at the Cancer Research UK London Winter Run is OPEN! Sign up here!
To find out all about volunteering for us, make sure you check out our FAQs, which should answer any queries you may have. You can also download the Volunteer Role Profile here.
- Can I volunteer if I am under 18 years old?
- I have registered or offered to volunteer. When can I expect to get some details from the event organiser?
- I belong to a group – can we help out at the event?
- I have a criminal conviction, can I still volunteer at the event?
- Do I need to have specific skills and experience to volunteer at the event?
- What support will I be given at the event?
- What measures are in place for a volunteer’s safety?
- Can I still volunteer if the event is less than 10 days away?
- Can we advertise the volunteer role profiles at our workplace/company/university/organisation/centre?
- What should I do if I want to escort my friend or family member around the course?
- Is there anything I can do to help before the event?
- What should I wear or bring to the event?
- What should I do to prepare myself to be volunteering at the event?
- Travel – how do I get to and from the event?
- Can I still volunteer if I’m receiving benefits?
- My phone number / email address etc has changed – what should I do?
- Are there any other volunteering opportunities with Human Race in addition to the London Winter Run roles?
Can I volunteer if I am under 18 years old?
Yes, you can and we would love to have you join us as part of the team. Individuals aged 16-18 must bring our consent form signed by a parent or guardian OR be part of a supervised youth group.
If you are under 16 at the time of the event you will also need to bring a signed consent form and EITHER be accompanied at the event by a parent or guardian OR be part of a supervised youth group.
Let us know if you need a consent form and we will send one over to you.
I have registered or offered to volunteer. When can I expect to get some details from the event organiser?
Following registration you’ll receive a confirmation email and be added to our database to receive our monthly Volunteer Newsletter with updates about the event.
Our Volunteering Manager will usually contact volunteers around 2-3 weeks before the event date with the precise details about your role, where and when to arrive and what you will need to bring. In the meantime, if you have any specific queries please email volunteers@winterrunseries.co.uk stating the event you are volunteering at / querying about in the subject line.
A member of the Event Team will contact you before the event to send you all the information that you will need to know about the event and your role. Some roles will entail more responsibility than other roles. Those with more responsibility will be called “key roles” and may be expected to attend a briefing evening a couple of weeks before the event to get key information for the role.
Please note that in the run up to the event, the Volunteer Manager can be extremely busy and may not be able to respond quickly to detailed requests for information. However, we will endeavour to answer your queries as quickly as we can!
I belong to a group – can we help out at the event?
Yes you can and we would love to have you join us as part of the team!
Groups with members aged 18 or over should register as individuals either via the website here or send your request to volunteers@winterrunseries.co.uk. When signing up online please ensure that you state what group you are a part of in the appropriate section so that you can be identified as a group in the database (please ensure that you write the group name the same!)
We are looking to recruit a lot of volunteers for the event so please get your friends and colleagues involved too!
Youth groups should email volunteers@winterrunseries.co.uk with the details of the group and the event you would like to attend. The leader of the Youth Group (who should be aged 18 or over) will then need to register on the day of the event on behalf of the group members. The group leader will be fully responsible for the group at the event and will need to have gathered emergency contact details for all in the group.
I have a criminal conviction, can I still volunteer at the event?
Human Race does allow the involvement of volunteers who have previous criminal records, at the discretion of the recruiting member of staff, providing that it is reasonable to do so. We will not decline any applications from volunteers on the grounds of spent criminal convictions. Volunteers with unspent or pending convictions may be declined if the relevance, nature and severity of the crimes concerned warrant that course of action.
Do I need to have specific skills and experience to volunteer at the event?
Most of our event volunteer roles do not require you to have any specialist experience or skills and we will provide all the information and training you need to fulfil your volunteer role on the day of the event.
Any skills that we’d ideally like you to have to fulfil a particular role are clearly stated in the role profiles. However, if you feel you have a particular set of skills or knowledge that you think may be relevant and that we can utilise before the event, or on the day, then please do let us know by noting this in answer to the question on the volunteer application form.
What support will I be given at the event?
Whatever volunteer role you take on, we will give you all the information and support you need to feel comfortable in your role at the event. This includes information being sent out pre-event and the potential to attend a non-compulsory volunteer information evening (usually around 2 weeks before it takes place).
At the event all volunteers will have a Team Leader or Volunteer Manager who they can go to for help and support.
What measures are in place for a volunteer’s safety?
The safety of our volunteers is very important to us therefore all volunteers will be looked after by a Team Leader or Volunteer Manager throughout the event. A full health and safety assessment of the event areas will be carried out.
Whilst the outlook relating to the Coronavirus pandemic remain positive, we will continue to closely monitor the latest guidance and put in place measures to protect our delivery team as needed.
In the event of needed to introduce COVID-secure measures for the safety of all involved and to ensure the event can take place in its usual format, we might need to extend the duration of the event and may ask volunteers if they can commit to an extended shift; if this scenario arises, we will notify volunteers with as much notice as possible.
Can I still volunteer if the event is less than 10 days away?
Yes you can, and we would love to have you join us as part of the team!
However, to allow the Volunteer Manager to have enough time to contact all the volunteers you will be unable to sign up via the website if the event is less than 7 days away. Please call 0208 391 3913 or email volunteers@winterrunseries.co.uk stating the event that you would like to work at and let us know your name and contact details. Your information will be collated and you will be provided with a form to register with before or at the event.
Can we advertise the volunteer role profiles at our workplace/company/university/organisation/centre?
Yes please! The role profile can be found on our website (click here) along with information about the event. Please note that all volunteers need to register with us prior to the event by signing up as a volunteer via our website.
What should I do if I want to escort my friend or family member around the course?
Unfortunately, spectators are not allowed to run the route with participants due to capacity issues. We have lots of cheering points on route so your supporters will be easy to spot and ready to cheer you on. However, if there is a need for you to assist a friend or family around the course please contact the customer services team directly to arrange this on 0208 391 3913.
Your assistant will need to register as a volunteer via the website so that we have all of their details & emergency contact details on record. They will also need to clearly state in the free text box in their application that they are assisting a runner around the course so that they don’t get assigned into a volunteer role.
Is there anything I can do to help before the event?
We are always looking for help to promote our event. We want everyone to spread the word that the Cancer Research UK London Winter Run is taking place, through distribution of our promotional materials, contacting local companies and getting as many people excited about the event as possible. If you are interested in being involved in promoting the event, please email volunteers@winterrunseries.co.uk to find out more information.
What should I wear or bring to the event?
On the day please ensure you wear comfortable sports or outdoor walking footwear. It’s the middle of winter and it’s London so who knows what’s going to happen but check the weather the day before and dress appropriately! We recommend wearing warm clothes and bringing waterproofs with you.
You will be provided with a volunteer bib to identify you during the event, these will need to be given back at the end.
The following are not essential, but are very useful to bring along if you have them:
- A hat + waterproofs
- A small bag with a drink and nibbles to eat
- Small torch or head torch as it may be dark when we first get on site!
- Money
To really get into the spirit of the event if you’d like to please also feel free to add some fun wintery fancy dress, like retro ski gear, to your outfit too! But if you’d rather not that is absolutely fine too! When planning your outfit please remember that you will need to put on a volunteer bib over the top of your clothes etc and that it will need to be visible at all times so you are identifiable as part of the event crew.
Please note that there will be nowhere to store your bag or items so please only bring with you what you need and leave valuables at home. Please bring a rucksack or other bag that you can keep on you whilst you do your role.
What should I do to prepare myself to be volunteering at the event?
Please read all the information that has been sent to you so that you know where you need to be and when.
Please arrive in plenty of time for your shift and please plan your journey to the event well in advance. Don’t forget to also check in advance for any TFL engineering works or closures etc that may be in place across London that may affect your journey.
Travel – how do I get to and from the event?
Please plan your journey well in advance to make sure that you are able to check in with us in good time and be deployed into your role in time for the day.
Your roles start time, sign-in and briefing locations will be communicated nearer to the event but please be aware that the volunteer check-in time will be from around 7am (sorry!!) on the morning of the event.
So you should be fine to jump on the tube, bus or train and make your way to your sign-in/briefing point. Please avoid driving as it will be difficult due to the closures for the event, as well as it being central London location so parking will be limited.
Please refer to the TFL website to find out where you can jump on a bus and the times you can do so.
The full TFL journey planner can be found here.
Can I still volunteer if I’m receiving benefits?
You are free to volunteer while you are receiving benefits as long as the work you do is unpaid, and you meet the rules of your benefit. Always check with your benefits advisor before you start volunteering.
My phone number / email address etc has changed – what should I do?
Please email volunteers@winterrunseries.co.uk with the event that you have signed up for, your full name and the change of details required.
Are there any other volunteering opportunities with Human Race in addition to the London Winter Run roles?
We host many events throughout the year and we would welcome your support! Please visit our website humanrace.co.uk to see what events we do and if you are interested let us know via volunteers@winterrunseries.co.uk.