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Books2Africa is a UK registered charity based in Canterbury (1152599), and a charity in Special Consultative Status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). Founded in 2012 by four African students at the University of Kent in Canterbury, the charity has grown from a student society to an internationally recognised non-governmental organisation (NGO) that continues to impact the UK and Africa from the cathedral city of Canterbury. Whether you are currently in the UK or would like to come here on a Tier 5 charity worker visa for our International Volunteering Programme, we would love to have you.
Watch Lindsy explain why she volunteers with Books2Africa.
In addition to completing our COVID-19 Risk Assessment and putting in place measures to ensure safe working, at Books2Africa, our volunteers are engaged and supported through various measures tailored towards minimising cost on their part and maximising productivity. These include:
Free Lunch
Volunteers can order lunch from any of their favourite restaurants via Deliveroo during their shift at the Canterbury office (max £10).
Free Ride
Volunteers can order an Uber ride on us when travelling to or from the Canterbury office (max £10). You can also claim back up to £10 if using the bus or driving.
Tracking Hours
Volunteers use the Sign In App to sign in and out during their shift to ensure all their volunteering hours are accurately accounted for.
Team Collaboration
Volunteers use the Slack App to collaborate with fellow volunteers and their line managers for better task/workflow management.
Skills and Training
In addition to a variety of on-the-job trainings, volunteers benefit from our monthly Skills Training Days with guest speakers offering entrepreneurship tips and career advice.
Trips to Africa
Volunteers get to raise money towards a place on our annual trips to Africa where they spend 14 days volunteering at one of our Distribution Offices.
Watch team members explain what they do at our Processing Centre in Canterbury
If you are currently residing in the UK as a UK or EEA citizen or on a visa (such as a student or spousal visa) you can apply for the following voluntary roles:
Volunteer Role in Canterbury
Processing Support Officers are responsible for checking, scanning, sorting and cataloguing donated books. As part of the Processing Team, you will be scanning/entering the barcodes/ISBN numbers of books using a computer and a barcode scanner, as well as supporting the sales, multimedia and rare books team.
Remote Volunteer Role
Grant Support Officers work remotely as part of our Volunteer Fundraising Committee, with a focus on identifying and completing grant/funding applications to fund shipments of books via our One Million Book Club, and for Books2Africa’s strategic programmes that enhance the quality of education for learners in Africa.
Volunteer Role in Canterbury
Tech Support Officers work as part of the Processing Team and are trained to test and refurbish donated technology, including but not limited to laptops, desktops, tablets, mobile phones and game consoles. You will also be trained on how to list eligible devices for sale on our online charity shop.
We are in need of Marketing Support Officers to work remotely as part of our Volunteer Marketing Committee (VMC), with a focus on generating content for our social media channels and monthly electronic newsletter sent to the Books2Africa Ambassadors Network. You will be expected to follow up leads and conduct interviews (remotely), transcribe or edit content ready for publication.
If you are currently residing outside the UK and/or are not a UK citizen, Books2Africa can sponsor your Tier 5 Charity Worker visa to volunteer with us in the UK on our International Volunteering Programme (IVP) for 6 months or 1 year.
Our International Volunteering Programme (IVP) allows you to gain first-hand experience in the practical operations of an international Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) and provides you the opportunity to develop transferable skills such as teamwork, fundraising and communication.
Interns on our International Volunteers Programme work primarily at our Processing Centre in Canterbury, in various support roles as Support Officers and are involved in a variety of tasks including but not limited to; processing (cataloguing, sorting and packing donated materials), charity shop sales (valuing and listing donated materials for sale), tech refurbishing, marketing, fundraising. You will also be required to complete a range of tasks and training in project management and community engagement to maximise your experience during the duration of the programme.
We currently have volunteering opportunities at our Distribution Centres across Africa. Contact the centre directly by going to our Africa Offices page.
Books To Africa International is a UK registered charity (1152599)
An organisation in special consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council since 2017.
Unit 2, Barton Business Park, Canterbury, CT1 3AA.
We do not store credit card details nor do we share financial details with any third parties.
© Books2Africa – All rights reserved
Shipping and delivering 1 million books every year
involves the following:
Processing in the UK
Freight from the UK
Clearing and haulage in Africa
Books2Africa is a UK registered charity number 1152599
