Volunteers must be 18 or over and able to travel to Nottinghamshire at least once a month. No previous experience is needed - just reliability, kindness, and a willingness to get stuck in!

Most roles involve general animal care, including mucking out, cleaning, bedding up, and helping keep the sanctuary safe and tidy.
It can be cold, wet and muddy, so we need volunteers who aren’t put off by the weather or dirt.

You don’t need prior experience - full guidance is provided. You just need to be comfortable around animals of all sizes and able to follow instructions safely.

We ask volunteers to attend at least once a fortnight, but it doesn’t need to be the same day each time. We’re flexible - the important thing is keeping to that monthly commitment so we can plan ahead.

Volunteers usually start between 9am and 10am and are finished by early afternoon, though you’re welcome to stay later if you’d like to help with extra jobs.

Unfortunately, we’re not able to offer one‑off or occasional volunteering. Because the work involves animal care, safety procedures, and ongoing routines, we need volunteers who can commit to coming at least once a fortnight.

If you live too far away, we’d encourage you to search for sanctuaries closer to you, as many organisations welcome local help. You can still support Surge Sanctuary in other ways - such as fundraising, sharing our posts, or through donations or our online shop.

Not necessarily. Skilled maintenance volunteers are often needed on a more ad‑hoc basis, depending on upcoming projects - such as building new shelters, installing electrics, repairs, or larger DIY jobs.

If you’re a tradesperson, please mention your skills and experience on the application form. We’ll keep your details on file and get in touch when a project matches your expertise.

Yes - we can offer corporate or group volunteering days during the spring and summer with adequate notice. These days are a huge help for tackling bigger maintenance jobs we don’t usually have the time or people power for.

For safety reasons, tasks are mainly maintenance‑based, such as painting, repairs, and poo‑picking.

Take a look at our Corporate Volunteering Information document for further info.

If you’d like to arrange a group day, please use our Contact Us form rather than the volunteer application form.

We’re based just off Junction 27 of the M1 and are accessible by car or by bus from Nottingham City Centre, although bus links are infrequent.
Full location details are provided to successful applicants.

If you’ve read the FAQs and feel volunteering is right for you, you can complete our volunteer application form below. We’ll get back to you as soon as we can.