Group volunteering

Generally, no. Most Felix locations do not have any on-site parking. Surrounding areas are subject to the local parking restrictions. We encourage you to use public transport as much as possible and if you need to drive, plan parking in advance. Parking instructions are available in shift confirmation emails.

No. Due to the nature of what we do at Felix, all volunteers are required to be present for the health and safety briefing at the start of the shift. 

The shift timings are set based on the support needed in each part of the operation. It’s incredibly detrimental to the charity’s ability to fulfil its commitment of getting food to the community when volunteers start late or leave early, so these requests will not be facilitated. If you have team members who cannot commit to the timings of the shift, please do not ask them to sign up. 

Partners can create a profile for their company on our portal which, once accepted, gives the group lead unrestricted access to the current quarters rota, with a function that allows the user to search by location, date and even group size. 

Non-partners on our mailing list are also invited to set up a single profile for their company, which gives them restricted access to our rota. 

We ask non-partners to make a voluntary donation of £50 per person when booking, which helps cover the administrative costs of managing group volunteers.

Every hour spent volunteering in our depots equates to 200 meals for those who need them

We will request a donation of £55 per head for shift cancellations, drop outs, and no shows of one or more people within three weeks of a shift. This is to cover any additional operational costs incurred and is significantly lower than the cost of procuring agency staff. This will not apply to Group Leads booking ​‘gap filling’ shifts within two weeks of the shift date. 

Should your organisation act against this policy on multiple occasions, we will consider blocking your organisation from booking future group volunteer shifts with Felix.

• Mobile Phones and Devices: Mobile phones or personal music devices are not permitted during shifts. Please use designated areas if you need to take a call. 
• Breaks and Refreshments: Breaks are allocated by the depot and kitchen teams during the shift. Hot drink making facilities and refreshments are available on-site. 

We require the names and email addresses of all volunteers for communication purposes. Virtual training is mandatory and must be completed in advance. 

We provide any required specific PPE depending on the volunteer role. Please contact us if you have specific concerns.

We can accommodate photographers and small film crews with prior notice. Before agreeing to host, please let us know how many people will be attending, what equipment they will be bringing, and what time they will be coming. We request that any filming or photography take place towards the end of the shift and be as brief as possible. You must not capture images of non-group members without prior consent.

We’ve created a user guide which should answer most questions. If you have any queries that aren’t covered in the document, get in touch.

Across the UK, our partners support Felix with surplus food, employees’ time, pro bono expertise and critical friendships. In return, our partners experience a range of valuable benefits, such as enhanced employee engagement through volunteering opportunities, meaningful social impact reporting which highlights your organisation’s contribution to the community, and the ability to align your brand with a powerful cause. Get in touch to find out more.

Volunteers who fail to attend the mandatory Health & Safety briefing at the beginning of each shift will be classified as a no-show and will not be allowed to participate in the shift. As safety is our top priority, this briefing is critical to ensure all volunteers are fully aware of the necessary protocols and procedures. Without attending this briefing, participation is not possible, and the volunteer will be sent home. Please refer to our cancellation policy above for further details on how no-shows are handled.

We require all volunteers to stay on shift until it ends, unless a member of the Felix team tells you otherwise.

Additionally, we closely monitor and track instances of lateness and no-shows. This data is important not only for maintaining operational efficiency but also for assessing the overall impact on our charity’s work. Any incidents of lateness or absence will be noted and reported back to your company to ensure full transparency regarding your group’s commitment and participation.