Become a volunteer
We welcome volunteers from all walks of life, and each has their own reason for joining us. By volunteering for Whale & Dolphin Conservation you’ll be helping to make a huge difference, have fun, make friends and gain valuable experience. Be part of our team and help to create a world where every whale & dolphin is safe and free!
WDC has a range of volunteering opportunities including office administration, events and fundraising support, educational speakers, research internships in our US office and residential placements at our Scottish Dolphin Centre, in the Moray Firth.
Volunteer roles
Volunteering gives you the flexibility to give as much or as little time as you can, be it an hour a week or regular days a week. If you are local to Chippenham, then opportunities are available in our Head Office at Brookfield House, St Paul Street.
Please note that we are not able to help with living costs or accommodation at this location but travel expenses are available.
UK Administration
As one of our community volunteers, you’ll be part of a great team, help us with a wide range of duties including data entry, organising incoming and outgoing mail, answering telephones, emails and helping to collate and conduct research for campaigns. There may be occasions where you have the opportunity to get involved in other areas including attending events or other activities ….you’ll get to socialise, build self-confidence and awareness and most importantly ….you’ll have fun!
Most administrative work takes place during the hours 9-5pm Monday to Friday.
For more information on volunteering with WDC head office, please email [email protected] or call 01249 449 500 to speak with Tina Lambert.
Events, Fairs & Festival volunteers
From time to time WDC will have a stall at an event – a County Show, a fair or festival for example – and we occasionally organise our own fundraising events too – e.g. dinners, auctions, walks and talks. Such events are important for raising awareness of our work and help to generate future income and support.
If you have time, enjoy talking to people, getting out and about and having fun, we’d love you to join us.
Activities can include giving away magazines, leaflets and stickers, running a fundraising game or raffle, showing our krill, orca tooth and whale bones to children, selling merchandise or just generally talking to visitors about whales, dolphins and WDC’s work to protect them.
You’re welcome to help for a whole day or just a couple of hours – but we’ll make sure you have time to enjoy the rest of the event too!
Have a look at our Team Orca page to see just a few of the events we’ve been at recently. Helpers must be over 18.
Urban Beach Cleans and Street Collections
Successfully piloted and promoted via WDC’s NotWhaleFood campaign, our Urban Beach Cleans are a great way of getting together with colleagues, friends or family and helping to stop plastic and rubbish from towns and cities ending up in the oceans.
By combining an Urban Beach Clean with a Street Collection, you’ll raise awareness of WDC’s work, collect funds to help us protect whales and dolphins and you’ll clean up your local area too!
Visit our website notwhalefood.com and meet some of the inspirational people who are helping to keep plastic out of the ocean, contact us at [email protected] for more information on organising an Urban Beach Clean and/or a Street Collection.
Volunteer Speakers
While there is no such thing as a typical volunteer, perhaps the most popular choice is to join our group of volunteer speakers. Armed with our presentation package, the UK-wide network give educational and informative talks about whales and dolphins, the threats they face and how WDC is helping to protect these amazing creatures.
Our speakers undertake a variety of talks and audiences can include primary schools, adult and junior clubs and groups and social/community events in local areas.
The time devoted to this role will be dependent on your own availability, demand for talks and how far you are willing to travel. It is useful to know, on application, your preferences for delivery of talks, so please indicate whether you are available daytime, evenings, or weekends.
Volunteer Speakers are responsible for organising their own talks and sending feedback to the Volunteer Speaker Coordinator at WDC head office. However, WDC will occasionally contact you with opportunities to talk at a specific group or school.
Please note the Volunteer Speakers must be over 18 years of age and as with office based volunteers, travel expenses are available.
For more information on volunteering with WDC head office, please email [email protected] or call 01249 449 500.
US Office
WDC North America (based in Plymouth, Massachusetts) offers a volunteer / intern programme to qualified applicants throughout the year. The programme provides a unique opportunity to garner experience in research, education and conservation of marine mammals. WDC is willing to help qualified students obtain credits for the programme through their college or university.
If you are interested in a residential placement in our US office have a look at our web page for more details.
Scottish Dolphin Centre
Our Scottish Dolphin Centre in Spey Bay, Moray offers various lengths of residential Volunteer placements. Volunteering with the Scottish Dolphin Centre, you will be trained to cover a variety of work areas. As the public face of WDC in Scotland the Centre's aim is to amaze and inspire visitors about the world of whales and dolphins!
You will gain experience in all aspects of conservation in a public facing role. Duties include giving guided tours, wildlife walks and talks, taking part in a variety of events that the Centre offers throughout the season (March - November). Working closely with the Education, Policy & SDC Officers you will be part of a team that work very hard to deliver a variety of WDC education, environmental and conservation initiatives throughout the North East of Scotland.
Residential volunteers join us on a full-time basis for either 6 months, 4 months or 7 weeks. The 6-month placement runs between March and September, the 4-month between June and September and the 7 week placement runs from September to November. WDC provides accommodation in the form of a shared house and a weekly food allowance, plus mileage incurred with any community engagements. Details will be posted on this website when the recruitment for these roles takes place.