Write it like a job
Give it a role title, even an informal one, so the reader knows what you did. Then use bullets with numbers where you can.
Volunteer, Shop Floor | Cedar Hospice Charity Shop, Stockport | March 2026–present • Serve customers at the till and sort and price donations, three hours each Saturday.
Volunteer Activities Helper | Quayview Lodge Care Home | 2025–present • Help run a Sunday music and games afternoon for up to 15 residents.
Volunteer | City Food Bank | 2024–present • Sort donations and serve visitors every other Saturday; trained four new volunteers.
Where it goes
The care assistant CV with no experience and the teaching assistant CV with no experience show volunteering used as the main evidence.
- First job or career change: in your main experience section, in date order with any paid work.
- Relevant to the job: under “Experience” rather than a separate heading.
- Less relevant: a short “Volunteering” section near the end, one line each.
Unpaid caring counts too
If you have cared for a relative or friend, you can list it the same way: who you supported (without names or diagnoses), how often and what you did. The National Careers Service notes that time spent caring for someone you know counts as experience in a caring role.