UK Volunteer Agreement & PolicyBuilder
Generate a plain-English volunteer agreement and internal governance policy for your UK charity in minutes. Protect your volunteers' non-employment status and align with NCVO & HMRC expenses guidance.
About the Volunteer Agreement & Policy Builder
Volunteers are the lifeblood of the UK charity sector. However, poorly drafted volunteer documentation can inadvertently create employment contracts, exposing your charity to claims for minimum wage, holiday pay, and unfair dismissal.
This free tool generates two distinct documents: a Volunteer Agreement (a plain-English summary of expectations given to the volunteer) and a Volunteer Policy (the internal rules your charity follows to recruit, support, and manage volunteers safely).
Protecting Non-Employment Status
Under the Employment Rights Act 1996, a contract of employment requires "mutuality of obligation" (an obligation to provide work, and an obligation to accept it) and consideration (usually pay or benefits).
- Language matters: We use "expectations" instead of "duties", "role" instead of "job description", and "expenses" instead of "allowance" or "perks".
- Binding in honour only: The agreement explicitly states it is not a legally binding contract and can be cancelled at any time by either side.
- Strict expense reimbursement: It clarifies that only actual, receipted, out-of-pocket expenses are reimbursed, in line with HMRC rules. Flat-rate allowances can be seen as taxable income or wages.
DBS Checks and Safeguarding
If your volunteers work with children under 18 or adults at risk, they may require a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check. The generated policy will include appropriate clauses based on your selection regarding vulnerable groups. Standard DBS checks for eligible volunteer roles are free (though an admin fee may apply if using an umbrella body).
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a volunteer agreement a contract?
No, provided it is correctly drafted. A volunteer agreement should be "binding in honour only". This means neither the charity nor the volunteer is legally obliged to fulfil the "agreement" — it is simply a summary of mutual expectations.
Can we give our volunteers a thank-you gift?
You must be very careful. A small, occasional token of appreciation (like flowers or a card) is generally fine. However, regular gifts, honorariums, or flat "expenses allowances" without receipts can legally constitute "pay", which risks turning the volunteer into an employee under minimum wage laws.
Does this policy cover UK GDPR?
Yes. The generated policy and agreement include clauses referencing the UK Data Protection Act 2018 and UK GDPR. It covers how the charity protects the volunteer's data, and the volunteer's responsibility to protect the charity's confidential information.
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