At a Glance
- Tasks: Help improve our WordPress website for better accessibility and user experience.
- Company: Nessie, a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to supporting families.
- Benefits: Make a real impact while gaining valuable experience in web design and UX.
- Other info: Flexible role that can fit around your availability; work remotely with a friendly team.
- Why this job: Your skills will help thousands of families access trusted support more easily.
- Qualifications: Experience in website design, WordPress, UX, and accessibility is preferred.
Help Nessie improve our WordPress website so more families can easily access support. We're looking for someone with website, UX or design experience to advise on and help implement improvements that make our website more accessible, engaging and effective.
What difference will you make?
The work you do will have a direct impact on how thousands of children, young people, parents, carers and professionals access support through Nessie.
Every year, families visit our website looking for trusted advice, practical resources and reassurance during some of the most challenging times in their lives. A well-designed, accessible website can make it easier for someone to quickly find the information they need, helping them feel informed, supported and less alone.
By volunteering with Nessie, you'll help us create a website that truly reflects the quality and impact of our work. Your expertise will improve the experience for existing users while making our resources more accessible to many more families, schools and professionals across the UK.
You'll also be supporting an exciting period of growth. Alongside our core services, we're developing the new Nessie Community Programme, bringing together resources, learning, peer support and training for parents, carers and professionals. Your input will help ensure our digital presence is ready to support this next chapter.
As a small not-for-profit organisation, access to professional digital expertise can make a transformational difference. Your contribution will help us make informed decisions, strengthen our online presence and maximise the impact of every resource we create.
Ultimately, your time and skills won't just improve a website—they'll help more families find trusted support, access information more easily and connect with a charity dedicated to ensuring no family has to face life's challenges alone.
What are we looking for?
We're looking for someone who enjoys using their digital skills to make a meaningful difference.
Ideally, you'll have experience in website design, WordPress, user experience (UX), accessibility or front‑end development, and be confident reviewing websites from both a user and strategic perspective.
We're particularly interested in someone who can help us think about the bigger picture—how our website can better support families, communicate our impact and provide a welcoming, accessible experience for everyone who visits.
You’ll be a good fit if you
- Have experience with WordPress (experience with Divi is helpful but not essential).
- Have an eye for good design, layout and user experience.
- Understand website accessibility and inclusive design principles.
- Can identify practical improvements and explain them in a clear, supportive way.
- Are happy working collaboratively with a small, friendly team.
- Enjoy solving problems and finding simple, effective solutions.
Knowledge of SEO, website performance or analytics would be an advantage, but isn't essential.
Most importantly, we’re looking for someone who shares our values and wants to use their skills to help children, young people and families access trusted support more easily.
Whether you’re an experienced digital professional, freelancer, agency designer or someone looking to use your expertise to support a charity, we’d love to hear from you.
Remote
What will you be doing?
We're looking for a volunteer to help us improve the Nessie website, ensuring it reflects the quality of our work and provides the best possible experience for the families, professionals and organisations who use it.
Our website has grown organically over a number of years and contains a wealth of valuable information. We're now looking for someone who can help us review the user experience, improve navigation and layout, and make recommendations that will create a more engaging, accessible and intuitive website.
Depending on your skills and availability, you may support us by
- Reviewing the current website and identifying opportunities for improvement.
- Advising on user experience (UX), accessibility and website structure.
- Improving page layouts and overall design consistency.
- Supporting updates within our existing WordPress website (currently using Divi).
- Advising on whether our current platform remains the best long‑term solution or whether an alternative page builder would better support our future plans.
- Helping optimise the website for mobile devices, accessibility and search engines (SEO).
- Recommending practical improvements that our small team can maintain going forward.
You’ll work closely with our team, particularly our Community Programme Lead, who is leading the development of several new projects, including a national Community Programme for parents, carers and professionals. While the primary focus of this role is our main Nessie website, we’d welcome your ideas and expertise in helping us create a cohesive digital experience across our online platforms.
We’re not looking for someone to simply “fix” a website. We’d love someone who enjoys thinking strategically about how a charity’s website can better communicate its impact, improve user journeys and make it easier for families to find the information and support they need.
The role is flexible and can be shaped around your availability. Whether you can offer a few hours to review the site and make recommendations, or you’d like to become more involved in implementing improvements, we’d love to hear from you.
Your expertise will help ensure that thousands of children, young people and families can access trusted support more easily and that our digital presence reflects the warmth, professionalism and impact of the work Nessie delivers every day.
Volunteer UX & WordPress Web Strategist in Royston employer: Nessie
Nessie is an exceptional employer for those looking to make a meaningful impact in the lives of families across the UK. By volunteering as a UX & WordPress Web Strategist, you'll join a passionate team dedicated to improving access to vital support resources, all while enjoying a collaborative and supportive work culture that values your expertise. With flexible involvement options and the opportunity to contribute to exciting new initiatives like the Nessie Community Programme, your skills will directly enhance our digital presence and help ensure no family faces life's challenges alone.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Volunteer UX & WordPress Web Strategist in Royston
✨Show Off Your Skills with a Project Portfolio
As a volunteer UX/UI designer, having a solid online portfolio is key. Gather your best projects, even if they’re personal or speculative, and make sure to showcase your design process. This will help potential organisations see your skills in action and understand your approach!
✨Get Involved in Local UX Meetups and Hackathons
Dive into the UX community by attending local meetups and hackathons. This is a fantastic way to connect with fellow designers and get noticed by organisations looking for volunteers. Plus, you’ll gain insights into current trends and practices that can really boost your skills.
✨Leverage Online Communities and Platforms
Join platforms like Dribbble or Behance, where you can share your work and find volunteer opportunities. These spaces are buzzing with people looking for talent and might just lead you to a role that aligns with your interests and skills.
✨Tap into Nonprofits and Startups
Many nonprofits and startups are on the lookout for volunteer UX/UI designers to help them enhance their websites or apps. Reach out directly to organisations that resonate with you. Show them your passion and skills, and don’t hesitate to apply through our website, Nessie, for any relevant openings you come across!
Some tips for your application 🫡
Craft Your UX/UI Portfolio:For a UX/UI design role, a killer portfolio is a must! Showcase your best projects and highlight your design process, wireframes, and user testing. Make sure each piece explains your thinking and how it meets user needs — it’s all about demonstrating your problem-solving skills!
Tailor Your CV for Design:When you write your CV, focus on creative layout and presentation, since it reflects your design skills. Use clear headings and bullet points to make it easy to read, and don’t forget to include skills like design tools (Sketch, Figma, Adobe XD) and methodologies you've mastered, like user research or prototyping.
Write a Personal Cover Letter:Your cover letter is a chance to show your enthusiasm for the role at Nessie. Share what draws you to volunteer in this space and how you're eager to learn and contribute. We want to see your passion for design and user experience shining through!
Emphasise Your Learning Attitude:Since this is a volunteer position, emphasise your willingness to learn and adapt. Talk about your design journey, any online courses or workshops you've attended, and how you plan to bring new ideas to the table at Nessie. Show us that your commitment doesn't end with the written application!
How to prepare for a job interview at Nessie
✨Show Off Your Portfolio 📁
As a volunteer UX/UI designer, your portfolio is everything! Make sure it's polished, showcasing not just your best designs but also your design process. Include before-and-after scenarios, wireframes, and final mock-ups to really highlight your skills—this will impress Nessie and show them how you think!
✨Brush Up on Your Design Tools 🎨
Get comfortable with popular design tools like Figma, Sketch, or Adobe XD, as well as prototyping tools like InVision or Marvel. You might get technical questions about these tools or be asked to share your experience, so being well-versed in these will help us stand out during the chat!
✨Understand Their Users 🕵️♀️
Spend some time researching the target audience for Nessie. Volunteer roles often focus heavily on user-centric design, so being able to talk about design principles based on user feedback and testing will showcase your dedication to delivering excellent user experiences. This will definitely resonate with their mission!
✨Be Ready to Collaborate 🤝
Volunteering usually means working in teams—so be prepared to discuss your experience collaborating with developers, fellow designers, and stakeholders. Share examples of how you've handled feedback or conflicting ideas in the past; this skill is super important in a volunteer setting where teamwork is key!
