Voluntary Action South West Surrey

Catch Underage Sales (ages 14 to 16): Help stop stores from selling age-restricted products like vapes, alcohol, and tobacco to minors by making test purchases.

You need to be able to follow instructions well, be reliable and confident to find, look at and purchase items in retail premises in a calm manner. 

You will be asked to enter shops and attempt to purchase age restricted products acting as a regular member of the public would. Don't worry, our officers will be there (either in person or remotely) all the time!

Volunteers will always require written consent from a parent or guardian before taking part and will not be asked to visit premises near where they live, close to their school or anywhere they are likely to be recognised.

Young people will be collected from home and returned. Although volunteers are not paid, we do provide meal and refreshments during operations and a voucher to the value of £20 redeemable in a major high street retailer.

A certificate that can be used for Record of Achievement / Citizenship portfolios is also provided. Some volunteers have used participation in test purchase operations as part of their Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme. It also looks good on your college or University applications!

Love browsing stores?

This role is for you!

Help us check products by buying specific items. There will be a small amount of paperwork involved.

You will find, look at and sometimes buy items that Trading Standards want to check for safety or food safety. 

Each visit will need to be recorded but please note that you would not be telling businesses what they are required to do.

You will be helping to keep others safe by spotting goods that could be dangerous.

This role is flexible, with no set times for carrying it out but tasks would need to be completed during the hours the businesses were open and within a set timeframe.
The items that you will be looking for and the problem features to look for will be explained to you.

Become a Scam Champion: Educate Your Community!

Do you want to make a real difference in your community? Are you passionate about protecting people from the devastating effects of scams? We're looking for Scam Champions to help us spread awareness and empower people with the knowledge they need to stay safe.

What will you do?

As a Scam Champion, you'll become a community educator, delivering talks or writing articles to help people understand, identify, and avoid scams. You'll be a vital link in tackling the lack of awareness that makes people vulnerable to these financial crimes. We provide all the training you'll need, including a special session on the laws surrounding scams and valuable presentation tips. We also welcome your creative ideas for reaching people in new ways!

Who are we looking for?

We are looking for reliable and detail-conscious individuals who are confident speaking in front of groups. You'll need to be able to follow our guidance to ensure key information is included in your sessions and be able to commit to the sessions you sign up for.

This is a flexible role with no set hours, so you can fit it around your schedule. You can choose when and where you deliver sessions, keeping in mind when local communities are available.

Is this for you?

• Do you enjoy public speaking or writing?

• Are you reliable and committed?

• Are you passionate about helping others?

We would be delighted to have you on our team. This is a fantastic opportunity to build your skills, give back to your community, and help make a real impact.

We welcome applications from students aged 16 and over who are undertaking their Duke of Edinburgh Award. Reasonable travel expenses will be reimbursed.

Ready to become a Scam Champion? Apply now and help us protect our communities!

Reasonable travel expenses will be reimbursed.

We are looking for individuals living in Surrey and Buckinghamshire who are receiving scam mail.

You can find out more about scam mail at www.thinkjessica.com/shocking-facts/

Collect the scam mail that you receive and send it to the National Trading Standards Scam Team Freepost address so that it can be potentially utilised as evidence in future investigative and enforcement work.