Our resource hub is home to a wealth of articles, stories and videos about managing and living with type 1 diabetes.
Place your order for our free information packs that support adults and children who have been recently diagnosed.
Our researchers are working on different ways to develop a cure for type 1 diabetes - from growing insulin-producing beta cells in labs to hacking the immune system.
Learn about the technologies that can deliver insulin automatically when needed. And discover the next generation of insulins that are currently being developed.
You could win a cash prize of up to £25,000 when you play the Breakthrough T1D lottery. As well as the chance to win great prizes, you’ll also help fund our research to find a cure for type 1 diabetes.
Choose from a selection of modern and traditional designs in single or twin packs to support type 1 diabetes research this Christmas. Shop online and get fast delivery.
The announcement is the biggest treatment breakthrough for type 1 diabetes since the discovery of insulin.
This World Diabetes Day, we’re inviting you to celebrate by wearing your most joyful, whimsical and downright wonderful outfits.
We provide a wealth of information and free resources to help you support and empower your patients or students.
Take our free course for schools to learn more about supporting pupils with type 1 diabetes in educational settings.
JDRF has now rebranded to Breakthrough T1D. Our name has changed, our mission has not.
Home > How to help > Volunteer
Whether you can offer an hour, days or months, your contribution will make a huge difference to over 400,000 people in the UK who live with type 1 diabetes.
Are you thinking about giving your time, energy or skills to help create a world without type 1 diabetes?
Volunteering is a fantastic way to build your skills, meet new people, create lasting friendships and have fun, all while making a real difference to the those living with type 1 diabetes.
By giving your time you’ll be helping to move us closer to our vision of a world without type 1 diabetes.
No matter your reasons for volunteering, your connection to type 1, or the level of experience you’ve had before volunteering with us, all of our volunteers are ambassadors for Breakthrough T1D and are equally as vital in driving forward the work we do.
Whether you’re cheering on Breakthrough T1D runners at the London Marathon or helping our major donors’ team to administer significant donations to fund our work, volunteering will give you an opportunity to:
Our volunteers’ passion and dedication inspires us every day. Whether you can give an hour occasionally or a day a week, we will appreciate every minute.
Become part of our events crew, share your professional expertise or sign up to become a Community Ambassador. If you don’t see a role that fits your skills or motivations, let us know and we can discuss a unique opportunity for you.
View volunteering opportunities
I have been a supporter of Breakthrough T1D since my daughter was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes.
It occurred to me that maybe my skills as a training consultant could be useful to Breakthrough T1D. I have helped run the Volunteer Speakers’ Programme, training people to go out and talk on behalf of Breakthrough T1D to raise awareness and some money.
I’m really pleased to be able to help out in such a practical way and it’s great to meet other volunteers as well.
My son Mark was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in 2002, he was eight years old.
Once I had recovered from the shock and got to grips with the day-to-day management of type 1 diabetes the next thing I wanted to do was to find a cure for it. As I am not in a position to make the scientific breakthrough myself the next best thing I could do was to help the charity that can! Volunteering with Breakthrough T1D was the obvious choice for me.
If you are thinking about volunteering for Breakthrough T1D I would definitely recommend going ahead and taking that first step.
I took on volunteering at Breakthrough T1D as a way to help my daughter and others like her, but it has definitely helped me too. I hadn’t been working since my daughter was born 15 years ago; Breakthrough T1D has offered me skills and a way back into employment that doesn’t seem daunting as I already know all the friendly office staff.
If you are looking for a volunteering role, Breakthrough T1D is a great place to help out. If you have a personal connection you know you are doing something positive to help a loved one; if you don’t have a personal connection you soon will as there are so many fabulous type 1s working at Breakthrough T1D. When we see a cure you will know you have helped.
Find frequently asked questions about volunteering with Breakthrough T1D below or if you can’t find what you need, contact our volunteering team by emailing volunteering@breakthrought1d.org.uk.
We welcome people of all ages to get involved with Breakthrough T1D UK. If you are under 25 you can sign up to be part of our Youth Ambassador Programme, or if you’re older we’d love you to get involved in whichever Breakthrough T1D role you’re interested in.
We have a number of roles that don’t need you to have a connection to type 1 diabetes, such as being part of our events crew, offering your professional experience and expertise or by taking on fundraising support or administration roles in our offices in six locations across the country.
How much time you decide to give is entirely up to you, but is often dependent on the role that you are interested in. However, we are very flexible with volunteering opportunities as we understand that everyone who volunteers has other commitments too. As an example, if you’d like to become part of our events crew, we will send you our latest calendar of events – you then decide which events fit around you and tell us when and where you’d like to help.
If you sign up to become a T1 Speaker you’ll be supported with a training workshop to prepare you to feel confident in the role. All our other roles involve an induction where you’ll learn all about Breakthrough T1D and how far we’ve come and ‘on the job’ training if required. For example, as an events team member, you may receive a briefing on the day so you’ll be clear about what we expect and what your responsibilities will be. You’ll also receive support from our Volunteer Officer or your very own Staff Buddy.
We believe you should not be out of pocket for giving your valuable time and support to us. We cover all reasonable expenses, including travel and £5 for lunch if your support at any one time lasts over four hours.
Not at all, if you would like to change your role with us or take on an additional role we will be happy to arrange this for you.
If you’ve browsed our volunteering roles but are still unsure about what you would like to do just answer a few questions and complete your details on our volunteer sign-up form and one of our team will contact you to chat through your options and ideas.
Being a Breakthrough T1D Youth Ambassador is an important and exciting role. Whether you hold an event at school or college, use social media to help campaign or talk to your friends about the realities of type 1, you’ll be helping to raise awareness about our cause and encourage people to donate to crucial research.
The Scientific Advisory Council assures and validates Breakthrough T1D's research decisions, policies and position statements, and support Breakthrough T1D’s community engagement activities within the UK.
Taking part in research is one way you can help us cure, treat and prevent type 1 diabetes, whether it’s by answering questionnaires, taking part in interviews or joining a clinical trial.
We offer a wide array of roles across research, policy, fundraising, communications, human resources, finance, operations and administration teams across the UK.
Don’t miss out on the latest research, inspiring stories, tech news, upcoming events, and handy information on living well with type 1. Join us now and receive it all straight to your inbox.
