How it works
Five steps from a referral to a safer home — and a story that grows the network.
Community Trades is not an emergency service. If someone is in immediate danger or requires urgent assistance, please contact emergency services on 999 or the local council emergency line.
A trusted organisation refers someone
- →An approved organisation — Age UK, a hospice, a district nurse, a social worker, a council — submits a referral on behalf of someone they support.
- →The person needing help does not have to apply themselves, ask strangers for help, or navigate a website.
- →The referrer confirms the person has given their consent.
We review and publish the job
- →Our team reads every referral. We write a clear job description that contains no personal information — just what needs doing, in which county, and what trade is needed.
- →We set the urgency level and any relevant flags (such as whether the volunteer may be in direct contact with someone who is vulnerable).
- →Once approved, the job goes live on the volunteer board.
A volunteer sees it and claims it
- →Verified, insured tradespeople browse available jobs filtered by county and trade type.
- →They can see the job description, urgency, and estimated time — but no personal details.
- →When they claim it, we contact the referral partner to coordinate access and share the full address through them.
The work gets done
- →The volunteer arrives, completes the job, and takes before and after photos.
- →They submit a short completion report — what they did, how long it took.
- →The referral organisation is notified. The job is marked complete.
The story gets told
- →Every completed job becomes a story. The volunteer's photos and notes are the raw material.
- →Those stories — shared with permission — recruit more volunteers, more companies, more referrers, more suppliers.
- →The network grows itself.
A note on trust and safety
Community Trades works the same way as having any tradesperson come to your home — because in most respects, it is exactly that. People have builders, plumbers, and carpenters in their homes every day. The process here is no different, and in some ways has more structure than the average hire.
Insurance confirmed
Every volunteer confirms they hold valid public liability insurance before they can claim a job. The same check a sensible client would make.
Referred by someone who knows them
The person receiving help was referred by an organisation that already has a trusted relationship with them. That context matters.
Treat people with dignity
Our code of conduct is simple: show up when you say you will, be respectful, and contact the referral partner if anything concerns you.