Apply to volunteer – Lee Abbey London

1Start

2Values

3Timings

4Details

5Documentation

6Experience

7Employment

8Education

9Faith

10Background

11Referee 1

12Referee 2

13Referee 3

14Other info

15Declaration

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This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

We’re so glad you’d like to explore joining the team as a Residential Community Member (voluntary worker).

You’ll need an up-to-date photo of yourself, details of your passport, travel and funding arrangements (if overseas), and references. The form will probably take at least 40 minutes to complete, but at any time you can scroll to the bottom and click “Save and continue later”.

Some initial questions

Let’s check that Lee Abbey London is a suitable place for you to serve, before you spend time on the rest of the form. It’s important to answer these honestly.

Are you a practising Christian with evidence of a growing Christian faith and involvement in a local church?(Required)

This is a genuine occupational requirement. Do you believe in Jesus as Lord, and have a living relationship with God that affects the way you live your daily life?

Yes

Sorry, the Lee Abbey Community may not be for you.
Lee Abbey is a Religious Community, so we look for people who have a living relationship with Jesus and a passion and desire to serve as part of the Community.

Marital status(Required)

Single

Married

Divorced

Widowed

Other

Do you have dependent children?(Required)

Yes

Sorry, the Lee Abbey Community may not be for you.
We don’t have suitable accommodation for married couples or families. If you are already in the UK and would like to discuss this further, please call Chris Barry on 020 7244 2711.

Are you willing to share a bedroom with other Community members?(Required)

Yes

Sorry, the Lee Abbey Community may not be for you.
Because of the limited accommodation we have, we do require community members to share bedrooms.

Are you prepared to live, work and worship together with us as part of the residential Christian community?(Required)

Yes

Sorry, the Lee Abbey Community may not be for you.
Living, working and worshipping together is a core part of our life here and you would need to be willing to embrace it.

Will you complete this form entirely yourself, without the aid of AI tools such as ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude or Copilot?(Required)

If we suspect you have used these tools, we may reject your application.

Yes

Sorry, the Lee Abbey Community may not be for you.
We need to get to know you as a person to understand if you and Community would be a good fit. AI tools get in the way of this, so we can’t allow them here.

How good is your spoken (not just written) English?(Required)

You don’t need to be fluent, but you would need to be confident speaking and understanding English for all day-to-day and working tasks.

Yes, my spoken English is adequate or better

No, my spoken English is poor

Sorry, the Lee Abbey Community may not be for you.
To have a good experience of community life and work well in the team, you need to be able to speak at least some English.

Which country issued your passport?(Required)

United Kingdom or Ireland

Rest of the world

I don’t have a passport

Sorry, for security reasons you must have a passport to apply online, even if you are from the UK. If you are from the UK and have another form of official ID instead, please contact us.

IMPORTANT: If you are accepted to join our Community, and do not have British citizenship or rights to live and work in the UK, the offer will be conditional on you applying for and being granted an appropriate visa. You may be eligible for the Youth Mobility Scheme visa, India Young Professionals Scheme visa or the Ukrainian Sponsorship Visa if you meet the visa criteria. Lee Abbey London cannot offer visa sponsorship at the moment.

Have you been refused a visa to travel to the UK within the last 5 years?(Required)

Yes, I have

No, I haven’t

Sorry, the Lee Abbey Community may not be for you.
It’s highly unlikely you would be granted a visa again if you have been refused recently. We know it’s frustrating for you, but we would advise you to consider volunteering in your home country instead for now.

Do you have enough money to apply for a visa to travel to the UK?(Required)

Yes, I have enough of my own money

Someone else has agreed to pay for me

No, I don’t know how I will pay

Do you have enough money to pay for your travel to the UK?(Required)

Yes, I have enough of my own money

Someone else has agreed to pay for me

No, I don’t know how I will pay

Sponsor's letter

Please upload a photo or scan of a signed letter from the person who is paying for your travel and/or visa, declaring that they agree to cover these expenses for you.

Accepted file types: jpg, jpeg, webp, avif, png, pdf, Max. file size: 20 MB.

Sorry, the Lee Abbey Community may not be for you.
We need to know that you will be able to afford the visa and travel expenses to the UK before we can offer you a place. We know it’s frustrating for you. Please arrange the necessary funds and then submit your application.

Returning to your home country(Required)

Please tick to show you agree with the following statement.

I understand that I must return to my home country when my time as a Community Member at Lee Abbey London is finished.

Your future plans when you return

If possible, please upload scans or photos of any documentary evidence of your future plans when you return to your home country, e.g. a letter from a university or college or from an employer guaranteeing that you will have a job when you return.

Drop files here or

Accepted file types: jpg, jpeg, webp, avif, png, pdf, doc, docx, Max. file size: 20 MB.

Lee Abbey London Community expectations(Required)

I believe that God is calling me to join the Community at Lee Abbey London as a voluntary Charity Worker. I understand what is expected of me and I will do my best to live up to these expectations.

I understand that while at Lee Abbey London I will be expected to live according to the values of love, faith, discipleship, hospitality, fun, thankfulness, generosity, honesty, respect and forgiveness.

I understand that Lee Abbey London holds a policy of responsible Christian living and prohibits illegal drugs, pornography, sexual relationships outside of marriage and irresponsible consumption of alcohol.

I understand that new romantic relationships are not encouraged for Community members – as these may distract us from our purpose of being on community. Any intention to enter into a romantic relationship must be discussed with a Leadership Team member.

I will participate fully in the life and worship of the Community at Lee Abbey London as expected of me, including attendance at the weekly Holy Communion service, Community meetings and training or teaching sessions.

I will willingly submit to the authority of my supervisors, and will seek to serve God and others to the best of my ability.

I will endeavour to stay at Lee Abbey London for the full period for which I have committed myself.

I understand that Community Membership at Lee Abbey London is a full-time commitment and that I will not be able to take up other employment while I am a Community member.

I understand that I have to return to my home country when my time as a Community Member at Lee Abbey London is finished (for non-European Union countries only).

I understand that Lee Abbey London cannot take responsibility for my personal property or the costs of any medical treatment while I am in the UK. I understand that I will need to take out appropriate insurance cover.

I have read and understood the application information.

I understand that failure to meet these expectations may result in me being asked to leave Lee Abbey London.

All the information I have provided in this form is accurate.

I agree to all the above statements

Know what you're signing up to

It’s important that you know what to expect, so please read about our Values and Mission and about serving together first. These links will open in a new tab so you won’t lose your place on this form. Then answer the following simple questions to show you’ve read the information.

What is the Lee Abbey Movement's mission statement?(Required)

Communicating Christ through relationships

Advancing the Gospel in London

Serving UK students with diligence and honour

Which three of these words describe our values?(Required)

Bible study

Love

Evangelism

Service

Lectio divina

Discipleship

Mission

Respect

Transformation

Which three of these are work teams at Lee Abbey London?(Required)

Kitchen

Housekeeping / servery

Office / reception

Pastoral

Mission

Maintenance

Events

When you’ve answered all the questions correctly, the “Next” button will appear to let you proceed. Don’t worry, they’re not trick questions and you can find the answers on the pages linked above.

Continue(Required)

I have read the pages linked above and understand what I’m applying for!

How long would you like to volunteer on Community for, if accepted?(Required)

You can select more than one option. This is not a firm commitment at this stage, but just to give us an idea of your availability.

A few weeks over the summer, up to the first week of September

6-9 months

1-2 years

Longer

If you are from outside the UK, depending on the conditions of your visa, you may be restricted to 12 months.

If you were selected, what is the earliest date you would be available to join?(Required)

What is the latest date you would be able to stay until?

Leave blank unless you have a particular future commitment like starting university or a new job.

Personal information

Your name(Required)

As it appears on your passport.

Title First (given) name Surname (family name)

What do your friends call you?

Email address(Required)

Postal address(Required)

Address line 1 Address line 2 City or town County, state or region ZIP or postal code Country

Phone number(Required)

Alternative phone number

Documentation

National Insurance (NI) number

Your passport(Required)

Whether it is British or not, please upload a photo or scan of the identity page of your passport here.

Accepted file types: jpg, jpeg, pdf, Max. file size: 10 MB.

Dual nationality

If you have a second nationality, please tell us what it is.

Relevant experience and skills

Do you have experience of any of the following?

Please tick as many as you feel able to offer, and tell us more in the box below. Don’t worry, experience is not required to join the Community. We’ll use these to consider which team may be the best fit for you.

Administration

Art, design and/or graphics

Building maintenance

Catering / cooking

Cleaning / housekeeping

Counselling / listening

Dance / drama

First Aid training

Music / worship (leading, playing instruments, etc)

Teaching / training

Writing / journalism

Please tell us more about what you have ticked or any other skills and gifts you have:

What would be your first choice of team to join on Community?

Reception

Housekeeping

Maintenance

What would be your second choice of team to join on Community?

Reception

Housekeeping

Maintenance

Employment

Please include voluntary work as well as paid employment.

Name and address of your current or most recent employer

Employer name Street address City or town County, state or region ZIP or postal code Country

Job title

Employed from and to (month/year)

How much notice would you have to give to your employer when leaving?

Previous employment

Previous employer

Employed from and to (month/year)

Job title

Name and address of the employer

Employer name Street address City or town County, state or region ZIP or postal code Country

Reason for leaving

Please start with the most recent, and include any unpaid or voluntary work.

Previous employer 1

Employed from and to (month/year)

Job title

Name and address of the employer

Employer name Street address City or town County, state or region ZIP or postal code Country

Reason for leaving

Education and training

Have you had any secondary, college, university or apprenticeship education?(Required)

Yes

Education and training

Education or training

Name of the school, college, university or institution

Full or part time

Full time

Part time

What courses or subjects did you take?

What dates did you study there (from/to)?

What qualification(s) or grade(s) did you achieve?

Give details of each secondary school, college, university and apprenticeship, including current studies, most recent first.

Education or training 1

Name of the school, college, university or institution

Full or part time

Full time

Part time

What courses or subjects did you take?

What dates did you study there (from/to)?

What qualification(s) or grade(s) did you achieve?

Church and faith

Remember, you are not allowed to use AI tools (ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, Copilot etc) to complete these questions or any others on your application form. We need to hear from you personally in your own words, and if we suspect that you have used AI tools your application will be rejected.

Your church(Required)

Tell us about the church you are part of, and your involvement with it.

What denomination do you belong to?(Required)

e.g. Anglican, Baptist, Catholic, Pentecostal, etc.

The aim of the Lee Abbey Movement is "Communicating Christ through relationships". Please explain what this phrase means to you.(Required)

Please describe a situation where you have shared your faith story with someone else. What was the outcome?(Required)

Lee Abbey London’s ministry is one of “MISSION” – sharing the good news about Jesus and making disciples. A big part of this is being ready to share your own story about how you came to faith in Jesus and the difference God has made in your life.

Personal journey of faith(Required)

Please give details of your own Christian experience and your personal walk with Christ. How important is this relationship to you?

Why are you applying to Lee Abbey London?(Required)

Please describe your motivation and any hopes or fears you may have about joining Community.

Voluntary work and community service

Please provide details of any other voluntary work or community service you have done, that you may not have mentioned earlier.

References

We need you to give us details of three people, not related to you, that we can contact for a reference. These are your current or most recent employer or a teacher from your most recent education; a minister, pastor or vicar, and a personal friend. We’ll contact them before we offer you an interview or place, unless you request otherwise.

Taking up references(Required)

I agree to references and a medical certificate being taken up before an interview or offer of a community vacancy is made.

Yes

Why would you like us not to take up your references at this stage?(Required)

Referee 1: employer or teacher

This should be someone from your current or most recent job, school or training.

Name(Required)

Title First name Surname (family name)

Postal address(Required)

Address line 1 Address line 2 City or town County, state or region ZIP or postal code Country

Occupation(Required)

Phone number(Required)

Email address(Required)

Referee 2: minister, pastor or vicar

This should ideally be someone from your current church.

Name(Required)

Title First name Surname (family name)

Postal address(Required)

Address line 1 Address line 2 City or town County, state or region ZIP or postal code Country

Phone number(Required)

Email address(Required)

Referee 3: personal friend

This should be a close friend or someone who knows you in a personal or spiritual context, but not your spouse or relative.

Name(Required)

Title First name Surname (family name)

Postal address(Required)

Address line 1 Address line 2 City or town County, state or region ZIP or postal code Country

Occupation(Required)

Phone number(Required)

Email address(Required)

Other information

These won’t necessarily prevent us considering you for Community; they’re just things we need to be aware of.

Have you ever been refused insurance?(Required)

Yes

Do you have any unspent criminal convictions?(Required)

Yes

Have you ever been refused credit?(Required)

Yes

Details

Please tell us why you have answered “Yes” above, and give us any details that may be relevant.

Do you have any present disability?(Required)

Living and working in Community is physically demanding. It’s important for us to know whether adjustments might need to be made for your needs.

Yes

What is the general state of your health?(Required)

Again, we need to know this in order to assess whether we might need to make any adjustments to help you.

Good

Fair

Poor

Have you had more than 5 days off work in the last year due to illness?(Required)

Yes

Details

Please tell us more about your disability or health issues, and what access or assistance you might need if you were to join Community.

What is your level of written English?(Required)

Fluent

Good

Adequate

Poor

What is your level of spoken English?(Required)

Fluent

Good

Adequate

Poor

Details

Lee Abbey is an international Community, and not all Community members need to be fluent in English. However, there might be no others on Community who speak your native language. How confident would you feel about speaking and understanding English for all day-to-day and working tasks?

Anything else?

Is there anything else that you need to tell us about any aspect of your application that may be relevant?

Declaration

Who has completed this form?(Required)

Please select one of these three statements.

I have completed this form myself

This form was completed with help from someone else

Someone else completed the form on my behalf

I declare that the information given in this application is, to the best of my knowledge, complete and accurate, and I understand that if it is discovered that have I provided incomplete or inaccurate information, and am accepted onto the community, my membership will cancelled immediately.(Required)

To make this declaration, please type your full name below. We will treat this as your electronic signature.

Congratulations

You’ve completed the application form, and now there’s just one more thing to do: click the button below and send it to us. We look forward to reading what you have written!

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