Individual support volunteer volunteer roles in manchester

About Vibes in Care (ViC)

Vibes in Care CIC is a newly forming Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) dedicated to amplifying the voices of children and young people who are care-experienced or at risk. By harnessing insights from lived experience, we develop training, workshops, and advocacy initiatives that reshape professional practices within the care sector.

• Founded on Lived Experience: We believe that those who have gone through the care system have the clearest insights into how to improve it.
• Innovative Training & Workshops: Our programmes empower professionals - such as social workers, educators, and youth workers - to bring about lasting change in how care is delivered.
• Collaborative Culture: Partnership is at the heart of ViC. We work closely with local authorities, youth organisations, and sector specialists to co-create solutions.

Why We Need You

We are seeking Trustees who share our passion for transforming the care experience. Whether you have direct care experience (e.g., have been in care yourself), professional experience in the sector, or simply a deep commitment to improving outcomes for care-experienced children and young people, your voice and leadership are invaluable at this pivotal stage of our growth.

The Role

• Steer Strategic Vision: Help shape and refine ViC’s long-term plans, ensuring that lived experience remains at the core of every decision.
• Champion Good Governance: Oversee compliance with charity regulations, manage financial health, and set policies that maintain transparency and integrity.
• Advocate for Care-Experienced Children and Young People: Act as an ambassador, raising awareness about ViC’s mission and the importance of centring care-experienced voices.
• Support Growth & Partnerships: Contribute insights on fundraising, partnership-building, and community engagement to help ViC expand its reach and impact.

What We’re Looking For

1. Care Experience (Highly Valued): We particularly encourage applications from individuals who have first-hand insights into the care system.
2. Dedication to Social Impact: A genuine desire to improve day-to-day experiences and long-term outcomes for care-experienced children and young people.
3. Collaborative Mindset: Ability to work well in a team, valuing diverse perspectives and open dialogue.
4. Integrity & Oversight: Commitment to upholding the highest ethical standards and acting in the best interests of ViC’s beneficiaries.
5. Strategic Thinking: Capable of understanding big-picture objectives, assessing organisational risks, and spotting growth opportunities.

Skills & Experience (Desirable)

• Professional or Personal Care Experience: Lived experience, in social care work, child protection, or related fields.
• Finance/Accounting: Competent in budget oversight, financial planning, or grant management.
• Legal & Compliance: Familiarity with UK charity regulations or basic legal frameworks.
• HR & Governance: Ability to guide policy setting, recruitment, and staff/volunteer support.
• Fundraising & Communications: Skill in securing resources and raising organisational visibility.

What’s In It For You?

• A Real Chance to Influence: Your perspective will be integral in shaping how ViC evolves.
• Professional Development: Gain governance experience, hone leadership skills, and build your professional network.
• Impact & Legacy: Contribute directly to improving practices that affect some of society’s most vulnerable young people.
• Flexible & Supportive Environment: We meet quarterly, with much of our collaboration happening remotely, so you can fit your responsibilities around other commitments.

Time Commitment

• Board Meetings: Held four times per year (virtually or in person).
• Preparation & Engagement: A few hours each quarter to review papers and stay updated on organisational developments.
• Additional Involvement: Optional sub-committees or working groups on areas like safeguarding, finance, and training delivery.

Application Process

• CV & Cover Letter: Apply via CharityJob outlining your relevant experience (especially care experience), why you’re passionate about our cause, and how you hope to contribute as a Trustee.
• Informal Interview: We’ll invite shortlisted candidates for a conversation with our Director (Founder) to explore mutual fit and answer any questions.
• Appointment: Successful applicants will be welcomed onto the board, pending usual referencing and compliance checks.

Join us in creating meaningful change for care-experienced children and young people. Your lived insight, passion, and dedication could transform how professionals approach care and, ultimately, transform futures. We look forward to hearing from you!

Calm Nest Collective

Calm Nest Collective is a female-founded startup creating quiet, sensory rooms and offering consulting on neuroinclusion, accessibility, and holistic wellbeing for events and workplaces.

At Calm Nest Collective, we address the rising need for mental wellbeing support, neuroinclusion, and accessibility in high-stress environments like events and workplaces, while promoting social equity and sustainable practices that prioritise people and the planet.

Our Calm Nest Spaces are thoughtfully designed to support mental wellbeing and provide a safe, inclusive environment for individuals to decompress and recharge - especially those who are neurodivergent or experiencing stress and overwhelm.

By combining practical solutions with inclusive design, we help events and workplaces become safer, more supportive, and truly human-centered spaces for everyone.

Business Development Assistant

Volunteer Role Description (remote, unpaid)

Research and identify partnership leads (venues, events, companies). Assist with outreach emails, pitch decks, and CRM management. Help develop proposals and keep up with funding opportunities.

Weekly Time Commitment

4-6 hours per week

Duration of Volunteer Role (remote)

3-5 months

This is an exciting time in our growth as we look to grow our governance systems, build on our successes and ensure we are a radical, dynamic organisation rooted in our anti-racist and anti-oppressive values.  We are looking to recruit 2 new trustees.  We are looking to diversify the experience and expertise of our Board, and we believe that there are people out there who have knowledge, skills and passion in different areas that will help SWWB. Areas for organisational development include:

· Embedding lived experience expertise into the design, delivery and evaluation of our work

· Developing our campaigning and strategic work

· Building up our social media and comms presence

· Stepping up our fundraising game

If you think you can help with any of these things (or something else), and you are interested in being a trustee, please get in touch, we would love to hear from you!

OneSpirit Interfaith Foundation was established as an educational charity in 2003. Our aim is to develop spiritual awareness and to support people of all faiths, and none, by delivering a range of training programmes that allow open-hearted adults to serve their chosen communities through Ministry, Spiritual Counselling and in supporting life’s transitions. Our interfaith ministers bring unconditional love and radical commitment to members of the public through ceremony, ritual, spiritual counselling, and other methods of support.

We are seeking new trustees, with a focus on marketing and/or legal experience, with a commitment to the vision and purpose of the organisation to join our board. Trustees are appointed for a term of 4 years and are essential to the progress and growth of our organisation.

Organisational purpose:

To benefit the public by the education of mature adults in:
• the core principles of the world’s religions, faiths, and spiritual traditions;
• principles and methods of forgiveness, reconciliation and peace-making;
• and the practice of non-denominational spiritual and pastoral service in the community.

Our Vision

is a world in which humanity awakens into an inclusive global spirituality that encompasses us all in the field of love and life.

Our Mission

is to work towards evolving consciousness in the world, by facilitating open-hearted people to awaken to inner leadership and their capacity for forgiveness, reconciliation, and peace-making.

Ideally, you will have experience working in a not-for-profit organisation and will be passionate about spiritual life and faith-freedom. We would particularly love to hear from anyone with experience of Human Resources, Adult Education, Financial Management, Fundraising, Legal, and IT.

Formal trustee meetings take place with senior staff quarterly, and we hold up to nine trustee-only meetings annually. To ensure our work is collaborative, we also have an annual two-day gathering of trustees and the wider leadership team. All trustees are volunteers, with expenses available for travel to and from meetings and other incidental expenses where applicable. Please note that meetings are currently being held via Zoom.

We have a strong commitment to diversity and aim to reflect the diversity of the communities we work with on our Board of Trustees. We welcome all candidates irrespective of sex, gender, sexual orientation, marital or civil partnership status, race, nationality, ethnic or national origin, culture, religion, age, responsibilities for dependants, physical/mental disability (“protected characteristics” as per the Equality Act 2010), economic status or offending background.

We welcome both OneSpirit ministers and candidates who are not OneSpirit ministers.  However, we expect all candidates to adhere to OneSpirit’s code of ethics.

Here at Youth4Youth, we have grown a strong, tight-knit community of individuals who are passionate about making a difference and improving the lives of young people across the UK. Our growing team of volunteers all contribute, significantly, to the impact that we have as a charity on our direct beneficiaries, regardless of the department that they work in of the level of time that they are able to commit. Our services primarily offer a peer-support network to young people right across the UK, allowing them to access a peer mentor who is of a similar age to them and somebody that they feel more comfortable speaking with.

If successful, you will be joining a growing team of diverse, but likeminded individuals, collaborating to increase the reach of the Charity and improve support provisions available to young people. All of our volunteers and employees are remote workers, but that doesn't stop us keeping in touch and maintaining a strong positive culture amongst our whole team.

About the role

Software engineers are responsible for ensuring best practice across development projects and working collaboratively with the Development Team and wider stakeholders. The role involves communication with other Youth4Youth team members; supporting others; developing solutions; working with a team on work items and producing development documentation.

Responsibilities 

• Work with IT Project Managers to ensure work items are forecasted, estimated, and tracked effectively. 
• Promote best practices such as adhering to the project's software development lifecycle requirements. 
• Completing development work items as part of project delivery. Documenting creation of components. 
• Reporting key updates and results to the IT Director. 
• Identify opportunities for new solutions and improvements in Youth4Youth’s IT infrastructure and operations. 
• Ensure software development best practices are upheld, documentation such as data diagrams are created, and relevant testing is completed.
• Willingness to advise on the direction of development through clear reasoning and justification.
• Collaborating with UI/UX Designers to deliver on website design.

Skills 

• Enthusiasm and willingness to learn about Youth4Youth’s IT systems and processes. 
• Passion for website and software development and how it can create value for Youth4Youth’s operations. 
• Familiarity with cloud platforms such as Microsoft Azure and AWS.
• Experience working with APIs for software development. 
• Keen on solving problems and building solutions. 
• Open to learning new technologies for Youth4Youth IT projects. 
• Strong verbal and written communication skills. 
• Organisational skills and the ability to ensure set tasks are delivered on time. 
• Ability to plan and manage time effectively. 
• Experience working collaboratively and supporting others in a team. 
• Strong IT skills and proficient use of Microsoft applications. 
• Software engineering, programming, website development and software development understanding. 
• Experience with JavaScript, CSS and HTML. 
• Familiarity with frameworks and libraries such as React and AngularJS. 
• Understanding of continuous integration and delivery (CI/CD).
• Understanding of version control systems such as Git. 
• Experience with using a headless CMS.
• Understanding of relevant software engineering and security by design principles such as the Software Development Lifecycle and OWASP.

Our mission is to continue to grow towards becoming one of the best charities in the UK. Our aim is to do this by building a diverse team, rich with different backgrounds and perspectives. Therefore, even if you feel you only are a 75% match, we would still love to hear from you. Skills can be learned, but diversity cannot.

Benefits of volunteering with Youth4Youth

We recognise that you will be joining us and giving your time as an 'in-kind' donation, but there must be benefits for you too. When joining our team, you will be open to the following benefits:

• Professional and personal development opportunities in a variety of skill areas through volunteering in real roles. This may be general development or tailored to your specific needs or ambitions
• Becoming a member of a strong network of likeminded individuals, spread across the UK, who you can connect with and collaborate with both within and outside of the Charity
• Access to bespoke discounts, specifically designed for non-profit workers and Youth4Youth volunteers
• Opportunities to truly shape the future of the Charity, having a direct influence over the impact that Teenage Helpline has on its direct beneficiaries

The hiring process

Our hiring process typically has two stages 

1. Video or Written Application (when applicable) 
2. Interview with the Volunteering Coordinator for that role

Some roles will have extra stages but we’ll let you know as early as possible if so.

Please let us know if you require any accommodations for the interview process, and we’ll do our best to assist.

Trustee – PR & Marketing Specialist

Help shape the future of deer conservation and education

The British Deer Society (BDS) is looking for a passionate and experienced professional to join our Board of Trustees, bringing expertise in PR and marketing to help us expand and diversify our reach.

Why join us?

As a Trustee, you will play a vital role in guiding BDS, ensuring we achieve our mission to educate, inspire, and advocate for deer welfare. You’ll provide strategic oversight, support our executive team, and help grow our membership by engaging diverse audiences across age, gender, and background.

About the role

Our Trustees share collective responsibility for the governance and administration of the charity. This includes ensuring BDS has a clear strategy, that our goals align with our vision, and that we operate effectively and ethically. Trustees act as a group, working collaboratively to support and challenge the leadership team.

What we’re looking for

We seek a Trustee with:
✔ Expertise in PR and marketing, ideally with experience in membership growth and audience engagement
✔ A strong understanding of governance and strategic oversight
✔ A passion for conservation, education, and wildlife advocacy

By joining BDS, you’ll have the opportunity to make a meaningful impact on the future of deer conservation and education in the UK.

Interested? Apply now and help us take BDS to the next level! 

Volunteer Position: Champion.
Location: Remote with occasional in-person event participation.
Reports to: Fundraising Manager / Region-specific Volunteer Coordinator.

Position Summary:
As a Champion for ROLDA, you will play a crucial role in driving our online and in-person fundraising efforts. This position is ideal for a passionate individual dedicated to animal welfare who wants to help make a tangible difference towards our rescue efforts. In tandem with the ROLDA team, you will lead initiatives, develop strategies, and inspire supporters to contribute to ROLDA’s mission, amplifying our impact.

Key Responsibilities:

• Fundraising Strategy Development: Collaborate with ROLDA’s leadership to create and implement innovative online and in-person fundraising campaigns.

• Campaign Management: Coordinate and execute engaging, high-impact fundraising campaigns, such as peer-to-peer fundraisers, social media drives, and seasonal events.

• Event Leadership: Organise and attend fundraising events, representing ROLDA in the community. Recruit and manage a team of event volunteers when necessary.

• Donor Engagement: Foster relationships with existing and potential donors, recognise and thank contributors, and cultivate new support channels.

• Social Media Outreach: Collaborate with the social media team to create content that promotes fundraising efforts and highlights donor stories and campaign updates.

• Reporting and Goal Setting: Set and track fundraising goals, prepare reports to measure progress, and share outcomes with the team to enhance future initiatives.

Requirements:

• Previous experience in fundraising, sales, marketing, or community engagement (experience in nonprofit organisations is a plus).

• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, with an ability to connect with a diverse audience.

• Self-motivated and able to work independently, managing multiple projects and deadlines.

• Availability to attend periodic in-person events.

• Passionate about animal welfare and committed to ROLDA’s mission.

• Ability to pass a background check.

Time Commitment:

• Flexible hours, with a minimum commitment of 5 hours per week.

• Availability for occasional in-person events in your area.

Benefits:

• Opportunity to make a direct impact on animal rescue efforts.

• Gain experience in fundraising, project management, and community engagement.

• Collaborate with a dedicated, like-minded team working toward meaningful change.

If you’re ready to lead our fundraising efforts and drive positive change for animals in need, we’d love to hear from you!

Please Note: ROLDA does not support visa applications for volunteers. All in-person volunteers must have the legal right to volunteer in the country where they are located. It is the volunteer's responsibility to ensure they meet the necessary visa and work authorisation requirements before participating in any activities with ROLDA. However, remote volunteer roles do not require a visa, as they can be performed from anywhere.

As exciting plans for a new National Centre for Music (NCM) at Edinburgh's former Royal High School progress, we are searching for a Chair and Board of Trustees to help bring this iconic, cultural destination to life.

From our home in the former Royal High School building on Calton Hill in Edinburgh, the National Centre for Music will become an energising force in Scotland’s music sector. Through a variety of programmes and partnerships, the centre will nurture and celebrate music making from across Scotland. It will present a striking programme of music – across all genres – for audiences to enjoy within a spectacular location, as well as supporting artists and organisations to develop new projects, skills, networks and profile. Nestled within two acres of beautiful, landscaped gardens, the centre will be open every day for people to enjoy and expand their musical passions.

We are looking for around four new trustees, including a Chair, to work closely with our executive team to develop and launch the organisation -  defining the brand, setting the business model and staff team, establishing business partnerships and ensuring integration and collaboration with the music sector, as well as with Edinburgh and Scotland’s wider cultural infrastructure.

During these early years, there is expected to be five board meetings per year, plus one strategy development day. Given the nature of the project, it’s hoped trustees will offer their expertise in leading working groups and attending workshops.

As we launch ourselves as a new national player, we need fresh entrepreneurial thinking to build an innovative, resilient organisation. We are particularly seeking candidates with expertise in:

- Business development
- Brand and marketing
- EDI (Equalities, Diversity and Inclusion) 
- Finance

We also want to ensure the music community at large feels represented in our governance and welcome applications from musicians. So whether you’re an experienced Trustee or someone who has never been on a board before, if you have first-hand knowledge of the music sector in Scotland or feel truly passionate about what we’re trying to achieve, we’d love to hear from you – and we’ll make sure you feel welcome and supported.

Fundraisers wanted to support East London Waterworks Park in developing and implementing our fundraising strategy.

East London Waterworks Park is a volunteer-led charity that has won a 2024 New London Architecture award and raised £2m towards buying land from the Department for Education to transform the 14-acre Thames Water Depot on Lea Bridge Road on the border of Waltham Forest and Hackney, into a new biodiverse park with natural swimming ponds, forest schools and community spaces. 

We are looking for fundraisers to contribute to our community-led fundraising strategy, to develop relationships with funders and to write funding applications. 

You would join our fundraising circle, which coordinates our fundraising efforts. It is currently exploring grant opportunities and developing relationships with businesses and other funders. We meet online on Google Meet and volunteers complete agreed tasks remotely. 

If you have experience in writing grants and funding applications, corporate fundraising, philanthropy, or any other aspect of fundraising, it would be great to hear from you. 

We are keen fundraisers but we are lacking professional expertise and experience and we would love your help and input. We would welcome one-off advice on the phone or in person, as well as longer term volunteers. 

We would also love to hear from potential volunteers without experience but with transferable skills.

East London Waterworks Park is an exciting and ambitious project. Without funding we won’t be able to make it happen, so you will be directly contributing to the creation of a new biodiverse community-owned park with free access natural swimming ponds.

African Development Choices (ADC) is a UK-based Social Enterprise on a mission to reduce poverty by empowering communities to make more informed choices in the management of public resources.

ADC’s purpose is to enable communities to independently meet their needs for essential services, such as clean water and safe sanitation and improve lives in Africa.

At ADC we encourage a working culture of seeking and giving input, showing, and taking initiative and commitment to the organisation and its purpose.

Main Purpose of Job: You will be the main point of contact for the HR General Team, handling day-to-day management of volunteers, communications, and policy administration. Additionally, you'll support Talent Acquisition by screening CVs, scheduling interviews, and managing onboarding. This is a great opportunity to contribute to new HR initiatives and strategies.

Department: HR General

Division: People & Culture

Position Reports to: Chief People Officer

Position is Responsible for: No direct reports

Main Duties & Objectives
 

Your main responsibilities will include but are not limited to:
 

• Assist with the Talent Acquisition process by screening CVs, coordinating interviews, and managing the onboarding of new hires.

• Support the HR team with administrative tasks related to recruitment and employee onboarding.

• Assist in the development and implementation of human resources policies, systems, and processes.

• Undertake tasks around performance management.

• Gather and analyse data with useful HR metrics to develop effective action plans (i.e., employee turnover rates, volunteer satisfaction, retention rate per manager, etc.)

• Create strong relationships across the organisation and develop a network of contacts throughout your area and understand who the key individuals are.

• Update and maintain volunteer records when necessary.

• Provide administrative support to the Talent Acquisition team by screening CV’s and setting up interviews.

• Working with leadership teams on developing, organising, and implementing design models.

• Attend the HR General Team weekly meeting.

Knowledge, Skills, and Experience

Essential

• Previous administrative experience in Talent Acquisition

• Proven experience as an HR Generalist or HRBP and be able to demonstrate your complete understanding of the position.

• Knowledge of HR processes and HRIS systems and HR best practises.

• Able to assist on developing action plans for the implementation of new HRIS systems, policies, HR strategies, etc.

• Excellent communication and people skills.

• Experience in working closely with business leaders and line managers to build their people capability.

• Able to deliver a high standard of work in a timely manner, within defined processes and with minimal supervision.

• The ability to keep sensitive information confidential.

• Available to volunteer at least 7-10 hours a week 

• Ability to actively take initiative and help set things up in a start-up environment.

• Ability to actively seek and give input in a collaborative team environment.

• A committed team player with good communication skills.

Desirable

• Hold a qualification related to HR.

What ADC Offers You

This is a volunteer, remote and unpaid position with the following benefits:

• Professional learning and career development opportunities.

• An opportunity to build on your work experience within your profession.

• An opportunity to be part of a diverse team representing different parts of the world, that is changing lives in Africa.

• An opportunity to help shape a start-up social enterprise.

• We will provide work reference for you.

This job description is a written statement of the essential characteristics of the job, with its principal accountabilities, incorporating a note of the skills, knowledge and experience required for a satisfactory level of performance. This is not intended to be a complete, detailed account of all aspects of the duties involved.

Here at African Development Choices, we celebrate diversity, equity, and inclusion. Our teams are made up of people from all over the world and we welcome all applications. If you are disabled or have a long-term health condition, and you require any reasonable adjustments for your application with us, please let us know by contacting recruitmentatafricandevelopmentchoicesdotorg.

We Stand is recruiting a volunteer Board Secretary to start as soon as possible. This role can be a pure Board Secretary role or there is opportunity to join the Board as a trustee in conjunction, if this is preferred. 

About We Stand

We Stand is the only national charity that specialises in helping non-abusing parents and carers to protect and support their sexually abused children.

Our Mission is to provide support in a non - judgmental environment for non abusing parents and carers of sexually abused children. 

Our Services help families at a time of extreme trauma caused by child sexual abuse – providing emotional and practical support to young victims, siblings and non-abusing parents/carers so that they can move on positively with their lives together. 

About the role

We Stand is run by a Board made up of volunteer Trustees. We are seeking a committed and passionate individual, to ensure the board operates efficiently, complies with regulations and facilitating effective corporate governance by:

• Planning Board and sub-committee meetings. This includes organising and coordinating meetings, preparing agenda and distributing any meeting materials. 
• Maintaining records of board proceedings, decisions and actions
• Ensuring Board compliance
• Following up on actions
• Maintaining good relations with the the Board, CEO and staff members

Previous board secretary experience is not required and we are interested in someone with strong organisation, written and spoken communication skills. 

If you are interested in applying, please send your CV, together with a short cover letter stating why you are interested and detailing any relevant experience you bring, by Saturday 26 April. Interviews will likely be held between 6-14 May, but there is flexibility with these dates. 

There is also the option to join the Board as a Trustee alongside the Board Secretary role. Please indicate whether you are interested in taking up this opportunity in your cover letter.

Exeter Food Action (EFA) is seeking to appoint one or more trustees with particular experience in fundraising, marketing or comms.

EFA is an Exeter-based charity  dedicated to tackling food waste and food insecurity. We ‘rescue’ surplus food from supermarkets, producers and other sources, redistributing it to over 60 food banks and community groups in Exeter and across Devon. These organisations, in turn, support thousands of individuals and families experiencing food insecurity.

It’s a shocking fact that, globally, some 1.3 billion tonnes of food are wasted each year.  In the UK alone, up to 40% of food produced never gets eaten.

By preventing surplus food from going to waste, we aim to reduce environmental harm while making a meaningful difference to the lives of people living with food insecurity. The volume of food we rescue increases year on year and has increased fivefold since we became a Charitable Incorporated Organisation in 2017.

In 2023, in partnership with FareShare (South West), we distributed just over 118 tonnes of food to 64 food banks and community groups, (equivalent to the weight of 3 Boeing 737-800 planes), supporting thousands of people every week. We anticipate that our 2024 figures will be the same, if not higher.

As a Trustee, you will:

· Help shape the strategic direction of our organisation,

· Ensure our resources are managed effectively and ethically,

· Attend quarterly Board meetings and other occasional events,

· Act as an ambassador for our mission within your community.

· Take a lead on a specific area where you will be supported by the wider trustee and staff and volunteer teams.

What we’re looking for

We welcome candidates from all backgrounds, particularly those with skills or experience in:

· Fundraising,

· Legal expertise or governance,

· Marketing, branding or comms

Why join us?

· Be part of a passionate and dynamic team,

· Use your skills and experience to benefit a cause close to your heart,

· Gain valuable experience in governance and leadership.

The current trustee board is made up of 6 people from a wide range of backgrounds.EFA employs 3 members of staff and has over 50 active volunteers.

How to apply

Interested? Please share your CV with letter of interest with us. 

Applications close on May 1st 2025 .

Diversity and Inclusion

We believe in the strength of a diverse board and encourage applications from all ages, genders, ethnicities, abilities, and backgrounds.

East London Waterworks Park is looking for volunteers to lead social media and content creation for communications and campaigning for our community-owned park.

East London Waterworks Park is a volunteer-led charity that has won a 2024 New London Architecture award and raised £2m towards buying land from the Department for Education to transform the 14-acre Thames Water Depot on Lea Bridge Road on the border of Waltham Forest and Hackney, into a new biodiverse park with natural swimming ponds, forest schools and community spaces. 

We are looking for social media and content creator leads to participate in our community-led working group who are promoting public awareness and support of the project. 

There is opportunity to lead on projects across communications, content creation, social media, PR, newsletters, film, podcasts or any other channels of interest, and facilitate the direction of the working group.

The Comms Circle currently meets fortnightly on a Tuesday evening on Google Meet and spends voluntary time outside of the meeting completing agreed tasks remotely.

You will be at the forefront of our digital strategy to create a huge new biodiverse park and natural swimming ponds. We’re looking for creative and strategic thinkers who can craft compelling narratives and visually stunning content. You should have a deep understanding of social media platforms and analytics tools to measure and optimize our campaigns. Your ability to build and engage with online communities is crucial, as is your skill in managing media relations. We value individuals who are passionate about our mission and can bring fresh perspectives and innovative ideas to the role. You will be comfortable with community-led processes. Our roles are quite flexible. We hope that people bring radical imagination, peace with nature, and courageous inclusiveness to the role. 

Contribute to the creation of a new biodiverse community-owned park with free access natural swimming ponds. Your strategic content creation will be instrumental in fostering a strong connection between our community, the park, and its biodiversity. Your input will help us craft compelling narratives that inspire, educate, and engage our service users, stakeholders, funders, and the general public, ultimately driving support for the park's mission and ensuring its long-term sustainability.

About Us

My Black Dog is a charity that offers anonymous, peer to peer mental health support through our web-chat service. We are committed to making a positive impact on mental health in the UK as we tackle an epidemic that millions of people face.

We were founded on the motto "talk to someone who gets it". We want to connect people who share lived experiences to provide an empathetic, non-judgmental space where everybody understands how it feels to experience mental health struggles.

Position Overview

Our web-chat service is run by our Volunteer Pack, each of whom have their own lived experience of mental health challenges. In addition, each shift has a 'Leader' and a 'Mentor'. These are Volunteers who carry out specific roles during the shift and, together, ensure its success:

• Leaders - Managers of the shift. There to ensure the shift runs as it should. They support and guide Volunteers through chats and follow safeguarding processes when an alert is raised. They are also the first point of contact for the shift’s Designated Safeguarding Lead.
• Mentors - There to support and guide Volunteers through chats. Will take over from the Leader if there are safeguarding issues that need the Leader's attention and/or if the Leader needs a break.

As My Black Dog looks to expand our opening hours, we are looking to recruit additional Leaders and Mentors who can run shifts and cover additional shifts as necessary.

Leaders and Mentors will be assigned a shift based on your availability and preference. The expectation is that Leaders and Mentors will form a ‘pair’ and, together, will do one shift at the same time each week. This is to provide stability, predictability and to encourage community-building between Volunteers. Shifts are usually 3 hours long. We may ask you to cover another shift when we are short, but you will never do more than 6 hours per week.

Training will be provided and you will be supported on shift by a Designated Safeguarding Lead, who will manage all safeguarding issues.

The work you will do as Leaders and Mentors will ensure we provide the best possible service to our Guests. You will also be helping our Volunteer Pack to do what we do best: helping those in need by speaking to someone who 'gets it'.

Who We Are Looking For

We are looking for people who have experienced their own journey with mental health and are in a strong position to support others. We ask that our Leaders and Mentors:

• Are strongly committed to helping others
• Have experienced mental health issues in order to relate to those seeking help
• Are collaborative and enjoy working with others
• Are encouraging and supportive
• Are organised and can monitor several things at once
• Can remain calm and focused during busy times and when safeguarding alerts are raised
• Are 18 years and over 
• Can commit the time to a regular weekly shift

We are particularly interested in hearing from people who are available during the following hours:

• Monday to Sunday, 5pm-7pm
• Friday and Saturday, 7pm-10pm

Role Responsibilities

1. Supervise and support Volunteers whilst on shift with general enquiries, positive feedback and signposting.
2. Assist with general volunteering enquiries whilst on shift. Provide time for guidance, instruction and de-briefing for Volunteers if required.
3. Follow Leaders & Mentors processes including unexpected absence reporting, Volunteer check-in and check-out, and completing Shift Handovers.
4. Monitor web-chat conversations and ensure all chats are tagged.
5. Maintain ability to listen, remain calm and provide intervention if necessary.
6. Be able to have difficult and often complex conversations about mental health, including Guests experiencing crisis and first-stage intervention support.
7. If a Leader, work alongside the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) when safeguarding risks are identified and, if a Mentor, take over responsibility for shifts when Leader and DSL have to address a safeguarding crisis.
8. Exercise discretion in handling confidential situations and information, conveying sensitive information in a timely manner to necessary individuals.
9. Provide written follow up of shifts via handover, ensuring all necessary information is handed over at the end of the shift.
10. Adhere to all standards, policies and procedures of My Black Dog.

Please note: An Enhanced DBS Certificate is required for this role. If you do not have one, My Black Dog will arrange the DBS Check for you.