Mental Health Volunteer Roles

Role Description

The Forensic Women’s Hub is a new out of hours community space for women 18+ leaving forensic mental health services, open 3 days a week; one evening and every weekend. We will be offering a safe, warm, non-judgemental social environment for women to build meaningful connections and have access to free activities and resources.

As a volunteer your role will be to support individuals using a peer approach by co-facilitating peer-led workshops, offering emotional and social support. By doing this, it provides an opportunity for service users to develop and manage meaningful and purposeful choices in an independent and empowered way.

We are looking for someone who

• Has lived experience of mental health challenges or being in prison / mental health wards / rehab and recovery communities.
• Is non-judgmental, friendly and committed to challenging the stigma faced by forensic service users.
• Is able to provide a welcoming, authentic, and positive experience for all, being inclusive and embracing diversity.
• Feels comfortable engaging with women with mental health challenges / difficult life experiences, by validating strengths and experiences and using empowering language to overcome negative self-talk.
• Is empathic and understanding towards the stigma / social bias's surrounding forensic leavers and their experiences.
• Is willing to tap into their lived experiences and use their stories to inspire hope in others when appropriate.

Time commitment and expenses:

• Flexible hours (shifts to be confirmed). Evening and Weekend availability is required. Please indicate your preferred volunteering day(s) on your application.
• We will provide volunteers with an induction, training, and ongoing mentoring to support them in the role 
• Reasonable travel expenses will be reimbursed.

What's in it for the volunteer?

Volunteering at Mind is a fantastic opportunity to get involved with a nationally recognised charity, and volunteering in Safe Space is an opportunity to experience and get involved in crisis support. We provide initial and ongoing training, as well as plenty of opportunities for progression within the organisation. You will also be a part of a supportive team with great awareness of wellbeing and the mental health sector.

Amazing, giving, inspiring and awesome are just a few of the words we would use to describe our volunteers.

Our volunteers play an integral part in the services we provide and the people we support. If you are looking for a rewarding role where you will really make a difference whilst gaining experience along the way, then join us here at Rethink Mental Illness.

About the role

We are looking for Volunteer Befrienders to support our Brent Mental Health service in the London Borough of Brent. Volunteers must be based within this area to take part in face-to-face befriending activities.

As a Volunteer Befriender, you will be required to travel across Brent to meet with service users and carry out your role. Ideally, you will be able to commit a minimum of 2 hour per week to volunteering. 

There will also be opportunities for you to support staff who deliver wellbeing and recovery workshops to service users e.g. managing anxiety or confidence and self-esteem, if this is something you would like to get involved with.

You will be supported by Befriending Volunteer Coordinators who will provide regular supervision to ensure you feel confident in your role. You can read more about the benefits of volunteering on the full advert on our website.

About the service

Our Brent Mental Health service provides support to people aged 18 and above, who live in the Borough of Brent, and who have a mental illness and are known to the local NHS trust Central and North West London (CNWL).

The aim of the Befriending Service is to;

• Reduce social isolation of service users
• Increase the confidence of service users in accessing community resources independently
• Provide meaningful activities and peer support for service users 
• Help service users to live happier, healthier, independent lives
• Provide volunteering opportunities for people with mental health issues
• Reduce stigma and raise mental health awareness

What you will be doing as a Volunteer Befriender:

• Meeting with service users in locations and times which meet their needs (including evenings and weekends)
• Provide befriending support to a maximum of 2 services users at any one time
• Provide emotional support based on your own lived experience
• Support service users to access and build social and community networks and activities
• Act as a community connector to local services

What will make you a great fit for this role?

• You will have lived experience of mental illness, either as a carer or as a person who has experience your own mental health need
• You will have good communication skills
• You will be flexible in order to meet the needs of the service users
• You will live within the London Borough of Brent

If would like to express an interest for this opportunity, please complete an application as soon as possible as the advert may close early if we receive a high level of interest.

Who are we?

We’re Rethink Mental Illness, a leading charity provider of mental health services in England. We support thousands of people through our groups, services, policy, campaigns and advice and information. Our work supports us in delivering on our mission: “A better life for everyone severely affected by mental illness.”

We welcome applications from everyone, applicants with lived experience, those who are Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer/Questioning (LGBTQ ), people with a disability, or those from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) backgrounds are actively encouraged to apply. We are proud to have also been awarded Disability Confident employer status. We have an ambition of becoming an anti-racist organisation and we recognise there is more to do in ensuring our recruitment is fair and inclusive, which is why we are recruiting new roles in helping us to achieve this.

Management Committee Members Sought by thriving grassroots mental health charity at the cutting edge of advocacy service delivery in South London

Community Support Network South London (CSN) is a Brixton based mental health service user led and run mental health charity which currently provides mental health advocacy services primarily within the London borough of Lambeth in forensic, (for people with a criminal record in addition to mental health problems); in-patient and community settings.  We are seeking people to join our small and friendly Management Committee which currently has hybrid meetings on a bi-monthly basis.  Management Committee members may also get involved in other aspects of the organisation, such as: promoting the organisation, fundraising, recruitment & other HR issues as appropriate to the trustee role of a small charity.

Expenses reasonably incurred in the execution of the role (e.g. travel) will be met.

Skills/qualifications required for this role:

Understanding of what is required of a trustee, (although an induction pack and training will be provided).  Committee members will guide the work of the organisation, through policy and strategic development, funding. financial control & monitoring service provision.

Leadership, Mental Health, organisational development, management, financial and HR (Human Resources) skills and experience will be a particular asset, as will strategic development and fundraising experience.  We particularly welcome people who have experience of mental health problems and/or mental distress to join our Committee.

West London Centre for Counselling is a registered charity that has been delivering high quality, free, confidential counselling to the local community in Hammersmith and Fulham for over 30 years. We are currently contracted by the NHS Talking Therapies service in Hammersmith and Fulham to deliver short-term therapeutic interventions of 12-20 weeks to people with mild to moderate mental health conditions. All clients receive an assessment before starting treatment, and we assess over 1,000 clients each year.

We have a dedicated, experienced team of clinicians and administrators, and premises in Hammersmith, off Glenthorne Road. We are a BACP accredited service.

We are looking to appoint new volunteer Trustees to join our Board, which meets 4 – 5 times a year, usually on a Monday or Thursday evening in Hammersmith. This is a chance to help to shape the future of the organisation, and to play a role in ensuring its continued success.

We would particularly like to hear from people with experience in strategic development, human resources, or financial management; however the most important thing is an interest in and enthusiasm for the fields of counselling, psychotherapy and/or NHS mental health provision.

If you are interested in joining our small, friendly board as a Trustee, and can commit to attending 4 board meetings each year, please send your CV and a covering letter explaining why you are interested in the position.

Thank you.

We are looking for two people with current or recent experience in

• Commissioning background ideally with local authority experience; experience and understanding of social care ideally in the voluntary or public sector; or
• Academic, research, policy background in the care environment; 

As a trustee, you'’ll bring broad  experience to the role, identifying strategic risks and proposing effective and practical solutions. An ability to grasp the essence of complex situations, to challenge the management team or fellow board members and to contribute constructively to their resolution are also required. 

**Contact us for an informal discussion. Closing date for formal applications 30th Sept 2024

We are passionate about improving outcomes for carers of all ages and delivering a range of services to support carers. It’s an exciting time for CIB, with an ambitious strategy to build on our achievements to date.

We were proud winners of the 2023 UK Charity Governance ‘Transforming with Digital’ award in recognition of the success of our digital transformation plan. It was a good year as we also took home the award for Breakthrough of the Year at the Third Sector Awards, in recognition of our hard work on Service Delivery Transformation.

Our Board of trustees has an important part to play in helping the charity to achieve its mission of supporting more unpaid carers to be recognised, respected and supported in their role.

If you join the Board, you can make a real impact and be part of our success story.

Our aim is to bring together a Board who are diverse in ideas, in background, in experience, in outlook and in the views they express. If you think you can make a difference and are willing to commit the time, please consider applying.

Role Summary:

To provide peer support at resilience group sessions for expectant and new mums (pregnancy up to 1 year) at Children & Family Centres across the London Borough of Bexley, or online via Zoom.

Key Responsibilities:

1. Successfully complete a training course for Mindful Mums Peer Support Volunteer. You will be fully supported during this time and on successful completion will understand different mindfulness, wellbeing, resilience and coping techniques and be confident in leading the peer support within these groups.

2. Prepare for and lead the peer support for a minimum of three Mindful Mums groups (over 5 consecutive weeks). Group dates and times will be discussed with you in advance.

3. Liaise with the Project Coordinator regarding sessions that need volunteers.

4. Contribute to the development of the content of the Mindful Mums sessions based on your experience as a parent.

5. Report any concerns arising from the sessions to the Project Coordinator and, where appropriate, the contact at the venue.

6. Participate in catch-up meetings with the Project Coordinator, group volunteer meetings and training on Safeguarding Children and Adults.

7. Take part in some Mindfulness practise.

8. At all times work in accordance with the organisation’s policies regarding Health & Safety, Equality & Diversity, Safeguarding Children, Safeguarding Vulnerable Adults and Confidentiality & Data Protection.

Person Specification

To undertake the role of Mindful Mums Peer Support Volunteer, you must be able to show that you have the following:

o Experience of having felt stressed, low, anxious or have struggled with your mental or emotional wellbeing in other ways during the perinatal period (pregnancy to 1 year).

o Ability to communicate well with other mums.

o Skills to effectively facilitate sessions.

o Good interpersonal skills.

o Ability to work well in a team.

o Understanding of the pressures and stresses facing pregnant and new mums.

o Willingness to engage in some Mindfulness practise. 

o Willingness to talk from your own experience in an appropriate way.

o Ability to maintain appropriate and professional boundaries.

o A commitment to attend training, support groups and to deliver 5-week programmes in Children & Family Centres across Bexley, or online via Zoom.

Benefits of getting involved

·Being part of a team of local mums, who have all experienced perinatal mental health issues and who want to help pregnant and new mums build skills to manage their mental health in a positive way.

· Delivering an exciting and innovative project that really makes a difference to pregnant women and new mums.

Other Information

Successful applicants will be required to provide details of two references and agree to submit details for and undertake a Disclosure and Barring Services (DBS) check.

The majority of courses will be run during school term times.

Free crèche facilities are sometimes available at the Children & Family Centres.

Reasonable expenses will be paid. 

Induction and training will commence in August 2024. This includes Online and In-person training. 

Are you passionate about making a difference and shaping the future for young lives? Are you a professional interested in developing your own mentoring skills?

Mentoring can be a rewarding way to ‘give back’ and share your experiences with someone who could really benefit from hearing an informed, consistent and fresh perspective…possibly something they haven’t had before.

We’re delivering ‘Developing Futures’ a funded 12-week e-mentoring programme for young people aged between 18-24 years from ethnic minority backgrounds and facing mental health challenges, in the London Boroughs of Barnet, Brent, Ealing, Hillingdon, Hounslow, Hammersmith & Fulham, Harrow and Haringey.

We are now seeking new mentors for the programme! We would like individuals from a range of different backgrounds who have the capacity to give a few hours per month to support their mentees. As a mentor you’ll receive Mental Health Awareness, Safeguarding and Mentoring training via webinars ahead of full enrolment. The e-mentoring will happen via regular texts and calls using Brightside’s online youth mentoring platform.

The programme is funded by the Mayor of London’s #NewDealForYoungPeople scheme, in collaboration with Propel, and also supported by the Social Business Trust.

We’re looking for a Trustee to join our growing charity – Families Out Loud! 

What is Families Out Loud (FOL)?

Families Out Loud is a small and growing charity, based in Wiltshire, which is run by a group of people who care about family addiction. We’re here to support those affected by other people’s addiction, by enabling people to speak out, without judgement. If you have lived experience of, or an interest in our cause, we’d love to hear from you!
 
About the Role
 
As a Families Out Loud Trustee, you will share our passion of supporting families affected by someone else’s drug or alcohol use. You will be committed to the Purpose, Vision and Values of Families Out Loud, working with the board to deliver the charity’s 5-year strategic plan. We’re committed to helping clients rebuild their lives, and to reducing stigma so they can feel confident to speak freely about their own experiences. As a Trustee, you will support this mission by reviewing the work we do on a regular basis, understanding that everything we do is for the public benefit, and within the charity’s purpose. You will work collaboratively with the other Trustees to effectively manage resources, and to ensure compliance with charity law and other legal requiremets. 
 
This is a voluntary position, mainly working from home. You will be required to attend monthly Trustee meetings which are currently held virtually. Occasionally you may be required to attend in-person meetings in different locations across Wiltshire. 
 
What are we looking?
 
For this position, we’re looking for someone based near Salisbury who can help us facilitate growth in our local area. Ideally, you’ll have a deep understanding of our community and its unique needs, bringing strong connections within the area. You’ll support the charity to leverage local networks and form lasting relationships, secure funding, and ultimately enhance our charity’s mission. Your reputation and familiarity with the Salisbury area will help build trust and strengthen our charity’s impact on the community. You’ll need strong written and verbal communication skills, and will be able to work as part of a team to make collective decisions. You should be able to think analytically, with a problem-solving approach. Alongside this, due to the nature of the role, you should be able to manage your own time effectively and be well organised.

New Horizons are looking for a new Treasurer to join their dedicated and friendly Board of Trustees.

This is a fantastic opportunity for a finance professional to join a committed and experienced team. We are a small charity which makes a meaningful contribution to the community.

Being a trustee is also a chance for you to give something back to your community, by using your skills and experience, you will be contributing to the strategic management of the charity, so we can continue providing activities which promote good mental health, whilst challenging the stigma around mental health issues and helping improve our services for the benefit of the residents of Cwm Taf Morgannwg.

Role Summary

Your role is paramount for the sustainability of our charity. You will support our charity’s financial management and thus help us make well informed decisions and plan accordingly, so we can effectively tackle the different challenges we face as a small organisation.

The Treasurer will help trustees to carry out their financial responsibilities and this involves working with the Director and Chair to -

• present financial reports to the board in a format that helps the board understand the charity’s financial position
• advise the board on how to carry out its financial responsibilities
• work with professional advisors including the accountant
• work with the Director, Chair and accountant to oversee the preparation and scrutiny of annual accounts
• work with the Director to help prepare budgets and financial reports.

Who are we looking for?

• Demonstrated financial/commercial awareness and knowledge
• Good communication and leadership skills
• Proven ability to communicate and explain financial information to members of the Board and other stakeholders
• Analytical and evaluation skills, demonstrating good judgement
• Competent use of IT skills
• Understanding and acceptance of the legal duties, responsibilities and liabilities of trusteeship
• Strong interest in mental health issues
• Senior strategic management and leadership experience

Desirable:

• Dedicated to the organisation’s cause and objectives and willing to act as the charity’s ambassador to external bodies, charities and companies.
• An understanding of the UK charity sector, relevant legislations and statutory requirements.

Time commitment

Up to 5 hours a month. The Board meet every other month.The Treasurer would ideally step in as Chair of the Funding & Business Planning sub group which also meets bimonthly.

Are you a Night Owl or an Early Bird?

Samaritans is one of the few helplines and services that are open 24/7. But we struggle to answer all the calls we receive in the early hours of the morning. 

Statistics show that between 2 am and 6 am, people who call us are twice as likely to be suicidal. But many have to wait over 30 minutes to get through to a Samaritan.

We are planning to expand our cover at night and looking for volunteers who can do a shift from midnight - 6 am once a month.

We're looking for volunteers to:

• Provide confidential emotional support for people experiencing feelings of distress or despair, including those which may lead to suicide.
• Provide such support by telephone, email, web chat and whatever other means of communication may be adopted by Samaritans.

Key responsibilities:

• To provide confidential emotional support as above
• To uphold Samaritans' Mission, Vision & Values & Policies & Procedures
• To complete regular volunteering duties, including overnight duties, as agreed
• To support fellow Samaritan volunteers during shared duties
• To debrief with duty Leader after each shift
• To liaise with duty Leader in respect of difficult or emergency situations or when in doubt
• To follow instructions given by duty Leader or Director
• To maintain caller log sheets and/or systems as required by the branch
• To undertake continuous development training

We're looking for volunteers with the following qualities:

• Ability to maintain confidentiality at all times
• To be able to actively listen without prejudice
• To be able to communicate clearly with callers and branch volunteers
• Ability to deal sensitively with all callers, including vulnerable people, those with mental health issues and children, as necessary
• Able to follow procedures and maintain systems
• Ability to recognise the need for support (in themselves and others) and to seek or provide support where necessary
• Awareness of own emotional triggers and can cope with own feelings
• Demonstrate an understanding and acceptance of Samaritans values
• Listening volunteers should be 18 or over upon completion of their training.

Timings:

We ask Night Owls to complete a minimum of one night shift per month.
12 midnight to 6am or 2am - 6am.
A car park is available or we can providea taxi if needed.

Location, Travel and Expenses:

• Based at the branch on Oxford Rd, Manchester
• All out-of-pocket expenses related to the role will be reimbursed in line with Branch Expenses Policy

Benefits:

• A chance for personal development
• Access to a thorough training programme
• Contribute and share existing skills
• Develop new listening and communication skills you can use in all aspects of your life
• Meet new people from all different kinds of backgrounds and cultures
• Give something back to your local community

Recruitment and Selection Process

• Completion of a Samaritans application form
• Attendance and successful selection at an interview
• The offer of a listening volunteer position is conditional on the completion of;
  • Background checks; including references and enhanced criminal records check
  • Completion of initial CORE training
  • Period of mentoring and Embedding
• Successful completion of a probationary period before becoming a full branch volunteer

If you think you have what it takes, please contact us to join us for our next information event. Can you help us be here when we're needed most?

Volunteer your time at Hestia to make our gardens a beautiful place for our service users to enjoy all year through! Are you green fingered and have a passion for gardens and outdoor spaces?

At Hestia we have gardens and outdoor spaces which require your support to bring these back to life by keeping them maintained. We are recruiting for volunteers to motivate and inspire staff and people living in our services to get involved in gardening.

What you will be doing

• Inspire and motivate staff and people in the services to get involved in maintaining and growing the garden
• To provide tips on how to maintain and grow the garden - sowing seeds, planting bulbs, taking cuttings
• Provide basic maintenance such as cutting the grass, emptying bins, managing weed control and leaf raking
• Lead in planting and nurturing new trees, flowers, and various plants
• Provide best practice on how to use the correct gardening tools
• Inspire people in our services and staff to maintain a clean garden
• Advise staff on the costs of plants and garden necessities

The skills you need

• A basic knowledge/ experience of plant care and use of gardening tools7
• Calm and patient approach
• Good communication skills
• Ability to provide a supportive, and inclusive atmosphere that encourages learning and participation

What's in it for you

• Supporting You - You will have a dedicated volunteer supervisor to support you in your role; Quarterly volunteer forums with the central Volunteering team and volunteers across Hestia; References for job applications
• Developing You - You will gain knowledge and insight into issues that impact Domestic Abuse, Modern Slavery and Mental Health; You will have access to our extensive Learning and Development Programme; 40% of our departed volunteers secured a paid role at Hestia last year!
• Valuing You - We hold annual Volunteer Awards and Celebration events; We reimburse travel expenses and up to £5 for lunch for your volunteering; We hold social events and outings for our volunteers to get together and have some fun 

Do you have 5 hours to spare each week?

We are looking for Client Support Volunteers to assist in the Garden alongside our horticulturists in the supervision of our adult clients and teenagers with a variety of disabilities.

Our volunteers work in the garden with clients, helping them with various tasks such as planting, harvesting, pruning and mowing to name a few, under the guidance of our team of horticulturists. 

As well as general gardening work you will be assisting our clients, both children and adults with the opportunity to achieve a qualification in horticulture.

Other tasks our volunteers help with include general garden maintenance, DIY tasks or craft/cookery activities.

No gardening experience is required, just the ability to get along with others and muck in! This can be a great stepping stone to further education or work opportunities.

At present, we are looking for Volunteers who can offer a regular weekly commitment.

Sutton Mental Health Foundation is looking to recruit a volunteer secretary position to the Trust Board, to support and assist the Chair and CEO.  This is an important and confidential role within the Trust.  The main areas of the role are, in consultation with the Chair and CEO, the preparation of all Board/AGM meetings, the preparation of Board/AGM papers, minute taking and writing up the minutes in a timely manner.  Other duties involve the support to the Trustees, as well as updating of trustee records.  Th board of trustees meets in-person, approximately every six weeks, in the London Borough of Sutton. A full role description will be provided on application.

As background information, Sutton Mental Health Foundation was established as a charity in 1994 and the aim of the Foundation is to support people with mental health needs in the Borough of Sutton, helping to keep them well and active and helping them to have a voice in mental health care in the Borough.  Our vision is to provide a community in Sutton which values mental wellbeing and understands how to respond positively to anxiety and distress.  The Foundation works together to promote mental wellbeing resilience and recovery from mental distress.

The Safe Space is a local hub for anyone who feels they are nearing crisis point. We are here to listen to what you need and work with you to help. This might be strategies to help you cope in the moment, a range of activities we provide free of charge, resources to take away or connecting you with practical local services. We offer face to face, telephone and video-conference support. As a part of this, we are looking for volunteers to offer peer led support to individuals who may access our service. This includes a variety of tasks, such as devising and facilitating peer led workshops with clients, supporting with 1:1 sessions, and completing administrative tasks.

We are looking for someone who:

• Has lived experience of mental health/social crisis
• Preferably have had experience working with people who experience poor mental health
• Are comfortable with co-producing and facilitating peer led workshops
• Might be willing to take over running the workshops by themselves over time
• Are willing to actively participate with clients 1:1 and in group settings
• Are able to take on any ad hoc admin/support responsibilities within the Safe Space Team

Time commitment and expenses:

• 5 hours per week, during our opening hours of 12–5pm.  Please indicate your preferred volunteering day(s) on your application.
• We will provide volunteers with an induction, training, and ongoing mentoring to support them in the role 
• Reasonable travel expenses will be reimbursed.

What's in it for the volunteer?

Volunteering at Mind is a fantastic opportunity to get involved with a nationally recognised charity, and volunteering in Safe Space is an opportunity to experience and get involved in crisis support. We provide initial and ongoing training, as well as plenty of opportunities for progression within the organisation. You will also be a part of a supportive team with great awareness of wellbeing and the mental health sector.