Community support worker volunteer roles in leytonstone, greater london

Mind In Enfield and Barnet combines over 50 years of experience to improve peoples mental health in Enfield, Barnet and beyond. We are led by lived experience and driven by a passion to support and protect people’s mental health in ways that they want.

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Volunteer Cafe Worker to assist with the day to day running of our community cafe! This volunteer role will include supporting the team to serve hot and cold drinks drinks and food from the kitchen, as well as some cleaning duties and handling card payments. The café serves as a safe space for individuals with mental health challenges. 

Key Responsibilities:

• Help create a friendly and inclusive community space in the café by greeting customers with a friendly attitude
• Operate the till with card transactions (training will be provided).
• Maintain excellent hygiene and health & safety standards, including clearing and wiping tables, washing up, and ensuring the kitchen and seating areas are clean and tidy.

No experience required. Food hygiene training is required. Full training will be provided. This volunteer opportunity would suit someone with a strong positive attitude who has effective communication skills. We also require the individual to be reliable and punctual with the ability to be a team player. A resilient and non-judgmental attitude, with a willingness to learn is also required to succeed in this role.

We welcome individuals with lived experience of mental health challenges to apply.

Within our organisation, volunteers are highly valued and essential to delivering our services effectively. We encourage applications from everyone, regardless of their background. This includes people who have personal or professional experience with mental health challenges. We focus on providing comprehensive training, guidance, and supervision to ensure volunteers feel confident and capable in their roles. We support our volunteers' success and offer opportunities to network and socialise with trustees, staff, and fellow volunteers. We are committed to recognising the meaningful contribution every volunteer makes to our community.

This is a part-time, volunteer non paid role across 20 hours per week, on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays between the hours of 10am - 3pm. Please see attached.

Up to £20 per month of travel expenses will be covered.

Please apply to the volunteering email address attached, with a current CV and covering letter explaining your interest in this role. 

Hours: Variable – depending on individual circumstances and what people can do

Location: Variable – we are looking to extend our reach of peer support walks throughout Yorkshire

Main Tasks:

We appreciate any volunteering help that you can offer YBTC and want to make sure that our

volunteers have a positive experience with us. We pledge to support you as much as we can.

We want to ensure that volunteering with us does not feel too daunting, so the exact tasks might

vary depending on your circumstances. However, some typical tasks may include:

· Support our regular wellbeing/peer support walks

· Welcome participants and help them feel comfortable, fostering a friendly and inclusive atmosphere

· Encourage conversations among participants, offering a listening ear

· Be attentive to the well-being of all participants during the walk

· Offer information on YBTC services

· Attending occasional training sessions or volunteer meetings organised by YBTC

We are looking for people who are:

· Are warm and non-judgemental

· Reliability – are punctual and committed to scheduled walks

· Collaborative mindset to work effectively with staff and volunteers

· Basic physical fitness to complete the walks, awareness of the needs of participants with

different mobility/health conditions

We can offer you the following:

· Full induction and ongoing training

· Ongoing support and supervision in your role

· Opportunity to learn new skills and meet new people

· The satisfaction of making a positive impact on those affected by brain tumours

Background

Founded in 2003 and originally named Andrea’s Gift and later Brain Tumour Research and Support

Across Yorkshire, Yorkshire’s Brain Tumour Charity (YBTC) is Yorkshire and Humber’s leading

brain tumour charity. Offering practical, financial and emotional support to both adult and child

brain tumour patients, together with their families.

We fund brain tumour research in Yorkshire; we hope this research, dedicated to identifying new

approaches to the discovery and treatment of brain tumours will improve outcomes for patients.

At YBTC we are a small team who are growing to meet the needs of those affected by a brain

tumour in Yorkshire. Around 15 new cases of primary brain tumours are diagnosed in the region

every week.

Our charity values are: Integrity, Compassion, Community & Ambition.

Our Vision/Mission

To improve the lives of people impacted by a brain tumour in Yorkshire through local support and research.

The ethos of the Confidence Academy is very simple: Participants get their money back once they attend their selected fitness and wellbeing events. When you show up for your health, when you show up for yourself... your refund is your reward. 

The Confidence Academy exists to make the tools of confidence-building — through improved nutrition, better mental and physical fitness, and community support — accessible to all, particularly to struggling and marginalised communities who often feel invisible or left behind. Health inequality is one of the biggest injustice of them all that we don't talk about yet our health is the sole foundation of our existence. 

Who Created The Confidence Academy: The Academy is founded by a 37 year old refugee from Bangladesh, Rayhana Sultan. She is an ex-prisoner. This social enterprise was created after she was able to rebuild her life after prison, hospital detention and recovery through psychotherapy and a supportive community. She is now a finance manager working for the local government in the UK. Outside her day job, she is a model, a panel advisor for the charity Working Chance and now through the Confidence Academy, she wants other people to find the inspiration to turn their pain into power, stigma into strength. 

The inception of this CIC is driven by the fact that nearly 60% of the UK population in 2023/24 were reported as obese or overweight. This is a national crisis in a context where our healthcare system is overstretched, support for mental health is not on par which can be exacerbated by health-related problems and an ageing population is awaiting us. Growing old or not being able to afford the regular gym in an era should not mean fitness services are inaccessible to you. So we are here to change it. 

What's happening Next: We will begin rolling out weekend fitness and wellbeing activities shortly after New Year 2026, supported by online seminars, podcast-style discussions, and community “vox pop” features that amplify real voices and lived experiences around health, confidence, and inclusion. These activities will include group exercise sessions, nutrition and wellness education, mindset and resilience workshops, and confidence-building programmes designed to enhance both physical and mental wellbeing.

Purpose of the Role:
You will be the voice and bridge of The Confidence Academy — handling communications with councils, gyms, venues, and contractors. This role requires strong interpersonal skills, emotional intelligence, and a genuine passion for community wellbeing. You’ll work closely with other team members to bring creative and operational goals together.

Main Activities:

1. Communicate with local councils to secure community venues and spaces.

2. Contact gyms, instructors, and contractors to arrange hire of equipment and facilities.

3. Assist with email correspondence, partnership inquiries, and event logistics.

4. Maintain a contact log and follow up with potential partners or sponsors.

5. Work closely with other team members to align content and communication schedules.

6. Represent The Confidence Academy at community events or meetings where required.

7. Attend weekly team meetings (online or in-person depending on business needs).

8. Ensure all communication complies with GDPR and safeguarding principles.

Skills and Qualities:

1. Excellent communication and listening skills

2. Emotional intelligence and professionalism in dealing with partners

3. Organised, proactive, and dependable

4. Interest in fitness, health, and wellbeing

5. Comfortable speaking with local authorities, gyms, and community organisations

6. Willing to travel within London as needed

What you will get:

1. Induction and regular supervision with the Founder/Director

2. Informal guidance on partnership outreach, safeguarding, and data management

3. Informal training on health & safety and community engagement best practice

4. Office space may be provided for collaborative projects

5. Volunteering Certificate at the end of the completion of hours

6. Complimentary t-shirt/jacket and other freebies

7. Professional reference

8. Travel and meal expenses reimbursed up to £20

9. £50 in Amazon Gift Card when you help us deliver our first fitness session (our launch event) in the 2026 New Year

Equal Opportunities: 

The Confidence Academy is committed to inclusion under the Equality Act 2010. We welcome volunteers from all backgrounds and provide reasonable adjustments where needed.

Status: 

This is a voluntary role and does not create a contract of employment or entitlement to salary, benefits, or worker rights. Volunteers are free to withdraw at any time.

At Age UK Kensington & Chelsea, we believe that ageing should be about living well — staying connected, independent, and fulfilled at every stage of life.

We’re a vibrant, values-led local charity and proud partner of the Age UK network. Every day, we work alongside older people to design and deliver services that promote wellbeing, independence and dignity. From supporting people to manage their health, to tackling loneliness and influencing local policy, we put people and communities at the heart of everything we do.

We are a newly formed Fundraising department who are ambitious and innovative, we are seeking an enthusiastic volunteer to support us during this exciting period for the organisation. If this sounds like you, then get in touch!

Summary

Could you combine nursing skills, compassion and faith to offer care in body, mind and spirit?
Could you support people experiencing homelessness?

Detailed description

You could be part of our exciting pilot project as a volunteer Parish Nurse offering life-transforming whole-person healthcare, working alongside Chaplains, Complex Needs and Housing Support Workers.

 As a YMCA Parish Nurse you would:

• Help service users identify issues and self-manage their wellbeing so they flourish in body, mind and spirit. This might be 1:2:1 or in a group setting.
• Signpost, support, and provide information and reassurance enabling service users to access NHS and other professional or community support as well as internal support from YMCA colleagues and projects.
• Offer spiritual care from a Christian perspective, such as prayer or acts of worship
• Be instrumental in supporting the project develop in this pilot phase

Training for this role is provided by PNMUK as part of their on-going programme of support and personal development for Parish Nursing nationally. The next course is 15-17th November with follow-up online sessions.

This project is being developed and lead by One YMCA’s Chaplaincy Team, together with our Medium Complex Intensive Support Service (MCISS) and supported by Parish Nursing Ministries UK (PNMUK).

The Chaplaincy Team offer life-transforming spiritual care and pastoral support. For us Chaplaincy is about journeying with people, inspired by the life, example and teaching of Jesus. Our vision for Chaplaincy is to see even more of our service users and staff thriving through experiencing the love of God for themselves. Following a re-shaping of our work, Chaplaincy is now part of the newly formed Christian Mission team, which is at the heart of this growing charity. 

YMCA enables people to develop their full potential in mind, body and spirit. Inspired by and faithful to our Christian values, we create supportive, inclusive, and energising communities where young people can truly belong, contribute, and thrive.

What volunteers need�� Disclosure and Barring Service

What we will provide to volunteers

�� Reimbursement of costs�� Extra support

Are you passionate about young people and ensuring everyone has equitable access to opportunities? Do you have a vibrant energy and experience to bring to our families and children? Then we could be looking for you to join our team of volunteers supportung families and young people in the North Kensington community.

As we ease out of lockdown, we are looking for volunteers to help on day trips in and around London to support families in getting back to normality again.

Trips will include anything from horse riding through to the beach, farms and Kew Gardens. This is an opportunity to help families in our community while gaining experience of working with a small, friendly and supportive charity.

Volunteers will help the group leader to accompany groups of parents/guardians and their children on a variety of cultural/fun trips, helping to make them feel welcome. 

Suitable volunteers will be reliable and sociable and enjoy working with children. Volunteers must be available for day trips during school holidays, as this is when most of the trips take place.

Volunteers receive a full induction, and support from the Children and Young People Coordinator. Travel expenses on the outings and any entrance fees are covered, and some further expenses can also be claimed.

IMPORTANT: An enhanced DBS check is required for this role, and so we are unfortunately only able to accept applications from UK-based applicants or British nationals living abroad.

We are seeking at least two new Trustees to oversee our charity. We offer professional, confidential and affordable counselling to individuals in and around SW London. Our team come from local churches and operate within a Christian ethos.

We want to increase the strength of our Board - currently we are overseen by only three Trustees, due to recent departures, but want to increase this to our target of 5-6 trustees. As well as providing support to the team in delivering high quality and accessible counselling services and ensuring the Charity meets its financial responsibilities, we are looking for someone to contribute to strategic oversight and effective governance.

We are seeking someone who:

1) Is passionate about the value and importance of emotional and mental health and wellbeing

2) Has experience or insight in areas such as charity governance, strategic planning, finance

3) Is a committed Christian of any denomination

4) Is willing to dedicate time, wisdom and prayer (approx. 4 meetings a year, plus occasional input)

What impact will you have? 

Our new Trustees will bring complementary skills to our Board. Specifically, we are looking for people with insight into charity governance and development, strategic vision and financial oversight.

Our new Trustees will ensure that our charity is well-governed, that quality is maintained and that those who work in the charity are well-supported. They will ensure that we keep client well-being at the heart of all we do.

They will look at new opportunities for development of the Trust, particularly at how we move on from reliance on a small management team who work voluntarily to a more resilient management model. They will ensure that new opportunities are strategically reviewed and considered.

They will ensure that we remain financially viable and have a sound operating model.

What skills, experience and qualities should you have?

Our new Trustees will bring complementary skills to our Board. Specifically, we are looking for people with skills in one or several of three areas:

1. charity governance and leadership,

2. strategic planning, to take the Trust forward into a new era

3. finance, to ensure our financial management and forward planning is optimised to achieve the objectives of the charity

Our new Trustees will share our values, especially our belief in the value of high-quality counselling with good clinical governance for client benefit. Our Christian ethos underlies who we are and we expect our new Trustees to share that ethos and see good counselling as a way to live out our christian values in our community.

Lived experience of or clinical practice in the field of mental health would be welcomed to enable greater insight into our counselling work.

We are keen to maintain a diverse board that reflects our very diverse local community.

Are you looking to get involved in the local community or perhaps have an interest in mental health? Volunteering in our mental health services is a rewarding and varied opportunity for someone who is interested in working in this field. You will support by offering a listening ear and will offer individuals tailored mental health support, alongside our team of trained workers.

What you will be doing

• Organise and facilitate group sessions and activities alongside staff and service users
• Encourage participation and build confidence
• Support a safe, inclusive, and fun environment

The skills you need

• Friendly, reliable, and empathetic nature
• Good communication and listening skills
• Passion for mental health, wellbeing, and women’s empowerment

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.

The Opportunity

We are recruiting 3 lay Trustees! Do you bring skills and experience in communications, human resources or membership engagement? Would you like to use these at board level to shape a charity? We'd love you to join our Board of Trustees if so.

This is a fantastic opportunity to have a great impact on the UK’s mental health at the highest level!

Does this matter to you as much as it matters to us? Then a Trustee role with UKCP will give you the chance to support a cause with your professional skills.

Who is the UK Council for Psychotherapy?

UK Council for Psychotherapy is a leading organisation for psychotherapists and psychotherapeutic counsellors. We believe that psychotherapy can help us in profound ways. Solving immediate issues and transforming how we think, feel and behave is how we do this.

We offer professional support for our members here in the UK.  We are also the leading research, innovation and educational body. UKCP continue working to advance psychotherapies for the benefit of all.

What matters to us

We see first-hand the power of psychotherapy to improve lives. We speak up for the importance of psychotherapy in national and local policymaking. UKCP also represents the social value of psychotherapy in the UK today.

If you join us…

You will be a part of a committed Board who is doing more to reflect the communities we serve. This is an opportunity to shape the work and direction of UKCP. Help us achieve our vision of a world in which emotional and mental wellness is a human right.

Equality, diversity and inclusivity are felt throughout our values and the culture of our work practices. So, you’ll enjoy the rewards of helping us to be a voice of change where it’s needed.

Who we’re looking for

We are looking for three Trustees to join the UKCP Board, bringing any or a combination of the skills and experience listed below. All candidates will share our commitment to improving the UK’s mental health and understand the importance of high-level governance in achieving this.

We are particularly seeking:

• HR Trustee – Someone with proven experience and insight into human resources practices, people management, organisational culture, staff wellbeing, recruitment, and talent development.
• Communications Trustee – Someone with professional experience in communications, marketing, and/or public relations.
• Membership Engagement Trustee – Someone who can provide insight-led oversight of UKCP’s membership activities.

Please make sure you read our Candidate Information Pack before applying, as it contains important details about the role and our organisation.

Don’t think you quite meet all the specifications? Please don’t count yourself out. We’d still love to learn more about your interest in joining UK Council for Psychotherapy!

What’s next?

Eastside People is supporting UK Council of Psychotherapy in the recruitment of these roles. You can click here/follow the link to apply today.

The closing date for applications is Monday 5th January. Shortlisting interviews will take place shortly after. Shortlisted candidates will then have an interview with UKCP shortly after this.

We acknowledge every application. You’ll always hear from us after taking the time to apply - we look forward to hearing from you!

Youth Helpers work directly with young people in St John Ambulance Badger Setts and Cadet Units, by supporting our Youth Leaders to deliver a sessions across our range of programmes. In this role, you'll support the learning and development of young people into the next generation of health citizens. Youth Helpers also help young people develop their confidence, teamwork skills, self-discipline, and generally encourage them to strive to be the best they can be, as well as supervise and support other adult volunteers in their team.

You’ll get a huge sense of satisfaction and pride delivering an essential service. It’s great for you, great for your community and great for our nation, and it requires only a small commitment of your time. 

Pursuing the role

If you are successful you will need to undertake induction & training for role at these dates:

This group meet on a Wednesday evening.

• Welcome Event (Induction) - 11/11/2025

Closing date for these opportunities is: 30/01/2026

Volunteer with Stepping Stones Learning and Leisure

Stepping Stones is a small, friendly charity in Southwark providing inclusive activities for adults with learning disabilities. We believe everyone should have the chance to express themselves, connect with others, and take part in activities that bring joy, confidence, and new skills.

We’re currently looking for volunteers to support our sessions in:

• Art (Tuesday afternoons)
• Dance Fit (Thursday mornings and/or afternoons)
• Social Club (Thursday afternoons)
• Drama (Friday afternoons)

These weekly groups offer creative, social, and wellbeing-focused opportunities for our learners, led by experienced tutors in a relaxed, supportive setting.

All sessions take place at St Faith’s Centre, Red Post Hill, SE24 9JQ (close to North Dulwich and Herne Hill stations)

What You’ll Do

As a volunteer, you’ll be supporting adults with learning disabilities to participate fully in the sessions, connect with others, and enjoy meaningful activities. Your role might include:

• Setting up and packing away equipment and materials
• Welcoming students and their carers or support workers
• Offering encouragement and practical support in one-to-one or small group settings
• Helping tutors to deliver fun, engaging activities

All sessions are led by experienced tutors, and you’ll be part of a warm and supportive staff and volunteer team who are committed to inclusion, creativity and care.

What You’ll Gain

Volunteering with us is a chance to:

• Build experience working with adults with learning disabilities
• Gain hands on involvement in creative, wellbeing and social activities
• Be part of a welcoming and friendly team
• Develop your confidence, communication and teamwork skills
• Make a meaningful contribution to your local community
• Learn from people with diverse experiences 

Whether you’re exploring a career in social care or looking to give back and become a stronger link in your community, we’d love to hear from you.

Who We’re Looking For

You don’t need to be an expert! We’re looking for people with the right attitude, values, and willingness to support others. Even if you don’t have experience of working with adults with learning disabilities, the following qualities are especially helpful:

• Enthusiasm and positivity. Your energy can set the tone for the group. A cheerful presence helps create a welcoming and encouraging environment.
• Patience. Some learners may take time to engage or communicate. Patience helps build trust and ensures everyone feels supported.
• Reliable and punctual. Many of our learners value consistency and routine. Being dependable helps build rapport and ensures the session runs smoothly.
• Inclusive communication skills. You should feel confident listening carefully, offering clear instructions or encouragement, and adapting your communication to meet individual needs.
• Inclusive and non-judgemental. We welcome people from all walks of life. An open-minded approach helps every learner feel accepted and valued.
• Adaptable and flexible. Things don’t always go to plan. A calm, flexible approach helps maintain a relaxed and safe environment for our sessions to run.
• Ready to get stuck in! Many sessions involve art, music or movement. You don’t need to be an expert, but a willingness to join in and get involved makes a big difference.

Prior to volunteering, we ask all volunteers to:

• Attend an induction meeting
• Provide two references
• Complete a DBS check (we will arrange this)
• Commit to volunteering one session per week for 3 x 10 week terms throughout the year. For continuity for our service users, we ask that you commit to volunteer for a minimum of a year with us.

How to Apply

To apply, please send your CV and answer the following questions (these will come up when you hit "Apply"):

• What session(s) would you like to volunteer in?
• Why you would like to volunteer with Stepping Stones?
• What are the strongest attributes and values you feel you will bring to your volunteering role?

The ethos of the Confidence Academy is very simple: Participants get their money back once they attend their selected fitness and wellbeing events. When you show up for your health, when you show up for yourself... your refund is your reward. 

The Confidence Academy exists to make the tools of confidence-building — through improved nutrition, better mental and physical fitness, and community support — accessible to all, particularly to struggling and marginalised communities who often feel invisible or left behind. Health inequality is one of the biggest injustice of them all that we don't talk about yet our health is the sole foundation of our existence. 

Who Created The Confidence Academy: The Academy is founded by a 37 year old refugee from Bangladesh, Rayhana Sultan. She is an ex-prisoner. This social enterprise was created after she was able to rebuild her life after prison, hospital detention and recovery through psychotherapy and a supportive community. She is now a finance manager working for the local government in the UK. Outside her day job, she is a model, a panel advisor for the charity Working Chance and now through the Confidence Academy, she wants other people to find the inspiration to turn their pain into power, stigma into strength. 

The inception of this CIC is driven by the fact that nearly 60% of the UK population in 2023/24 were reported as obese or overweight. This is a national crisis in a context where our healthcare system is overstretched, support for mental health is not on par which can be exacerbated by health-related problems and an ageing population is awaiting us. Growing old or not being able to afford the regular gym in an era should not mean fitness services are inaccessible to you. So we are here to change it. 

What's happening Next: We will begin rolling out weekend fitness and wellbeing activities shortly after New Year 2026, supported by online seminars, podcast-style discussions, and community “vox pop” features that amplify real voices and lived experiences around health, confidence, and inclusion. These activities will include group exercise sessions, nutrition and wellness education, mindset and resilience workshops, and confidence-building programmes designed to enhance both physical and mental wellbeing.

Purpose of the Role: You will be the creative storyteller of The Confidence Academy — helping build our public presence and communicate our message visually. This role blends creativity, courage, and purpose, calling for someone who believes in the power of movement to transform confidence and community wellbeing.

Main Activities:

1. Set up and manage TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook accounts for The Confidence Academy.

2. Create engaging short-form videos, infographics, and other visual content.

3. Assist with building and maintaining the official website (experience of Wordpress and Tumblr is preferred but training will be provided).

4. Develop consistent branding and tone across all media.

5. Collaborate closely with other team members on communications, content scheduling and any reasonable tasks.

6. Attend weekly team meetings (online or in-person depending on business needs).

7. Travel to filming locations, community events, or fitness sessions where required.

8. Ensure all digital content complies with the Data Protection Act 2018 (UK GDPR) and that consent is obtained for participant images and stories.

Skills and Qualities:

1. Creative thinker with an eye for design, colour, and storytelling

2. Comfortable with video editing, social media tools, or simple graphic software (e.g. Canva, CapCut)

3. Passionate about fitness, health, and wellbeing

4. Reliable, organised, and confident working independently

5. Willing to travel within London for content creation and meetings

What you get in return:

1. Induction and ongoing supervision by the Founder/Director

2. Access to brand guidelines and creative templates

3. Informal training on safeguarding, data handling, and health & safety

4. Office space may be provided for collaborative projects

5. Volunteering Certificate at the end of the completion of hours

6. Complimentary t-shirt/jacket and other freebies

7. Professional reference

8. Travel and meal expenses reimbursed up to £20

9. £50 in Amazon Gift Card when you help us deliver our first fitness session (our launch event) in the 2026 New Year

Equal Opportunities: 

The Confidence Academy is committed to inclusion under the Equality Act 2010. We welcome volunteers from all backgrounds and provide reasonable adjustments where needed.

Status: 

This is a voluntary role and does not create a contract of employment or entitlement to salary, benefits, or worker rights. Volunteers are free to withdraw at any time.

Youth Helpers work directly with young people in St John Ambulance Badger Setts and Cadet Units, by supporting our Youth Leaders to deliver a sessions across our range of programmes. In this role, you'll support the learning and development of young people into the next generation of health citizens. Youth Helpers also help young people develop their confidence, teamwork skills, self-discipline, and generally encourage them to strive to be the best they can be, as well as supervise and support other adult volunteers in their team.

You’ll get a huge sense of satisfaction and pride delivering an essential service. It’s great for you, great for your community and great for our nation, and it requires only a small commitment of your time. 

Pursuing the role

If you are successful you will need to undertake induction & training for role at these dates:

This group meet on a Wednesday evening.

• Welcome Event (Induction) - 11/11/2025

Closing date for these opportunities is: 30/01/2026

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

Our Peer Mentors are at the forefront of our Youth Services delivery, tackling head on the issues that young people are facing everyday. As a Peer Mentor, you will engage with young people who reach out to Youth4Youth for support, taking time to coach and guide them through the difficulties that they are facing. This exciting opportunity, targeted at individuals who are between the ages of 16 and 25, provides young people with the space to directly impact and transform the lives of young people, significantly improving their overall wellbeing.

Ideal candidates are those who are able to commit to regular volunteering activity of at least 2 hours per week (on average) and who are able to comfortably communicate via written e-mail and other remote chat functionalities.

Responsibilities:

Your core responsibilities as a Peer Mentor at Youth4Youth include:

• Building strong, professional relationships with young people seeking mentoring support.
• Demonstrating commitment to the charity by regular volunteer engagement to maintain ongoing communication with young people (which includes responding to young people within an agreed and reasonable time frame).
• Providing light support, advice and guidance to young people in relation to the troubles that they are facing, in line with the resources provided to you by the charity.
• Maintaining professional boundaries with young people and not seeking to offer support beyond your capability that may put a young person at risk.
• Maintaining regular contact with your Youth4Youth supervisor, with the expectation that you will meet at least once per month for a supervision session that involves reflective practice and a focus on your development as a mentor.
• Providing support as part of our Peer Mentor network to colleagues across the Charity who are also directly supporting young people.
• Maintaining compliance with all policies. Most importantly this means maintaining the right level of confidentiality around your conversations with young people and recognising your safeguarding responsibilities in raising concerns as they arise to keep young people safe.

Peer Mentors are also actively encouraged to get involved in fundraising, outreach and social media activities where they feel comfortable and able to.

Skills 

• Strong written communication skills, such as being able to effectively compose a written e-mail in response to a young person.
• Ability to build strong, professional relationships and maintain trust between yourself and a young person, such as through active listening and adapting to the individual needs of different young people.
• Ability to demonstrate empathy to others.
• Ability to work in a challenging environment and recognise when you may need support yourself.
• Proficient in the use of IT tools, such as Microsoft Outlook.

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.

Skills development for you:

As a Peer Mentor at Youth4Youth, you will be required to take part and graduate our Youth Services Academy. This program requires an upfront commitment of 10 - 13 hours of training prior to taking on the role of communicating with young people. This investment in you not only equips you with the understanding of what it takes to be a successful peer mentor, and the skills that you will need, but also is an investment in you. This training will provide you with core soft skills that are transferrable to many opportunities, whether that's in everyday life for you, your education setting or your place of work. All Mentors graduating from the Youth Services Academy will be provided with an electronic certificate to demonstrate your successful completion of the program, which can be shared with potential employers.

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 Youth4Youth has on its direct beneficiaries

The hiring process:

Unlike other roles at Youth4Youth, the hiring process has been simplified for peer mentors, recognising the demographic of individuals that we are seeking to fill these positions. To put you at ease, the hiring process includes:

• An initial application, stating your reasons for wishing to become a Peer Mentor
• A remote interview conducted via Microsoft Teams

Successful candidates at this stage will be invited into the final stage of the recruitment process which includes:

• Satisfactory references being received (these do not need to be employment references)
• A satisfactory DBS check being received
• Successful completion of the Youth Services Academy