Counselling volunteer roles in wellingborough, hampshire

Shout is the UK’s only free, confidential, 24/7 text messaging support service for anyone who is struggling to cope. When people text 'Shout' to 85258, they are connected to a Shout Volunteer for a text conversation. Our volunteers provide a safe space for people to share what's causing them distress, while showing warmth and compassion.

Tasks and Responsibilities

If your application is successful, you’ll be enrolled in a training group. New groups start every two weeks.

Shout Volunteers receive 25 hours of free training in communication, listening, managing and assessing risk, and problem solving. The training is self-paced and done online. You’ll learn how to bring people in distress to a place of calm and practice skills that will be useful to you throughout life.

As we are investing in you throughout your time with us, our hope is that you will complete the training in a timely manner and look at this as a longer term commitment. The experience you gain over time is valuable and our goal is to have volunteers commit to 200 hours on the platform, which can take up to two years to complete, as we ask you to take one 2-4 hour shift per week. 

Our Volunteer Training Support team is here to support you, answer any questions and provide feedback during training and throughout your time with Shout. You’ll be joining an incredibly supportive volunteer community and have access to the resources you need to do your role.

As a volunteer, you’ll be supporting people in distress, so it’s important we see the skills required to do that while you are in training. While most trainees complete the training and go on to volunteer, not everyone will pass the training. If this happens, there are other ways you can still support us.

Selection Criteria

A Shout Volunteer is kind and compassionate, a good listener, and has the ability to remain calm when supporting people in crisis. You will also:

• Understand the difference between being friendly and being a friend

• Be aware of your own mental health and wellbeing

• Be open-minded

• Be supportive

• Be reliable

• Be discreet and able to respect confidentiality at all times

• Be accepting and non-judgemental

• Be passionate about contributing some of your time to a cause such as Shout

• Adopt a growth mindset, and be willing to accept feedback

Requirements

• You must live in the United Kingdom or New Zealand while volunteering. 
• You must be over 18 years of age.
• You will need a reliable internet connection and a private place to take your shift.
• All of your volunteering must be done using a laptop or desktop computer and Google Chrome.

It’s worth spending time thinking about the nature of the role, and whether it’s right for you. We support all texters, regardless of race, religion, sexual identity or issue. You will need to be comfortable addressing topics frequently discussed with texters (suicide, self-harm, depression, etc.) without compromising your own mental health. 

Before you apply, please consider whether either of the following applies to you:

• Have you recently experienced grief, loss or change issue/s? For example; someone close to you has been ill or has died, you’ve lost your job, your relationship has ended.

• Is your current mental health and wellbeing in a place such that the stress and pressure of listening to the challenges of others would bring additional burden to you personally?

Benefits to Volunteers

The role is rewarding and can save lives. Shout Volunteers tell us they gain a sense of pride, satisfaction and purpose from taking conversations. They also tell us that their own wellbeing increases, they learn valuable skills and gain experience they can use at work and in their personal lives.

Volunteering can also be a great addition to your CV. You do not need to have any past experience in mental health to be a Shout Volunteer - we’ll provide you with all the training and support you need to do the role.

Application Process

You will need to create your account and fill in the application using a laptop or desktop computer and in a Google Chrome browser. This is a standard requirement for all of our systems at Shout, from the application through to the platform.

You should leave up to an hour to complete the form. As Shout is a text based service and we do not conduct in person interviews for our volunteer candidates what you write in your application and the strength of your references are how we get to know you. 

We appreciate when candidates take the time to write thoughtful, considered answers. We recommend you review your application with an eye toward things like spelling, grammar and punctuation. While some of our texters will occasionally reach out using more informal text speak, our volunteers respond in full sentences and double check their messages for accuracy before hitting send. 

Your application will be reviewed once we have received responses from both of your references. We ask for a personal reference and a professional reference. The personal reference can be a friend or colleague but the other must be someone who knows you professionally or has supervised you in some way. 

This could be a manager or supervisor from where you work or a teacher or educator from where you study. We recommend you choose references who are able to speak to your ability to fulfil the selection criteria outlined above.

We do not accept references from family members. This includes your partner or their relatives, your children, siblings, aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents or godparents. 

Please allow up to a month for us to review your application and return a decision. 

If your application is approved, you can book your place on training. Training groups usually start every two weeks and spaces are available to book a couple of months ahead. While you are in training and before you are allowed on the platform we will carry out a background check.

Join the Catholic Diocese of Portsmouth as a Safeguarding Committee Member

We are seeking skilled and experienced professionals who are passionate and committed to the safeguarding of children and vulnerable people, to contribute to the work of the Safeguarding Committee for the Diocese of Portsmouth.

Time Commitment

The Safeguarding Committee meets 5 times a year with a mix of ‘online’ and in person meetings. Members are required to attend a minimum of 3 meetings a year.

About the Catholic Diocese of Portsmouth and Safer Recruitment

Portsmouth Diocese adheres to the Catholic Safeguarding Standards Agency safer recruitment policy and procedure. Protecting people and safeguarding is a priority.

As a Diocese, we work in accordance with the eight national safeguarding standards and are a regulated affiliate with the Catholic Safeguarding Standards Agency (CSSA).  As part of our regulatory agreement, we are subject of independent audit and review. 

We are governed by the Bishop of Portsmouth, Bishop Philip Egan. We belong to the One, Holy, Catholic Church, which is led by the Bishop of Rome, Pope Leo.

Our Diocese is spread across five counties on England’s South Coast, and the Channel Islands. We are the local Church for the whole of Hampshire, Berkshire, the Isle of Wight, Jersey, and the Bailiwick of Guernsey as well as the Southern Part of Oxfordshire and the Eastern part of Dorset.

We are made up of 87 Parishes in 24 Pastoral Areas, for a total of 136 Churches. We have 115 priests, 40 Deacons, 35 houses of religious brothers and sisters, and a Catholic population of more than a quarter of a million.

We belong to the province of Southwark, which covers the whole south coast from Kent to Cornwall. Our Metropolitan is the Archbishop of Southwark. Our province also includes the Archdiocese of Southwark, the Diocese of Arundel and Brighton, and the Diocese of Plymouth.

Role Profile and Person Specification

You will have a role in providing scrutiny and oversight on the work of the Diocesan safeguarding office, ensuring the arrangements are appropriate, continuously evaluated and developed.  Accordingly, you will be required to demonstrate skills and experience in the field of safeguarding, whilst being sympathetic to the values and teachings of the Catholic Church.

For more information, please refer to the attached Role Profile and Person Specification: Safeguarding Committee Member.

Safer Recruitment

Please refer to the attached Catholic Safeguarding Standards Agency: Safer Recruitment Policy.

More Information

To arrange an informal chat with a member of the Diocese Safeguarding Team, or for more information about the role. Please find our contact details on the attached Role Profile and Person Specification: Safeguarding Committee Member document.

How to Apply

If you are ready to embark on a rewarding journey and contribute to the work of the Safeguarding Committee for the Diocese of Portsmouth, we would love to hear from you.

Please provide a CV and covering letter, detailing your relevant experience and why you are interested in this role. Please apply via Charity Jobs, or apply direct to the Diocese of Portsmouth, contact details stated on the Role Profile and Person Specification document.

Your application will be reviewed and shortlisted candidates will be invited to an informal meeting with a member of the Diocese Safeguarding Team, to have the opportunity to find out more about the role and to discuss your application further.

Applications Close: Sunday 31st August at 11pm

Romsey charity looking for volunteer Trustees – do you have some time to spare to support this long-established and well-known local cancer support charity?

Romsey Cancer Support Centre (Jane Scarth House and Jane’s Charity Shop) is looking to appoint two Trustees. Applications from people with experience in finance and fundraising are specifically welcomed. We would be looking for someone to start as soon as convenient and to serve for an initial term of 3 years.

All the information about our charity and what is involved in being a Trustee with us can be found in our Information Pack. 

If you are interested, have questions or would like to know a bit more about what is involved then please contact Bridget Brook by email giving your email and phone number and we will arrange to have a call or meet up.

This recruitment round does not have a closing date and we will be interviewing and appointing as we receive applications.

The Coroners' Courts Support Service (CCSS) is a registered Charity whose trained volunteers give emotional and practical support to bereaved families and other witnesses attending an inquest.

We need volunteers to provide emotional support and practical help to bereaved families, witnesses and others attending Inquests at Coroners' Court. Our volunteers at court also provide help and assistance to the Coroners' Officers, as and when required.

We are looking for reliable, supportive people with excellent communication skills. A mature and calm attitude is needed in order to be able to talk to people during a sometimes bewildering and emotional experience. Volunteers must be willing to undergo a period of observations and shadowing, as well as attend a 3 day training course. A minimum commitment of one day (9:00am - 5:00pm) per fortnight is asked for. Training and mentoring is provided and travel expenses to the court are reimbursed.

New volunteers should possess good communication and listening skills and the ability to empathise with people they support.

This is an opportunity to become Chair of a Charity which has recently celebrated its 10th anniversary. If you are someone who is looking to make a “real difference” for mothers/birthing people and their families facing one of the most challenging and unexpected periods of their lives, then we would like to hear from you.  We are also looking for a Chair who can lead and “harness” the range of skills present within our existing Board members, who come with a range of experience.

Now into our second decade as a charity, it is exciting time to join Mummy’s Star as the Chairperson. We have broadened the conversation about cancer and pregnancy nationwide, and internationally too despite our small stature. We now must sustain what we have built and help take the charity to that next level where we can elevate the voices of those we support, so that their needs are not only understood, but are also prioritised and used to inform policy and planning.

Become a Trustee at The Chiltern Centre and help shape the future for young adults with disabilities
Location: Henley-on-Thames (Oxfordshire) – Board meetings typically in person, some remote options available
Remuneration: Voluntary (expenses reimbursed)
Time commitment: Approximately 4–6 board meetings per year + ad hoc support
Deadline: Rolling applications – apply early to express interest

Are you passionate about making a difference? We’re looking for two new Trustees to join the Board of The Chiltern Centre as we enter an exciting new chapter in our journey.

About Us

The Chiltern Centre is a well-known and much-loved charity in Henley-on-Thames, supporting young adults with disabilities to live life to the fullest.

As we celebrate 21 years of impact, we’re preparing for our most ambitious project yet. With demand growing and a long waiting list, we’re expanding. We’ve been generously gifted an acre of land at Highlands Park, where we’ll build a new purpose-built facility designed specifically for young adults.

Why Join Us?

As a Trustee, you’ll play a vital role in helping us grow sustainably and responsibly. You’ll provide guidance, oversight, and support to our dedicated Senior Leadership team, helping to shape the future of The Chiltern Centre and the lives of the people we support.

This is a voluntary position, but the personal reward is significant—you’ll be part of a passionate, dynamic team driving real, lasting change.

We’re Looking For:

We welcome applicants from a wide range of backgrounds, however, we are particularly interested in people with the following experience:

• Legal Expertise
  A qualified solicitor with general legal experience who can provide guidance on the kinds of issues small, people-focused charities typically face.
• Building or Project Management
  Someone with experience in building procurement, or large project management—skills that will help us successfully deliver our new facility over the next 5 years.

Join us in shaping a brighter, more inclusive future.