Criminal justice peer mentor volunteer volunteer roles
Do you want to join an organisation committed to addressing low literacy and numeracy?
Volunteers are essential to Shannon Trust and bring their energy, ideas and skills to train mentors in prisons, support learners in the community and enhance our business support team.
We are looking for volunteers to provide training and support to our mentors in prison. There may be some additional preparation and/ or administrative tasks in between volunteering days at the prison.
Our prison volunteers nurture the growth of the Shannon Trust in their prison. They help unlock the power of reading by delivering training sessions for prison mentors and offering ongoing advice, guidance and support through mentor meetings.
Volunteer recruitment dates
The closing date for applications to attend our next round of training is 3 May 2026. In some circumstances, volunteer vacancies may close early. Successful applicants will be sent interview questions in advance with notice to prepare. We will respond to all applications. Successful applicants will be invited to an interview between 4 May and 15 May 2026. This is an opportunity for you to meet our regional team, to find out more about you and for us to share more information about the volunteering role.
Training:
You'll be given high quality training to prepare you for volunteering with Shannon Trust. This takes place over 4 training sessions and via our online training portal. We ask that volunteers aim to complete the training in one course as this means that you will be ready to start actively volunteering. The next training sessions for volunteering for people applying to be a prison based volunteer will take place as follows.
Please check that you can attend all of the training the dates prior to applying:
-
27 May 2026, 10am – 1pm (via Zoom)
-
3 June 2026, 10am – 1pm (via Zoom)
-
10 June 2026, 10am – 1pm (via Zoom)
-
1 July 2026, 10am-4pm (in person session, London)
You’ll also receive the opportunity to attend ongoing training sessions and peer support meetings during your time as a volunteer to build your skills and experience.
Why we want you
Shannon Trust’s vision is of a future where everyone can experience the positive impact of learning. As a prison volunteer your role will be at the heart of our organisation as you support our mentors in prisons. This will include delivering training to new mentors and supporting existing mentors to develop and deliver our Turning Pages and Count Me In programmes. You will be volunteering alongside Shannon Trust facilitators and / or frontline prison staff to empower mentors and ensure no one is left out of learning.
What you will be doing
- Delivering initial, and ongoing, training to mentors in prisons
- Supporting and encouraging the Shannon Trust facilitator and mentors to attract new learners and expand the reach of the Shannon Trust programme
- Arranging and leading mentor meetings to develop mentors’ skills, share good practice and to provide support to mentors to find solutions to concerns
- Supporting facilitators to engage prison staff and people in prison to set-up, maintain and develop the Shannon Trust reading and numeracy programmes across the whole prison, and contributing to progress planning for how to progress and achieve this
- Using your skills to build positive relationships with frontline prison staff, people in prison and other organisations
- Training and supporting mentors to collect and submit data and learner feedback
- Supporting with the planning of, and attendance at, celebration events
- Collecting and sharing good news stories and feedback
- Attending area meetings and sharing good practice with other volunteers
- Engaging with quarterly reviews to receive support and discuss progress
- Acting as an ambassador for Shannon Trust in all that you do, sharing the vision and values of the charity throughout your volunteering
The skills you need
- A commitment to providing non-judgemental support to people in prison
- Able to give a regular, reliable commitment for ideally two years and have flexibility to visit the prison at times required
- Strong communication skills and are able to use these to inspire others
- Able to deliver engaging training and identify training and support needs for mentors
- Able to manage own time and prioritise
- Able to keep up to date with Shannon Trust news and communications and share relevant information with the wider prison team
- Able to use IT
What's in it for you
- Developing and growing your understanding of the HMPPS structure and prison system
- Reasonable, out of pocket, volunteering expenses are
- You will receive induction training and ongoing training to support and develop you in your role
- All volunteers receive ongoing support and quarterly reviews to enable you to gain the most from your volunteering experience
- We recognise and are grateful for the added value that volunteers bring to our organisation
- We provide flexible volunteering opportunities, subject to the requirements of your role
Disclaimer
In some circumstances, volunteer vacancies may close early.
Thank you!
Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as applications come in. They're ready to hire as soon as they find the right person. Don't miss your opportunity, apply now!
Homeless Health Peer Advocate - Salford
Aim of the role
As a Homeless Health Peer Advocate, you will form part of our team helping those experiencing homelessness to achieve better health outcomes.
Homeless Health Peer Advocacy is a pioneering model of advocacy style support. It aims to work towards an inclusive health system where everyone has access to the healthcare they need; ultimately moving people out of homelessness. We want to make it easy for people to access healthcare and improve their health. We know that Homeless Health Peer Advocacy creates a foundation for moving out of homelessness.
Suggested time commitment
Flexible – this volunteering opportunity will take place within our working hours, Monday-Friday: 9-5
Location
Home and Office (Manchester) and Community (Salford)
Supervised by
Ped Durling (Project Coordinator), Esther Baker (HHPA Peer Coordinator)
Main Tasks
This is a varied role, and you could do some or all the following activities:
- Arranging and committing to regular time each week to support clients to get help with their health needs.
- Acting as an advocate for the client, preparing for and supporting with appointments, results, letters and helping them to speak up for themselves.
- Updating your supervisor about calls to people experiencing homelessness and reporting any information/advice/guidance that has been requested
- Reporting any concerns about safety
- Providing feedback to help improve and develop the service
- Sometimes you may meet a client for a one-off appointment, or you might be working with a client over several weeks or months, depending upon their health needs.
Skills and Experience
Please note this role is ring-fenced for those with lived experiences or multiple disadvantages.
We are looking for:
- People with lived experience of homelessness or risk of homelessness (all forms e.g., rough sleeping, sofa surfing, hidden homelessness)
- Experience of multiple disadvantage: domestic abuse or sexual violence, experience of the criminal justice system, mental ill health, neurodivergence, substance misuse, barriers to accessing healthcare.
- Friendly with good listening skills
- Able to listen and respond to information provided
- A positive, can-do attitude
- Good timekeeping and reliability
- The ability to communicate clear information
Induction, Learning & Development
To enable you to take part in this opportunity Shelter will:
- Provide you with a Volunteer Handbook and all Policies and Procedures
- Provide training: including Equality & Diversity, Health & Safety, Data Protection, and Safeguarding
- Provide access to our suite of internal training programmes and other appropriate Shelter training
- Provide on the job induction
- Pay out-of-pocket expenses in line with Shelter’s volunteer expenses policy
What you will gain
- Experience in homeless health advocacy with a leading national charity working with people experiencing homelessness.
- The opportunity to use your lived experience of homelessness to help develop trusting relationships with other people experiencing homelessness.
- Access to progression support and reflective practice
- The opportunity to meet new people and be part of a team.
- Equipment, like a phone etc to help you in your role.
- References provided if required to potential employers if you are looking for work.
- Regular catchups with your supervisor and opportunity to reflect on your input and role
Next steps
Please complete an online application for this role. After you have applied, we will hold an informal recruitment conversation to discuss the role further.
Please note, you will be asked to declare any unspent convictions and complete a Criminal Record Check. Having a criminal record does not mean that you cannot volunteer with us. It may limit the different ways that you can get involved, but please contact us if you require more information.
If you would like any more information on the role or advice on how to apply, please contact us.
This is a voluntary position that supports the work of our services and is not replacing the work of a paid member of staff. This role profile does not form part of any contract of employment.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Thank you!
Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as applications come in. They're ready to hire as soon as they find the right person. Don't miss your opportunity, apply now!
Homeless Health Peer Advocate - Manchester
Aim of the role
As a Homeless Health Peer Advocate, you will form part of our team helping those experiencing homelessness to achieve better health outcomes.
Homeless Health Peer Advocacy is a pioneering model of advocacy style support. It aims to work towards an inclusive health system where everyone has access to the healthcare they need; ultimately moving people out of homelessness. We want to make it easy for people to access healthcare and improve their health. We know that Homeless Health Peer Advocacy creates a foundation for moving out of homelessness.
Suggested time commitment
Flexible – this volunteering opportunity will take place within our working hours, Monday-Friday: 9-5
Location
Home and Office (Manchester) and Community (Manchester)
Supervised by
Ped Durling (Project Coordinator), Lily Ozanne (HHPA Peer Coordinator)
Main Tasks
This is a varied role, and you could do some or all the following activities:
- Arranging and committing to regular time each week to support clients to get help with their health needs.
- Acting as an advocate for the client, preparing for and supporting with appointments, results, letters and helping them to speak up for themselves.
- Updating your supervisor about calls to people experiencing homelessness and reporting any information/advice/guidance that has been requested
- Reporting any concerns about safety
- Providing feedback to help improve and develop the service
- Sometimes you may meet a client for a one-off appointment, or you might be working with a client over several weeks or months, depending upon their health needs.
Skills and Experience
Please note this role is ring-fenced for those with lived experiences or multiple disadvantages.
We are looking for:
- People with lived experience of homelessness or risk of homelessness (all forms e.g., rough sleeping, sofa surfing, hidden homelessness)
- Experience of multiple disadvantage: domestic abuse or sexual violence, experience of the criminal justice system, mental ill health, neurodivergence, substance misuse, barriers to accessing healthcare.
- Friendly with good listening skills
- Able to listen and respond to information provided
- A positive, can-do attitude
- Good timekeeping and reliability
- The ability to communicate clear information
Induction, Learning & Development
To enable you to take part in this opportunity Shelter will:
- Provide you with a Volunteer Handbook and all Policies and Procedures
- Provide training: including Equality & Diversity, Health & Safety, Data Protection, and Safeguarding
- Provide access to our suite of internal training programmes and other appropriate Shelter training
- Provide on the job induction
- Pay out-of-pocket expenses in line with Shelter’s volunteer expenses policy
What you will gain
- Experience in homeless health advocacy with a leading national charity working with people experiencing homelessness.
- The opportunity to use your lived experience of homelessness to help develop trusting relationships with other people experiencing homelessness.
- Access to progression support and reflective practice
- The opportunity to meet new people and be part of a team.
- Equipment, like a phone etc to help you in your role.
- References provided if required to potential employers if you are looking for work.
- Regular catchups with your supervisor and opportunity to reflect on your input and role
Next steps
Please complete an online application for this role. After you have applied, we will hold an informal recruitment conversation to discuss the role further.
Please note, you will be asked to declare any unspent convictions and complete a Criminal Record Check. Having a criminal record does not mean that you cannot volunteer with us. It may limit the different ways that you can get involved, but please contact us if you require more information.
If you would like any more information on the role or advice on how to apply, please contact us.
This is a voluntary position that supports the work of our services and is not replacing the work of a paid member of staff. This role profile does not form part of any contract of employment.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Thank you!
Applications close at 9.a.m. Monday 23rd February 2026
Location: Home-based but with regular travel, including to periodic board meetings in London or other locations within the UK
This is an opportunity to chair a charity transforming lives by helping more people experience the positive impact of learning. You can help shape the future of this remarkable charity and lead the Board of Shannon Trust to broaden, deepen and mature what we deliver.
Who we are
Picture this: a person in prison who struggles with literacy and numeracy reads their first sentence, they write their first letter home to their children or completes their first numeracy task. They begin to imagine a future beyond the prison walls.
This is what happens when someone learns with Shannon Trust, and it happens thousands of times each year across prisons in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Currently, 65% of people in prison can’t read, or struggle to. Even more struggle with numeracy.
These are not just statistics; they represent people who have been locked out of opportunity, who struggle with daily tasks, such as helping their children with homework or filling out a job application. At Shannon Trust, we believe everyone deserves the chance to learn, and that literacy and numeracy skills help build the foundations upon which people can rebuild their lives.
Where we are now
Shannon Trust has experienced remarkable growth over recent years. We have gone from a team of twelve people to one hundred staff today, supported by a volunteer base that brings us close to 250 people working to change lives through learning. The core of what we do is one-to-one peer mentoring in prisons. In 2025 alone, more than 11,000 learners used our reading and numeracy programmes, with 2,000 new volunteer peer-mentors trained to support them. We work in around one hundred prisons across England, Wales and Northern Ireland, delivering our Turning Pages reading programme and Count Me In numeracy programme. We are increasing our reach into the community, too. This growth is the result of sustained focus, strong relationships with funders who believe in our work, and the proven impact of our peer-led learning model.
What we are looking for
We are looking for a Chair who is strongly motivated by our cause, with a genuine empathy for the people we serve and a commitment to the person-centred language and inclusive thinking which are woven into everything we do. You will bring an engaged and engaging leadership style, have resilience and a personal gravitas.
You will be someone who is comfortable with complexity as we shape our organisation for the next chapter of our development. You will understand the importance of process, culture, and effective operations as the means of delivering a successful strategy and sustaining an organisation.
You will be someone who can help us be better advocates whether that is supporting our Chief Executive to build relationships with policymakers, helping us think through how we position ourselves in the education and criminal justice landscape, or using your own networks to create opportunities for Shannon Trust to influence and inform. We need a Chair who sees advocacy as part of the role.
Most importantly, our new Chair must be a strong partner for our CEO, a mentor, challenger and support.
Please click 'Redirect to recruiter’ to be redirected to the Peridot Partners website, where you can find full details of the candidate profile and register your interest to apply.
Applications for this role close at 9.a.m. Monday 23rd February 2026
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