Peer mentor volunteer roles in gloucester, gloucestershire

Do you enjoying talking with people and helping them based on your life experiences?

Are you able to volunteer a few hours a week?

Yes? We’d love to hear from you.

What is knus?

knus is the UK’s first free, confidential, mental health peer support and coaching online chat service. knus offers mental health educational plans, relaxation experiences and live workshops.

What does knus mean? 'hug' in Danish.

Here’s some further information on what’s needed:

Are you over 18 and living in the UK?

You must be over the 18 years of age and live permanently in the UK.

Do you have a laptop?

A laptop and a quiet space to volunteer is essential.

How much time can you give?

A minimum of 3+ hours per week is required. We are flexible and like to work around you.

Do you like to learn?

We provide training for all volunteers that join us. Our peer support training is CPD accredited.  20-25 hours of volunteering training is required and is self led online.

If you’re interested head over to our website and we can have a chat or apply here.

Please note - all successful volunteers are required to donate the cost price of £20.60 for an Enhanced DBS check.  If you've got a current Enhanced DBS on the update service, this cost will not apply.

You must be a UK resident to apply for this role.

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

The role of Software Tester is responsible for the testing of Youth4Youth’s technology solutions. The role involves communication with other Youth4Youth team members; creating test plans; creating test cases; running tests and analysing results to produce reports. The tester will be supporting a website and chat system.

Responsibilities 

• • Conduct functional, acceptance, end-to-end, and regression tests to ensure software quality and performance.
  • Collaborate cross-functionally with product design and development teams to develop comprehensive user experiences across mobile, web, and app platforms.
  • Regularly liaise with the wider team to ensure that test plans align with user requirements and core charity objectives.
  • Analyse test results and write detailed reports, communicating findings to both technical and non-technical audiences.
  • Identify areas for improvement and work proactively to enhance software functionality.
  • Stay up to date with technological innovations and new testing tools.

Skills 

• • Enthusiasm for learning about Youth4Youth’s users and processes.
  • Excellent problem-solving and communication skills to engage with team members and clients.
  • Strong written communication with attention to detail.
  • Design and spatial skills for usability assessment.
  • Adaptable mindset to handle changing tasks and technologies.
  • Willingness to stay updated with new software applications and techniques.
  • Familiarity with cloud platforms like Microsoft Azure and AWS.
  • Experience working with APIs.
  • Keen problem-solving and solution-building abilities.
  • Openness to learning new technologies.
  • Strong verbal and written communication.
  • Organisational skills to deliver tasks on time and manage effectively.
  • Collaborative experience and team support.
  • Proficient IT skills, especially with Microsoft applications.
  • Understanding of software engineering, programming, and development.
  • Experience with JavaScript, CSS, HTML, and frameworks like React and AngularJS.
  • Knowledge of continuous integration/delivery (CI/CD) and version control systems like Git.


 

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

Benefits of volunteering with Youth4Youth

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

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

The hiring process

Our hiring process typically has two stages 

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

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

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

About Us

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

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

Position Overview

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

• Leaders - Managers of the shift. There to ensure the shift runs as it should. They support and guide Volunteers through chats and follow safeguarding processes when an alert is raised. They escalate safeguarding alerts to the shift’s Designated Safeguarding Lead (a trained professional). They also complete a 'Shift Handover' document once the shift is completed.
• Mentors - There to support and guide Volunteers through chats. Will take over from the Leader if there are safeguarding issues that need the Leader's attention and/or if the Leader needs a break.

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

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

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

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

Who We Are Looking For

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

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

We are particularly interested in hearing from people who are available to run a shift on the following days/hours:

• Monday to Sunday, 5pm-7pm
• Thursday to Saturday, 7pm-10pm

Role Responsibilities

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

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

www.myblackdog.co

Fathercraft

We want to change the perceptions of male caring and fatherhood and support more partners to get involved because it creates value for everyone.

Supporting men to be equal and active parents from the start is key for gender equality. Research from Sweden suggests that every additional month of paternity leave taken by fathers increases the mother’s lifetime earnings by 6.7% (Johansson, 2010).

80% of the gender pay gap is attributed to the motherhood penalty (World Economic Forum, 2022)

The gender pay gap more than doubles for women over 40 (ONS, 2022)

Yet despite increasing willingness and interest in taking an active parenting role, in 2022, dads spent, on average, just 55 minutes per day with their children (ONS, 2023).

This is largely due to the fact that one in three working dads don’t feel comfortable talking to their employer about family commitments and/or are not adequately supported to be the best dads and partners they can be.

We have developed an affordable, comprehensive online platform called "Father's Ed" that provides guidance, support, wellbeing services and a community for new or expectant fathers. This includes peer support between dads, science-based online, digital well-being courses covering a range of strange and anxiety triggers, e. g. financial well-being, loneliness, insomnia, etc.). We are also working on providing mental health services for new fathers through partnerships.

Video Editor

Volunteer Role Description (remote, unpaid)

Craft stories that change perceptions. One frame at a time.

About Fathercraft UK

At Fathercraft UK, we believe dads matter - right from day one. Through Father’s Ed, our flagship learning platform, and a range of digital tools and content, we empower expectant and new fathers to take an active, confident role in family life. Our mission is simple but transformative: to shift the narrative on male caregiving and create a world where every father is supported to parent out loud.

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The Opportunity

We’re looking for a volunteer Video Editor with experience using Pictory to help us transform written and spoken content into engaging short-form videos for social platforms and our e-learning ecosystem.

You’ll take the lead in crafting high-impact visual narratives—turning blog articles, scripts, and voiceovers into snackable, scroll-stopping videos that educate, inspire, and provoke thought. This is a fully remote, part-time opportunity ideal for someone who wants to build their portfolio while contributing to a purpose-driven cause.

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What You’ll Do • Use Pictory’s Script-to-Video and Article-to-Video workflows to create engaging short videos. • Add visuals, music, voiceovers, and text overlays using Pictory’s built-in editing tools. • Edit and optimise videos for key platforms: Instagram Reels, LinkedIn, Facebook, and YouTube Shorts. • Repurpose long-form content into multiple short-form outputs, matched to platform-specific specs. • Collaborate with our content and social teams to ensure narrative clarity and brand consistency. • Ensure all assets are optimised for mobile-first consumption and accessibility.

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You Should Have • Hands-on experience using Pictory, particularly Script-to-Video, Article-to-Video, and Text-to-Video features. • A solid understanding of pacing, visual storytelling, and sound design. • Familiarity with video optimisation for social media platforms (duration, dimensions, captions, etc.). • A strong creative instinct with attention to tone, rhythm, and emotional impact. • Ability to follow a brief while suggesting creative enhancements. • Experience with voiceovers, stock visuals, or subtitle editing is a plus.

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What You’ll Gain • Experience working with a live audience and a fast-growing mission-led brand. • A portfolio of purpose-driven video content featured across multiple platforms. • The chance to make a meaningful impact through visual storytelling. • Full credit and recognition for your work across our channels. • Remote flexibility and creative autonomy.

Use your editing skills to inspire a new generation of dads. Let’s make fatherhood visible - together.

Weekly Time Commitment

4-6 hours per week

Duration of Volunteer Role (remote)

3-5 months

Since 2002, we’ve delivered a structured, high-impact, programme of mentoring, a paid internship, skills masterclasses, and workplace visits for young people from under-represented backgrounds.

Our programme empowers them with new-found skills, confidence, aspirations, and support networks, boosting their life outcomes. It also enables employers to engage with and shape future talent, adding value to their organisation, and make a positive difference in their local communities.

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Our values

Our people are committed and passionate about changing the lives of young people. Our organisational values underpin how we work and are at the core of everything we do.:

· Trust

· Bravery

· Collaboration

· Empowerment

· Inclusion

We have 40 colleagues across the UK, and strong collaboration across a remote working environment is critical to our success. We champion flexibility and wellbeing, and strive to be a positive place work, both in terms of our mission and our culture.

Our impact and growth

Across the UK in 2024 we supported 4,238 young people across our two programme cohorts, with 4,395 volunteers supporting them. We worked with 374 employers to provide mentors and summer internships in 2024 and have 194 school and college partners. 

Thanks to the support of our network, we’re able to have the following impact for young people:

· 99% of programme graduates go into higher education, apprenticeships or work

· 90% of students said they felt more confident than before the programme

· Career Ready alumni have a professional network twice the size of their non-programme peers

· 90% of students rated their career skills a strength following their paid internship

Following a challenging couple of years in the charity sector and wider economy, we have just closed the 2024/25 financial year in a more positive position. We are set to embark on a new 2025-30 strategy which focuses around 4 key pillars:

· Income sustainability

· Digital enablement and adoption

· UK programme alignment

· People & Culture

As some of our longstanding Trustees have recently retired, we are looking for individuals with skills and backgrounds that will help us excel our new strategic focus.

About the role

Role purpose

As a Trustee you will make a significant contribution to creating empowering opportunities for young people from under-represented backgrounds. 

The role of the Trustee is to ensure that Career Ready is carrying out its purpose, as set out in the Memorandum and Articles of Association, and that it complies with the law.

Trustees must always act in the best interests of Career Ready, with reasonable care and skill, whilst also ensuring it is accountable.  They must also ensure that Career Ready manages its’ resources effectively and sets the forward direction of the organisation.

Main responsibilities and accountabilities

· Ensuring that Career Ready functions within the legal and financial requirements of a Charitable Company

· Account for the work of Career Ready to Companies House, The Charity Commission, OSCR, funders

· Managing risks, protecting assets (reputation) and people 

· Ensuring that Career Ready strives to achieve best practice in all aspects of its work

· Determining the overall policy and direction of the Charity

· Fixing the annual budgets and approving accounts

· Recognising and dealing with conflicts of interest

· Appointing the Chief Executive Officer when required

· Agreeing strategic and work plans

· Collaborating with members of the senior management team in the development of strategic plans 

· Hearing membership appeals against the decisions of the Chief Executive Officer

· Ensuring that Career Ready maintains and complies with a policy of equal opportunities in respect of staff, members and stakeholders

· Act as a champion and ambassador for the work of Career Ready 

Person Specification

We are looking for 3-4 Trustees who have:

· A commitment to the mission of Career Ready

· An understanding of the legal duties, responsibilities and liabilities of Trusteeship

· Integrity

· Sound judgement

· Strategic vision

· A willingness to contribute ideas and challenge

· Willingness to actively participate in developing the senior leadership team through sharing of skills and expertise 

As part of this recruitment exercise, we aspire to have greater Trustee representation from the following sectors/areas of expertise:

· Digital/technology/systems

· Comms/marketing

· Fundraising

· Finance

· Government/Policy

· Operations

In addition, we welcome applications from individuals from underrepresented groups, to align with the diverse range of young people we serve, for example, lived experience of social mobility.

Commitment

At least four meetings per year plus AGM.  Usually held in person in London/other locations with opportunity to join remotely. 

Up to three-year initial term. 

Invitation to join Career Ready team at annual All-Colleague event. 

Encouraged to support and participate in Career Ready events.

Opportunities to join and influence other projects and governance committees.

Timetable

Applications close at 5pm on Thursday 31st July.

Please note that the closing date may be brought forward if we receive strong applications.