Mental health youth worker volunteer roles

We are looking for a volunteer youth worker who will work closely with the WFRC Youth coordinators in the planning and delivery of high-quality youth activities which are fun, safe, social and educational.

You will be helping to provide a safe and supportive environment where young people learn to;

→ treat themselves and others with kindness and respect

→ discover exciting new ideas and activities they are unlikely to experience anywhere else

→ laugh, learn, experiment, make mistakes and

thrive & grow into motivated, positive, resilient and caring citizens

Principal Responsibilities

→ Welcoming young people, ensuring everything is running smoothly and supporting young people in engaging with activities provided.

→ Delivering a drop-in / online session for example organising games, positive activities and conversations, taking accountability for security and safe working within the youth sessions

→ Supporting the delivery of creative and partnership projects

→ Having conversations with young people, identifying issues affecting them and how their needs can be met

→ Mentoring, coaching and supporting individuals, encouraging young people to develop their self-awareness, independence and individuality

→ Identifying where targeted youth support is needed and facilitate referrals and connections

→ Helping ensure that all evidence of projects are properly documented, and that work is evaluated and reported in accordance with contractual commitments

→ Keeping registers, writing evaluation reports and inputting data into our management information system

→ Taking part in outreach activities, both independently and in partnership with other services

→ Developing and building strong community relationships with external stakeholders i.e schools and colleges, and developing relationships with youth networks in Wolverhampton

→ Staying informed on legislation, local and national issues, and best practice in youth work

→ Ensuring child protection procedures are followed and that the safeguarding of young people is paramount

→ Carry out all duties in accordance with WFRC’s policies on Health and Safety, Child Protection and Data Protection, and with relevant legislation

→ Act as a role model for young people, inspiring them to engage in the services and understand and appreciate the role of youth work as a career opportunity

→ Any other duties appropriate to the post as directed by WFRC

You are

→ Friendly, cheerful, positive and self-driven, able to work independently and as part of a team

Education, qualifications or experience

→ Level 2 JNC or relevant youth work experience

→ Experience of working with children and/or young people in an online/ offline environment

→ Experience of organising small scale events or coordinating projects is desirable

Knowledge, skills and abilities

→ Excellent communication skills, with the ability to quickly establish positive relationships with young people and motivate them to participate in activities and events

→ Good organisational and administration skills with proficiency in Microsoft Office

→ Understanding and appreciation of the importance of monitoring and evaluation in a youth work setting

→ Politically and creatively aware and ‘plugged in’ to emerging youth subculture

→ Positive about embracing challenge and change, open to experimenting, new ideas, reflective practice and working with other organisations in a spirit of partnership

→ Ability to prioritise effectively and enjoy multitasking in a busy environment

→ A believer in strongly supportive environments, sharing and being open with colleagues

→ A working understanding of safeguarding children and young people and how to maintain appropriate professional boundaries

→ A working understanding of equality and diversity with the ability to challenge discriminatory behaviour

When children finish Year 6 in our primary programme, many of them don't want the music to stop. So we have started an evening youth club to keep it going. It runs in partnership with Youth Connect South West, and the Police Early Intervention Team back it because they see music as a practical tool against gang recruitment and knife crime. We need musicians or singers who want to teach instruments and support creative projects with young people in their community.

About the role

Orchestra of Everything Foundation (OOEF) delivers free, immersive music education to around 250 children aged 7–11 at two Bath primary schools in Twerton and Whiteway — nationally ranked deprived communities. Our impact is off the scale: school leaders tell us that 86% of children show improved attitudes to learning across all subjects, and we have been instrumental in a 39% reduction in pupil suspensions. Our work has caught the attention of the Department for Education, and Bath Spa University now incorporates our model into teacher training.

The youth club runs in partnership with Youth Connect South West and is endorsed by the Police Early Intervention Team and the Bath & North East Somerset Violence Reduction Partnership — who see music as a frontline tool against gang recruitment and knife crime.

As a Youth Club Music Leader you will draw on your musical skills to teach instruments, support group projects, and help young people develop creatively and socially. You will work in teams with other musicians and youth workers. Formal teaching qualifications are not required.

Note: this role is specifically for people who play an instrument or sing. If you are interested in a pastoral or support role at the youth club without a music requirement, please get in touch to ask about our Youth Club Support Volunteer role.

What you'll bring

• The ability to play an instrument or sing — any genre or style welcome

• Genuine warmth and consistency with young people, including those from complex backgrounds

• Musical credibility alongside the ability to connect with and earn the trust of young people

• Reliability — these young people need familiar, dependable adults in their lives

Time commitment

Most volunteers usually come in one evening per week or per fortnight — sessions run for 2 hours, but if you can only make part of that then we will work around your availability. Some come via community or employer rotas; others commit individually. We will work around your schedule and build the arrangement around what suits you.

What you'll get from it

• Deeply rewarding work in a community that genuinely needs what you can offer

• Skills in youth engagement, informal education and community music

• The chance to work alongside an experienced, passionate and supportive team

• Training, mentoring and references provided

• DBS check arranged and funded by OOEF 

The role of a Volunteer Therapeutic Community Caseworker at the Baobab Centre is to support unaccompanied asylum seeking and refugee adolescents and young adults to access care, basic rights and entitlements and to support their social development and rehabilitation. This role involves working closely with the clinical key worker of each young person and with our wider multidisciplinary team. As a Caseworker you will aim to empower individuals to build stable, independent lives in the UK, including by supporting them to communicate their views, needs and experiences in decision-making processes, and supporting them to make challenges when necessary. Caseworkers assist young people to make effective choices about what happens in their lives and encourage them to speak up and build agency.

Baobab aims to be a non-residential therapeutic community with a holistic and integrated perspective. As a Volunteer Caseworker, you will play a key role within our multidisciplinary team. We aim to be a thinking organisation and place a high value on shared thinking time and shared responsibilities. Our team work together with each other and with agencies and key individuals in young people’s lives, both within and outside of Baobab. A key aspect of the role is communicating with members of the clinical and admin staff team within the Baobab Centre and with other workers in the network around each young person including social workers, teachers, foster carers, lawyers, hospital consultants, housing and benefits workers. etc. You will strive to develop relationships across networks and advocate access to rights and entitlements for our community members.

It is critical that as a Caseworker: 

- You have an insight to the backgrounds and experiences of both the internal and external factors impacting on the lives of unaccompanied young people attending our centre and an understanding of the broader context in our society as it impacts on young asylum seekers (including invisibility, marginalisation, discrimination and the fact of waiting in uncertainty for a long time).

- You have an insight in how trauma and the many human rights violations and persecution that most members of our community have experienced impact on all aspects of a young person’s internal and external world.

- You have an insight in how current immigration rules and social care system procedures act as barriers to rehabilitation, including by restricting access to education, adequate benefits, housing and healthcare provision.

To guarantee stability of service this Volunteer Casework role asks for a minimum commitment of 2 days per week over 6 months minimum.

As a full member of our multidisciplinary team and our therapeutic community you would be expected to volunteer regular hours, with the understanding and appreciation that you give your time freely and that there is flexibility to review with your Baobab supporter.

Title: Day Care volunteer

Responsible to: Day Care Co-ordinator

Overall Purpose: To support the smooth running of day care sessions by helping create a warm, welcoming, and inclusive environment for all.

An exciting opportunity to work as part of this local charity, supporting vulnerable residents . 

·

Key responbilities

· Prepare and serve tea, coffee, and light refreshments.

· Greet guests warmly and engage in friendly conversation.

· Help create a welcoming and inclusive environment.

· Keep the kitchen and refreshment area clean, tidy, and well‑stocked.

· Wash up and maintain cleanliness of utensils and surfaces.

· Follow basic food hygiene and health & safety guidelines.

· Assist with setting up and packing away before and after sessions.

Skills and Knowledge

· Awareness of, or experience in, supporting adults with a range of care, support or health needs.

· Positive and welcoming interpersonal skills.

· Confident communication skills.

Attitude and Personal Qualities

 · Friendly, approachable, and reliable.

· Able to work well as part of a team.

A willingness to be flexible and perform varied tasks

Could you be a Get Out There Group Children's Community Support Worker?

We have an exciting new opportunity for you to join our us at our at Get Our There Group in Leicester, providing support to children between the ages of 6 and 18 with complex needs.

This is a Volunteering role, working on Saturdays. 

The ‘Get Out There’ Clubs provide support for children and young people who still live at home with their families.

Working to promote communication skills, life skills, mobility and access to the community.

As a Children's Community Support Worker, you will work at our Get Out There group in Leicester. We provide support for children who have a range of complex needs, including sensory loses and learning disabilities.

You will join a great team of Support Workers, working well together supporting each other and sharing ideas, providing a good support network for families.

As one of our volunteers, you’ll get:

• Full training with ongoing support and guidance from your team.
• A chance to meet new people.
• A great way to develop new skills and share your existing skills.
• The feeling you get knowing you’re making a difference to the lives of disabled people with complex needs.
• A reference to support future applications for paid or voluntary roles.
• Support from our Mental Health First Aiders, should you need it. 
• Reasonable volunteer expenses reimbursed in line with our volunteer expenses policy.

Our values:

Our values shape the way we behave and work alongside disabled people with complex needs to break down barriers. 

• We're creating change
• We're always learning
• We're better together

Basis Yorkshire is seeking a committed and values-driven individual to join our Board of Trustees as Treasurer. This is an opportunity to support a long-standing, specialist organisation working alongside sex workers and people experiencing sexual exploitation across Yorkshire.

Basis has over three decades of experience delivering trauma-informed, non-judgemental support, advocacy, outreach and education. We work with people across all sectors of the sex industry, as well as young people and adults at risk of or experiencing sexual exploitation. Our approach is rooted in dignity, agency, social justice and harm reduction, with the voices and experiences of the people we support at the centre of everything we do.

As Treasurer Trustee, you will play a key role in supporting the Board’s oversight of the charity’s financial health, sustainability and governance. While professional financial qualifications are not required, we are looking for someone who is confident in scrutinising financial information, asking constructive questions, and contributing to strategic decision-making.

We are particularly interested in individuals who share our commitment to challenging stigma and inequality, and who can bring thoughtful, independent judgment to Board discussions. Previous experience in the voluntary or community sector, safeguarding, or connections to strategic networks in Leeds would be welcomed.

Trustees are expected to attend quarterly Board meetings, contribute to working groups where possible, and engage with role-specific matters between meetings. An enhanced DBS check will be required and arranged by Basis.

We warmly encourage applications from people with diverse lived and professional experiences, particularly those currently underrepresented at the Board level.

Could you help bring moments of togetherness to families facing cancer? 

Families supported by Young Lives vs Cancer are going through some of the most challenging times of their lives. At Young Lives vs Cancer, we get that. We are a charity that helps children and young people (aged 0-24), and their families find the strength to face whatever cancer throws at them.  

As an Events Coordinator in the South West Social Work team, you will plan and coordinate a range of events throughout the year; working directly with the families we support and partner organisations. we hope to run events across the region including end‑of‑treatment celebration days, sibling days, festive events and bereavement support events 

What you give as a volunteer goes far beyond practical support; it’s reassurance, kindness, and hope at a time when it’s needed most. Your time and commitment can help make the cancer journey a little lighter and leave a lasting, positive impact on the families you support. 

What you’ll be doing 

We hope to carry out regular events across the whole region. Your help will be invaluable in achieving this. Your tasks will include: 

• Helping to organise, co-ordinate and run events. 

• Communication with invitees and organisations involved in the planning and facilitation of events. 

• Attendance of events as a welcoming presence; helping people feel comfortable, supported, and gently connected to one another. 

• Working alongside social workers as a valued member of the team and reporting back to your volunteer manager. 

About the Role

We are looking for a compassionate and reliable volunteer to support unpaid carers who may be experiencing financial hardship or other personal challenges. The role involves providing basic information and advice, signposting to appropriate services, and assisting clients with completing benefit application forms.

This is a rewarding opportunity for someone who enjoys helping others, has good communication skills, and wants to make a positive difference in the community.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide friendly and non-judgemental information and advice support 

• Assist clients to complete benefit application forms and related paperwork 

• Help individuals understand letters, forms, and official correspondence 

• Signpost or refer clients to appropriate services and agencies 

• Maintain accurate and confidential records 

• Offer practical support in a respectful and empathetic manner 

• Work alongside staff and other volunteers to support service users 

Skills and Qualities

• Good listening and communication skills 

• Patience, empathy, and understanding 

• Basic IT and literacy skills 

• Ability to maintain confidentiality and professional boundaries 

• Organised and reliable 

• Experience in advice work, including claiming benefits 

What We Offer

• Full induction and ongoing training 

• Support and supervision from experienced staff 

• A chance to make a real difference in people’s lives