Mental Health Volunteer Roles in North West

Can you spare 3 hours or more a week to help us provide a confidential helpline for people with mild to moderate mental health problems, drug or alcohol problems? You will be part of a dynamic team of volunteers.

We answer calls predominantly from people in Surrey from 9 am to 7pm Monday to Friday:

• Providing listening and emotional support that is confidential.
• We are non judgemental and signpost to other agencies.
• Refer callers into treatment services.

No qualifications are needed as full training will be provided, but you will need a friendly and calm telephone manner with the ability to communicate effectively. We welcome volunteers from all backgrounds.

Our next training course is taking place online on 20th April and 27th April 2024.

Shift times are 9am to 12 noon, 12 to 3pm, 3 to 6pm and 6 to 7pmfts start at 9am). We require a minimum of one shift per fortnight. The Helpline is operated from your own home, at no cost to you.

Men Who Talk is a UK registered charity, running twice monthly online peer-to-peer support groups for men aged 18+ across the UK. The groups take places between 7:00 - 8:30pm during week nights.

Our groups are supportive spaces for men aged 18+ to come and talk openly about what's on their mind. All groups are free to attend and follow the evidence based model of peer support. 

Volunteers are required to be online from 6:45pm to 8:45pm, and are required to facilitate around 1 group per month. Volunteers are asked to commit to an a minimum of 6 months of volunteering in the initial stage. 

All groups are facilitated by 2 facilitators, and follow a semi-structured pattern.

We are looking for passionate men with some experience of groups facilitating or working in mental health settings to come join us as facilitators. Experience in using online platforms such as zoom is essential. 

A degree in psychology is preferred but not an essential requirement.

Why Join MWT? 

Men Who Talk is an exciting, fast growing charity, creating new spaces for men to talk openly about what's on their mind. 

We have a diverse team full of talented and passionate individuals who are committed to changing the face of mens mental health across the UK. 

As well as the opportunity to join the organisation at an exciting stage of it's development, volunteers also have the opportunity to develop their own skills and have regular chances to feed into the creative and strategic development of the organisation. 

PLEASE NOTE: We are only able to accept applications from individuals who already have the right to live and work in the UK. 

Could you help prevent loneliness and isolation for people living with BPD and become a befriender?

• Do you have 1-2 hours a week to give to a service user suffering from BPD and feeling isolated or lonely?
• Can you offer support, through a listening ear and be a positive influence in a service users life to help build self-esteem and confidence?
• Will you enable our service users to benefit from knowing someone is there to listen, be a friend, and check in on their wellbeing?

If you can answer ‘yes’ to these questions, then we would love to hear from you!

Key responsibilities

Your role will include, but is not restricted to the following tasks:

• Carry out weekly checks with the service users you are supporting, this may be over the telephone or via Teams.
• Engage the service user and help empower them
• Help service users to rediscover social skills and confidence by building up and maintaining a close relationship
• Keep accurate records of calls and sessions
• Report any concerns to the Volunteer Coordinator

Skills required

No qualifications or volunteering experience is required, but the following skills are essential:

• Be aged over 18
• Must have lived in UK for 2+ years
• A non-judgemental approach
• Good listening and communication skills
• Empathetic and compassionate
• Reliable and trustworthy
• Respect confidentiality
• Be able to work on own initiative
• Ability to build effective working relationships with service users
• A DBS check and 2 references are required for this role

What we offer

• a comprehensive induction program
• training on safeguarding, confidentiality, health and safety and other training relevant to the role
• ongoing support and supervision
• the chance to meet other volunteers and take part in volunteer events
• reimbursement of pre-agreed expenses

We have an exciting opportunity for someone with experience in social media to help create and deliver engaging and informative content across a range of platforms including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and LinkedIn.

The aim will be to highlight the life-changing services we provide to people with BPD, while encouraging prospective volunteers and supporters to get involved by fundraising or donating time.

What you will be doing

• researching and creating a range of content (text, images and videos) for different channels including Facebook, X/Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok and YouTube
• identifying opportunities to reach new audiences and raise our social profile
• engaging with followers and encouraging conversations
• running online campaigns
• promoting services, projects and volunteering opportunities

Who we are looking for

• experience of using, or a demonstrable passion for, social media including Facebook, X/Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok and YouTube
• strong communication/writing skills
• professional when communicating online
• basic photography or video skills would be a bonus but not essential (full training will be given on using Canva)

What you'll receive

• comprehensive induction and ongoing support
• the chance to be involved in our work and make a real difference to people in need
• valuable experience in social media, PR, marketing and communications

DASH is currently seeking to recruit a number of passionate individuals into the role of charity trustee!

DASH is a small local registered charity, launched in 2006, in response to a shared concern for the unmet needs of autistic adults living in Swindon. The purpose and determination was to help improve the quality of life of people affected by autism.

Our experienced staff offer information and advice concerning a variety of topics, including benefits, employment, health and wellbeing and finance. We are able to signpost to other appropriate services if necessary.

A post diagnosis ‘journey’ offers 1:1 and small group sessions, where through discussion, individuals are enabled to better understand their ‘own version’ of autism and how it affects them in their everyday life.

Our mission is to be an accessible charity at the heart of our community, supporting, encouraging and inspiring autistic adults.

As a trustee, you will take part in shaping and directing the charity. You will help to ensure that the work we do strategically and operationally meets the needs of those we support.

The role is voluntary, although we will pay all reasonable expenses.

We welcome applications from all individuals as we seek to broaden the diversity and skills of our trustees. Appointments will be made on merit alone.

We are particularly keen to recruit members of the community who have one or more of the following:

· Knowledge and/or experience of autism

· Expertise in Marketing or PR

· Expertise in Finance

· Experience in Health or Social Care

You will need to be able to commit to attending Board Meetings; currently these are held every two months, usually on a weekday evening between 6.00pm and 8.00pm, via Zoom. Typically, this requires a commitment of five to six hours per month.

If you are passionate about supporting individuals and organisations to provide vital services, then being a trustee can be extremely rewarding.

To find out more about joining the Board and to help you decide whether you feel you are able to commit to this role, please contact Co Chair of Trustees David Ahern.

The inspirational peer to peer mental health charity is looking for an experienced Chair of Trustees to help us increase our fundraising and service reach.

We are developing an ambitious ten year startegy to grow our reach, embed service excellence in mental health and have a strong financial base for operations.

If you are passionate about mental health and have experience in governance, we would be delighted to hear from you.

Interviews with the interim Chair and Chief Executive will be on a rolling basis, so please dont delay putting in an application. Please send us your CV and a short covering letter to apply

We are seeking passionate and empathetic individuals to join our team as a volunteer Been There mentor. In this online chat-based role, you will have the unique opportunity to make a positive impact on the lives of people struggling with body image issues.

In return, you have the chance to:

• Use your experience to benefit and support someone else
• Make a difference in someone’s life and contribute to changing the current epidemic of body image issues in our society
• Deepen your understanding and skill base with our in-house training course, partnered with The Body Image Treatment Clinic 
• Build your communication and interpersonal skills
• Gain confidence and leadership skills
• Share your personal experiences to help others in need
• Flexible working hours
• Attend virtual meetups with other mentors and experts for support and discussion opportunities
• Enjoy being part of the Been There community, and become part of Been There’s incredible journey.

Our requirements:

All mentors must have had personal experience with body image issues, and are now in a position where they feel able to support someone else through their own.

Alongside this, we need you to:

• be over 25 years of age
• be able to complete around 6-8 hours of online training and assessment 
• successfully undergo all necessary safeguarding checks including DBS and personal references
• agree to Been There’s confidentiality and privacy policy guidelines
• be able to commit to a minimum of six months volunteering with Been There
• have access to a quiet and private environment to complete your online training and deliver one-to-one mentoring sessions (for 1-3 hours per week).
• have a secure internet/data connection in order to access the Been There app

If you are interested in joining our amazing and growing family, then you can apply via our app.

You can contact us via our web page or any of our socials if you need more information.

Borderline Support UK CIC are a small non-profit organisation made up entirely of volunteers. We work to support people with borderline personality disorder through peer support groups, signposting, and more.

Lived experience isn’t necessary for this post, but it would be an advantage.

We are currently looking for enthusiastic and passionate Research Assistants who can dedicate a few hours a month to work on projects with Borderline Support UK. We aren’t looking for people with buckets of experience (although please apply if you do!), so no matter your experience we’d like to hear from you. The more Lived Experience voices we have on our team, the better!

Some of the projects we’re running at the moment are as follows:

• Under 18’s Resource Creation
• 18+ Resource Creation
• Social Media Content
• Support Services across the UK
• Lived Experience data collection

There will be scope to work on larger scale research projects in the future.

We are a volunteer-run organisation whose aim is to ensure that everybody impacted by borderline personality disorder is supported in their recovery. 

Peer support is about sharing your lived experience of mental health struggles with other people with the hope of providing, support, encouragement, and validation that you understand what they are going through, that they are not alone in their feelings and circumstance. We believe that peer support is an important part of the recovery journey, as it provides a space for support, shared understanding, helps reduce stigma and fosters motivation and hope. 

We run several online peer support groups each month for people living with borderline personality disorder and are seeking compassionate and empathetic people to co-facilitate the groups. All groups are facilitated by two peer support workers, and follow a semi-structured pattern. Our groups include:

• Women-only
• Men-only
• 18 to 25s
• LGBTQIA+
• Mixed
• Family

As a volunteer, you will receive comprehensive training, accessible online. We also provide ongoing supervision, support to ensure that you can effectively support others while prioritizing your own recovery. The training covers various areas such as peer support, communication, safeguarding, and facilitation skills.

Role description

• to co-facilitate a support group of 10-15 people on a fortnightly/monthly basis
• to provide support in a group peer support setting
• to share own experiences without taking away from the others persons current feelings and situation
• to use active listening and personal experiences to reassure and validate group members
• to enable and encourage service users to find out resources and local services
• to encourage wellbeing and recovery

Person specification

• Lived experience of mental health 
• Able to use own experiences openly while maintaining strong boundaries
• Access to a reliable internet connection, a computer with webcam, and a confidential space.
• Commitment to our aims and mission

Availability and Committment

We ask that you have availability 2-3 hours per month for a minimum of 6 months. Our groups are held on mid-week evenings and Sunday evenings. 

How to apply

Please submit a cover letter with your application, detailing your relevant experience. Please also indicate which specific group you are interested in co-facilitating if you have a preference. 

Diversity Statement

We are committed to building a team with a variety of backgrounds, skills and views. The more inclusive we are, the more people we can support. We welcome and encourage applications from all backgrounds. 

Please note that you must be a UK resident with the right to live and work in the UK. This role is subject to an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check

TRUSTEES REQUIRED!

At TOP UK we know how distressing and overwhelming OCD and phobias can be. Nearly 40 years of experience tells us that both conditions have a hugely negative impact on people’s lives. Fear and anxiety are incredibly unpleasant emotions and to frequently experience these emotions on a large scale is traumatic and debilitating. No one deserves that.

At TOP UK we also know that OCD and phobias are poorly understood, under-funded and stigmatised despite affecting millions of people. OCD and phobia sufferers often tell us how misunderstanding of their conditions leaves them feeling isolated, alone and afraid to seek help. At TOP UK, we believe no one should feel alone in facing their fears 

It is an exciting but testing time at TOP UK and we have just launched an ambitious three-year strategy. While we are eager to embark on this new stage of development for our organisation it comes with an acknowledgment that we are working in particularly uncertain and stressful times and there is a greater need to grow our service than ever before. Demand for our service is at an all-time high and continues to grow, currently dramatically outstripping our capacity. Mental health services are at breaking point leaving those with OCD and Phobias often finding it impossible to find help and dealing with debilitating conditions alone.

Meeting this demand will be a challenge, but it is a challenge we are ready and willing to push for but in order to grow and build our organisation we are keen to evolve, enhance and diversify our Board of Trustees

The role is open to those from the public, private and voluntary sectors. You should be someone with a genuine interest in mental health and we are ideally looking for individuals with any of the following experience: Charity Governance; IT & Digital;Marketing, Communications and Brand; Fundraising: Diversity and Inclusion. 

TOP UK also particularly welcomes applications from black and minority ethnic candidates and candidates from the LGBTQ+ community as they are currently under represented in our organisation.

 All board meetings are virtual and take place every other month.

For further details please click on the attached Trustee Application pack below. Application is by letter and CV, please click on the apply button to submit these.

HeadsOut Imago group: Trans, Non-Binary Support Group – Volunteer Co-Facilitator

Imago is a peer support group for trans, non-binary and non-cisgender people offering a safe, identity affirming space for support to improve their mental health, emotional and social well-being and through community connection. Imago aims to support members with shared struggles and challenges that they may commonly face as non-cis people, to help them find and celebrate genuine joy and self-confidence. It meets every Wednesday between 7pm and 8:30 pm, currently online via Microsoft Teams.

This role includes:

· Working alongside a member of the HeadsOut Team

· Co-facilitating the weekly group

· Contributing to planned activities

· Participating in training and reflective practice sessions

Person Specification

· Ability to commit to 6 months of 2 hours a week on Wednesdays from 6.45pm-8.45pm (for the session and a team debrief)

· Experience of supporting people who are experiencing mental distress

· Good active listening skills and empathic engagement

· A non-judgemental approach

· Willingness to take initiative and facilitate a group of diverse individuals

 

Mental Health Volunteers for elop’s HeadsOut Service

HeadsOut is a strengths-based crisis prevention, intervention and wellbeing LGBT+ support service.

Our aim is to enhance people’s wellbeing and functioning by focusing on their strengths and resources, reinforcing resilience and enhancing protective external factors, including creating safe spaces, community connection, a sense of belonging, empowerment and affirmation. 

By joining the HeadsOut Team you will:

· Support people who experience mental distress

· Make a positive contribution to the LGBT+ community

· Be given relevant training and support

Listening Volunteer - the Wren Project

Remote

Unpaid

Hours - 3 hour voluntary commitment per fortnight, flexible across the working week (shifts are available mornings, afternoons and evenings, Monday - Friday).

WHY WE NEED YOUR HELP

The Wren Project offers free, one-to-one listening support for people in distress as a result of their autoimmune disease diagnosis. The service we provide would not be possible without the commitment, empathy and support of our volunteers.

Volunteers at the Wren Project provide emotional listening support to people living with autoimmune disease (our Wrens). We offer a safe, non-judgmental space for Wrens to talk about how autoimmune disease is impacting their life, without giving advice or offering solutions. Volunteers hold and hear distress in each session and through regular, ongoing appointments, build rapport with Wrens.

Volunteers do not need to have any knowledge of experience of autoimmune disease. What we look for is warmth and empathy.

We are the only charity in the UK who provide support for all autoimmune diseases. Our vision is to build support and community for all four million people in the UK diagnosed with autoimmune disease.

WHAT VOLUNTEERING FOR US INVOLVES:

Application and training process:

• Send an application form via our website;

• Attend an online one-to-one interview to discuss why you want to volunteer with the Wren Project;

• We assess an applicant’s suitability for the role;

• If successful, applicants participate in a remote, 4-week training programme focusing on listening skills, holding and hearing distress and living with autoimmune disease;

• A final one-to-one assessment of readiness before being matched with a Wren.

The role:

• Join a regular fortnightly shift, whereby you will support two Wrens in two separate, one-to-one sessions of 50 minutes via telephone/video call/online.

• A self-reflective approach to learning and development supported by staff-led reflective practice sessions. Monthly attendance required for the initial six months.

• Attend three additional modules of skill-building training in the first 12 months;

• Access to ongoing support from other volunteers and the Operations team;

• Opportunities to support the charity in a variety of additional roles.

WHAT WE LOOK FOR IN VOLUNTEERS:

• A desire to support people in times of distress;

• An empathetic and understanding attitude;

• A commitment to offering ongoing support to Wrens and to reflect upon the experience;

• A quiet and private space to conduct appointments;

• Access to a computer, telephone and a reliable internet connection;

• Confidentiality, professionalism and reliability;

• The commitment to volunteer at the Wren Project for at least one year.

WHAT WE OFFER OUR VOLUNTEERS:

• Lifelong skills in deep listening;

• Extensive training in empathetic listening and supporting distress;

• An excellent opportunity to engage in ongoing personal reflection and development in a supportive charity environment;

• A self-reflective approach to learning and development;

• An insight into life with autoimmune disease.

We are excited to invite passionate and dedicated individuals to join us as Trustees and contribute to the establishment and development of our charity organisation. Our mission is to inspire humanity through education for change and growth, focusing on adulthood. If you are enthusiastic about shaping the future and making a meaningful impact, we want you on our team!

About believe-IN

At believe-IN, we are committed to being facilitators of change for individuals and organisations in transitions. Our mission is to provide lifelong educational services that empower adults to manage life changes effectively, fostering growth and preventing mental health declines. Grounded in humanistic principles, our values of Knowledge, Education, Leadership, Integrity, and Courage guide us in creating exceptional life outcomes for all.

We operate with a one-stop-shop concept, offering a variety of educational and training programs, activities, and initiatives to help individuals develop essential life skills, enhance personal development, and improve overall well-being during critical life changes.

Our Social Impact

Inspired by lifespan developmental psychology and human rights principles, believe-IN strives to create a brighter, more empowered future. We believe in providing a holistic and inclusive platform accessible to all, fostering a more harmonious and equitable society for everyone.

The Trustee Role

As a Trustee, you will be a key decision-maker, responsible for supporting the organisation's direction, values, and governance structure. Your dedication and leadership will be essential in shaping believe-IN's future. We are specifically seeking individuals for the following roles:

1) Treasurer:

 2) Fundraising Professional

 3) Community Development Professional

 4) Secretary

We are looking for individuals who bring energy, enthusiasm, and commitment to the role, broadening the diversity of thinking on our board.

Application Notes

Applications can be made by sending a conventional CV (2-page max) and a covering letter (2-page max) outlining your interest and suitability for the role.

Join us in creating a world where everyone believes in themselves and can make the life they wish and deserve happen!