Volunteer roles

Recruitment blurb

The Vavengers is looking to expand its Board of Trustees.  We are The Vavengers. We are a women and survivor-led movement working to end FGM and intersecting Violence Against Women and Girls. We campaign, convene and connect to end Gender-Based Violence.

As a led by and for movement, we encourage female candidates and candidates who have lived experience of Gender-Based Violence, migration, war and poverty to join our movement. 

The Vavengers is a proud Living Wage Employer, Certified Halo Workplace and member of the Sunflower Network for Hidden Disabilities.

The Vavengers Board

As Trustee terms come to an end, we are seeking a number of new Board members. We are a small charity, and our Board provides a vital role in supporting the CEO, including providing specialist expertise in areas such as fundraising, Human Resources, charity/donor finance, events and volunteer management. We are also seeking specific Legal, Treasurer and Co-Chair roles (see below).      

All Trustee Candidates must have 

• Personal integrity, sound judgement and a commitment to robust governance

• Excellent communication skills and the ability to build positive, collaborative relationships

• A leadership style that reflects empathy, accountability and the values of The Vavengers, which underpin everything we do

• Strong commitment to social and racial justice, gender equality and ending all forms of Gender-Based Violence 

In return, we will provide you with a comprehensive induction and the opportunity to work with an extraordinary team of staff, ambassadors and volunteers, to gain experience in a governance role and to contribute towards the goal of ending FGM and intersecting violence everywhere. 

Time commitment:  As a Trustee, you will commit to attending 4 Board meetings per year and providing ad hoc support if required between meetings. You will leverage your professional networks to support the goals of the charity. 

The Vavengers Co-Chair designate

The Vavengers has recently transitioned to a Co-Chair approach to better support our small but dedicated team, and in recognition of the heightened risk of isolation and burnout in small charities. This dual-leadership model allows the Co-Chairs to prioritise staff well-being and offer more robust, active support to The Vavengers staff.  Our Co-Chairs and CEOs work as close partners, using frequent, informal check-ins to ensure rapid decision-making and a collaborative culture.

One of our Co-Chairs will step down in the coming months; therefore, The Vavengers is seeking a new Trustee to join the Board and step into the Co-Chair role.  A full handover will be provided.

The Co-Chair will:

• Co-led the Board of Trustees, planning and chairing meetings, setting agendas and ensuring all trustees contribute to effective and inclusive decision-making

• Ensure the Board meets the highest standards of governance and compliance in line with charity law and Charity Commission requirements.

• Lead the board in setting the charity’s strategic direction and monitoring implementation of The Vavengers ' 3-year strategic plan, which was launched in July 2025

• Support the CEO, acting as a critical friend and leading the CEO’s annual appraisal process.

• Oversee Trustee recruitment and ensure Board effectiveness through regular performance review.s

• Represent the charity in external forums, as directed by the CEO

The ideal candidate will bring integrity, diplomacy and emotional intelligence to this Co-Chair role.  They will have previous Board experience, ideally as a Chair or Vice-Chair and a strong understanding of charity governance and the distinction between governance and operational management.  They will have a proven ability to build strong relationships with the CEO, fellow trustees, staff, volunteers and external stakeholders.  They should have experience in navigating risk and uncertainty at the organisational and sector level.  They must be committed to building an open, collegiate co-leadership relationship with their Co-Chair.

Time commitment:  The role involves working with your Co-Chair and CEO to prepare and deliver 4 Board meetings per year, regular check-ins with the CEO, routine check-ins with Trustees, a strong partnership and open communication with your Co-Chair to divide tasks and ensure The Vavengers team is supported.  One Board meeting per year will be in person.  All other Board meetings will be via Google Meet. 

The Vavengers Treasurer

We are seeking a Treasurer to join the Board and oversee financial governance. The Treasurer will:

• Provide strategic financial support to the CEO

• Establish and chair a new Audit and Risk sub-committee

• Monitor financial performance, ensuring appropriate controls and compliance are in place and advising on risk.

The ideal candidate will be a senior finance professional with strong experience in governance, audit and risk. Candidates should be comfortable operating at the Board level, providing constructive challenge and communicating financial information clearly to non-financial colleagues. Knowledge of charity finance and the SORP would be an advantage, but is not essential.  

A full handover will be provided by our current Treasurer, who is stepping down in the summer. 

Time commitment:  The role involves Board meetings 4 times per year, Finance Committee meetings 4 times per year and some ad hoc support between meetings.  One Board meeting per year will be in person.  All other Board meetings will be via Google Meet. 

The Vavengers, Legal Trustee

We are seeking a legal trustee for the Vavengers Board.  The legal trustee will already have or will be willing to develop a strong understanding of charity governance and will be eager to grow and amplify the charity’s significant public advocacy work.   

The right candidate would bring professional legal experience from one or more areas relevant to our work, which may include human rights, immigration and asylum, media and communication, employment and equality, defamation, risk management, compliance and data protection.  Experience in charity law and governance would be an advantage, but is not essential.

A full handover will be provided by our current Legal Trustee, who is stepping down in the summer. 

Time commitment:  The role involves Board meetings 4 times per year, with additional meetings should the Trustee join one of the charity’s committees.  Some ad hoc support may be required between meetings.  One Board meeting per year will be in person.  All other Board meetings will be via Google Meet. 

To apply

To apply, please send your CV and a covering letter which answers the following questions:

• Why do you want to become a Trustee of The Vavengers

• What expertise and experience will you bring to the Vavengers Board

You can read full job descriptions at our website under get involved - join our board of trustees.

—

"When women and girls rise, we all thrive."

The Vavengers is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) in England and Wales | Registration number: 1184202 | The Vavengers Headquarters: 59-60 Cornhill House, First Floor, London EC3V 3PD United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

Chair
 

Our client is a long‑established UK charity providing specialist psychoanalytic understanding, treatment of and research into Adolescent Mental Health. With a strong clinical heritage and a deep commitment to addressing social and economic inequality, they support young people experiencing complex and enduring mental health challenges.

We are now seeking a new Chair of the Board of Trustees to lead the organisation through its next phase of development, as the current Chair comes to the end of their term.

This role is unremunerated, with travel expenses paid 
Time commitment: 1 to 2 days per month (hybrid)
Location: Brent, North West London

About us

Founded in 1967 by a group of pioneering, internationally renowned psychoanalysts, the organisation was established with a clear purpose: to transform mental health support for adolescents during the critical transition to adulthood, and to tackle the significant health inequalities that exclude many vulnerable young people from accessing the help they need. 

We achieve this by providing age-specific, timely and effective psychoanalytic psychotherapies and practical support to at-risk young people struggling with serious mental health issues like anxiety, depression, self-harm, suicidal thoughts, and disordered eating.

We have developed a clinical model that puts adolescent needs and development at its core. Our unique approach maximises engagement and achieves deep-rooted and long-lasting change. With nearly six decades of experience, we have evidenced that this model works.

The role

The Chair will provide strategic leadership to the Board of Trustees, ensuring that the organisation is well governed, financially sustainable and delivering its mission with integrity and impact. Working closely with the Chief Executive, the Chair will help shape and steward the Centre’s long‑term vision, strengthen Board effectiveness, and support the organisation to respond confidently to a changing mental health landscape.

This is a governance leadership role that also carries an important external dimension. The Chair will act as an ambassador for the organisation, helping to raise its profile, build relationships and champion the value of psychoanalytic approaches to improving young people’s mental health.

About you

We are seeking an inspiring and committed individual with the time and capacity to engage fully in this role. The successful candidate will bring:

• Significant senior leadership experience in a business, charitable, healthcare or public sector setting
• Demonstrable Board‑level experience, with a strong understanding of governance and trustee responsibilities
• Financial acumen and experience overseeing organisational sustainability and risk
• Strategic insight and the ability to support and challenge executive leadership constructively
• Credibility and confidence to act as an ambassador and external advocate
• A strong commitment to safeguarding, equality, diversity, inclusion and wellbeing

Experience of the mental health sector, or familiarity with psychoanalytic approaches, would be welcome but is not essential. We value curiosity, sound judgement and strong alignment with the organisation’s mission and values.

How to Apply 
 
To express your interest in the role, please contact Jane Ray and Erica Ritchie at Prospectus. 
  
Please ensure that you have included a telephone number, as well as any dates when you will not be available or might have difficulty with the recruitment timetable.  
  
If you wish to apply using an alternative format, please contact Prospectus.
  
At Prospectus we believe passionately that a truly inclusive workplace leads to increased social impact. We are committed to supporting our clients to build more inclusive teams. To understand how we are performing, we ask that you kindly complete the brief equal opportunities questionnaire when you submit your application via our website. Please be assured that your responses are kept confidential, separate from your candidate record, are not part of any application you make, and that the consultants never see individual responses to the questionnaire. 
 
Recruitment Timetable 
Deadline for applications: 21st June (midnight) 
Interviews with Prospectus: Online 29th & 30th June 
Interviews with the organisation, online 7th / 8th July (evening)

Second stage Interviews with the organisation, in person: Monday 13th & Wednesday 15th July (evening)

Apply to join the DISC founding pilot program - Becuase your safeguarding team needs better intelligence

We support safeguarding teams to identify emerging online harms, social media threats and exploitation risks through digital threat intelligence.

DISC is looking for safeguarding professionals who already understand the challenges they face and want real analytical support to help protect children and young people. Through practical intelligence, early warning insight and a direct voice in shaping a new national digital threat intelligence professional network, founding members will help strengthen how safeguarding teams respond to fast moving online risks.

• < Direct Access > to practical tools designed by PhD Crime Science researchers for safeguarding professionals, including platform risk tracking, trend monitoring, URL checks, username analysis and safeguarding intelligence resources.

We are now inviting a small group of founding members to join the DISC pilot project. This is a voluntary, free pilot opportunity designed for designated Safeguarding Leads, Deputy DSLs, safeguarding governors, other professionals working directly in child protection or safeguarding.

We are particularly keen to hear from safeguarding professionals who are dealing with the realities of online risk in schools, youth settings, charities, academies, trusts or community organisations. You do not need to be a technical or digital expert. What matters is your safeguarding experience, your understanding of children and young people, and your willingness to help build something useful, ethical and thats genuinely crime prevention focused.

As a founding member, you will receive access to DISC pilot services and help shape what the service becomes. Your experience, feedback and professional judgement will directly influence the tools, briefings and intelligence support we develop for safeguarding teams across the UK.

Digital Intelligence & Safeguarding Centre started as a UCL, University of London based social venture supporting schools, charities and youth organisations with digital safeguarding intelligence. We help safeguarding teams make sense of online harms, social media risks, harmful trends, platform threats, online offenders and emerging digital behaviours that may affect children and young people.

This pilot is about partnership and community. DISC resources are designed to support, not replace, existing safeguarding policies, DSL decision, making or statutory responsibilities. Final safeguarding decisions remain with your organisation. Our role is to strengthen your awareness, improve your access to digital threat intelligence and help you respond earlier to emerging online risks.

This is a founding member opportunity! Participation is voluntary, free of charge and there is no obligation to continue after the pilot. Founding members will be recognised as early adopters and expert contributors to the DISC intelligence network and will have a direct say in how the service develops. If you are a safeguarding professional who wants better intelligence on online harms, stronger support for digital safeguarding decisions and the chance to help shape a new crime prevention focused service, we would be very pleased to hear from you.

During the pilot, founding members will receive:

• Weekly Threat Briefing on online risks, social media harms, and digital safeguarding trends
• Access to our crime analyst’s intelligence reports, platform alerts and threat assessments
• The opportunity to submit digital safeguarding tasking requests to the DISC Threat Desk
• Beta access to the DISC members dashboard and digital intelligence toolkit
• Successful applicants must attend the initial onboarding training session

                                                               Ready for real threat intelligence?

Inclusive Boards is delighted to be supporting Child Action Northwest in their search for new Trustees.

About Child Action Northwest (CANW)

CANW has been in existence for over 130 years since the founding of Blackburn Orphanage in 1886, we’ve been caring for children and young people from some of the most deprived areas of the region.

CANW exists as a modern charity providing quality services to children, young people and families across the Northwest.

The inequality that exists up and down the country means that many communities face complex challenges -simply getting by is tough. 

Our mission is to support children, adults and families across the country, ensuring that when life presents difficult circumstances, we’re there every step of the way to make sure they get the support they need.

About the Trustee roles

We are particularly interested in hearing from candidates with skills in one or more of the following areas:

Finance and Commercial: we welcome applications from candidates who are financially astute, can read a set of accounts, and bring business acumen and commercial exposure. You will bring senior strategic finance experience developed in the voluntary, public, or private sector to help ensure that CANW is financially sustainable over the long term so we can continue to deliver vital services to children, young people and families across the Northwest.

Fundraising: whilst the majority of CANW’s income comes from commissioned services, we are still working to make sure that our income streams are robust and well diversified. Part of this strategy involves building up our efforts with respect to trusts, foundations, and major donors. 

Children’s Services: from the criminal justice system and residential services to support for neurodivergent children and young people and residential services, CANW operates a broad portfolio of services designed to give families the best chance at success in life. It is important that our board has deep expertise in these and other services. 

If you feel that you have skills, experience and a background that may add value to CANW’s Board but are not listed above, this doesn’t mean that we wouldn’t be happy to hear from you. Please get in touch.

About the Trainee Trustee opportunity

Given our focus on children and young people, CANW is deeply committed to representing those who use our services at Board level. We recognise that there are many young people out there at the forefront of professional skills development and we give equal value to recent experience as much as seniority in a field. 

Anyone from the age of 16 can become the Trustee of a Charitable Company such as CANW and we welcome applications from young people with skills in the following area:

Digital Communications: in an increasingly digital world, it is vital that CANW is effectively reaching people who need our services with our communications. We would love to hear from people who understand search engine optimisation (SEO), AI search, and raising brand awareness through digital channels.

ABOUT TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR FOUNDATION
Tottenham Hotspur Foundation is the charitable arm of Tottenham Hotspur Football Club. Using the power of sport, we work with local communities to improve physical health, mental wellbeing, education, and employment outcomes.

About the Role

We are looking for enthusiastic and reliable Volunteer Football Coaches to support the delivery of fun, inclusive, and engaging football sessions for children and young people aged 7–18.

This is a fantastic opportunity for individuals who are passionate about football and making a positive impact within the local community. Volunteers will help create a safe and enjoyable environment where participants can develop their skills, confidence, and enjoyment of the game.

Key Responsibilities

• Support the delivery of football coaching sessions and activities for children and young people aged 7–18.
• Help create a positive, inclusive, and safe environment for all participants.
• Encourage participation, teamwork, and enjoyment through engaging sessions.
• Build positive relationships with participants, parents/carers, and fellow coaches.
• Represent the club/community programme in a professional and respectful manner at all times.
• Follow safeguarding, health & safety, and equality policies and procedures.

What We’re Looking For

• Passion for football and working with young people.
• Positive attitude, enthusiasm, and reliability.
• Good communication and teamwork skills.
• Ability to motivate and encourage participants of different ages and abilities.
• Experience playing or coaching football is beneficial but not essential.
• A willingness to learn and develop coaching skills.

Desirable (but not essential)

• FA Level 1 Coaching Badge (or working towards it).
• Emergency First Aid qualification.
• Safeguarding Children certificate.
• Previous experience volunteering or working in grassroots/community sport.

What Volunteers Will Gain

• Valuable coaching and leadership experience.
• Opportunities for personal development and coach education.
• Experience working within a community football environment.
• The chance to make a positive difference in young people’s lives.
• References and support for future coaching opportunities.

Safeguarding & Recruitment Statement

We are committed to safeguarding and protecting our children and young people at The Tottenham Foundation.  All volunteer roles are subject to a safer recruitment process which includes enhanced criminal records and barring checks, robust referencing and other vetting checks.  

Our safeguarding system is underpinned by a range of policies and procedures which encourage and promote safe working practice across the organisation. On joining you will be required to undergo continuous professional development to maintain safe working practice and to safeguard our children and young people.

We welcome applications from anyone regardless of age, disability, gender, race, or ethnic and national origins, religion or belief, or sexual orientation.

Our shops help raise vital funds, and volunteering with us is a great way to make a difference, meet new people, and join a fantastic team. Volunteering in our shops offers a variety of exciting tasks. From sorting, steaming, and pricing donations to spotting hidden gems, you'll roll up your sleeves in the backroom and assist on the shop floor. Engaging with customers is key, whether you're serving with a smile, working the till or helping donors complete Gift Aid forms.

Creating a warm, friendly and inviting space is just as important. You'll help design eye-catching window displays, keep the space tidy, and use your creativity to ensure everything looks its best, encouraging customers to return.

No special skills are needed as we’ll show you what to do, and we provide all the training you’ll need.

St. Barnabas House and Chestnut Tree House provide specialist palliative care within the hospices and in the comfort of patients' homes, treating adults and children with advanced progressive life-limiting illnesses.

To ensure our shops are packed with new and exciting stock and look appealing, we rely on a team of volunteers working behind the scenes to make this happen at our Retail Distribution Centre in Worthing. It's a hive of activity, with donations sorted from bags of clothes, and boxes of Bric-a-brac, to large furniture items.
This is an excellent role if you like being part of a team and enjoy keeping active. There's always lots to do, and it's fascinating when our volunteers spot something rare and valuable.

You can volunteer for one or more shifts a week for a morning, afternoon, or all day, but we're delighted to consider any time that suits you, even if it's just a couple of hours.

Apart from a willingness to help, no special skills are needed because we'll show you what to do and provide all the training you'll need.

Our shops help raise vital funds, and volunteering with us is a great way to make a difference, meet new people, and join a fantastic team. Volunteering in our shops offers a variety of exciting tasks. From sorting, steaming, and pricing donations to spotting hidden gems, you'll roll up your sleeves in the backroom and assist on the shop floor. Engaging with customers is key, whether you're serving with a smile, working the till or helping donors complete Gift Aid forms. We are particularly looking for till cover just now.

Creating a warm, friendly and inviting space is just as important. You'll help design eye-catching window displays, keep the space tidy, and use your creativity to ensure everything looks its best, encouraging customers to return.

Our shops help raise vital funds, and volunteering with us is a great way to make a difference, meet new people, and join a fantastic team. Volunteering in our shops offers a variety of exciting tasks. From sorting, steaming, and pricing donations to spotting hidden gems, you'll roll up your sleeves in the backroom and assist on the shop floor. Engaging with customers is key, whether you're serving with a smile, working the till or helping donors complete Gift Aid forms.

Creating a warm, friendly and inviting space is just as important. You'll help design eye-catching window displays, keep the space tidy, and use your creativity to ensure everything looks its best, encouraging customers to return.

No special skills are needed as we’ll show you what to do, and we provide all the training you’ll need. 

Our shops help raise vital funds, and volunteering with us is a great way to make a difference, meet new people, and join a fantastic team. Volunteering in our shops offers a variety of exciting tasks. From sorting, steaming, and pricing donations to spotting hidden gems, you'll roll up your sleeves in the backroom and assist on the shop floor. Engaging with customers is key, whether you're serving with a smile, working the till or helping donors complete Gift Aid forms.

Creating a warm, friendly and inviting space is just as important. You'll help design eye-catching window displays, keep the space tidy, and use your creativity to ensure everything looks its best, encouraging customers to return.

No special skills are needed as we’ll show you what to do, and we provide all the training you’ll need.

Our shops help raise vital funds, and volunteering with us is a great way to make a difference, meet new people, and join a fantastic team. Volunteering in our shops offers a variety of exciting tasks. From sorting, steaming, and pricing donations to spotting hidden gems, you'll roll up your sleeves in the backroom and assist on the shop floor. Engaging with customers is key, whether you're serving with a smile, working the till or helping donors complete Gift Aid forms.

Creating a warm, friendly and inviting space is just as important. You'll help design eye-catching window displays, keep the space tidy, and use your creativity to ensure everything looks its best, encouraging customers to return.

No special skills are needed as we’ll show you what to do, and we provide all the training you’ll need.

Are you interested in fashion, weddings or proms? Then this could be a fantastic volunteer role for you. The role includes helping brides pick out a dress for their big special day, chatting to the relatives and making the experience one to remember! The St Barnabas Shop in Worthing town Centre offer a wide range of beautiful affordable outfits, including wedding dresses, suits and prom dresses.

You’ll get the chance to meet new people and make friends, plus you’ll be part of a fantastic team of volunteers. We are ideally looking for assistance on a Saturday and one day during the week, however please do get in touch to discuss availability.

Are you interested in fashion, weddings or proms? Then this could be a fantastic volunteer role for you. The role includes helping brides pick out a dress for their big special day, chatting to the relatives and making the experience one to remember! The Chestnut Tree House Shop in Bognor town Centre offer a wide range of beautiful affordable outfits, including wedding dresses, suits and prom dresses.

Lead Volunteer

Mind Retail

About the role

Without the help and support we receive from our Lead Volunteers and volunteer teams we wouldn’t be successful at what we do. Our Lead Volunteers play a key role by supporting the shop management team with the day to day running and management of our shops - helping us to raise crucial funds from the sale of pre-loved, donated stock to fund Mind's vital mental health support services.

Our shops are vibrant hubs in local communities across England and Wales. In our Lead Volunteer role, you’ll play a key part in building this community, helping to create a culture where every person is valued and supported - and where people have fun!

You can gain a wide variety of knowledge, skills and experience by becoming one of our valued Lead Volunteers, including:

· Experience working as part of, and leading, a diverse team

· Shop management, retail management and key holder experience

· Opportunities to improve your management, leadership and interpersonal skills

· Stock organisation, processing, pricing and merchandising skills

· Cash handling skills, including management cash functions

· Understanding of sales information, including takings

· Commercial knowledge and skills

· Understanding of policies and procedures

· Administrative skills

· IT skills

· Additional learning and development opportunities, including your own eLearning account with access to personal and professional development courses

Our Lead Volunteer roles are also flexible, so they're perfect for fitting in around your commitments. We value any time that you can give us, so whether it’s a few hours a week or a few days – we’d love to hear from you!

We need great people like you to help us in the fight for mental health. Will you join us?

Click on the role profile to find out more about our Lead Volunteer role and read on to hear some stories from our existing Lead Volunteers!

About You

• Commitment to our values & behaviours
• Enthusiastic and committed to achieving shop targets
• Flexible and adaptable approach
• Ability to work as a team and on your own initiative
• Able to build good working relationships
• Ability to work within Mind Retail’s policies and procedures
• Willingness to learn
• Good customer service skills
• Good communication skills

About Mind Retail

Mind Retail are a network of almost 200 shops across England and Wales, generating a net income of around £21 million per year. We have ambitious plans to grow over the next few years and we're going to be fighting for mental health in a way we never have before. We won't stop until everyone with a mental health problem gets the support and respect they deserve.

Safer Recruitment at Mind Retail

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of our employees and volunteers and we expect anyone working or volunteering with us to share this commitment. This role may involve the supervision of young volunteers who are under 18. Because of this, the minimum age for this role is 18 and under our Safer Recruitment Policy, you’ll also be required to agree to an enhanced DBS check.

Our Commitment

We embrace the different perspectives that each of us bring. We want our staff and volunteers to be authentic and bring their whole selves to work. We want Mind to be a workplace that truly reflects the diverse backgrounds and experiences of the people we support. Where everyone is appreciated – regardless of race, gender, age, religion, identity and experience.

Hear from some of our existing Lead Volunteers…

Stuart, Lead Volunteer at our North Shields Mind Shop

Why did you want to become a Lead Volunteer?

I chose to volunteer at Mind, specifically because of the cause – I support the charity in what they want to achieve. Mind also supported me through the lockdown period during the pandemic, which I found very isolating.

I’ve volunteered for Mind for 20 years - I started volunteering for Mind in 2005. At the time, I had a full-time job, but I wanted to try volunteering. I’ve volunteered in a number of Mind shops, including Wallsend, Whitley Bay, Gateshead (which was where I became a Lead Volunteer) and finally, North Shields.

I wanted to become a Lead Volunteer to gain more experience, which I can then pass onto others. I now undertake key holder duties in my current shop. It was a little scary to begin with, but there was plenty of support from the wider region and I feel really proud to now be doing the role.

What knowledge and skills have you gained or developed whilst being in the Lead Volunteer role?

I’ve developed my technology skills – I’ve learnt how to use the till, how to use the computer including emails and Microsoft Teams, how to complete eLearning and the new Gift Aid hub. I struggled a bit before with technology, so it’s really helped me to be exposed to it more. I’ve also developed cash handling skills and how to deal with external contractors. My confidence has really grown and I’m also now able to cover local stores too!

What do you enjoy most about being a Lead Volunteer?

I really enjoy giving amazing customer service and working with the team of staff and volunteers – we have lots of fun whilst we work! The shop has a great atmosphere. My Shop Manager has said she couldn’t do without me! I would really recommend for anyone to come and volunteer with Mind – it’s a great way to meet new people.

Lead Volunteer at our Turnham Green Mind Shop

Why did you want to become a Lead Volunteer?

I wanted to become a Lead Volunteer because I wanted to take on more responsibilities and keep myself as productive as possible. By taking on more responsibilities, I’m able to support the wider team with certain activities within the shop. It’s also helped me become less focused on my myself and my own problems. I suffer from low self-esteem and felt that by becoming a Lead Volunteer, it would help strengthen my self-worth.

What knowledge and skills have you gained or developed whilst being in the Lead Volunteer role?

As I have never worked in retail, becoming a Lead Volunteer has given me more insight into how the retail industry and how Mind Retail operates day-to-day. I have become more patient and not as isolated as before. My communication skills have improved too.

What do you enjoy most about being a Lead Volunteer?

Certain customers are confiding in me about their mental health. I find it great to be able to assist and provide some support. We all just need an ear to listen…

It’s also great to be able to make decisions too. The team I work with at the shop are very supportive and understanding – they look after me and I feel like a belong to a small family. The team really understand that our shops are not just shops! They’re a place where everyone, including those with mental health problems, can feel safe and listened to.