Volunteer volunteer roles in blackrock, county dublin

Use Your Creativity to Combat Loneliness with SUNSHINE

Loneliness is one of the most painful experiences a person can face. It’s not just about being alone—it’s about feeling invisible. In London, thousands of people are quietly struggling with isolation, and the toll it takes on mental health, confidence, and wellbeing is profound.

SUNSHINE is a brand new, 100% volunteer-run grassroots charity on a mission to change that. We’re building a community of connection, warmth, and hope—and we need a Marketing Manager who can help us shine.

Why This Role Matters

Marketing isn’t just about promotion—it’s about storytelling. It’s about reaching someone who feels forgotten and letting them know they matter. It’s about inspiring volunteers, donors, and communities to rally around a cause that touches every corner of society.

As our Marketing Manager, you’ll be the emotional heartbeat of our outreach. You’ll craft campaigns that stir empathy, ignite action, and build a brand that radiates compassion.

What You’ll Do

• Develop and lead emotionally impactful marketing strategies across digital and print.

• Create compelling content that highlights the urgency of loneliness and the power of connection.

• Collaborate with graphic designers and programme leads to promote services and recruit volunteers.

• Build SUNSHINE’s presence on social media, job boards, and community platforms.

• Shape our voice and visual identity to reflect hope, dignity, and inclusion.

What You’ll Bring

• A passion for storytelling and social impact.

• Experience in marketing, communications, or branding (professional or volunteer).

• Creativity, empathy, and a strategic mindset.

• A desire to be part of something meaningful from the very beginning.

What You’ll Gain

• The chance to build a charity brand that truly matters.

• A community of kind, driven changemakers.

• The joy of knowing your work is helping people feel seen, heard, and loved.

• Experience, purpose, and legacy.

Let’s make loneliness a little less lonely. Let’s be the sunshine.

SUNSHINE

Fostering Connections. Enhancing Wellbeing. Transforming Lives.

Washington’s amazing inner grounds have a lot of infrastructure which requires regular maintenance. By volunteering your time with us you will be helping to ensure that Washington’s play area is maintained to the highest standard for our visitors, helping families make memories in our amazing wetlands.

What will you be doing?

• This role will be varied, and will involve a lot of daily maintenance/minor repair of the play area, including:
• Inspection of play area to identify work required and ensure it is in working order (training will be given in line with our Play Inspection system)
• Cleaning of play equipment and ground surfaces using brushes, mobile jetwash and environmentally safe detergents
• Raking and replenishment of woodchip and sand
• Weeding of play area
• Identifying and undertaking minor repairs of equipment and pathways within the play area
• Managing vegetation around the play area and its pathways

Volunteers are an essential part of the WWT team. You'll get a warm welcome, including information on training, equipment and anything else you need. 

Who are we looking for?

• Someone who should be committed to good customer service and willing to engage our visitors with the work of WWT.
• Any volunteer should be able and willing to undertake a range of physical activities outside in all weathers.
• Previous experience with the use of hand tools would be an advantage, although not necessarily a necessity.
• Proactive and able to work with a minimum of supervision, under the direction of the grounds team.
• Must have excellent communication skills and a positive attitude.

Please note you must be over 18 to apply for this role. 

Liverpool Spooky Welly Walk

Saturday 25th October 2025

Sefton Park, Liverpool, L17 1AP

09:00am – 16:30pm

The Spooky Welly Walk is creeping back into Sefton Park for another fang-tastic year! One of Merseyside’s most boo-tiful Halloween traditions, this ghostly gathering brings thousands of families together for a day of tricks, treats, and spooky surprises.

Join us if you dare...  We’re summoning all volunteers, witches, werewolves, and wizards alike to help make this year's walk the most spooktacular yet! Even if you can't commit to the full hours, let us know and we’ll conjure up a shift that works for you. 

Roles Include:
- Manning frightfully fun activities like the Yucky Dip and Terrifying Tattoos
- Creepy crowd control (aka stewarding)
- Guiding families through the haunted happenings
- Answering questions from curious creatures and goblins

The day zooms by faster than a broomstick ride —thanks to the endless parade of costumed kiddos and their families! Expect an atmosphere charged with giggles, ghouls, and giddy excitement.

What you get in return:
- A glowing reference for work or school
- A certificate to show off your hard work
- The eternal gratitude of our spooky squad

Your helping hands ensure the Spooky Welly Walk is a screaming success! So, dust off your best costume and help us make this year’s event frightfully unforgettable!

Home-Start Croydon offers parents the support they need to help give their children the best start in life. As a Parent Champion Volunteer you will be engaging with families from your own community, providing peer to peer support and promoting services for children under 5 and their families. By connecting with other parents and carers, Parent Champions help communities thrive, breaking barriers and reducing isolation.

Key activities

• Engage with parents with children under 5 years old
• Build good knowledge of own community and links with local families
• Signpost parents to children’s centres and local organisations providing services for families
• Talk with parents in groups
• Facilitate parents to build peer to peer support groups
• Provide information on childcare options including the free early learning for two year olds
• Record accurate information manually
• Attend training and personal development activities
• Meet the Parent Champion Coordinator and other Parent Champions to share good practice

Person Specification

• Have experience of being a parent or carer
• Ability to talk and listen to other parents and understand their world
• Have a non-judgemental attitude
• Have an understanding of the difficulties parents face when looking for childcare
• Have a positive experience of using formal childcare and family services
• Have an understanding about confidentiality
• Have an awareness on the safeguarding of children and vulnerable adults
• Have knowledge of and commitment to equal opportunities, fairness and diversity
• Be able to keep basic records as requested by Home-Start

Support the work of St John Ambulance in your community by volunteering as a Community Volunteer, an exciting new role which is designed to revamp how volunteering looks in the modern world; flexible, innovative and is open for all.

We need people who have a passion for helping others, care about their communities and want to make a difference, supporting them to become safe and more resilient. Community Volunteers can choose from a wide selection of activities – including fundraising, talks and demonstrations, supporting at events, volunteer welfare, social media and administration support.

Through supporting the growth of community partnerships, you will bring people along to our cause, growing our membership and fundraising base and spreading the message that First Aid Saves Lives.

Give as much (or little) time as you can afford. With this new role, you simply volunteer when it works for you. That means you can give as much time as you like or as little as 24 hours across a whole year, whenever it suits you. It’s perfect for busy lives, changing schedules, or for anyone seeking a low-commitment involvement. 

The Community Volunteer provides an easy way to stay connected and contribute meaningfully to your local community. Here are some examples of what you could do: 

• Community fundraising
• Talks and demonstrations
• Support at events
• Volunteer welfare
• Community Roadshows
• Supporting national campaigns
• Counting and banking money
• Booking events
• Supporting Networks  
• Administration support
• Writing thank you and community letters
• Media and social media
• Community news and Network newsletters 

Through volunteering as a Community Volunteer, you’ll get a huge sense of satisfaction and pride delivering an essential service. It’s great for you, great for your community and great for our nation, and it requires only a small commitment of your time.

Once we have completed your selection and screening for this role, we will provide you with an induction, as well as invite you to any necessary training sessions. We will also provide you with a supportive environment while you are volunteering with us. Information about our volunteer roles are included in the role descriptions. What you can expect from SJA, and what we expect from those who volunteer with us, is included in the volunteer charter.

You will be required to attend meetings at Preston, Lancaster and Kirkham regularly.

We are looking to run a volunteering selection session Monthly throughout Q3 and Q4 2025.You will chose a selection event that suits you to take place in Kirkham, Preston and Lancaster

If you are successful you will need to undertake induction & training for role at these dates: Dates to be confirmed. 

Closing date for these opportunities is: 01/09/2025

To apply for this opportunity please follow the link below:

We’re Mind, the leading mental health charity. We won’t give up until everyone experiencing a mental health problem gets support and respect. We provide advice and support to empower anybody experiencing a mental health problem and we campaign to improve services, raise awareness, and promote understanding.

Our volunteers are a fundamental part of our shops. Any time which they volunteer at our shops, help us be there for more people who are experiencing a mental health problem. 

About the volunteer role

To provide our volunteers with opportunities to gain a variety of skills and experience, we offer them a range of volunteer roles to choose from, which include:

• Stock preparation volunteer
• Volunteer shop sales assistant
• Volunteer stock generation assistant
• Volunteer window dresser/Merchandiser
• Specialist knowledge volunteer (antiques and collectables)
• Specialist knowledge volunteer (books and entertainment)
• Housekeeping volunteer

Key tasks

There is a variety of tasks within the above mentioned roles that our volunteers get involved with, including:

• Welcoming and assisting customers with their purchases, providing them with great customer service and a delightful shopping experience
• Receiving donated items from members of the public
• Sorting, steaming, tagging and preparing donated items for sale
• Creating visually appealing window and in-store displays
• Keeping the shop floor well stocked, clean and coordinated
• Processing sales and serving at the till
• Signing up gift aid donors
• Stock rotation
• Identifying special or valuable items within donated stock

About you

• Passionate about customer servise 
• Good communication skills 
• Friendly and helpful
• Respectful of others and their diversity

Experience & skills you will gain

• Experience of working as part of a team
• Retail experience 
• Stock organisation
• Selling skills 
• Customer service skills 

Our Commitment

We are committed to becoming actively anti-racist in everything we do. This is a critical priority for Mind. We embrace diversity and understand that being an inclusive organisation, recognising different perspectives, will enable us to provide excellent services. We are committed to ensuring all our employees are treated fairly and equitably at work and promoting equity in physical and mental health for all.

No Panic is a national charity helping people to manage their anxiety.

We are looking for volunteers to join our Social Media Engagement Team.

We are on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube.

The role of a Social Media Engager is to:

· Create and edit social media content about the support offered by No Panic.

· Create social media and podcast content with patrons, partners and other professionals.

· Amplify content published by other No Panic teams.

· Respond on behalf of No Panic to interactions with our social media.

You will need to provide a reference.

Expected amount of time spent doing this role is 3-4 hours a week, this will vary.

We ask you to commit to volunteer for a year.

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.

We are recruiting for a volunteer who would like to play a role in helping others to express themselves through writing. Would you like to support others to use their imagination to portray a message?

Creative writing is a great way to express yourself using your own creativity and imagination through story telling or poetry. It is an opportunity to reflect on your own experiences and put it down on paper. Creative writing has been shown to improve emotional and mental well-being. Through creative writing, we can gain insight into our emotions, develop self-expression and communication skills, cultivate empathy and understanding of others, boost our imagination and creativity.

About the service..

We work with people who need support with their mental health across London and the South East. Our support ranges from registered accommodation services for people with severe mental health conditions to drop-in community and crisis services.

In the last year, 9,499 adults accessed Hestia’s mental health support.

We help people to feel safe, develop hope for a better future, and achieve their personal goals. These goals may include rebuilding relationships with family members and friends or connecting more with their local community.

What you will be doing

• Lead and facilitate a weekly Creative Writing Group, encouraging participants to explore their thoughts and feelings through writing exercises, prompts, and storytelling.
• Guide a subsequent Feelings Forum where participants can share and discuss emotions sparked by the writing session or current experiences in a respectful and supportive atmosphere
• Foster an inclusive, non-judgmental environment where all voices are heard and valued
• Maintain confidentiality and adhere to the organisation’s safeguarding and mental health protocols
• Prepare session materials and adapt activities to meet the needs of diverse participants

The skills you need

• Prepare session materials and adapt activities to meet the needs of diverse participants
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with sensitivity to mental health challenges
• Ability to facilitate group discussions and manage diverse emotional responses constructively
• Patience, empathy, and a non-judgmental approach.
• Training or experience in mental health, counselling, social work, or a related field is advantageous but not essential

What's in it for you

• Supporting You - You will have a dedicated volunteer supervisor to support you in your role; Quarterly volunteer forums with the central Volunteering team and volunteers across Hestia; References for job applications.
• Developing You - You will gain knowledge and insight into issues that impact Domestic Abuse, Modern Slavery and Mental Health; You will have access to our extensive Learning and Development Programme; 40% of our departed volunteers secured a paid role at Hestia last year!
• Valuing You - Valuing You - We hold annual Volunteer Awards, outings, celebration, and social events for our volunteers to get together and have some fun; We reimburse travel expenses and up to £5 for lunch for your volunteering.

We're looking for friendly volunteers to help out at our popular Summer Fair & Dog Show, taking place on the 23rd and 24th August.

Timings:

• Friday: Help with set up
• Saturday: 9am-5pm
• Sunday: 9am-5pm

You can help for the entire weekend if you like, but we ask for a three hour shift on the Saturday or Sunday, and any extra support will be gratefully received!

What you'll be doing:

There's a few different roles available, but here's an idea of some of them

• Helping us set up on the Friday
• Hosting a stall during the event with fellow volunteers
• You might be running games, selling refreshments, or running a tombola, or be on entrance or car parking duties.
• Some roles require you to handle cash and use a card reader linked to your phone. Please let us know if you're not able to do this.

What you'll need:

• Be able to sit/stand in a field for a few hours
• Happy speaking to the public
• Be comfortable around dogs
• As this is an outdoor event, dress for the weather and be comfortable in all weather conditions.

What's in it for you:

• Free entry to a very popular summer event
• You'll volunteer for four hours, then be able to enjoy the fair
• Free drinks and half price food from Teckels stalls
• Meet lots of lovely dogs!
• The chance to support a longstanding Gloucestershire charity, helping us rescue, rehabilitate and rehome dogs and cats across the county

Support the work of St John Ambulance in your community by volunteering as a Community Volunteer, an exciting new role which is designed to revamp how volunteering looks in the modern world; flexible, innovative and is open for all.

We need people who have a passion for helping others, care about their communities and want to make a difference, supporting them to become safe and more resilient. Community Volunteers can choose from a wide selection of activities – including fundraising, talks and demonstrations, supporting at events, volunteer welfare, social media and administration support.

Through supporting the growth of community partnerships, you will bring people along to our cause, growing our membership and fundraising base and spreading the message that First Aid Saves Lives.

Give as much (or little) time as you can afford. With this new role, you simply volunteer when it works for you. That means you can give as much time as you like or as little as 24 hours across a whole year, whenever it suits you. It’s perfect for busy lives, changing schedules, or for anyone seeking a low-commitment involvement. 

The Community Volunteer provides an easy way to stay connected and contribute meaningfully to your local community. Here are some examples of what you could do: 

• Community fundraising
• Talks and demonstrations
• Support at events
• Volunteer welfare
• Community Roadshows
• Supporting national campaigns
• Counting and banking money
• Booking events
• Supporting Networks  
• Administration support
• Writing thank you and community letters
• Media and social media
• Community news and Network newsletters 

Through volunteering as a Community Volunteer, you’ll get a huge sense of satisfaction and pride delivering an essential service. It’s great for you, great for your community and great for our nation, and it requires only a small commitment of your time.

Once we have completed your selection and screening for this role, we will provide you with an induction, as well as invite you to any necessary training sessions. We will also provide you with a supportive environment while you are volunteering with us. Information about our volunteer roles are included in the role descriptions. What you can expect from SJA, and what we expect from those who volunteer with us, is included in the volunteer charter.

We are looking to run a volunteering selection session on 3rd September 2025 

If you are successful you will need to undertake induction & training for role at these dates: Welcome Event (Induction) - 1st October 2025 

Closing date for these opportunities is: 31st August 2025

To apply for this opportunity please follow the link below:

Support the work of St John Ambulance in your community by volunteering as a Community Volunteer, an exciting new role which is designed to revamp how volunteering looks in the modern world; flexible, innovative and is open for all.

We need people who have a passion for helping others, care about their communities and want to make a difference, supporting them to become safe and more resilient. Community Volunteers can choose from a wide selection of activities – including fundraising, talks and demonstrations, supporting at events, volunteer welfare, social media and administration support.

Through supporting the growth of community partnerships, you will bring people along to our cause, growing our membership and fundraising base and spreading the message that First Aid Saves Lives.

Give as much (or little) time as you can afford. With this new role, you simply volunteer when it works for you. That means you can give as much time as you like or as little as 24 hours across a whole year, whenever it suits you. It’s perfect for busy lives, changing schedules, or for anyone seeking a low-commitment involvement. 

The Community Volunteer provides an easy way to stay connected and contribute meaningfully to your local community. Here are some examples of what you could do: 

• Community fundraising
• Talks and demonstrations
• Support at events
• Volunteer welfare
• Community Roadshows
• Supporting national campaigns
• Counting and banking money
• Booking events
• Supporting Networks  
• Administration support
• Writing thank you and community letters
• Media and social media
• Community news and Network newsletters 

Through volunteering as a Community Volunteer, you’ll get a huge sense of satisfaction and pride delivering an essential service. It’s great for you, great for your community and great for our nation, and it requires only a small commitment of your time.

Once we have completed your selection and screening for this role, we will provide you with an induction, as well as invite you to any necessary training sessions. We will also provide you with a supportive environment while you are volunteering with us. Information about our volunteer roles are included in the role descriptions. What you can expect from SJA, and what we expect from those who volunteer with us, is included in the volunteer charter.

We are looking to run a volunteering selection session at various dates between 8th-28th September 2025.

If you are successful you will need to undertake induction & training for role during October 2025.

Closing date for these opportunities is: 07/09/2025

To apply for this opportunity please follow the link below:

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.

No Panic is a national charity helping people to manage their anxiety. We seek a volunteer to co-ordinate people who fundraise for No Panic in their local community, and track how much money is being raised by the team. The people who raise money for No Panic in their community are likely to be No Panic members, with little experience of volunteering or fundraising. They are motivated to give back to No Panic, as No Panic has supported them with their anxiety.

You will need to provide a reference.

We ask you to commit to volunteer for a year.