Volunteer volunteer roles in newham, greater london

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.

About the role

The County Lead Volunteer is a key volunteer role within local Scouting with responsibility for providing outstanding leadership and support for the Districts within the County. The primary focus for the County Lead Volunteer is to ensure that Scouting is able to reach every young person in the County; open to all regardless of faith, colour or social background, because we believe Scouting has the ability to change lives. This is achieved by leading the team of District Lead Volunteers, and other County volunteers as well as working with the Growth & Communities Teams (employed staff) to provide enough places to meet the demand for Scouting, and by ensuring that every youth member has access to a high-quality balanced programme that is challenging, relevant and rewarding.

Key tasks

• Ensure that every Squirrel Drey, Beaver Scout Colony, Cub Scout Pack, Scout Troop, Explorer Scout Unit and Scout Network within the County is able to deliver a high-quality programme which is challenging, relevant and rewarding for every young person.
• Provide proactive line management, including coaching, mentoring and guidance to District Lead Volunteers as well as other adult volunteers in the County who directly report to you including setting objectives for their work, holding regular one-to-one meetings and reviews.
• Build and maintain a sense of County team by holding regular team meetings with the District Lead Volunteers, County Chair, County team Members and other appropriate volunteers within
  your County team to collaborate and provide peer support.
• Lead a safe, open and transparent culture around keeping young people and adults safe through our Yellow Card and key policies.
  Ensure the timely recruitment and appointment of new District Lead Volunteers where required and ensuring that interim arrangements are put in place for any vacant posts.
• Together with the District Lead Volunteers, agree the priorities for the County and produce a plan to deliver these to meet The Scout Association’s vision and strategic objectives.
• Ensure that problems within the County are resolved so that an effective volunteering culture is encouraged and District Lead Volunteers and Group Lead Volunteers feel supported to deal with challenging issues, including complaints in a timely manner.
• Ensure that the County has an adequate team of supported and appropriate adults working effectively together and with others to meet the Scouting needs of the area.
• Ensure that problems within the County are resolved so that excellent Scouting is provided to young people in the County.
• Act as an ex-officio trustee as a member of the County Trustee Board, and an ex-officio member of the Council of The Scout Association.
• Play an active part within the Regional Team by joining short MS Teams calls and in person meetings led by the Regional Lead Volunteer and twice yearly by Team England for all County Lead Volunteers to contribute to the development of Scouting within England as part of the Headquarters team.

Could You Help a Young Refugee Find Their Path?

Are you passionate about supporting young refugees and asylum seekers as they begin their journey into the UK workforce? Become a Volunteer Mentor with Breadwinners!

What Does a Volunteer Mentor Do?

As a volunteer mentor, you'll be paired with a young person in one of our two core programmes:

• Risers Programme (2 months): For young asylum seekers aged 16-24 who are awaiting refugee status.
• Breadwinners Programme (6 months): For refugees with the right to work in the UK, helping them gain vital skills and experience.

Most mentors will work with our Risers, as this program is more fast-paced, but opportunities exist to mentor our Breadwinners too.

Your role? Help your mentee gain hands-on work experience at one of our weekend market stalls and lead weekly 1:1 mentoring sessions. These sessions are designed to develop employability skills, explore future goals, and foster social connections. Many of our mentors build lasting relationships with their mentees even after the program ends.

Time Commitment:

• Market Shifts: 2 hours per weekend (Saturday or Sunday).
• 1:1 Mentoring: 1 hour per week, in person or online, to support career development.
• Ongoing Support: Stay in touch via text or calls during the week to help with logistics and provide encouragement.

What Our Graduates Say:

“Having a mentor helped me feel more confident. I could ask questions, felt motivated, and learned new things. It was nice to have conversations about my future and how to succeed.”
— Sura, Risers Graduate

Who Are We Looking For?

You don’t need special qualifications to be a mentor—just a good understanding of working in the UK, strong communication skills, and a passion for helping young people succeed. If you’re ready to make a real difference and become part of a fun, supportive community, this role is for you!

Feeling Inspired?
Apply today and join us in helping young refugees build brighter futures!

We recruit every January, April, July, October. 

Last year 786,574 people were offered information and support from Victim Support. As a Service Delivery Volunteer you will provide specialist support services for people affected by crime.

Why volunteer with us?

• Make a difference - you will volunteer directly with victims and/or alongside staff.
• Gain skills and experience - you will receive training on how to provide practical and emotional support.
• Join our community - you will be part of a large community of over 1,500 volunteers and staff.
• Beyond your role – attend one or our many events/webinars and join one of our six Equality, Diversity & Inclusion networks.

 Volunteering with Victim Support in Sussex

As a Volunteer in Sussex your role will include:

• Dealing with victims of Multi crime including; Assault, Burglary, Neighbourhood disputes
• Supporting and empowering victims and witnesses of crime
• Liaising with the Police, courts, housing trust and other partner agencies

What do we ask of you?

In order to join us as a Service Delivery Volunteer, you must:

• Be 18 years of age or over.
• Be able to volunteer for at least 3 hours per week, for at least 12 months.
• Undertake training over a 10-week period – this includes five virtual training days as well as completing a workbook and online learning modules.
• Undertake an enhanced DBS check & be part of the DBS update service.
• Be able to provide two satisfactory references.
• Have an active email address that you are comfortable using in order to engage with VS communications.

Expenses

• All Victim Support volunteers are entitled to out-of-pocket expenses incurred whilst volunteering, including travel and lunch.

Diversity Matters

• VS strives to represent the diverse communities we serve and are passionate about creating an environment where all staff and volunteers feel respected and heard. Being a diverse organisation with an inclusive culture is integral to us being able to meet our aim of ensuring that anyone who is a victim of crime gets the support they need.
• VS is also a Disability Confident Employer and we provide a Guaranteed Interview Scheme for candidates that are disabled and meet all essential criteria for a role.
• We are happy to make reasonable adjustments to support you through the application process.

Here’s 5 reasons you’ll love to volunteer in our shops:

1. It's fun

2. It's flexible

3. You'll learn and share skills

4. You'll be making a difference

5. You'll work with a great team

We’re passionate about what we do, and love giving second-hand clothing a chance of going to a good home. Our shop teams are key to raising vital funds for our work and act as incredible advocates for the rights of children both in the UK and around the world.

Please note that this is a voluntary, unpaid role, based in the UK. We are unfortunately not able to provide support with visa requests. 

Volunteering in the shop

Mary's Living & Giving for Save the Children is unique - a vibrant result of the generous gifts of local individuals and companies being turned around by the skills and passions of volunteer teams, to create a destination retail experience. Selling womenswear, menswear, shoes, and bags to household goods, our shops can be found in the London villages and bring in vital funds for Save the Children.

Our Little Venice Shop Volunteers are in the middle of it all, and there’s plenty to get involved with. You might be sorting and pricing stock, engaging with customers, ringing items through the till, creating fantastic window displays or keeping our shop floor looking organised.

It’s up to you how much you commit. We have volunteers who support for a couple of hours a week and some do more. Many people volunteer either a morning or an afternoon each week - this is something that will be discussed at the selection stage, after you’ve applied.

Why volunteer with Save the Children?

In over 110 countries, we support children to transform their lives. By providing live-saving short-term help, and pushing for deep-rooted social change, we help children take, their future into their own hands. We believe every child has the right to learn. Every child should have good food to fuel their bodies and every child should have medicine when they're sick.

Skills and experiences we seek

We welcome applications from people with a wide range of skills and experiences. You don’t need any retail or shop experience as full training will be provided. What’s important to us is that you are a team player, open to learning and to follow our policies as well as be an excellent representative for Save the Children. 

We know that our shop teams are stronger when they are inclusive and representative of their communities. Everybody can make a real difference. People come to us for all sorts of reasons, from all backgrounds, and we will do what we can to find a role that works for you.

What happens next?

After you’ve filled in an application, we will invite you for an informal trial shift. It’s a great opportunity to visit the shop, meet some of our existing volunteers and have a go at some of the tasks that you would be supporting with as a shop volunteer. Hopefully allowing you to get a feel for the role and make sure it’s for you. We also ask for a couple of references (these don’t have to be formal workplace ones, just someone who has known you for over 6 months and isn’t related). 

How to apply

Express your interest on email via the apply button. 

Please note that this is a voluntary, unpaid role, based in the UK. We are unfortunately not able to provide support with visa requests. 

About us: GT Scholars is a charitable social enterprise that tackles educational inequality by giving ambitious young people the support, skills and strategies they need to achieve aspirations. We run a wide range of programmes that help young people achieve their academic and career aspirations, particularly those from less-privileged backgrounds. 

What makes us different? We run tutoring, mentoring & career insight programmes that help our scholars, aged 11-18, discover their strengths, develop their mindsets and design their own futures.

There are many charitable organisations and social enterprises offering programmes to improve the life chances of young people. 

However, our programmes use a unique 3:1 model which means that we’re able to sustainably use our profits to provide additional places on our programmes, to young people from low income homes. 

We believe that all young people are gifted and talented, regardless of their background. 

Our mission is to empower and develop the next generation of leaders and change-makers and we’re looking for volunteer tutors that are passionate about making a difference in young people’s lives!

If you are an undergraduate or graduate, you could make a difference by joining us as a volunteer tutor. As a volunteer tutor, you’ll need to:

• Have a passion for helping children and young people

• Provide online one-to-one tutoring support for 1 hour week

• Build pupil confidence in Maths.

• Have strong subject knowledge (confident enough to tutor up to GCSE)

• Work collaboratively with other tutors and mentors

• Have a minimum of an undergraduate degree or be working towards this

Volunteer tutoring can be extremely rewarding and volunteers with GT Scholars benefit from:

• A flexible schedule - you can choose online tutoring hours to suit your schedule

• The chance to grow your contacts and meet like-minded volunteers 

• The chance to make a real difference in the life of a young person.

Additional information: We’re looking for tutors that can commit to a minimum of 2 academic terms of volunteering.

We will need to conduct reference checks and you will need an Enhanced DBS for this role as you will be working directly with children. We can process this for you or you may submit one if this is less than 3 years old.

About us: GT Scholars is a charitable social enterprise that tackles educational inequality by giving ambitious young people the support, skills and strategies they need to achieve aspirations. We run a wide range of programmes that help young people achieve their academic and career aspirations, particularly those from less-privileged backgrounds. 

What makes us different? We run tutoring, mentoring & career insight programmes that help our scholars, aged 11-18, discover their strengths, develop their mindsets and design their own futures.

There are many charitable organisations and social enterprises offering programmes to improve the life chances of young people. 

However, our programmes use a unique 3:1 model which means that we’re able to sustainably use our profits to provide additional places on our programmes, to young people from low income homes. 

We believe that all young people are gifted and talented, regardless of their background. 

Our mission is to empower and develop the next generation of leaders and change-makers and we’re looking for volunteer tutors that are passionate about making a difference in young people’s lives!

If you are an undergraduate or graduate, you could make a difference by joining us as a volunteer tutor. As a volunteer tutor, you’ll need to:

• Have a passion for helping children and young people

• Provide online one-to-one tutoring support for 1 hour week

• Build pupil confidence in Maths.

• Have strong subject knowledge (confident enough to tutor up to GCSE)

• Work collaboratively with other tutors and mentors

• Have a minimum of an undergraduate degree or be working towards this

Volunteer tutoring can be extremely rewarding and volunteers with GT Scholars benefit from:

• A flexible schedule - you can choose online tutoring hours to suit your schedule

• The chance to grow your contacts and meet like-minded volunteers 

• The chance to make a real difference in the life of a young person.

Additional information: We’re looking for tutors that can commit to a minimum of 2 academic terms of volunteering.

We will need to conduct reference checks and you will need an Enhanced DBS for this role as you will be working directly with children. We can process this for you or you may submit one if this is less than 3 years old.

Help us to grow brand-new online charity platform A Good Thing! Come on board to help us manage relationships with the businesses that have joined us: use your communications skills to drive more businesses to engage with the platform and to make donations of things they no longer need.

A Good Thing is a not-for-profit set up with one mission: to send less to landfill, and more to a good cause. We're rolling out fast across the UK, momentum is building, and we're growing a network of passionate local volunteer champions right across the country to drive our growth.

You’ll be using both your communications skills and your project management expertise to help us grow the number of businesses engaging with the platform and giving things away.

Come with us on our journey towards reducing waste and boosting wonderful local charities at the same time.

Do you enjoy meeting people and engaging with them? We are looking for volunteers to join our team to provide a friendly face as people arrive at our Services. You will support people to connect with others, make them feel welcome whilst assisting our staff to run services for people in crisis. Get in touch and make a difference!

What you will be doing

• Holding conversations with people using the Service, checking in on their wellbeing and providing a listening ear/friendly face
• Motivate and inspire people to take part in activities
• Support with ad hoc and administrative tasks to support the smooth running of the Service
• Opportunities to deliver activities alongside the staff team and other volunteers
• Work alongside staff to support people living in the service or accessing one of our drop-in sessions
• Welcoming and engaging people using the Service
• Support with preparing light refreshments to create a relaxed environment

The skills you need

• Good communications skills
• Ability to provide a supportive and inclusive atmosphere that encourages learning and participation
• Calm and patient approach
• Maintain discretion and judgement when dealing with sensitive and/or confidential information

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 - We hold annual Volunteer Awards and Celebration events; We reimburse travel expenses and up to £5 for lunch for your volunteering; We hold social events and outings for our volunteers to get together and have some fun

Volunteer your time at Hestia to make our gardens a beautiful place for our service users to enjoy all year through! Are you green fingered and have a passion for gardens and outdoor spaces?

At Hestia we have gardens and outdoor spaces which require your support to bring these back to life by keeping them maintained. We are recruiting for volunteers to motivate and inspire staff and people living in our services to get involved in gardening. 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

• Inspire and motivate staff and people in the services to get involved in maintaining and growing the garden
• To provide tips on how to maintain and grow the garden - sowing seeds, planting bulbs, taking cuttings
• Provide basic maintenance such as cutting the grass, emptying bins, managing weed control and leaf raking
• Lead in planting and nurturing new trees, flowers, and various plants
• Provide best practice on how to use the correct gardening tools
• Inspire people in our services and staff to maintain a clean garden
• Advise staff on the costs of plants and garden necessities

The skills you need

• A basic knowledge/ experience of plant care and use of gardening tools7
• Calm and patient approach
• Good communication skills
• Ability to provide a supportive, and inclusive atmosphere that encourages learning and participation

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 - We hold annual Volunteer Awards and Celebration events; We reimburse travel expenses and up to £5 for lunch for your volunteering; We hold social events and outings for our volunteers to get together and have some fun

Our amazing team of vibrant & diverse volunteers helps us run over 500 shops. Our stores sell lots of great donated & new goods to help raise vital funds to make a real difference to disadvantaged children, young people and families across the UK.

Our retail stores are the face of our charity on the high-street and in local communities. We have loads of amazing stock donated to us every week, and this all needs to be sorted, tagged and put on the shop-floor for sale!

Making sure our shops look fantastic is another task you can get involved with. You may also be required to help out on the till too, but we will show you how that works during your time volunteering with us. We value the contribution of everyone who supports Barnardo’s.

You will be a friendly face of Barnardo’s by volunteering in one of our shops. It would be great if you could volunteer one shift a week (or even more if you want) but we’re always happy to be flexible to work around your availability.

Why we want you

Our amazing team of vibrant & diverse volunteers helps us run over 700 stores. Our stores sell lots of great donated and new goods to help raise vital funds to make a real difference to disadvantaged children, young people and families across the UK.

What you will be doing

• Work on the till processing sales and returns
• Prepare stock, including sorting, steaming and pricing
• Create stylish window displays
• Replenish stock on the shop floor
• Stock-take and other administrative tasks

The skills you need

• Friendly and helpful
• Happy to be part of an amazing team of staff and volunteers
• Enthusiastic about the work of Barnardo’s
• Flexible and willing to do a variety of the shop tasks

What's in it for you

• Have fun and meet new people
• Develop skills for your CV including confidence, teamwork and problem solving
• Make a difference to the lives of children, young people and their families
• Learning and development opportunities through our Volunteer Academy which includes access to Level 2 Qualifications and other accredited courses
• Full training and experience of working in retail as a volunteer

Location:

24 Collier Row Road, Romford, Essex, RM5 3NX, United Kingdom

Minimum age: 14 years

Please note: we only accept applications from those residing in the UK

Do you enjoy organising? Would you like to play a key role in making sure things get done!

We are recruiting for an Admin and Reception Volunteer at our Older Persons Day Activities Centre in Tooting.

Our volunteer administrators are instrumental to all the work that we do across Hestia. You will have the opportunity to support staff with a wide range of desk-based and administrative tasks. These behind-the-scenes roles provide essential support in ensuring that those who we work with access the support they require to rebuild their lives beyond crisis

What you will be doing

• To support with administration, and with meeting and greeting service users, and with building security.
• Support with updating and inputting data into spreadsheets
• Support with answering phone calls and internal communication
• To support the team with covering the reception desk and dealing with enquiries from people arriving at the service/office.

The skills you need

• Good communication skills
• Good organisation and administrative skills
• Able to maintain good working relationships
• Basic IT skills, comfortable using spreadsheets and emailing

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 - We hold annual Volunteer Awards and Celebration events; We reimburse travel expenses and up to £5 for lunch for your volunteering; We hold social events and outings for our volunteers to get together and have some fun

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 looking for a volunteer who would like to play a role in building children’s confidence. Would you be interested in supporting children to improve their numeracy abilities? We are looking for a volunteer who understands children with specific needs particularly around attention and memory challenges. Through your support, encouragement and tutoring you will make a difference to the people you work with! Hestia provides holistic, one-to-one support in our refuges and the community. Our refuge services are for women and children, offering a safe place to stay and vital emotional and practical support.

Outside of our refuges, most of our support services are accessible by anyone who has experienced domestic abuse, including men.

In the last year, 3,855 women and children were supported by Hestia to recover from domestic abuse.

Anyone can experience domestic abuse, at any point in their life, regardless of their background, age, gender, ethnicity or sexual orientation. However, it is a gendered crime, with women being three times more likely to be victims.

We help people understand what domestic abuse is and develop the knowledge, skills and tools they need to protect themselves, stay safe and leave a relationship, if and when they’re ready to do so.

What you will be doing

• To support children who are not confident with numeracy to develop these skills through tutoring sessions over a video call
• Engage in conversation, problem solving examples, maths based support
• To keep records of conversations and update the support worker on progress of sessions

The skills you need

• Interest in supporting children to develop their math skills. Background in teaching maths/numeracy is desirable
• Good communication skills
• Ability to provide a supportive and inclusive atmosphere
• A tutoring qualification is desirable but not essential
• Mathematics qualification is 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.