Volunteer FAQs

To volunteer for us you must be aged 18 and above.

Yes. Each of our roles have different schedules and time commitments, and we have several roles that take place during evenings and weekends.

For more specific details please call the volunteering team on 01642 257020.

Unfortunately, we don’t currently offer student or work experience placements.

Each role varies in terms of minimum time and could be anything from half an hour per week upwards, but we can work with you to find something that works with your lifestyle and other commitments.

Please read the role descriptions for full details.

Some roles require a regular weekly commitment, whilst others are more flexible and ad hoc.

For most of our volunteer roles we ask for a commitment of at least three months once you've completed your training with us.

Please read the role descriptions for full details.

• Induction Training and specialist training for your role.

• Ongoing one-to-one supervision as needed and that's appropriate to your role.

• You'll have access to ongoing training and wellbeing activities, and other opportunities for personal development.

• We'll keep you up to date with organisational news, volunteer and job opportunities and opportunities to help influence the work of the organisation.

If you’ve read our role descriptions and are still not sure which role would suit you best, please get in touch with our friendly volunteering team. We'll be happy to give you more details and answer any questions you may have.

We ask all prospective volunteers to come to a volunteer induction training session. This is a chance to get to know us as an organisation and meet some fellow volunteers.

You’ll learn about a range of topics including:

• An overview of Middlesbrough and Stockton Mind

• Mental Health Awareness

• Equality and Diversity

• Confidentiality

• Wellbeing

Depending on the type of volunteering you’ll be doing, you’ll then be provided with additional role-specific training.

Take a look at our volunteer roles to see what further training is required.

Yes. We believe that lived experience is a valuable tool in supporting others, so we encourage those who have had mental health issues to apply to volunteer.

However, we also believe that your own wellbeing should always be the priority, so we’ll make sure you’re well yourself before you commit to volunteering, as well as supporting you throughout your time with us.

Yes. We actively encourage current service users to get involved with volunteering.

We may ask you to volunteer in a different area to the one you are accessing, but we’ll do our best to support you to find a suitable opportunity.

A criminal record won’t necessarily prevent you from volunteering with us, and we encourage anybody who is interested to apply.

We carry out a DBS check on all volunteers and require criminal convictions to be disclosed at interview stage.

We may need to discuss the nature of your conviction when we’re deciding whether volunteering with us is suitable.

Peer support volunteers are people with lived experience of mental health conditions who want to support others either through a one to one or group setting as part of their recovery. They volunteer within our peer support groups, supporting people by offering empathy, understanding and encouragement.

As a peer supporter you are also a member of the group, which means that as well as giving support you can also receive support when you need it. Some peer support groups are based around a specific activity like music, art, cooking, gardening or reading whilst other groups will simply involve chatting and listening to people over a cup of tea.

At its core, peer support is about using your own experience in a meaningful, positive way by supporting others.