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Peer mentor volunteer

Peer mentors provide one-to-one short-term support and encouragement to people with mental health problems.

What does a peer mentor do?

Peer mentors support people to regain their confidence and independence. Use your lived experience of mental health problems to create a short-term, supportive and understanding relationship with someone who needs support.

You’ll work with people to identify what support they’d like, and together help to improve their quality of life.

You could be helping someone to:

  • Access more formal services
  • Find support that works for them in the community
  • Regain confidence and independence

Volunteering opportunities are available Monday to Friday between 9am and 5pm. You need to be over 18 years old with the right to work in the UK, and be living in the UK.

Where can I volunteer as a peer mentor?

Peer mentor roles are available in Camden.

Camden Peer Mentoring Service is now part of Reach Out Camden

What is Reach Out Camden?

Reach Out Camden is a collective of charities working closely together to try and make it easier for people to get the support they want and need.

The charities that make up Reach Out Camden are Voiceability, The Advocacy Project, Likewise, and Mind in Camden. All four have deep roots in Camden and were brought together by Camden Council to support people in the borough to access support that they may not have found otherwise.

This means when someone is referred to Reach Out Camden they’ll be a part of our joint community and have access to opportunities across all four charities.

If they already know the support that they would like, they can specify the service on our referral form.

I wondered, how am I going to be helping someone just talking? But then I realised some people just need somebody to talk to. They don’t need you to give advice, they just need someone to be there.

Cleo, peer mentor volunteer

What skills will I need?

You’ll need to be able work independently and safely in various situations. You might accompany the person you’re supporting to community events, or support them to find education or work.

You need to be able to keep clear boundaries, and support them to achieve change in a supportive, non-judgmental way. You’ll also need to record your progress together, and report on how things are going.

These skills will be important:

  • Lived experience of mental health problems and services
  • Empathy with people, to support them to achieve positive change
  • Ability to maintain confidentiality at all times
  • Ability to act as a representative of peers and VoiceAbility
  • Good communication, both in writing and verbally
  • Works well with others
  • Respectful of difference and diversity
  • Non-judgmental attitude
  • Organisational skills

What will I get from volunteering?

As a volunteer you won’t be paid, but you will receive excellent training, paid expenses and access to our benefits programme.

  • grow your confidence and communication skills
  • build up personal experience in health and social care
  • develop skills in accessibility, confidentiality and empathy
  • add experience to your CV
  • know you’re making a difference to people’s lives

If you prefer, email us at volunteering@voiceability.org.

You can also call 0300 303 1660.