Volunteer Peer Support Group Lead

Your role

Amazing, giving, inspiring and awesome are just a few of the words we would use to describe our volunteers.

Our volunteers play an integral part in the services we provide and the people we support. If you are looking for a rewarding role where you will really make a difference whilst gaining experience along the way, then join us here at Rethink Mental Illness.

About the role

We are looking for Volunteer Peer Support Leads to support our Wellness Garden in Leek, Staffordshire Moorlands. You will be based at John Hall Wellness Garden and, ideally, you will be able to commit 3 per week to volunteering.

As a Volunteer Peer Support Lead you will play an integral part of John Hall Wellness Garden's future, by delivering and leading support sessions. We currently run successful Peer Led Art and Craft and Creative Writing groups and are looking to expand the sessions that we offer. We are open to working with volunteers who can deliver sessions that would enhance the creative/learning activities - so if you feel you have the skills and drive to lead a group, then we would love to hear from you! This is a great opportunity to develop your current existing skills, and network with other volunteers.

You will receive training and regular supervision to ensure you feel confident in your role. You can read more about the benefits of volunteering on the full advert on our website.

About the service

John Hall Gardens is a Community Education Garden & Café green space for the community of Leek, local schools, colleges, and social enterprises. With the aim of enabling the local community to work/learn and socialise with people with mental and physical health support needs. This includes adults of all ages and children and young people. We are open 6 days a week (Monday to Friday 10-4 and Saturday 10-3)

What you will be doing as a Volunteer Peer Support Lead

• Give a few hours of your time on a weekly basis and be willing to facilitate a peer support group around a skill set that is familiar and you'd be willing to share i.e., creative arts, crafts, textiles, poetry.
• Provide assistance and teach others.
• Support and encourage members to thrive within the group and aim to ensure that the sessions are both enjoyed and fun for participants.

What will make you a great fit for this role?

• Organized and forward planning
• Encouraging and willing to help others
• A good communicator
• A willing to share existing knowledge and encourage others to share their own skills.

Who are we?

We're Rethink Mental Illness, a leading charity provider of mental health services in England. We support thousands of people through our groups, services, policy, campaigns and advice and information. Our work supports us in delivering on our mission: "A better life for everyone severely affected by mental illness."

It is an exciting time to join our growing charity. We are on a transformation journey, one that supports the delivery of the organisation strategy - delivering Communities that Care. Supporting employees, managers and leaders through this change is a key priority for the People function. Just like its key that we attract diverse people to come and work for us.

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion

Diversity is important to us and we appreciate difference through difference, inclusiveness and belonging. It gives us a deeper understanding of the world, our society and the diverse communities we're working with. By including everyone, we are able to draw on the unique experiences and expertise of our people to help shape and enrich our workplace and improve our services. One way we are doing is through our valued staff networks which play a critical and highly valued role in keeping us focused on creating a diverse, inclusive and engaged employer. We recognise and support staff networks for our Black, Asian and minority ethnic and our LGBTQIA+ colleagues. We are also proud to have been awarded Disability Confident Employer status and are a signatory to the Business in the Community Race at Work Charter.

Becoming a truly anti-racist organisation

We have an ambition of become a truly anti-racist employer, campaigning organisation and service provider - and in our efforts to influence policy and wider societal factors impacting on mental health set out in our anti-racist statement. We have designed a multi-year anti-racist programme of work contained in our Race Equality Action Plan which demonstrate our intention to hold ourselves accountable and be judged on our progress on becoming a truly anti-racist organisation.

We therefore actively encourage and welcome applications from everyone, including applicants with lived experience, those who are Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer (or questioning), Intersex and (asexual) (LGBTQIA+), people with a disability, and people from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) backgrounds.