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Inspiring, supportive, and committed - just a few of the words we’d use to describe our volunteers.&nbsp;At Rethink Mental Illness, volunteers are at the heart of what we do. They play a vital role in supporting our services and making a real difference in people’s lives. If you’re looking for a rewarding role where you can have a positive impact while developing your own skills and experience, we’d love you to join us.&nbsp;About the role&nbsp;Do you enjoy meeting people, offering a listening ear, and helping others feel more connected to their community? We’re looking for enthusiastic Volunteer Befrienders who can give around 1 hour a week to support adults living with mental health challenges across Ware, Hertford, Hoddesdon, Broxbourne, Cheshunt, Cuffley, and Waltham Cross.As a Volunteer Befriender, you’ll:<ul>	<li>Meet with people in the community at times and places that suit their needs (this may occasionally include evenings or weekends).</li>	<li>Provide emotional support, drawing on your own lived experience.</li>	<li>Encourage people to build social connections and get involved in local activities.</li>	<li>Act as a “community connector” by signposting people to services and opportunities.</li></ul>Full training and regular supervision will be provided, so you’ll feel confident and supported in your role.About the service&nbsp;Our Hertfordshire befriending service supports adults (18+) who are living with mental health challenges and are known to mental health services. The service helps people feel less isolated, more confident, and more connected to their local communities.What will make you a great fit for this role?&nbsp;&nbsp;<ul>	<li>Lived experience of mental health (your own or as a carer)</li>	<li>Good listening and communication skills</li>	<li>A flexible, empathetic, and non-judgemental approach</li></ul>It’s not essential, but you may also bring:<ul>	<li>Knowledge of local services and community resources</li>	<li>Familiarity with the Hertfordshire area</li>	<li>A commitment to supporting people in their recovery journey</li></ul>How to applyTo apply, simply click the “apply now” button on the advert on our website and complete a short interest form.If you have any questions about this role, please get in touch:Carol Whitbourn (Volunteer Manager) – <a href="mailto:carol.whitbourn@rethink.org" target="_blank">carol.whitbourn@rethink.org</a> &nbsp;Who are we?&nbsp;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.”    &nbsp;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.    &nbsp;Diversity, Equity, Inclusion  &nbsp;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.  &nbsp;Becoming a truly anti-racist organisation  &nbsp;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 <a href="https://www.rethink.org/aboutus/who-we-are/becoming-an-anti-racist-organisation/anti-racism-statement/" target="_blank">anti-racist statement</a> . We have designed a multi-year anti-racist programme of work contained in our <a href="https://indd.adobe.com/view/0630dbfe-57ad-47ef-a5be-a374ab206e3c" target="_blank">Race Equality Action Plan</a> which demonstrate our intention to hold ourselves accountable and be judged on our progress on becoming a truly anti-racist organisation.  &nbsp;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.

Rethink Mental Illness

Volunteer Befriender

Inspiring, supportive, and committed - just a few of the words we’d use to describe our volunteers.&nbsp;At Rethink Mental Illness, volunteers are at the heart of what we do. They play a vital role in supporting our services and making a real difference in people’s lives. If you’re looking for a rewarding role where you can have a positive impact while developing your own skills and experience, we’d love you to join us.&nbsp;About the roleWe are looking for Volunteer Befrienders&nbsp;to support our Brent Mental Health service in the London Borough of Brent.&nbsp;As a Volunteer Befriender, you&nbsp;will be required to travel across Brent to meet with service users and carry out your role. Ideally, you will be able to commit a minimum of 2 hours per week to volunteering.&nbsp;You will be supported by&nbsp;Befriending Volunteer Coordinators who will provide&nbsp;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 serviceOur&nbsp;Brent Mental Health&nbsp;service&nbsp;provides support to people aged 18 and above, who live in the Borough of Brent, and who have a mental illness and are known to the local NHS trust Central and North West London (CNWL).The Befriending Service aims to;<ul>	<li>Reduce social isolation of service users</li>	<li>Increase the confidence of service users in&nbsp;accessing community resources independently</li>	<li>Provide meaningful activities and peer support for service users&nbsp;</li>	<li>Help service users to live happier, healthier, independent lives</li>	<li>Provide volunteering opportunities for people with mental health issues</li>	<li>Reduce stigma and raise mental health awareness</li></ul>What you will be doing as a Volunteer Befriender:<ul>	<li>Meeting with service users in locations and times which meet their needs (including evenings and weekends)</li>	<li>Provide befriending support to a maximum of 2 service users at any one time</li>	<li>Provide emotional support based on your own lived experience</li>	<li>Support service users to access and build social and community networks and activities</li>	<li>Act as a community connector to local services</li></ul>What will make you a great fit for this role?<ul>	<li>You will have good communication skills</li>	<li>You will be flexible to meet the needs of the service users</li></ul>How to apply&nbsp;To apply, simply click the “apply now” button on the advert on our website and complete a short interest form.&nbsp;If you have any questions about this role, please get in touch:&nbsp;Merose Richards&nbsp;(Volunteer Manager) -&nbsp;<a href="mailto:recruitment@rethink.org" target="_blank">melrose.richards@rethink.org</a>Seena Cuffley (Volunteer Manager) -&nbsp;<a href="mailto:seena.cuffley@rethink.org?subject=Volunteer%20Befriender%20-%20Brent" target="_blank">seena.cuffley@rethink.org</a>If you would like to express&nbsp;an interest in this opportunity, please complete an application as soon as possible, as the advert may close early if we receive a high level of interest.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.”   &nbsp;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.   &nbsp;Diversity, Equity, Inclusion &nbsp;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. &nbsp;Becoming a truly anti-racist organisation &nbsp;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 <a href="https://www.rethink.org/aboutus/who-we-are/becoming-an-anti-racist-organisation/anti-racism-statement/" target="_blank">anti-racist statement</a> . We have designed a multi-year anti-racist programme of work contained in our <a href="https://indd.adobe.com/view/0630dbfe-57ad-47ef-a5be-a374ab206e3c" target="_blank">Race Equality Action Plan</a> which demonstrate our intention to hold ourselves accountable and be judged on our progress on becoming a truly anti-racist organisation. &nbsp;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.

2 Volunteer Befriender Jobs