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Volunteer opportunities

Volunteering is a great way for you to make use of your skills, give back, meet new people and gain valuable experience while supporting the work of Solent Mind. Explore ways to get involved below.

Take on a role within a Solent Mind service

Use your experiences or passion for mental health to help our services deliver the very best information and support. These roles may have set hours each week or month, come with training and might be the first step towards a career at Solent Mind.

Many of our volunteers have a personal interest in mental health and bring with them their knowledge and experience, which is invaluable. We welcome volunteers from all backgrounds, particularly those who have experience of using mental health services.

Expression of interest

See below for specific vacancies we are currently recruiting for.

If you'd like to express an interest in a role not advertised, please complete our expression of interest form and we can keep your details on file for when something suitable becomes available.

We ask for a minimum commitment of six months for volunteering roles, due to the training and consistency needed. If you cannot commit to this, see the 'events volunteer' section below.

Volunteering Roles:

We publicise all our volunteering roles here. If there is a role you would like to apply for, please complete and return the application form. If there are no role profiles, please check back at a later date to see if there are any current vacancies

VOLUNTEER Walking group (Bitterne)
  • Thursdays 12-2, Minimum of 2 hours on a weekly basis, plus 2 hours once a month for supervision.
  • Bitterne Triangle and surrounding area
  • Ongoing

Volunteer opportunity details:

When: To start as soon as possible, for at least 6 months. 

To accompany a group of service users from the Wellbeing Centre on walks around the Bitterne area, encouraging physical activity and positive social interaction, in conjunction with other volunteer/s or member/s of staff.

To spend some time with Service Users after the walks, in an informal, welcoming and professional way, for an end-of-walk brief get together. 

We ask volunteers to commit to a minimum of 6 months due to the level of checks and training required.  This post is subject to a DBS check.






DBS NOTE TO APPLICANTS - This role requires an Enhanced and Barred level of disclosure.

How to apply

Please complete an expression of interest here: Solent Mind - Volunteering expression of interest

VOLUNTEER Weekend General Garden Centre volunteer (Mayfield)
  • 10.00 - 14.00 Fri, Sat or Sun
  • Mayfield Garden Centre, Weston
  • Ongoing

Volunteer opportunity details:

When: To start as soon as possible, for at least 6 months.

Mayfield Garden Centre prides itself on being supportive and welcoming place for all, with a varied and thriving café and retail shop attached. This role is key to supporting our daily operation which varies every day! This role could involve helping clear tables in a busy café, covering the retail shop in peak times or even supporting a wellbeing group depending on what is happening and where the need is.

You will be interactive with the customers, signposting and directing as needed. We ask you be flexible and adaptable, covering where required and making sure the Garden Centre runs smoothly.



How to apply

Email volunteering@solentmind.org.uk for an informal chat and more information or register your interest using the link below.

Apply Now
VOLUNTEER Retail volunteer (Mayfield)
  • 9-4 preferred but would consider part days, one specific day Fri, Sat, Sun, Mon or Tues
  • Mayfield Garden Centre, Weston
  • Ongoing

Volunteer opportunity details:

When: To start as soon as possible, for at least 6 months.

Mayfield Garden Centre prides itself on being supportive and welcoming place for all, with a varied and thriving retail shop attached. This role is key to supporting our daily operation including keeping our shop looking great, providing great customer experience and in turn driving profits which we can plough back into our charitable work.

As part of this role we ask you operate the till, handle customer enquiries, greet and assist the customers, stock shelves and ensure our retail space is looking tip top.



How to apply

Email volunteering@solentmind.org.uk for an informal chat and more information or register your interest using the link below.

Apply Now
VOLUNTEER Walking group cofacilitator (Eastleigh)
  • Tuesdays 10-12, Minimum of 2 hours on a weekly basis, plus 2 hours once a month for supervision.
  • Eastleigh Wellbeing Centre, Leigh Road
  • Ongoing

Volunteer opportunity details:

When: To start as soon as possible, for at least 6 months. 

To accompany a group of service users from the Wellbeing Centre on walks around the town of Eastleigh, encouraging physical activity and positive social interaction, in conjunction with other volunteer/s or member/s of staff.

To spend some time with Service Users after the walks, back at the Centre or the meeting place, in an informal, welcoming and professional way, for an end-of-walk brief get together. 

We ask volunteers to commit to a minimum of 6 months due to the level of checks and training required. 






DBS NOTE TO APPLICANTS - This role requires an Enhanced and Barred level of disclosure.

How to apply

Please email NRobinson@solentmind.org.uk for initial contact, more information and an informal chat.

VOLUNTEER Administration Support (Portsmouth)
  • Minimum of 2 hours on a weekly basis, plus 2 hours once a month for supervision. Times for volunteering are flexible but weekdays and dependent on the needs of the service against your own availability.
  • Portsmouth Wellbeing Centre, Arundel Street
  • Ongoing

Volunteer opportunity details:

When: To start as soon as possible, for at least 6 months.

Would you like to use your admin skills to help us to provide services for people whose difficult life experiences and mental health are making their lives challenging?

Admin volunteers are in the frontline of answering queries and provide admin support for the services that we provide.

We’re looking for Volunteer Administrators to support our Peer Support and Wellbeing team. Every day is different and you might be answering calls, completing triage forms or signposting service information.

Our wellbeing centres are very friendly and welcoming places with an informal atmosphere, offering people the opportunity to meet others with experience of mental health problems. Full training is provided.

We ask volunteers to commit to a minimum of 6 months due to the level of checks and training required.


DBS NOTE TO APPLICANTS - This role requires an Enhanced and Barred level of disclosure.

How to apply

Please email volunteering@solentmind.org.uk for initial contact, more information and an informal chat.

VOLUNTEER Men's Peer Group (Portsmouth)
  • Tuesdays 11am – 12:30pm and approximately 1-2 hours once a month for volunteer group supervision and updates
  • MAKE Café, 1 Cornwall Road, Fratton Portsmouth PO1 5AA
  • Ongoing

Volunteer opportunity details:

When: To start as soon as possible, for at least 6 months.

Do you have a skill to share? Are you friendly, supportive and chatty?

We’re looking for Volunteer Men’s Group Facilitators to support our Wellbeing team to deliver our Men's peer group. You will support people who are experiencing mental health concerns and provide a safe, supportive, and non-judgemental space for people to learn self-help skills, overcome isolation and try new activities. Our activities are designed to support individuals working towards recovery and to help promote and maintain their mental wellbeing.

From offering emotional support to co-delivering the courses or activities, you’ll gain invaluable experience in the mental health and charity sector.

We ask volunteers to commit to a minimum of 6 months, due to the level of checks and training required.


DBS NOTE TO APPLICANTS - This role requires an Enhanced and Barred level of disclosure.

How to apply

Please email volunteering@solentmind.org.uk for initial contact, more information and an informal chat.

VOLUNTEER Wellbeing Peer Support (Portsmouth)
  • 2-4 hours a week and approximately 1-2 hours once a month for volunteer group supervision and updates
  • Portsmouth Wellbeing Centre, Arundel Street
  • Ongoing

Volunteer opportunity details:

The Wellbeing Peer Support Volunteer will operate closely alongside the Volunteer Coordinator, other volunteers and/or staff in co-facilitating groups. The groups are for people who are or have engaged with the Solent Mind wellbeing service.

As a Peer Support Volunteer, you will be using your own lived experience of mental health to support, encourage and inspire other people facing mental health difficulties.

We ask volunteers to commit to a minimum of 6 months, due to the level of checks and training required.


DBS NOTE TO APPLICANTS - This role requires an Enhanced and Barred level of disclosure.

How to apply

Please email volunteering@solentmind.org.uk for initial contact, more information and an informal chat.

VOLUNTEER Remind (Dementia Service - Portsmouth)
  • 2 hours a week (day/time to be discussed)
  • Portsmouth (various community locations)
  • Ongoing
(Ref REQ00407)

Volunteer Opportunity Details:

Remind is a service delivering support to those living with dementia and their carers throughout Portsmouth.

The Remind team offers support and help to address a number of issues that a dementia diagnosis can bring, such as social isolation, loneliness and boredom. Remind runs Cognitive Stimulation Therapy groups and activity sessions that both people with dementia and their carer can attend.

As a Remind volunteer you will support the Dementia Activities Facilitator to deliver a programme of activities for people with dementia and their carers when required.


DBS NOTE TO APPLICANTS - This role requires an Enhanced and Barred level of disclosure.

How to apply

For more information, please email:
• Samantha Ulizzi (Team Leader - Remind) - sulizzi@solentmind.org.uk
• Sarah Harrison (Portsmouth Volunteer Co-Ordinator) - sharrison@solentmind.org.uk

Other ways to volunteer:


Use your skills and hobbies

If you're a yoga enthusiast, photographer, plumber or IT whizz who wants to give back, you could donate your time to our services or functions like HR, Digital or Building Maintenance. Your time could help ensure our funds remain focussed on life-changing support.

Please let us know your name, address and the skill you’d like to donate and we will get back to you.

Donate your skills or hobbies


Join us for an event

To celebrate campaigns like Mental Health Awareness Week or fundraise for our vital services, we're out and about at events all over Hampshire.

You might come along to help our Fundraising team carry out a bucket collection, help wave the rainbow flag at a Pride event, cheer for our runners at a local marathon or paint faces on a charity stall. Share your details with us and you'll be first to know about new opportunities.

Please send us your name and address and we will let you know if any opportunities arise.

Sign up as an event volunteer


Student placements

Solent Mind is really pleased to be able to support student placements which are highly beneficial to our organisation and to the students involved. We work with Portsmouth, Southampton, Winchester and Reading Universities to offer a set number of student placements each year. These placements are agreed and organised directly between the University and Solent Mind.

We don’t have the capacity to offer other placements but students are very welcome to apply for any of our existing volunteer vacancies. All of our current vacancies are advertised on our website – see above. Please state on your application form what course you are doing and what the requirements of your volunteering might be for example between which dates you can volunteer and how many hours you may need to complete. We will do our best to accommodate you wherever possible.

Lived experience participation

Lived experience participation means involving people with mental health conditions across our work. This is slightly different from volunteering, in that we offer an optional payment for time and travel expenses for lived experience participation, to encourage as wide a variety of people to get involved as possible.

We particularly want to hear from current and former Solent Mind service users. 

Find out more - lived experience participation


Freya's Story

I would encourage anyone to volunteer with Solent Mind if they’re interested in helping others with their mental health and would like to develop their own clinical skills!

Read more about Freya's Story
View our services Support us

Terry's Story

Becoming a volunteer with the group is really helping me to have a sense of purpose and gives me a structure to my week.

Read more about Terry's Story
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