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.
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.
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.
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 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 include tending to plants, serving customers, using the till in the shop and keeping the place looking appealing for our customers.
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.
Some previous knowledge of retail, horticulture or plants is preferred, but training will be given.
For more information email volunteering@solentmind.org.uk
How to apply
Email volunteering@solentmind.org.uk for an informal chat and more information or apply using the below link:
Volunteer opportunity details:
We ask volunteers to commit to a minimum of 6 months due to the level of checks and training required.
For more information contact:
Email: volunteering@solentmind.org.uk
DBS NOTE TO APPLICANTS - This role requires an Enhanced level of disclosure.
How to apply
Please follow this link to apply for this role: Solent Mind - Volunteering application form
Volunteer Opportunity Details:
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 to visit twice a month to take photos of stock and menu items for use on our social media channels and to promote the garden centre.
Main Responsibilities:
For more information please contact::
Volunteering@solentmind.org.uk
DBS NOTE TO APPLICANTS - This role requires an Enhanced level of disclosure.
How to apply
Follow this link to apply via our form:
Volunteer Opportunity Details:
Role Purpose:
Are you passionate about supporting people with their wellbeing? Do you have a skill to share? Are you friendly, supportive and chatty?
We are looking for a Weekend Wellbeing Volunteers to support our weekend team. This group supports adults experiencing mental health concerns and provides a safe, supported and non-judgemental space to learn self-help skills, overcome isolation and get involved in a range of activities. From offering emotional support to co-delivering the activities, you’ll gain invaluable experience in the mental health and charity sector.
For More Information Please Email:
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Katrina Young - kyoung@solentmind.org.uk |
Apply using the below button:
Volunteer opportunity details:
The course assistant volunteer will be based at the either The Hollies (New Milton) helping the course facilitator to deliver recovery focussed courses aimed at support people wishing to manage or improve their mental wellbeing. (Note: this volunteer role does not require leading a group or facilitate sessions).
Core courses will include Anxiety Management, Self-esteem, Lifting Low Mood, and Managing Emotions, and one-off wellbeing workshops.
Commitment - Courses usually run for 5 weeks, 1 session per week (days TBC). For consistency, the course assistant volunteer is required to attend every session of each course they commit to
We ask volunteers to commit to a minimum of 6 months due to the level of checks and training required.
For more information contact:
Katrina Young (Volunteer Coordinator)
Email: KYoung@solentmind.org.uk
DBS NOTE TO APPLICANTS - This role requires an Enhanced level of disclosure.
How to apply
Please follow this link to apply for this role: Solent Mind - Volunteering application form
Volunteer Opportunity Details:
To run and co-facilitate a gardening group for our service users within our outdoor space at Eastleigh Wellbeing Centre.
This will include guiding the group in tidying up the space, weeding, general maintenance of the space and caring for the garden. The group may also include potting, planting, upcycling and other more creative mini projects for the group to collaborate on. Ideally we would like someone with a passion for gardening and wellbeing, who would have the creative vision for our garden on a tight budget whilst working with other volunteers.
Please note - It is essential for this role you have some experience and interest in gardening and you mention this as part of your application.
DBS NOTE TO APPLICANTS - This role requires an enhanced level of disclosure.
For More Information Please Email:
DBS NOTE TO APPLICANTS - This role requires an Enhanced level of disclosure.
HOW TO APPLY:
To express your interest in this role complete an application form here: Solent Mind - Volunteering application form
Volunteer Opportunity Details:
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**Working as part of the Welcome Team, we are specifically looking for people from the White Non British and Asian communities to help us better engage with those demographics.** The Welcome team are a group of volunteers who provide a point of promotion and awareness to the local community, encouraging them into the centre then acting as a welcome and reassurance once they arrive. This role will focus on helping us connect with underrepresented communities. We recognise that some communities face more barriers to access mental health support than others and this role will help us inform, raise awareness of our services and encourage communities to engage with their wellbeing. As part of this role you will research and search out local events to attend to raise the profile of the local wellbeing centre within these communities. Attending these events as the face of Solent Mind, representing us in a friendly and approachable manor whilst signposting and breaking down barriers. You will co-host a monthly coffee morning with other volunteers for new and existing users of the service, providing information and strengthening connections. This is a great opportunity to see the people from the events again, showing them round and explaining more about what we can do to help. After each open morning event, you can meet with fellow volunteers and review the diary for the month ahead. The ideal person will be friendly, approachable and flexible as the events dates and times are set by the community, not us! Please note: This role requires two references and a standard DBS check inline with our safer recruitment policy. Due to the training we ask for a minimum commitment of 6 months for this volunteering role and a weekly commitment depending on the events schedule. |
For more information please contact::
Volunteering@solentmind.org.uk
DBS NOTE TO APPLICANTS - This role requires a standard level of disclosure.
How to apply
Please ensure you specify in your application the role title, and where you are located.
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 marshal an event, 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 keep checking this space for new opportunities coming soon. Or email us at fundraising@solentmind.org.uk for more information about our volunteering roles.
Click to express an interest in joining the event volunteer teamJoin colleagues for a volunteering day with Solent Mind. Mayfield Garden Centre offers a huge variety of activities including general repairs, decorating, gardening, clearance and more. Be part of our mission, to bring about positive change for people struggling with their mental health through gardening.
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 have limited capacity to offer placements in other locations 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.
We are pleased to say we have a number of rolling placements available from February 2026 in our Portsmouth Team. A full role description can be found here, but we are seeking enthusiastic and committed volunteers currently studying or who have completed undergraduate or postgraduate courses in health and social care (including Social Work, Psychology, Mental Health Nursing, General Nursing, or Paramedic Science).
This role offers a unique opportunity to combine placement learning with continued volunteering activity beyond study, ensuring continuity of care for service users. Volunteers will play a vital role in delivering lived-experience peer support within the community, supporting Solent Mind’s community lived experience support service. For this role we ask you have lived experience of mental health that you are happy to share. We are currently full for this kind of placement.
Our Open Minds counselling service which will have some placement opportunities as part of it.
Are you a qualified counsellor (who has successfully completed and 2 year Level 4 or 2 year Level 4/5 Diploma in Higher Education in any counselling modality) and want to get involved?
Or are you a trainee counsellor, who has received your ‘letter of fitness to practice’, and want to the opportunity to achieve your required practice hours?
We are not currently accepting student placement applications, but do check back for when our placements reopen.
Lived experience participation means involving people with mental health conditions across our work. This is 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
A passionate Psychology student at Southampton Solent University, Hannah has a strong interest in mental health and cognitive wellbeing. Eager to gain hands-on experience, she began volunteering with Solent Mind’s Remind service, supporting individuals living with dementia.
Read more about Hannah's story
Katie has been volunteering with Solent Mind to support others and rebuild her confidence. Here she shares her story.
Read more about Katie's story
With a passion for horticulture and psychology, Cristina leads the gardening group at our Eastleigh wellbeing centre, helping others discover the therapeutic benefits of looking after nature. Her work is already making a meaningful difference in the lives of those who attend.
Read more about Cristina's storyUnite with us for better mental health and engage your staff, raise your profile and support your community.
Hannah, a 34-year-old volunteer at Mayfield Garden Centre, has faced immense challenges due to long Covid, which has significantly impacted her mobility and overall health. Despite these difficulties, she has found a sense of purpose and connection through volunteering.
