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:
One in four of us will experience a mental health problem at some time in our lives. Do you want to use your skills and experience to play a leading role in a charity which provides real, practical help?
Solent Mind supports people to achieve improved mental health and wellbeing, and provides a range of services delivered by more than 300 staff and 140 volunteers.. We provide advice and support to help to support positive mental wellbeing, live well and thrive. We campaign to improve services, raise awareness and promote understanding. Our Head Office is located 15/16 The Avenue, Southampton, and we operate from over 15 locations across Southampton, Portsmouth and Hampshire. Solent Mind is affiliated to Mind (the national mental health charity), is an active member of the national Mind Network, and works closely with Havant & East Hants Mind and Andover Mind. Further information is available via our website https://www.solentmind.org.uk
The role of the Board is to govern the charity; setting policy, strategy and ensuring exemplary governance and financial control. The day to day management of the charity is undertaken by the Chief Executive and her senior management team.
We particularly welcome someone with a background in mental health services to join our services and communities subcommittee as part of this role.
Solent Mind seeks to have among its Trustees a range of experience and expertise, including one or more of the following:
Solent Mind seeks representatives from a range of diverse communities. If you feel you have a contribution to make as a Board Trustee / Director, and can demonstrate a commitment to Solent Mind and its aims and values, we would be delighted to hear from you.
If you would like to have an informal exploratory discussion please contact us on 02382 027828.
If you would like to apply, we would ask you initially to complete the available application form below and submit a copy of your CV.
For More Information Please Email:
HOW TO APPLY:
Click on the link to complete a trustee application form and upload your CV.
This role is subject to obtaining two references and an enhanced DBS check.
Volunteer Opportunity Details:
|
**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! Mandatory training will be provided on Wednesday 11th February in Southampton, with informal conversations with interested people in January. 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.
Volunteer Opportunity Details:
|
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. As part of this role you will research and search out local events to attend to raise the profile of the local wellbeing centre. 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! Mandatory training will be provided on Wednesday 11th February in Southampton, with informal conversations with interested people in January. 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.
Volunteer opportunity details:
When: To start as soon as possible, for at least 6 months.
Mayfield Garden centre prides itself on being a supportive and welcoming place for all. We have a number of service users who come to us for 1:1 daycare support on weekdays, who enjoy being part of this positive environment. We are looking for someone to support them accessing nature based therapeutic horticulture during their time with us and providing activities that support their recovery. This could be working with them to access the wellbeing groups run by the centre, trying arts and crafts or coming up with new ideas as led by them.
This role requires you to be adaptable and flexible, but can provide an opportunity to make a real difference and make a connection with a vulnerable person. We ask the applicant have some experience in a health and social care related field.
If you would like to apply for this role, please complete an application form here: Solent Mind - Volunteering application form
We will then invite you in for a trial and chat. Due to the nature of this work, we do ask for a regular commitment and a minimum commitment of 6 months. Initial time required initially for induction and training. An Enhanced DBS check will also be required for this role.
DBS NOTE TO APPLICANTS - This role requires an Enhanced and Barred level of disclosure.
How to apply
Email volunteering@solentmind.org.uk for an informal chat and more information or register your interest using the link below.
Volunteer Opportunity Details:
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. Please note: Due to the nature of this role we ask you produce an enhanced disclosure and baring service check (DBS) of your criminal record which has been completed by the university. If you do not have one, please make us aware at point of application and we can arrange. Due to the training we ask for a minimum commitment of 6 months for this volunteering role. |
For more information please contact::
Volunteering@solentmind.org.uk
DBS NOTE TO APPLICANTS - This role requires an enhanced level of disclosure.
How to apply
For a student placement, please complete this form: Solent Mind - Student placement enquiry
If a graduate or student wishing to volunteer, please complete this form: 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 Winchester 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 and Barred level of disclosure.
HOW TO APPLY:
To express your interest in this role complete an application form here: Solent Mind - Volunteering application form
We are seeking a new trustee to join our board, being jointly responsible for the overall governance of the charity, ensuring we deliver against the organisation's purpose using our resources wisely and uphold our values and legal duties.
For more information see the candidate pack here, and apply attaching a CV and completing an online application form.
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.
From mid 2026 we will be launching a counselling service which will have some placement opportunities as part of it.
To be eligible trainees will need to have a letter of fitness to practice which is usually given in the second year of level 4 training and associate counsellors will be qualified to level 4. We are very happy to support trainees in their requirement to get their 100 hrs+ placement hours and have a clinical supervisor as part of the project.
To register your interest in a counselling placement, starting in September 2026 please complete the placement application form.
Click to express an interest in a student placementLived 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
Military partners face unique challenges that can be difficult to navigate, putting pressure on their mental health. Here, Royal Navy spouse Claire shares her story.
Read more about Claire'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.
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.
