Volunteering is a great way to make use of your skills, give back to your community and gain valuable experience whilst meeting new people and having fun.

Many of our Volunteers have a passion for mental health and make a huge contribution to our charity.  From our team of Trustees to volunteers working with our services, cooking in our Wellbeing Centre, running peer groups, making videos for our social media, running stalls at community events and supporting our finance and HR functions – there is huge variety and potential. 

Our current roles are advertised below, if you don’t see something that’s right for you or if you have a particular skill to offer please email [email protected]

All of our volunteers have the opportunity to develop their skills, receive 1-to-1 support and claim expenses.  Once you have sent us a completed application form you’ll meet with our Volunteer Co-ordinator or team member you will be working with.  If it’s decided to proceed, the next step is two character references and a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check.  You’ll then receive an induction and start your volunteering.

Current Vacancies

Volunteer Therapists

Our Psychotherapy and Counselling service offers medium-term support to clients, (usually 20 weeks of therapy), and we depend on the contribution of volunteers. Our therapists come from a range of theoretical backgrounds and have varying skills and experience. 

We encourage applications from experienced therapists, as well as those in training. We are particularly keen to hear from therapists: 

  • with experience of working with clients with complex mental health needs 
  • who work with psychodynamic, existential and cognitive analytical or cognitive behavioural approaches 
  • with experience of facilitating therapeutic groups 

We also welcome applications from ethnically diverse communities and multilingual therapists. 

Please note that our policy is not to allow the recording of sessions or clinical meetings for any purpose, including training. 

We offer: 

  • Monthly group clinical supervision 
  • Ad hoc support from our Clinical Lead and Counselling Coordinator 
  • In-house training and CPD opportunities 
  • References after 12 months volunteering 

Essential criteria for therapists: 

  • Have completed a minimum of 1 year of a BACP or UKCP accredited Diploma course and delivered at least 50 hours of supervised, one-to-one, in-person therapeutic work with vulnerable adults or young people
  • Are available on a Tuesday (10am – 6pm), Wednesday (1pm – 9pm) or Thursday (10am – 7pm) for client work 
  • Can attend mandatory in-house supervision groups during the hours of 1-6pm 
  • Can commit to a minimum of 12 months, offering three sessions a week (3 x 50 minutes) face-to-face  
  • Hold student membership with a relevant awarding body 
  • Positively identify with and respect Richmond’s diverse population 

Recruitment Process 

We recruit throughout the year and currently have vacancies. 

Firstly, please email your CV to [email protected] along with a letter of motivation describing how you meet the essential criteria above. 

If your application is shortlisted, you will be invited to attend an interview with members of the Therapies team. After a successful interview, you will be asked to complete a short online application form. On receipt of satisfactory references and DBS clearance, you will be given an induction, be allocated to a supervision slot and will be allocated three weekly clients. 

Occasionally it is not possible to find a time slot that suits a volunteer’s availability and there may be a waiting period until one becomes available. 

For further information contact Kulbir Bura or Marisca Ribeiro at [email protected] or call 020 3475 9705 between 12pm and 5pm Wednesday and Thursday. 

Events and Fundraising Volunteer

Richmond Borough Mind organises a number of events and fundraising activities each year and we’d like to do more. Being seen in the community helps us break down mental health stigma and connect with people who may need our support.

As an independent charity, rather than a branch of Mind as many people think, we are responsible for raising the funds we need to sustain our services and to expand the type of support we can offer in Richmond.

We are looking for people to join our Events and Fundraising team; you’ll be able to choose what activities or events you are interested in and can choose to do a little or a lot. This is a flexible role that can work around other commitments.

Hours: Flexible

Based at: At our offices or remotely

Duties:

· Contributing ideas and helping us to shape our fundraising plans

· Being part of the team on event days

· Helping us with our marketing and promotion for events and fundraising

· Assisting with research and administration tasking

You can find out more by downloading the role description here.

If you’re interested in this role, please email [email protected] or call 07849 090901. 

Communications Volunteer

We are looking for a Communications Volunteer to provide support to the central team’s communications function. This is a flexible role that can work around other commitments.

Hours: Flexible

Based at: Remote working

Duties:

  • Assisting with sourcing of content, design and production of communications materials
  • Writing and proof-reading articles for newsletters, website, intranet and social media
  • Writing tweets and posts for Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and other social media sites
  • Scheduling posts via social media scheduling tools
  • Devising ideas for communications campaigns
  • Liaising with contacts and maintaining contacts database

You can find out more by downloading the role description here.

If you’re interested in this role, please email [email protected] or call 07849 090901.

Peer Group Network Volunteer

The Peer Group Network is made up of groups run by and for people who experience mental health issues, our groups are supported by volunteers who have experience in their field. We offer a safe and non-judgemental space where members can make friends, have fun and learn new skills.

As a remote and face-to-face Peer Group Network Volunteer you will be co-facilitating a Peer Group such as an Art, Yoga or Talking group.

Hours: Minimum of 2-3 hours but can vary depending on the number of members and online groups being supported, 3 months minimum commitment

Based at: In person and remotely

Duties can include:

  • To plan, facilitate and deliver online and face-to-face groups such as talking groups.
  • To use own experiences and interests whilst facilitating groups.
  • To support administration function i.e. membership forms, registers and evaluation feedback.
  • To offer informal support such as listening and sign-posting

You can download the role description here.

If you’re interested in this role, please email [email protected] or call 07849 090901. 

Trustee

This is an excellent opportunity to become a trustee of a forward-thinking, award winning, caring charity that continuously drives to support and improve the mental health of many people in the London Borough of Richmond.

We are recruiting 3-4 trustees to join our Board. Do you have interest in mental health, emotional wellbeing and thriving communities? Have you led teams, projects or new initiatives? And maybe you have lived experience of mental health challenges directly or as a care giver. We value diversity of perspectives and experience. Please consider applying now!

Richmond Borough Mind will have a turnover of around £2m in 2024 / 2025. Funding comes from a range of statutory bodies, trusts and foundations and community fundraising.  As an organisation we have a talented and dedicated senior management team, staff (60) and volunteers (over 100).

Every year Richmond Borough Mind (RB Mind) supports a growing number of residents with a range of mental health needs, reaching around 5000 people last year. Services include Psychotherapy and Counselling, Talking Therapies Richmond, our Wellbeing Centre, Crisis Services, Carers in Mind, and Peer support.  Going forward as a charity we are focussed on reaching more people by increasing our visibility and influence, widening our engagement and delivering innovative services. To find out more about us visit www.rbmind.org.

Selection Criteria:

Our Board is looking for a range of expertise and soft skills. Particularly important is the growth mindset, independent judgement and commitment to better outcomes and positive impact. We are very keen to hear from people with some experience in one the following areas:

  • People / HR
  • Legal (e.g. Contracts / Commercial / Property)
  • Safeguarding
  • Communications / Brand Advocacy
  • Fundraising
  • Governance

As a trustee and director your leadership skills will help Richmond Mind to sustain growth and excellence. The time commitment is approximately 12 Committee and Full Board meetings each year, many of which are conducted online, with additional meetings for setting strategy, board development, short projects and representing us at events.

We particularly welcome applications from the LGBTQIA+ community, women, people from Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities, and people with disabilities, who we know are all under-represented in the boardroom and Non-Executive roles.

We will provide an induction, training and ongoing support.

Please send your CV and a cover letter to [email protected] by Friday 18th October at 9.00am. For more information on the role, please see the description: Trustee RB Mind Role Description Sept 24.

There is a formal application process, but for an informal discussion, please contact Val Farmer, Chief Executive on [email protected]