Peer Support Meeting Facilitator

Are you a people person? Do you have an ear to lend? If you are able to commit to 2.5 hours per week, this might be the perfect volunteer opportunity for you.

Changes runs peer support meetings for people experiencing mental distress. Our groups are open to all (18+), offer free support with no requirement for a referral, a mental health issue (or formal diagnosis), or a limit to the number of sessions anyone can attend. The sessions provide members the opportunity to share anything that is on their mind, if they wish to do so, whilst the group listens and supports each other. The group provides acknowledgment, reflection and acceptance to each member after they have shared. In order to run our meetings effectively, we need volunteers to facilitate them. This is where you come in!

Facilitating is an extremely rewarding role in which you help to run our peer support meetings. This involves being responsible for creating inclusive, safe, non-judgemental and empathetic spaces that enable members to connect and support each other. We will provide full training and supervision. After 3 training sessions, you will be expected to commit approximately 2.5 hours of your time, the same time every week. We need volunteers to be dependable and committed when taking on the role.

As we operate from a model of peer support, we value lived experiences of mental health challenges, so while this is not a requirement for the role, it can be to your advantage when running the groups.

If you would like an information pack to apply for the next training course please email volunteering@changesbristol.org.uk