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Volunteer

There are many opportunities for volunteers in the organisation, such as administrative support, board members, peer support, art volunteers, counsellors & social workers on placement, and probably others we don’t even know about yet! We can often match volunteers to specific projects, so if you have a skill or talent you think we could use, please get in touch.

The benefits of volunteering are twofold – we get the benefit of your time and skills, and you benefit from our experience and expertise plus you have the reward of being able to put something of value back into the community. Below are just a few of the specific opportunities open to you. If you would like to find out more about our work and more about how you could contribute to our mission then please sign up to come to one of our information sessions.

Reception Volunteers

Do you have a real empathy and respect for people with mental health needs and feel that you could provide a welcome to all callers to our office? Our reception volunteers will be the focal point for all visitors to our Centre, develop information resources and provide general support to the smooth running of the Centre. No previous experience is necessary, and we are keen to hear from people with IT and good organisational skills.

Location: Sevenoaks.

Community Fundraisers

If you enjoy working with people, have enthusiasm and ideas and you would like a volunteer role that uses your talents to the full then this could be for you. Our Community Fundraisers will work as a small team supported by a member of staff. No previous experience necessary although we are keen to hear from people who have any experience, no matter how big or small, of organising or being a part of events e.g. school fete, bring and buy sale, a fundraising dance, a play, pub quiz, raffle etc.

Location: Home-based, Sevenoaks, Tonbridge, Edenbridge.

Trustees

Trustees are legally responsible for overseeing the work of the charity, ensuring good governance, solvency, and effectiveness. We encourage applications from people with a wide range of skills and experiences, including those with experience of using mental health services.

Location: Sevenoaks.

Activity Volunteers

If you like variety, have specific hobbies or skills, like working to make a positive difference to other people’s lives, then we have a range of opportunities. Help us to run group activities like art, walking, gardening, creative writing, cookery, photography, tennis, bowls, or run your own group! No previous experience necessary.

Location: Sevenoaks, Tonbridge, Edenbridge.

Buddy/Befriending Volunteers

Do you have a few hours to spare each week? We want to recruit a small team of people who would like to make a real difference and befriend someone with mental health needs. Isolation is a real issue for many people, we all need friends to go out with, have fun or share a common interest like walking, photography, films, or just going to the local coffee shop.

Location: Home-based with training in Sevenoaks.

Fundraising, Marketing and Communications

Do you have professional experience in any of the following – Writing funding bids, from statutory or non-statutory sources? Corporate Sponsorship? Developing individual donors and supporters? Communications, Media, Marketing and Business skills? We would love to hear from you! You will work directly with the Chief Executive as part of a skilled volunteer team to increase our capacity to generate income from a range of sources, raise our profile, and deliver our strategic plan.

Location: Home-based or Sevenoaks.

Mental Health Awareness Group

Our supportive and friendly group are looking for new recruits to join them. The group works to raise awareness of mental health and reduce stigma and discrimination. Everyone welcome and we are especially keen to hear from people who have experience of mental health needs, whether through personal experience, as a carer or as a professional.

Location: Outreach service based at Sevenoaks.

Peer Volunteers

The Peer Volunteering Scheme is an opportunity for those people recovering from mental illness to use their experiences to assist others and to provide emotional or practical help for each other. The process is:

Speak to the Day Services Team to register your interest
Complete a volunteering application form
References will be requested
CRB check requested

Training will be organised which will cover such areas as: communication skills, listening skills, boundaries, problem solving, confidentiality. A plan to commence Peer Support Volunteering will be drawn up, with support requirements identified and agreed, and review dates set. Current Peer Volunteer led projects include the Tonbridge Drop In Club and Visualisation & Relaxation sessions. New suggestions and opportunities are always welcome!

Location: Sevenoaks, Tonbridge.

Job Vacancies

An exciting new opportunity to join our established and ambitious charity as Development Co-ordinator. The post holder will work closely with the Chief Executive to deliver the Strategic Plan and will have special responsibility to grow and develop our volunteer base.

You will be highly motivated, with good project management skills, and have a real commitment to making a positive difference to the mental health and wellbeing of the communities we serve. For further information download the job description (PDF or Word format) and to apply, download an application form (PDF or Word format).

Closing date for applications: Friday 2 March 2012
Interviews: Wednesday 14 March 2012

Donate

Sevenoaks Area Mind works to support people with mental health needs. We do this by involving people in activities and groups, through counselling and one to one support. We support people to re-join the wider community and we encourage the active participation and empathy of the wider community. We see people with mental health needs as people first.

It all costs money. If you want to make a difference as much as we do then please support our work. We are actively developing a streamlined donation system through which you can support our work with regular or one-off donations. In the future this will include mobile phone texting and a telephone number.

Currently we can gladly receive your support via direct debits, paypal and credit/debit cards with the buttons below, and of course you can always simply send us a cheque. Thank-you!

We gratefully acknowledge the support we receive from the following organisations: