We understand how important it is to have and provide a safe space for LGBTQIA+ people to talk about their wellbeing. All our facilitators are also part of this community.

One of the wonderful things about volunteering as a facilitator is that you are able to support members of the community, other volunteers and yourself. Our facilitators are members of the group like everyone else and it is important that you get something from it too.

“Volunteering for the LGBTQIA+ Wellbeing Group helped to give me a sense of purpose. After experiencing a lot of homophobia and struggling with my mental health, it felt amazing to be able to offer a space and a listening ear to others from my community.“

You don’t need to have used our services before to help support us as a volunteer, however we always encourage members who currently use or have previously used our services to become volunteers.

We have over 100 volunteers and there are usually volunteering opportunities throughout the year. We are looking for people who want to make a difference and support others from your community.

There are many benefits to volunteering: it can be a great way to increase self esteem and build confidence; to get back into work; or to develop new skills and experience. It is also a way to give something back to others and connect with people with shared values.

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. 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 three 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.

Although we are a mental health charity, we are not mental health professionals and facilitators are not expected to be group therapists. You cannot know everything and you will not have all the answers but your time and presence are enormously valuable. If you have the time and the passion for this role, we would love to hear from you.

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

If for any reason you’re not able to email us or complete an application form digitally, please give us a call on 0117 941 1123 and we will be happy to discuss this with you over the phone.