Mental Health and Wellbeing Services at Blackfriars Settlement
Volunteer Role Description
Role Description: Creative Support Volunteer
Employer: Blackfriars Settlement (Mental Health and Wellbeing)
Hours: 3 hours a week
Availability: Tuesday or Wednesday
Duration: Minimum of 3 months
Role summary
Every Tuesday and Wednesday the Mental Health and Wellbeing members meet to socialise, relax, play games, enhance their tech skills, and engage with one of our creative sessions. We are looking for someone to help organise, join in and support these important projects.
Main activities/tasks
What your role involves will depend on which session you’d like to join or feel you can contribute most to. Our current programme includes:
(Tuesdays)
• Switched on Tech Support: Offer 1-1 assistance to members who require help setting up their mobile phones, tech and using on site computers to send emails, search the web, document their ongoing projects or digitally edit their artwork.
• Music Appreciation: Support members in listening to a wide variety of music with the addition of expression through percussion, singing and dance. Facilitating dialogue and encouraging engagement.
• Creative Writing/Reading Group: Facilitate creative output through poetry and short story writing focused on a different subject each week. Listening to the experiences of the group and encouraging discussion based on thoughts, feelings and day-to-day inspiration.
(Wednesdays)
• Thinking Ahead Discussion: Support open discussion group based on member feedback, balancing current concerns and topics of interest. Encouragement of free-fl ow communication within a safe-space that is held by main facilitators.
• Creative Art Group: Facilitate with a team of creatives with varied workshops where members can use resources to work on their personal projects or engage with a volunteer lead initiative. Previous projects have involved clothes mending, puppet making and embroidery as well as painting, drawing and making.
• Social Media & AI Support: Help to run sessions and guide the members in setting up a social media profi le, sharing content, making online connections and using AI to enhance knowledge and creative practice.
(Monthly)
• Walk a Mile with a Smile: Join the monthly walk around the historical area
of Southwark & Lambeth, guiding members, ensuring safety and inclusion and engaging in interesting conversation about the sights and sounds of the city organised by a team of nature and history lovers.
Role requirements:
• Warm, welcoming and friendly nature
• Ability to listen, support and encourage a diverse group of people
• Interest and/or skills in creative practice
• Willingness to get involved and contribute new ideas
• Up to date DBS check (we will facilitate this for you)
What’s in it for you?
• Meeting fantastic people in a voluntary sector setting
• Gain experience of working in the mental health fi eld
• Have the opportunity to practice and develop communication skills
• Gain knowledge of how people recover from and/or live with a mental health diffi culty
• Bolster knowledge and experience for career path in mental health (past volunteers have gone on to train as adult mental health nurses/train in psychology)
• Knowledge/experience of voluntary sector work
We can provide one day of basic training in mental health in variety of topics e.g.
women and mental health, self-harm, introduction to mental health .
If you would like to become part our charity dedicated to serving our local community, please contact us for an application form.
Email: eva.henry@blackfriars-settlement.org.uk
or
call 020 7960 4607.
Alternatively, you can download the application from our website.
Please indicate what session you would be most interested in joining and why, alongside your availability. References will be required as part of the application process.