Volunteering for Andover Mind
Andover Mind has a loyal band of volunteers who do an invaluable job:
working in our charity shop, serving customers or collecting and delivering furniture
on reception duties, greeting visitors and answering the phones
working directly with our service users
Like all charities, we could not operate without our volunteers and over the next few years we will be requiring even more volunteers to work in all areas of the charity but especially working directly with service users.
In recent years there has been a recognition that mental health service users are one of the most excluded groups in society. The things you and I take for granted are not possible for many of our clients. Most of them want a job but very few manage it. Many community leisure facilities and training establishments are not easily accessed by people with mental ill-health. Most of the barriers are caused by stigma and discrimination. We have an on-going anti-stigma campaign at Andover Mind and one of the outcomes we hope to achieve from this work is to recruit volunteers to work as buddies or mentors to people with mental ill-health. Here are some things our clients say about the difference a buddy or mentor could mean to them:
What would a “buddy” mean to me?
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How would a mentor make life better? “I want to get back to work but even with the help of the Vocational Advice Service at Mind, it still seems like a daunting task sometimes. I think having a mentor who was there for me would give me the confidence to see it through.” JP |
If you would like to know more about volunteering at Andover Mind, please contact:
Karen Ashley Brown
Tel: 01264 332297 Email: Karen.ashleybrown@andovermind.org.uk
