Become a volunteer for WithYou

The majority of our volunteering opportunities are for a few hours a week and continue on an ongoing basis, but we have a variety of roles that allow volunteers to give their time flexibly, whether that be 1-2 days a week or supporting one-off events.

Most of our roles do not require any specific skills or experience. We always specify the skills and qualities we are looking for in the role description. Some of our roles may require volunteers to have lived experience of drugs and alcohol as part of providing peer support to our clients.

Unless stated, all our volunteers undergo a standard training and induction process to help prepare and support them to fulfil their role. This will include a mixture of face-to-face and online training modules as well as any additional training relevant to a role. As a volunteer, you will have a member of staff who you can go to for help and support.

All volunteering opportunities are open to people aged 18 and over.

Absolutely! Our volunteers come from diverse backgrounds,  and we encourage applications from individuals from all walks of life, including those with lived experience of substance misuse.

WithYou has a policy in place to ensure that ex-offenders are treated fairly. Having a criminal record is not, in itself, a barrier to volunteering. We consider each offence individually and will have a conversation with you to understand the circumstances involved and anything else you would like to discuss with us.

Occasionally a conviction may impact some aspects of the volunteer role, but we are committed to recognising the skills and experience volunteers can bring to our work and will do our best to find a suitable role for you or make adjustments to the role you applied for.

Volunteers should not be disadvantaged in any way whilst volunteering for WithYou, including financially. We will reimburse you all reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred whilst carrying out volunteering activities that are in line with WithYou’s volunteer expenses policy.

Yes. You are free to volunteer while you are receiving benefits, as long as the work you do is unpaid and you only receive out-of-pocket expenses. Volunteers must tell their Benefits Office about their volunteering.

There are lots of different volunteer roles to choose from, depending on the needs of our services and the experience and skills that you can bring. 

If you want to apply for a volunteering role, complete an online Application Form. If your application indicates that you have the skills and interests we are looking for, you’ll be invited to take part in an informal interview. The interview gives us time to get to know you and understand your motivations for volunteering. 

If you are selected to volunteer with us, we ask for two references. You’ll also be required to complete a DBS/PVG check at the appropriate level to the role that you have applied for. (We’ll guide you through this).