Volunteer Role Description

Role title

Wellbeing Walk Support Volunteer

Team reporting to

BRIC

Location

South Shields

Details of the role & tasks

We value our volunteers and seek to ensure their diverse roles are rewarding and beneficial to all. Waythrough holds the Investors in Volunteers accreditation.

The role:

To support the facilitation of weekly wellbeing walks for individuals in recovery from drug and alcohol use. The walks aim to promote physical activity, social connection, and mental wellbeing in a safe, supportive environment.

Tasks include:

Welcome and engage participants in a friendly, non-judgmental manner.

Walk alongside the group, offering encouragement and conversation.

Support the group leader in ensuring the walk is safe and inclusive.

Help monitor group wellbeing and flag any concerns to staff.

Assist with basic logistics (e.g., attendance, refreshments, directions).

Promote a positive, recovery-focused atmosphere.

Personal qualities

Friendly, approachable, and reliable.

Good communication and listening skills.

Comfortable walking moderate distances.

Respectful of confidentiality and boundaries.

Lived experience of recovery (optional but valued).

An understanding of Waythrough information is available on our website, and you can call a specific project to make enquiries.

A genuine interest in being part of the mission, vision and promise of Waythrough

Ability to maintain professional boundaries, adhere to Waythrough policies and media guidelines, engage in supervision, and complete relevant training

What Youll Gain

Experience supporting wellbeing and recovery activities.

Training in safeguarding and mental health awareness.

A chance to make a real difference in peoples lives.

Social connection and a sense of purpose.

Waythrough

What Volunteers can expect from us:

Volunteering with Waythrough offers people a unique chance to have a significant positive impact on peoples lives. We work both with and within diverse communities across the UK and every day we see people making positive changes to turn their lives around. We also offer:

Regular supervision and support

Induction and access to online and face to face training. Note Cyber Ninjas eLearning, Information Governance eLearning, Equality & Diversity eLearning and Volunteer Induction workshop are mandatory for all volunteers as a minimum with additional training depending on the role

The opportunity to learn and practice new skills

The opportunity to be part of a team and the wider Waythrough organisation

Reasonable travel expenses reimbursed with proof of journey

Opportunities to progress and experience other areas of Waythrough’s work

Our values:

Our values underpin everything we do from how we work together through to how we design and deliver services. All our work to fulfil this vision is strengthened by our values.

Kindness – be generous, caring and understanding.

Courage – be bold, trust, commit.

Respect – everyone deserves dignity.

Location: South Shields

Timing: 12 hours per week every Wednesday afternoon.

Training: Volunteers have access to Waythroughs training platform, LearningKind, and will be asked to complete a number of training modules within their first 3 months.

About Waythrough

Waythrough was formed in 2024 following the merger of Humankind and Richmond Fellowship. Together, weve created one of the largest mental health and social support charities in England.

Every year, we support around 125,000 people through nearly 200 services and its all made possible by our 3,500 brilliant staff and volunteers.

Make a real difference in your community

Are you passionate about helping others live safer, healthier, more independent lives? Join our team at Waythrough and support people facing challenges around mental health, substance use, housing or domestic abuse. This is more than just a job its a chance to build meaningful relationships and create lasting change.

What We Offer

We value the people who make a difference every day. Alongside meaningful work, youll enjoy:

Discounts from various schemes

Training and personal development

A chance to make a real difference in peoples lives

Free induction and role-specific training

Support from experienced staff and regular supervision

Opportunities to meet new people and develop your confidence

Reimbursement for travel and agreed expenses

Valuable experience that can support your personal or career development

Inclusion and accessibility

Waythrough is proud to be an equal opportunities employer. We welcome applications from all backgrounds and communities, especially those with lived experience of the issues we support.

We have signed up to the Disability Confident Scheme – all applicants are welcome, and adjustments can be made to enable fair participation.

If you need adjustments or support to apply, please email our recruitment team: recruitmentteam@waythrough.org.uk

How to apply

If youre viewing this advert on an external platform such as Indeed, please click Apply via company website to view the full job description and submit your application.

Please note that while this role has a stated closing date, we reserve the right to close the advert early should we receive a high number of applications.

Closing date: