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Blackthorn Trust couldn’t operate without our amazing volunteers who work in a variety of customer service and programme-support roles. Our current volunteer opportunities are detailed below.
Skills needed
  • Good communication skills to be able to talk to and interact with customers, staff, other volunteers and service users (vulnerable adults who have mental health conditions).
  • Ability to follow instructions and work unsupervised (after a short period of training).
  • Be a good team player who is aware of the specific role they have as an individual and how it fits into the wider team.
  • Be empathetic and patient.
  • Happy working in a busy and varied setting.
  • Relevant experience preferred but not is essential.
Other requirements
  • DBS checks are required for all Blackthorn Trust’s volunteers and staff.
  • All potential volunteers will be vetted during an initial face-to-face meeting to determine whether they are a good fit for the role and the team they would be joining.
  • All our volunteers must aged 18 or over and live in the UK (within easy travelling distance of our site in Maidstone).
  • For safeguarding reasons, we are careful not to offer volunteering positions to people who are themselves vulnerable.

What’s in it for you

  • ‘give back’ to the local community
  • join a friendly and supportive team
  • learn new skills
  • spend time every week at our beautiful and tranquil site
  • meet new people
  • attend two volunteer ‘thank you’ events each year – a chance to socialise with people who help on other days and/or in different departments
  • know you are helping to make a difference to the hundreds of people who access Blackthorn Trust’s support programmes each year
Our current volunteering opportunities are:

Café volunteers are needed to work serving customers and helping with food preparation. Our busy café is open weekdays 10am to 3pm, providing a range of hot meals, cakes and drinks for staff, service users and the public.

Volunteer duties are varied (e.g. assisting service users, taking customers’ orders, serving food and drinks, taking payments, washing up, helping prepare food etc.). Café volunteers are required to work unsupervised as part of a team.

Time commitment: A minimum of 1 weekday per week – we currently need volunteers on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays or Fridays. We ideally need volunteers to work 9.30am to 3.30pm but will consider people who are looking for fewer hours as long as they are available for a minimum shift of 11am to 2pm.

Charity Shop volunteers are needed to work helping with workshops for people attending our programmes that support people with mental health conditions. They are required to work both front of house (assisting customers, taking payments, tidying stock etc.) and sorting/pricing donations.

Time commitment: A minimum of 1 weekday per week – we currently need volunteers on Mondays (12.30 to 3.15pm), Wednesdays (9.50am to 3.15pm) or Fridays (9.50am to 3.15pm).

If you are interested in joining our team of volunteers please complete our application form and return it by email to info@blackthorn.org.uk (you can download the application form HERE).