Volunteer as a peer support facilitator
We understand that students are often the first source of support for their peers and many students want to know how to appropriately support others. Since 2008 we’ve supported young people to offer encouragement to fellow students experiencing the challenges of university life, through structured peer support groups. Our groups are facilitated by trained student volunteers who ensure the conversations remain supportive and safe. These group facilitators are core to our organisation and by volunteering with Student Minds you’ll be at the forefront of our work to help improve student mental health.
Volunteering as a group facilitator will give you a unique opportunity to develop your skills, make a difference at university, boost your CV and gain experience in the field of mental health. You will receive comprehensive training and ongoing support to ensure you feel knowledgeable, confident and skilled to deliver suitable and effective peer support on your campus.
Volunteering as a group facilitator will give you a unique opportunity to develop your skills, make a difference at university, boost your CV and gain experience in the field of mental health. You will receive comprehensive training and ongoing support to ensure you feel knowledgeable, confident and skilled to deliver suitable and effective peer support on your campus.
What types of peer support group do you run?
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Positive Minds Positive Minds is a six week course for students experiencing low mood or mild depression. Our facilitators run through a course booklet to structure the sessions with topics such as building a support network, establishing healthy routines and relaxation techniques. My Mind This three-part course helps students to build their own wellbeing by giving them the tools and techniques to make the most out of their university experience.This group is open to any student and draws on the fields of positive psychology to help students learn practical strategies to manage emotions and develop resilience in the face of difficulty. |
Eating Difficulty Groups These support groups provide support and encouragement to students experiencing eating difficulties or struggles with body image, to help them keep motivated through recovery. We offer both an unstructured support group and a six week structured course ‘Motivate Me’ for facilitators to run. Supporting supporters Alongside the groups and courses above, we also train volunteers to run our Supporting Supporters Workshops - for those students supporting a friend or family member with an eating disorder. |
What training will I receive?
It is essential that all volunteers have the skills and confidence they need to run a support group.
We deliver a two-day training programme to all our group facilitators prior to them running the support group. Our training covers topics such as:
Our training programme also offers a great opportunity to meet volunteers from around the country as well as the Student Minds staff who will support you throughout the year.
We deliver a two-day training programme to all our group facilitators prior to them running the support group. Our training covers topics such as:
- Listening skills;
- Confidentiality;
- How to manage difficult situations, including talking about suicide and enforcing ground rules;
- The importance of maintaining boundaries;
- Running a student led project.
Our training programme also offers a great opportunity to meet volunteers from around the country as well as the Student Minds staff who will support you throughout the year.
How can I get involved?
We recruit new volunteer facilitators for our peer support groups each year.
Join an existing volunteer team when applications are open, or set up your own peer support group!
Join an existing volunteer team when applications are open, or set up your own peer support group!
What support does Student Minds give?
All peer support facilitators receive ongoing support from Student Minds from supervision sessions after each group session you run, to e-learning modules for you to remain secure in the knowledge, confidence and skills to run the groups, to access to our Volunteer Hub with online resources such as how to guides, templates, downloadable event packs and more.