Ways you can volunteer

There are many different ways you can give your time and skills to volunteer for Sova. For example:

You could become a mentor

Mentoring is all about supporting and encouraging people to reach their potential. A mentor is a guide who can help someone who needs support to make the right choices and believe in themselves; someone who can question and challenge, as well as providing advice and encouragement. It’s a positive relationship, built upon trust, mutual respect and empathy. We match volunteer mentors with adult and young offenders, people with drug and alcohol problems and young people who need help to stay out of trouble.

You could become an Independent Visitor

Independent Visitors are volunteers who spend time with a child or young person who is living, or has lived, in care who needs extra support and encouragement, sometimes because they have little or no contact with their own families. The volunteer is there as someone ‘independent’ in the young person’s life, distinct from the professionals paid to support them. They might take the young person to the cinema or to the park, help them with homework, support them at meetings or simply be there to talk to.  It makes a real difference to a young person to know they have someone who is on their side, who has chosen to be there for them.

You could become an Appropriate Adult

Appropriate Adults are volunteers who support young people, aged 10-16, and vulnerable adults while they are detained in police custody. The job of the Appropriate Adult is to look after the best interests of the suspect, ensuring they know and understand their rights and that the police interview goes as smoothly as possible. The volunteers are there for young people and vulnerable adults, for example those with mental health problems or learning difficulties, who don’t have anyone else willing or able to be there for them. Having a trusted, independent person available for support at such a difficult time can make a huge difference to a young person or adult in need.

You could volunteer to work at one of our projects 

We have volunteers working in all sorts of other roles at Sova projects, for example offering advice, friendship and sports and arts activities to children and young people; providing family learning opportunities to families going through a difficult time and helping refugees and asylum seekers to adapt to, and make the most of, life in England and Wales.