!!Lead Volunteer Opportunity!!

Embrace the power of giving back as our Lead Volunteer and make a meaningful impact on the community. Volunteering is not just about what you can do for others; it's an enriching journey that can transform your life. Our project's success hinges on a passionate lead volunteer - without you our mission stands still. Tailor your involvement - commit as much or as little time as suits you.

To take on this role email volunteering@cardiff.ac.uk, and become the driving force behind positive change!

Saib

Join Saib (meaning pause/rest in Welsh) to deliver workshops on mental health and wellbeing in secondary schools around Cardiff. Workshops will be age-appropriate sessions, covering a range of topics and will have the core aims of reducing stigma, providing accurate information, and encouraging communication and help-seeking behaviours.

You as volunteers will be hands-on with running these interactive sessions in groups of 2 or 3. You'll be teaching Years 7-13 on the below topics:

• Change Ahead (Dealing with Change)
• Self-care and Wellbeing
• Life Unfiltered (Self-esteem and Social Media)
• Exams and the Stress Response
• Tackling Mental Health Stigma 
• Supporting Someone Else's Mental Health 
• Understanding Loss and Grief 

Why?

Wellbeing is being introduced into the curriculum so teachers will soon be required to deliver these lessons, but there are advantages to having external volunteers leading the lessons in an informal, near-peer format. When it comes to sensitive issues like mental health and wellbeing, students can feel more comfortable opening up to an external volunteer than a teacher that they see every day. The informality of the lessons can prove to be more engaging and better received than formal lessons. Having student volunteers who are closer to the age of the students can also help with relaying the material in a relatable way.  

As well as being valuable to the schools, it will be very rewarding for volunteers. You will undoubtedly feel like you are making a difference to young people’s mental health, and might help your own mental health and wellbeing in the process. 

When?

Workshops will begin in November, after volunteers have been screened and trained. Workshops will take place during school hours (Monday to Friday, 9am - 4pm) and volunteers will be able to sign up to sessions whenever they are available. 

Where?

For in-person sessions, participating schools will be in the Cardiff area and transport will be arranged by us, free-of-charge! Volunteers will meet at the Students' Union and will travel together to the schools.

Who?

Anyone is eligible to apply for this project, students and non-students. All we ask is that you are available to attend the workshops in Cardiff. If you are a non-student or a student from outside of Cardiff University, you will need to register with an Associate Membership in order to sign up to this project. You can do this via the link below: 

https://www.cardiffstudents.com/account/register/guest/#ctl00_Main_txtFirstName_fp 

How? 

Applications are now open. Please purchase a free Saib membership at the bottom of this page. You will then need to complete a full application form via the following link: https://forms.gle/Amc5ZHxGCn3iPYFb8.