Are you studying in the School of Health and Psychological Sciences (SHPS)? Or perhaps you’re looking to shift your focus towards a career in healthcare, mental health, psychology or counselling? Building work experience is crucial to landing that job, and places for paid placements are competitive. For example, in 2019 fewer than 1 in 6 candidates gained a place on the clinical psychology doctorate, required to become a registered psychologist. Volunteering with a charity is a brilliant way to gain the skills you need to enter the sector and stand out amongst other candidates, showing that you understand the role of a psychologist or someone giving care and support to another. 

There are three main causes you could volunteer for that are directly relevant to this career path. Here’s our handy guide of what to consider and where to look: 

1. Mental health charities 

The first place many people keen to pursue a career in psychology look to is the mental health sector. In this area, you’d be volunteering to help people with mental health problems access the support they need and campaign for better services. Here are some charities we’d recommend you look at that offer relevant volunteering opportunities for your career: 

Mind– the UK’s mental health charity. You can volunteer at a national level as a Youth Voice Network member, where you’ll help shape Mind’s work. Or you can volunteer at your local Mind branch: every branch offers different volunteering opportunities, so it’s a good idea to have a look at your borough’s branch and if you don’t find anything you like you can look at neighbouring boroughs. In Islington, roles include the Welfare Benefits Clinic volunteer, Integrated Community Support volunteer, and the Structured Intervention Support volunteer. 

Shout 85258 – the UK’s only free and confidential 24/7 text messaging service for anyone struggling to cope. In this role, you’ll take text conversations with children, young people and adults struggling to cope, empowering them to take their next steps towards feeling better. Want to find out more? Read Alex’s story on how volunteering for Shout helped her on her Psychology journey, and sign up to the information session on 11th June, led by Shout’s Clinical Director. 

Samaritans – the UK’s charity responding to people who are going through a difficult time or considering suicide. Every year, 23,000 volunteers spend over 1 million hours responding to calls for help and they can help change the course of someone’s life. In this role, you’ll do just that: picking up calls from people and listening to their experiences, offering support to them from one of Samaritans’ 201 branches.  

2. Healthcare charities (non-mental health) 

If you’re looking for more general experience in a healthcare setting, then volunteering in a hospital or other health service provider is a great way to do this. All NHS trusts in London offering volunteering schemes, where roles range from working on the information desk to ward befrienders. Click on your local trust below to find a volunteer role: 

Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust 

Barts Health NHS Trust (City of London, Newham, Tower Hamlets, Waltham Forest) 

Central London Community Healthcare NHS Trust (Barnet, Brent, Ealing, Hammersmith & Fulham, Harrow, Hounslow, Kensington & Chelsea, Merton, Richmond, Wandsworth, Westminster) 

Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust 

Croydon Health Services NHS Trust 

Friends of Moorfields Eye Hospital 

Homerton Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust 

Hounslow and Richmond Community Healthcare NHS Trust 

Imperial Health Charity (Brent, Ealing, Hammersmith & Fulham, Kensington & Chelsea, Westminster) 

King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (Bromley, Bexley, Croydon, Lambeth) 

Kingston Hospital NHS Foundation Trust 

Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust 

London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust (Brent, Ealing, Harrow) 

North Middlesex University Hospital NHS Trust (Barnet, Enfield, Haringey, Waltham Forest) 

Royal Free Charity (Barnet, Camden, Enfield) 

St George’s University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (Merton, Wandsworth) 

Whittington Health NHS Trust (Islington, Haringey) 

University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (Camden, Westminster) 

3. Volunteering with vulnerable groups 

Many charities work to support some of the most vulnerable groups of people in society, who may be left out by traditional services or require additional support. Volunteering with these organisations is a rewarding way to give your time to support a worthy cause, as well as learn key skills such as empathy and compassion, and dealing with tricky situations. Here are some organisations we particularly like: 

Age UK Camden – dementia befriending older people with memory loss 

Childline – offering confidential support to children as volunteer counsellors 

Haven House Children’s Hospice - supporting siblings of seriously ill children at the hospice 

Little Village - picking and packing items at the baby bank for families experiencing poverty 

Resources for Autism - befriending an autism child, young person or adult and their family 

St Joseph’s Hospice – visiting patients to help them make the most of their lives whilst living with a terminal illness 

Unfold - mentoring for refugee women, young people in a pupil referral unit, young asylum seekers, and young black or brown people 

If you're looking for guidance on how to apply to these roles, please don't hesitate to email us at volunteering@city.ac.uk