Volunteer Activity Worker - (Tolworth - Thursday)

South West London & St George's Mental Health NHS Trust; City Of London; On-site; GBP 10,000 - 40,000; Part time

Job summary

A leading mental health organization in the UK is seeking an Activity Volunteer to support individuals in meaningful activities at Tolworth Hospital. The role offers a unique opportunity to gain clinical experience while helping service users in their recovery journey. Responsibilities include encouraging participation in activities and supporting staff. Ideal candidates should possess empathy and resilience. Flexible volunteering hours are available, with required training and background checks.

Benefits

Access to ongoing training

Pathway into paid positions

References provided upon completion

Qualifications

• Proficiency in English for communication.
• Commitment to personal development in a team environment.

Responsibilities

• Build relationships with service users.
• Encourage participation in activities.
• Support staff in running sessions.

Skills

Empathy

Reliability

Resilience

Job description

Overview

Would you like to make a difference in the lives of people experiencing mental health challenges? Join us as an Activity Volunteer at Tolworth Hospital, where you'll help service users engage in meaningful activities that promote recovery, resilience, and hope. This is a rewarding opportunity to gain firsthand experience in a clinical setting while making a real difference in people's lives.

Career Progression

We’re committed to supporting volunteers in achieving their career goals. This role offers a pathway into Bank positions and includes access to ongoing training in key areas such as Safeguarding, Health and Safety, and Equality and Diversity. Volunteering with us provides valuable experience that can support progression into paid employment, and we’re happy to provide references for volunteers who complete their volunteering.

Responsibilities

As an Activity Volunteer, you’ll build relationships with service users, encourage participation in group and individual activities, and support staff in setting up and running sessions.

You’ll help service users explore meaningful hobbies, provide positive feedback, and when confident, co‑facilitate a group with support from the Occupational Therapy team.

This role requires empathy, resilience, and a commitment to personal development.

Flexible Working

In this role, you will be able to volunteer Monday mornings, giving you a great balance between volunteering and other commitments.

Please note, volunteers must undergo reference and ID checks and complete mandatory training before starting the role which can take several months. Interviews are due to take place November 2025.

Qualifications and Requirements

All public facing roles require a proportionate level of English language proficiency for written and verbal communication. The Trust is required to verify results of certain English language competency tests relied upon. When the fluency duty is met by the provision of a sign language interpreter, the interpreter should be registered with the National Registers of Communication Professionals working with Deaf and Deafblind People (NRCPD).

This role requires empathy, reliability, and a commitment to personal development within a supportive team environment.

Equalities and Diversity

We are a Disability Committed Employer and welcome applications from all sections of the community and people of all protected characteristics. We are Members of Stonewall Diversity Champions and Employers Network for Equality and Inclusion.

As part of the Trust’s commitment to Equalities and Diversity, the Trust supports the establishment of Staff Networks groups to promote diversity in the workplace:

• BME (Evolve) Staff Network
• Christian Staff Network
• DiverseAbility
• Deaf Staff Network
• Mental Health Staff Forum
• Women’s Staff Network
• LGBTQIA+

We are committed to supporting the Armed Forces Community and have signed the Armed Forces Covenant.

We provide reasonable adjustments to the interview process for any candidates with a disability.

Application Notes

Please note:

• That the closing date listed is a guide only and that the vacancy may close earlier should sufficient number of applicants have been received
• That once you have submitted your application you agree to your application being transferred to a 3^rd party e‑recruitment system
• That should you not have heard from us within three weeks from the closing date your application has not been successful
• That priority consideration for applications may be given to at‑risk NHS employees
• That should you be successful and appointed, you authorise South West London and St George’s Mental Health NHS Trust to confirm your previous NHS service via an Inter Authority Transfer (IAT) process
• That your employment is offered subject to successful completion of a Probationary Period depending on your Band (except medical roles)
• That we are a smoke‑free Trust

About the Trust

South West London and St George’s Mental Health NHS Trust has a rich history, well‑established community links and an international reputation. We provide a full range of local mental health services to the Kingston, Merton, Richmond, Sutton and Wandsworth London boroughs, as well as specialist forensic mental health services, including specialised services such as national deaf adults and CAMHS inpatients and OCD.

We are committed to providing high quality integrated health and social care for local people with mental health problems in South West London and more specialist mental health services for people throughout the UK. The Care Quality Commission already rates our services as ‘good’ however we aim to be ‘outstanding’.

Our Values: We take pride in providing specialist care to our service users where our Trust values; being consistent, compassionate, collaborative, respectful and open is at the heart of everything we do. Our mission is “making life better together”.

When you join us, you’ll be part of something special – an innovative and rapidly growing organisation that is helping to redefine the Mental Health, education and social care landscape in the UK.

We are proud to belong at South West London and St George’s Mental Health NHS Trust. We have expert services, a rich history and a clear commitment to providing the best quality care for those with mental ill‑health. The Care Quality Commission already rates our services as ‘good’ – we aspire to be ‘outstanding’.

This is a great time to join us. We are transforming the way we care for our communities to support our mission of Making Life Better Together. We have built two brand new mental health facilities at Springfield University Hospital, which are amongst the best in the world. More developments are planned across our sites and services as we invest a further £120m to upgrade and modernise our estate by 2027.

We are inclusive and diverse and strive to be actively anti‑racist. We want to attract people from all backgrounds and experiences to enrich the work we do together. We are proud to co‑produce and involve our local communities in all that we do.

Location

Tolworth Hospital, Surbiton – Tolworth is undergoing a major transformation to create modern facilities for five new wards, a central plaza, and a café. It’s close to the A3, Tolworth station, and a short bus ride from Surbiton station, with fast connections to Clapham Junction and London Waterloo.