Volunteer with Us

Volunteers are invaluable to our work

Our volunteers contribute their time, energy and skills in support of our fantastic cause.

We appreciate everything that our volunteers do as we wouldn’t be able to provide the far reaching, excellent reputable service that we do without them.

We have a variety of options that volunteers can undertake depending on their skills and the demands of the organisation at specific times of the year. These are ever evolving positions with new opportunities arising.

Currently our volunteers provide essential support to our family members who call our contact our confidential helpline. We also have 2 fundraising teams of volunteers who organise fundraise on our behalf. Keep an eye on our social media feeds to see what they are up to next.

Helpline Volunteering

Our Helpline provides a vital support service to our family members who contact us. Currently our Helpline volunteers receive training including call handling skills, alcohol and drug awareness training. Our Helpline advisors answer calls, webchats and speak with people in our online community chat room including answering any messages on our message boards. Once you start supporting family members via the helpline you will receive ongoing training and support from the Helpline Development Officer.

Our Helpline is manned from 0900-2300 hours daily Monday to Friday and Saturday/Sunday 1700-2300 hours therefore there is flexibility in the hours you can work depending on the demands of the service.

Join the Helpline team

Would you like to volunteer for us from the comfort of your own home? We are looking for home based helpline operators to volunteer with us.

What does that actually mean? You would be answering our helpline calls and webchats from your own home and signposting the callers to suitable support organisations.

What experience do I need? None. We would like you to have an awareness of alcohol and drugs. You will be providing listening and emotional support to individuals who are affected by someone else’s substance use.

What equipment would I need? You will need access to a phone (either landline or mobile) with a quiet space to answer calls (no kids running around or dogs barking etc), internet access at home, a laptop or computer (tablets are not permitted) and sufficient computer skills to be able to research the internet, complete word documents and email these via your own email address to our helpline at head office.

Will I receive training? We provide training on call handling, alcohol & drugs awareness and also information on support services available.

If you are interested in this role please contact our Helpline Development Officer – Suzie Gallagher – suzanne@sfad.org.uk who will email you an information pack.

Also – take a look at how you can get involved in Fundraising.