Volunteering can have many benefits:

  • You can help making a difference
  • You’ll be contributing to the community
  • You’ll be gaining valuable experience
  • You’ll be meeting people who we work with

Further information on these benefits and more can be found on our Benefits of Volunteering page, through the following link:

https://breakthrough-uk.co.uk/benefits-of-volunteering

Volunteering for Breakthrough can involve taking part in our projects and activities. For example, you could volunteer to be one of our Activity Mentors for our Let’s Have a Good Week project.

Further details can be found in our Volunteering FAQ, which you can download through the following link:

Download our Volunteering FAQ in Word

Download our Volunteering FAQ in PDF

Colin – “If you’ve got someone to walk with you side by side – you’re able to go anywhere then.”

(Volunteer Colin third from right, with the Pathways group he works with)

Colin Nelson is a familiar and much loved face around Breakthrough staff and clients.

Colin began volunteering a year ago, providing a guiding hand and encouragement to clients participating in Breakthrough’s different services.

After experiencing a difficult period in his life, Colin found out about Breakthrough via the Jobcentre and met with staff Rhonda and Chris.

After accessing the Peer Group as client, Colin gradually built up the confidence to take part in more activities.

He said: “At the worst, I didn’t leave my house for three months. My mum had to bring me what I needed. But being at Breakthrough solved that for me.

“I started to interact with other people in the peer group, I realised we could bring each other out of whatever hole we were in.”

With encouragement from Rhonda and Chris, Colin began to facilitate the group. He added: “Six weeks in, and I was helping the group more than they were helping me!”

Colin then went on to providing support on Breakthrough’s Independent Living and Pre-employability Pathways courses.

He said: “I give encouragement and give examples of my own life and experience.

“I try and show people how independent they are and what we control we do have.”

Colin has now progressed onto providing admin support within Breakthrough’s office, including processing expenses and answering the phone.

“It’s helped me socially; I now no longer only go out at night shopping to avoid social interaction. I can use the train and tram now and I don’t fear having to speak to strangers.

“I can’t emphasise how much Breakthrough have helped me. I’m completely different now, I wanted to give back.”

Join our team of Volunteer Activity Mentors on our Community Connecting project. This supports isolated disabled adults to participate in activities of their choice, building confidence.

If you can make a regular weekly commitment usually for about 12 weeks, we can offer you full training and CV-enhancing or personally rewarding experience. We will match you to a disabled person in your local community and you will work with them to engage with their hobbies and interests. You will see those you support grow in self-sufficiency over their time with you.

You can find other volunteering opportunities on our Volunteering Opportunities page through the following link:

https://breakthrough-uk.co.uk/volunteering-opportunities

We welcome and encourage applicants from all backgrounds and demographics including BAME, LGBT and disabled candidates. We do not discriminate on the basis of age, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, marriage and civil partnership and pregnancy and maternity.

Email your CV (or request a form) to vol@breakthrough-uk.co.uk or call Sam on 0161 234 3950 For text directly: 0793 994 3383.