We can’t give 1:1 or emergency support for people in a crisis. If this is what you need right now, you can find ways to access it on our website.
I need urgent helpHi everyone,
The kindness and support shared in this community makes a real difference to people's lives every day.
We're looking for members to collaborate with our Voices Team and help us shine a light on the power of peer support. By getting involved, you'll help us:
- Raise awareness of the value of peer support
- Reach more people who could benefit from joining our community
- Demonstrate the impact of our work to funders and partners
We are especially keen to hear from members who are using the Side by Side app.
This opportunity is totally optional – only do this if you’re interested and feel comfortable to do so.
Real life experiences are important to us. The Voices team at Mind are looking to hear from people who have experience of mental health problems, particularly those that have used our Side by Side service. In this post, we’ll share information on what working with us might look like, as well as how to register your potential interest.
Who are the Voices team and what do we do?
Our team collects real life experiences from people who have accessed Mind’s services. We also collect experiences from people who have mental health problems or have close connections to those that do. We arrange 1:1 chats with people interested in sharing their experience. What we talk about in this chat is then written up into a transcript that Mind may share quotes from across lots of different places. The person involved will always have a say in how their experience is used, and nothing will be published without their knowledge and approval.
You do not have to share your name or any identifiable features publicly, if you feel more comfortable, we can work with you to protect your anonymity. Our main aim is to make this a positive and empowering experience, we’ll always put your needs and preferences first.
What does working with us involve?
By working with us, you would become one of our “Voices” for Mind. Once we have collected your experience in an interview, we’d be on the lookout for lots of different ways to share your experience in Mind’s work. We might use your experience in different things, such as:
- A quote in a social media post
- A video of a person explaining their story
- A series of photos for a fundraising appeal
- A speech at an event
Sharing your experience to Mind is a very personal moment. We’re here to support people with lived experience to share their experience in ways that work for them. Whatever the opportunity may be, you will be supported by Mind every step of the way.
How do I get involved?
We’d love to hear form anyone that’s interested in taking part. To help make the process a little simpler, we’ve created a Microsoft Form to register your interest. This form will ask you some basic information about yourself. Such as, your contact information, your interaction with Mind and some basic information about yourself and your experience. Information you give in this form will only be used to contact you about working with the Voices team, it will not be shared anywhere else.
We won’t be able to work with everyone that gets in contact, but we’ll always get back to you, usually within 5 working days.
Any other questions?
We’re a small and friendly team made up of two people (Charlie and Bryony). Our inbox is always open to questions, so please do feel free to get in touch with us at any point. Please email voicesteam@mind.org.uk and we will get back to you as soon as we can.
Our supporter promise
We're Mind. And we only exist because of the fantastic support of people like you.
We want you to know that we value your support, whether that's through taking action, giving up your time, being a member, fundraising, making a gift in your will, supporting our shops or donating.
We're committed to treating you with respect and openness, so we've made this promise to you.