Volunteer with us

We would not be able to deliver our services without our team of volunteers. They provide support at our Independence & Wellbeing Centre and Social & Activity Groups. Our volunteers help people with acquired brain injury to participate in life skills sessions, play games and help to facilitate peer-to-peer support.

All of our volunteers receive training and regular catch-ups with our staff team. We want to make volunteering a rewarding and enjoyable experience for everyone.

We also welcome student volunteers. Headway Cardiff & South East Wales is a great place to gain work experience through volunteering.

We are currently looking for more volunteers to join our team across the week. If you have hours to spare regularly in your week, please fill out the application form below.

Please note that we ask that volunteers can commit to a minimum of at least 12 sessions.

Would you be interested in supporting people with a brain injury with cognitive, emotional and behavioural difficulties?

To become a volunteer at Headway Cardiff & South East Wales please fill out the form below with as much information as possible. Our Volunteer Coordinator will be in touch as soon as possible and you may be invited to an informal interview.

To assess your suitability for the role, we will take up references from individuals who have known you for at least two years and are aged 18 years or over. They must not be a family member nor live in the same household as yourself and they must be able to comment on your ability to perform the role that you are applying for. Wherever possible, please supply us with an email address, as this is the quickest and most effective method of communication. If your referee would prefer us to contact them in another way, please tell us.
The DBS was established under the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012 and merges the functions previously carried out by the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) and Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA). For appropriate volunteering roles it is Headway Cardiff’s policy to obtain checks form the Disclosure and barring Service. This process is initiated only once a potential volunteer has been given a provisional offer. The data that you provided on your application form is collected so that we have accurate information on who is volunteering for our organisation and so that we are able to contact you with necessary information relating to your volunteering role. We need to confirm that we have your consent to contact you whilst you are volunteering for us and would like to know how we can contact you. Headway Cardiff & South East Wales will use your data for the following: - To run Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) checks on volunteer applicants & current volunteers - To obtain references for applicants - To protect the health & safety of volunteers, service users & staff - To contact volunteers with updates and information relevant to their role - To provide Cardiff & Vale UHB with accurate records of those who volunteer on their hospital site for the health and safety of its staff, patients and visitors - To provide to the relevant volunteer bureau (GAVO, GVS, Interlink RCT, WCVA or C3SC) information for award and recognition purposes. - To provide references to other organisations upon request from volunteers (i) We will not share information about your DBS check or hold on file any personal documents related to the check. Once the check has been processed, all records of personal documents provided will be destroyed and we will only retain your certificate number and expiry date. (ii) No sensitive information will be shared with the Cardiff & Vale UHB or the volunteer bureau, only your name and contact details will be supplied to them. (iii) We will only share information with your volunteer bureau if you have signed up to their recognition programme (Millennium Star/Millennium Volunteer). Headway Cardiff & South East Wales will store volunteer’s personal information securely on a CRM system and will only be accessible to authorised staff. You have a right to access the information that we hold on you and you can make a request to see this information at any time by emailing or writing to us. Volunteer’s personal information will be kept for three year’s following the date they leave the organisation unless a reasonable request is made to destroy information at an earlier date.

100% of our Independence and Wellbeing Centre Service Users think that the Volunteering Team helps their enjoyment and level of participation. Volunteers are essential to the provision of quality services at Headway Cardiff.

We have a team of around 40 volunteers who help at the Independence & Wellbeing Centre throughout the week, a further 10 help in our social and activities groups and our Board of 10 Trustees who all give of their time and expertise freely.

We welcome people from all sections of the community.

Come and find out what we are all about – no obligation!

Rebecca Pearce, Chief Executive

“Our volunteers are pivotal to the running of our organisation. Without them, we simply couldn’t provide the fantastic service that we do. Our extraordinary volunteers are committed, dedicated and so enthusiastic. It’s also brilliant to see volunteers joining us from a wealth of different backgrounds and experiences, they really make a huge difference and they are very highly valued by all staff and service users. Additionally, whatever the reason is for becoming a volunteer, we endeavour to make sure that you get the very most out of the experience – it’s a two-way road!”

Independence and Wellbeing Centre Manager

“I became a Headway volunteer about 15 years ago, and the fact that I am still there shows how rewarding and enjoyable it is. There is always great support from the staff, so you never feel out of your depth. Apart from the satisfaction volunteers gain from helping service users fulfil their potential and improve their quality of life, it is quite simply fun to take part in the activities and make friends with everyone there. Whether you volunteer for a short time or long term, I guarantee you will gain a great deal from the experience, both in terms of personal development and pleasure.”

Pauline Watson, Support Worker Volunteer