Youth Support Assistant - Volunteer

Interested in youth work? Join Brighter Futures Together as a Volunteer Youth Support Assistant. Work alongside our youth workers, support inclusive activities and help young people build confidence, friendships and a sense of belonging. What difference will you make? Your involvement will help more young people feel welcome, included and able to take part in our youth work sessions. At Brighter Futures Together, we support young people's mental health, voice and wellbeing by creating spaces where they can build trusted relationships, explore their interests and feel a sense of belonging. For young people who experience isolation or find other settings difficult to access, these opportunities can make a real difference. By working alongside our youth workers, you'll help us give young people more time, attention and encouragement within the group. This might mean helping someone feel comfortable on their first visit, supporting a conversation that becomes a friendship, or encouraging a young person to try something they didn't think they could do. Your skills and interests will also bring fresh ideas to our activities. By listening to young people and noticing what engages them, you'll help us shape sessions around what matters to them. As a small not-for-profit organisation, volunteers strengthen our capacity to provide thoughtful, responsive youth work. Your consistent presence will help us build an environment where young people feel recognised and valued, and where their confidence and connections can grow over time. What are we looking for? We're looking for someone who enjoys spending time with young people, listens without judgement and helps others feel welcome. Reliability, patience and a willingness to learn are particularly important—you'll understand that building trust takes time. You should be able to

• Listen to young people and respect their views, identities and choices.
• Take an inclusive approach, recognising different communication styles, interests and support needs.
• Join in with activities while giving young people space to participate at their own pace.
• Work as part of a team, follow guidance and ask for help when needed.
• Maintain appropriate boundaries and follow safeguarding procedures.
• Be dependable and communicate clearly about your availability. Experience in youth work, education, community activities or supporting neurodivergent or LGBTQ+ young people would be valuable. Relevant skills gained through work, volunteering or lived experience are welcome. You don't need to be an expert in every area, but you do need to be respectful, open to feedback and willing to reflect on your own assumptions. An interest or skill you could share—such as art, gaming, music or technology,—is also welcome. What will you be doing? We are looking for a Volunteer Youth Support Assistant to help young people feel welcome, get involved and build connections at our youth sessions. Brighter Futures Together is a not-for-profit organisation supporting young people's mental health, voice and wellbeing. Our work includes groups for neurodivergent young people and LGBTQ+ young people and open access youth groups, creating welcoming spaces to explore interests, build friendships and develop confidence. You could support these groups, depending on your interests, availability and where volunteers are needed.. You'll work alongside our youth work team, helping to create a relaxed, inclusive environment where young people feel comfortable being themselves. This is a practical role joining in, listening, offering encouragement and noticing when someone might need a little extra support. Your main tasks will include
• Welcoming young people and helping them settle in, particularly those attending for the first time.
• Supporting activities, games and informal conversations, helping young people participate at their own pace.
• Encouraging friendships and helping young people feel included.
• Listening to young people's views and supporting them to contribute ideas and make choices about activities.
• Bringing your own interests and skills into sessions, such as art, music, technology or games.
• Helping the team prepare resources, set up activities and keep the space welcoming and tidy.
• Sharing observations with the session lead so we can reflect on what worked and adapt our approach.
• Following our safeguarding procedures and reporting any concerns to the appropriate member of staff. We value volunteers who are dependable, curious about young people's interests and willing to adapt. Sometimes your contribution will be helping with a lively group activity; at other times, it will be sitting alongside someone, listening or helping them take a small step towards joining in. You'll be part of a team, with staff leading sessions and guiding your involvement. We welcome the experience and ideas you bring, alongside a willingness to learn from colleagues and young people.