Are you a kind, empathetic human who is passionate about making safe and welcoming spaces for people who live with mental health challenges? Would you be kind and welcoming to everybody of all body shapes, ages, sexualities, genders, skin colours and backgrounds?

If you’re able to commit to completing the training which is around 5 hours long and if you can spare a day a month to host a dip as well as promote your meet up in your local area, we would love to hear from you.

You do not have to be a swim coach to become one of our hosts. We are a peer support community and our hosts are put through free training so that they can build an awareness of safety, risk and how to recognise when someone is struggling with their mental health.

At Mental Health Swims, we will do our best to:

• Provide an introduction to the work of Mental Health Swims, your volunteer role and training regarding how to be a swim host, host wellbeing, risk assessments and cold-water safety.
• Provide support and encourage you in your volunteer role.
• Provide a point of contact for you, who will support you in your role.
• Provide good health and safety practice.
• Provide public liability insurance for all our swims.
• Provide equal opportunities for all our volunteers.
• To reimburse out of pocket expenses, as agreed in advance.
• To try to resolve fairly any problems, grievances and difficulties you may have while you volunteer with us.
• We provide Public Liability Insurance for UK based swims only.

What we ask from our volunteer hosts:

• Commit to 1 swim a month for a minimum of a year, and where this is not possible to let us know.
• Perform your volunteer role to the best of your ability.
• Attend any briefings and training that we think will help you in your role.
• Be positive and support the work of Mental Health Swims.
• Follow and operate within the policies of Mental Health Swims, including community guidelines, our social media policy, and policy on inclusivity.
• Maintain confidentiality of Mental Health Swims activity, the people who attend our swims, our team and our procedures.
• Not to share any Mental Health Swims resources with anyone outside the Mental Health Swims team, including training videos by outside partners.
• Let us know if you are having any problems or have any concerns.
• Read and follow the guidance in the Mental Health Swims Welcome Pack.

If you would like to become a volunteer swim host, please follow the following steps:

• Please check our swim map first to ensure the location you’d like to setup a swim at is free.
• Your chosen location should be free and accessible or an agreement should be in place with an outdoor venue for a free session at least once a month. NB We have had several people apply to host swims at Hampstead Heath ponds in London. Due to the mixed ponds not being open all year round, we cannot take applications for this location and all swim locations must be welcoming to all genders and therefore the single sex ponds are not appropriate either. If you apply for these locations, your application will not be accepted.
• As part of our application process, we would like each applicant to have 2 character references. Ideally one of these references will be from an employer who you have worked with or an organisation you have volunteered at in the past two years. Once you submit your application form, you should ask the two referees to send an email to hello+references@mentalhealthswims.co.uk explaining why you would be an amazing swim host. If you have any queries about this step please drop us an email on the above address.

Once you are ready to apply, please click on the button below.