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’d like to become one of our volunteer swim hosts, please check out our swim map first to ensure the location you’d like to create isn’t already up and running. If your location is free, then you’re good to go and we invite you to complete an application:

Applications for the Spring Application cycle will be open from midnight on Wednesday 15th March until 23:45 on the 11th April.