It feels incredibly important and… rewarding. Knowing that I can and have made even a small difference in the life of someone who is living through an incredibly difficult time is really fulfilling.
More people than ever before have accessed support through our services. During the first few months of the Covid-19 pandemic, we saw a 95% increase in people accessing support. We still have a high demand for our services and it is thanks to our amazing volunteer team that we have been able to provide the support people need.
I found it very beneficial for motivation and navigating my way through recovery
There are many ways you can join us in our vital work. Some volunteer roles require people with lived experience of an eating disorder (whether having been ill themselves or having cared for a loved one) but this is not necessary for all roles. The majority of our volunteer roles can be done completely remotely so you can make a huge difference from the comfort of your own home.
Beat is such a supportive charity to work with, I feel that I have been given so many amazing opportunities and I love how valued lived experience is.
Explore our volunteer options and see if there are any which suit you
Complete the application form and we'll be in touch
If you are accepted for a volunteer role, you will receive training to ensure you know everything you need to know
Our team will be able to provide ongoing support, advice and training as you deliver the duties of the role
As a volunteer for SharED, I am incredibly proud of being able to support someone and help them see that recovery is possible; to give them hope.
Opportunities to learn new skills and gain valuable experience
A chance to be part of a community of nationwide volunteers helping us in our mission to end the pain and suffering caused by eating disorders
Appropriate supervision and support from a designated Beat staff member
Arguably the most organised and well run organisation I have ever volunteered with. So many opportunities to get support, to gain more experience and to develop.
Several of our volunteers have continued to work to end the pain and suffering caused by eating disorders in other ways since joining us.
Some who began in a volunteer role have gone on to join our staff team or have taken up jobs in the NHS or other organisations.
Volunteering at Beat can be a great opportunity to give you the skills and experiences for your life and career whilst making a difference in the lives of others.
An example of this is a Digital Helpline Volunteer who went on to join our staff team, firstly as a Helpline Advisor, before progressing into our Senior Helpline Advisor role and now working as one of our Programme Officers.
"I volunteered for Beat for just over a year and then I took on a paid role as a Helpline Advisor at Beat. A lot of the skills and eating disorder knowledge was transferrable. It also helped me understand the more common difficulties and experiences that people might look to us for support with."
The reason they gave for why you should consider volunteering with us is simple: "to help people", adding "it truly is a privilege that people are open with us, and it teaches you to appreciate that we all have the power to make a difference to someone else's life".
I've loved volunteering with Beat and the experience it's given me has helped contribute to me getting my dream job.
Thank you so much for one of the best sessions of my university education! I really appreciate you sharing your story and increasing awareness of what we can do as medical professionals to help support people with eating disorders.
The ongoing support and training from Beat is exceptional and makes you feel comfortable to ask questions and stay connected.
This is an opportunity to be part of an ambitious project to establish a UK-wide NHS research network which will cover both child and adult eating disorder services; the Eating Disorders Clinical Research Network (EDCRN).
Beat are organising two lived experience roundtable groups. One group will comprise of members with lived experience of having an eating disorder and of using TikTok, and the other group will comprise of members with lived experience of caring for someone with an eating disorder who has used TikTok.
Check out many ideas and opportunities to fundraise for Beat
See our campaigns and what you can do to help bring change
Make one-off or regular donations and see other ways you can give to Beat