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Volunteer with Beat

Do you have time, skills or experience to share?
A passion to help those with eating disorders?
Join our volunteer community and help us beat eating disorders.

There are lots of exciting opportunities to volunteer with us. By sharing your valuable time, skills and experiences with us, you can become part of a committed team, working together to end the pain and suffering caused by eating disorders.

Help us to support even more of those that need help through this difficult time.

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.

Beat volunteer

The difference it makes

We couldn't achieve what we do without volunteers giving their time and skills to support our work. We are so grateful to our amazing community of volunteers helping us in our mission to end the pain and suffering caused by eating disorders.

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.

In 2022-23...

748 volunteers dedicated a massive 24,525 hours

Digital Helpline Volunteers carried out 12,893 webchats with people needing support

SharED Volunteers exchanged 5,604 emails providing online peer support

I found it very beneficial for motivation and navigating my way through recovery

Feedback from a person supported by a Beat SharED Peer Befriender Volunteer

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.

Beat Lived Experience Volunteer

How do I become a volunteer?

1

Find a role

Explore our volunteer options and see if there are any which suit you

2

Apply for the role

Complete the application form and we'll be in touch

3

Receive training

If you are accepted for a volunteer role, you will receive training to ensure you know everything you need to know

4

Begin role

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.

Beat SharED Peer Befriender Volunteer

We know your time is valuable so as a Beat volunteer, you will get:

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.

Beat Digital Helpline Volunteer

Valuable experience

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.

Beat Digital Helpline Volunteer

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.

Medical student's feedback from a Beat Lived Experience Volunteer talk

The ongoing support and training from Beat is exceptional and makes you feel comfortable to ask questions and stay connected.

Beat SharED Peer Befriender Volunteer



If you're unable to volunteer at the moment or would just like to see other ways you can support our work, please check out these links:

Fundraise for Beat

Check out many ideas and opportunities to fundraise for Beat

Campaign with Beat

See our campaigns and what you can do to help bring change

Donate to Beat

Make one-off or regular donations and see other ways you can give to Beat

Do you have questions about volunteering at Beat?