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About Victim Support

Victim Support are the national charity giving free and confidential help to victims of crime, witnesses, their family, friends and anyone else affected across England and Wales. They speak out as a national voice for victims and witnesses and campaign for change. They are not a government agency or part of the police and you don't have to report a crime to the police to get our help. You can call us any time after the crime has happened, whether it was yesterday, last week or several years ago.
Victim Support has offices throughout England and Wales and we run the Witness Service in every criminal court.
Volunteer Opportunities

Volunteer Opportunities

  • • Supporting Victims:

We train our volunteers to give emotional support, information and practical help to people who have been victims of crime and to other people affected

• Witness Service Volunteer:
Help witnesses (and family and friends) deal with the experience of attending court and giving evidence

• Volunteer Trainer:
Help regional learning and development teams to deliver learning events.

• Office Administration Volunteer:
Help with the smooth running of our offices.

• Community Engagement Volunteer:
Engage with local community groups, particularly those focused on ethnicity, faith and sexual orientation. Promoting greater understanding, partnership and engagement with us.

• Supporting our work:
Volunteers help 'behind-the-scenes' in lots of other ways, such as:
-administration
-training
-fundraising, including events
-IT
-helping recruit & train other volunteers
-translating or helping us reach out to specific communities

Some volunteers work several hours a week; others just help occasionally. Those helping victims can work during the day, in the evening and even at weekends. Court volunteers need to be free to work during the day and normally for a minimum of two days a month.

Benefits to Volunteers

• All our volunteers get training and regular support as well as covering expenses.

• Volunteers all receive core training with Victim Support- we look at the impact of crime, the policies and procedures of the organisation and an in depth look at how we support victims.

• After a volunteer has been with the organisation for a while, they can apply to attend additional training at ‘Level 2’. This could be Children and Young People, Domestic Violence, Sexual Violence and Road Traffic Homicide/Manslaughter.

• Witness Service volunteers receive specific training to allow them to work within the Magistrate and Crown Courts. Good experience for those wishing to follow a legal career

• The Peer Mentoring Project volunteers will get a specific programme of training that will incorporate elements of Core training, Witness Service training and peer mentoring.

• An additional benefit of the Peer Mentoring project is that volunteers will be integral to the evolution of the project. They will be given the opportunity to develop the branding, get involved with marketing and advertising, and steer the project to be a truly young person – centred service. An opportunity to make a difference and gain valuable work experience.