Volunteer with us

Make a positive impact – and have a great time too!

Our volunteers are essential to helping Healthwatch Birmingham make a difference to health and social care services in the city. By joining them, you’ll not only be playing an important part in making sure everyone in Birmingham receives great care, you’ll also learn new skills and make new friends at the same time.

There are different things you can do as a volunteer with us, depending on your interests. You can go out into the community to find out what people think about services. Or you could help with our research projects exploring different issues in health and social care.

You don’t need any specific skills or qualifications, but when you volunteer with us you will be:

  • Making a positive difference within the community
  • Able to volunteer at times that suit you with your expenses reimbursed
  • Fully trained before you start, with the option of extra free training courses provided by the NHS
  • Building your skills by gaining valuable experience of health and social care
  • A valued member of our friendly and supportive volunteer team

Our volunteers come from all different backgrounds, you just need to be a Birmingham resident aged 16 years or older with a passion for improving health and social care. If this sounds like you then we’d love you to get involved!

If you live in Solihull, please get in touch with our friends at Healthwatch Solihull for volunteering opportunities.

Healthwatch Birmingham is proud to have been awarded the Investing in Volunteer quality mark in recognition of our commitment to our volunteers. Find out more. 

Find out what other people have said about volunteering with Healthwatch Birmingham below.

Find the answers to some frequently asked questions about volunteering with us

Click here to register and apply on our volunteer portal

Or register your interest below.

Volunteering Enquiries

You can also download the Volunteer Application Form and return:

By email to volunteering@healthwatchbirmingham.co.uk

or

By post to Volunteer Coordinator, Healthwatch Birmingham, PO Box 16875, Birmingham, B16 6TN

Existing volunteers can log in to the volunteer portal here.

For further information please contact our friendly staff team on:

We’d love you to join us!

Volunteer stories

Tim

Healthwatch Birmingham stuck out as something I could get involved with as it provided an opportunity to promote fairer access to health and social care services for everyone in Birmingham.

I started volunteering in 2018 and since then I have enjoyed community engagement events at a range of venues such as hospitals and mental health support services organisations. 

I am proud to be part of an organisation that really values its volunteers and makes such a big difference to health and social care services in Birmingham. 

Fatemeh

I have really enjoyed volunteering and being able to reach out to vulnerable people who are left behind in our society, listen to their experiences and enable their voice to be heard by decision makers.

As well as improving my career prospects, I have also improved my communication, active listening and problem solving skills, whilst talking to the general public about their sensitive experiences of using different health and social care services.

Mustak

I became a volunteer for Healthwatch Birmingham in 2014. When I had an illness I didn’t feel I got the help I needed so it gives me great satisfaction to connect to others by going into community events, hospitals and care homes to listen to people in a non-judgemental way. Healthwatch Birmingham put their hearts and soul into their volunteers and make me feel I am valued and listened to.

Ana

Healthwatch have been amazingly supportive to me since I joined the team. Everyone made me feel welcome and, as a foreigner, I felt included in their community straight away.

Seeing how how patient they are, and observing their amazing ability to listen to others and to effectively communicate, has made me want to adopt those values and pass them into my work as well. It is a great feeling to be able to help others and every event builds up my confidence and made me want to contribute more.

Christine

I have been volunteering with Healthwatch for such a long time. There’s something for everyone, it’s really flexible and friendly -that’s why I like it here. There’s no discrimination, it’s open to everyone. No matter what disability you have, it’s accessible, so everybody can do something. I always get the support I need.

Sola

I am a passionate individual who embraces community engagement through my volunteer work with Healthwatch Birmingham. As a student focusing on health protection and community development, I merge academic knowledge with real-world applications. My journey with Healthwatch Birmingham is not just about volunteering; it’s a holistic experience that intertwines my academic pursuits with real-world applications. My involvement in public health has given me a unique perspective on how community engagement plays a pivotal role in health promotion and protection.