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 STEP UP

Supported Volunteering & Employment 

Step Up is an innovative project that aims to support people with mental health issues to access, and sustain, volunteering as part of their mental health recovery and personal journey towards employment. At VCH we believe that volunteering has many benefits to mental, emotional and social wellbeing whilst recognising there can be all sorts of barriers towards finding a useful and supportive placement.

If you have had difficulties with mental health issues, then you may feel unsure of how other people are going to treat you, you might be feeling low in confidence and self-esteem, or you might want to get a job but be really rusty in your work-based skills and experience.

We use a range of different strategies to support people to move on with their lives including tailored, specialist 1:1 support from staff to find suitable volunteer and paid opportunities; peer support; wellbeing workshops and employment workshops.

We also organise group volunteering sessions and encourage and support everyone involved with Step Up to share their skills. Our participants have organised their own walks, fitness sessions, gardening projects and art workshops and we welcome suggestions for future events.

“Because I’d not been working for over two years, my confidence had gone to rock bottom. Through Step Up, I was reminded of all that things that I was capable of, which was the building block for helping me to remember what I have done and what I can do”.

“I have found my voice and can recognise my needs. My recovery has come so far as a result of Step Up”.

To find out more about the project and how to take part,

call the Step Up team on 020 7241 4443, ext 2003 or email stepupadmin@vchackney.org

Getting Involved With Step Up

Project – Step Up

STEP UP PARTNERS
REFERRING SOMEONE

To refer someone to the Step Up project please complete the referral form linked here and email it to the team.

We’ve had many success stories. Read about one of them here:

FUNDERS

Step Up receives funding from the City and Hackney Clinical Commissioning Group, through being a member of the City and Hackney Psychological Therapies and Wellbeing Alliance.

PARTNERS 

We work in partnership with City and Hackney Clinical Commissioning Group, local GPs’, Homerton Hospital, St Leonards’ Hospital, psychologists, occupational therapists, City and Hackney Psychological Therapies Alliance, Peter Bedford Housing Association and many others.

The Step Up team does an amazing job, not just with helping clients into volunteering but with work, education and mentoring. It’s an outstanding well rounded service.
     – (East London Foundation Trust)