Lived Experience Community Ambassador
Please note, this will be based across Bedford
About Waythrough
Waythrough was formed in 2024 following the merger of Humankind and Richmond Fellowship. Together, we’ve created one of the largest mental health and social support charities in England.
Every year, we support around 125,000 people through nearly 200 services – and it’s all made possible by our 3,500 brilliant staff and volunteers.
Make a real difference in your community
Are you passionate about helping others live safer, healthier, more independent lives? Join our team at Waythrough and support people facing challenges around mental health, substance use, housing or domestic abuse. This is more than just a job – it’s a chance to build meaningful relationships and create lasting change.
Purpose / Summary of the Role
Aquarius is a national charity working to reduce harm caused by drugs, alcohol, and gambling. We support individuals, families, and communities through prevention, early intervention, and recovery focused services.
The Lived Experience Community Ambassador role works alongside Youth
Ambassadors and Aquarius practitioners. The role uses lived experience of substance use, recovery, or being affected by someone else’s substance use to support learning, engagement, and understanding.
You will contribute to peer informed education, community outreach, and parent
engagement. Your experience supports honest conversation, reduces stigma, and helps families feel understood and informed.
Responsibilities
· Work alongside practitioners to support education and outreach activity
· Share lived experience appropriately within agreed boundaries
· Support school based sessions and parent focused learning
· Contribute to community outreach and awareness activity
· Support parents and carers with practical insight and reassurance
· Reinforce prevention, harm reduction, and recovery messages
· Follow safeguarding, confidentiality, and information sharing procedures
· Communicate concerns or disclosures to practitioners promptly
Description of Tasks
· Take part in planned lived experience talks and panel discussions
· Support PSHE lessons or awareness sessions alongside staff
· Share personal insight to support understanding of substance use and
recovery
· Support parent sessions with perspective drawn from lived experience
· Attend community events to promote support and early intervention
· Work with Youth Ambassadors to model safe, respectful engagement
· Prepare for sessions with practitioners to agree focus and boundaries
· Maintain professional boundaries at all times
Time commitment
Minimum 2 to 4 hours per month
Sessions planned in advance
Flexibility to support school and community activity
Training and support
· Mandatory volunteer induction
· Lived experience and boundaries training
· Safeguarding training
· Project specific briefing before sessions
· Named supervisor
· Ongoing supervision and support
Skills and qualities
· Lived experience of substance use, recovery, or being affected by another
person’s use
· Ability to reflect on experience safely and constructively
· Comfortable speaking in groups or community settings
· Calm and reliable approach
· Respectful and non judgemental communication
· Ability to maintain boundaries and confidentiality
· Willingness to work alongside practitioners and follow guidance
Benefits to the volunteer
· Opportunity to use lived experience to support others
· Contribution to prevention and early intervention work
· Development of confidence and communication skills
· Experience within education and community services
· Training and development opportunities
· Support from experienced practitioners
· Reimbursement of agreed expenses
Reimbursement of expenses
Agreed out of pocket expenses will be reimbursed
· Public transport
· Mileage costs at 0.45p per mile
Local Information
Service Name – Bedford
Service Model / Project
Prevention, Early Intervention, and Community Outreach Services
Responsible Manager / Supervisor
To be confirmed
Location
Schools, community venues, and outreach settings
Contact
0121 622 8181
volunteering@aquarius.org.uk
Additional Information
Application procedure
· Application form
· Assessment meeting
· DBS and references
· Induction and training
Person Criteria
Approachable, professional, and reflective
Essential
Organised and reliable
Essential
Ability to practice patience
Essential
Able to maintain confidentiality
Essential
Able to understand and maintain boundaries
Essential
Able to communicate in a non-judgemental way
Essential
Ability to work as part of a team
Essential
Lived experience relevant to substance use or recovery
Essential
Good level of self-awareness
Essential
All activities carried out in line with Aquarius policies and procedures
Essential
You should not be an active client of Aquarius services
Essential
What We Offer
We value the people who make a difference every day. Alongside meaningful work, you’ll enjoy:
Discounts from various schemes
Training and personal development
A chance to make a real difference in people’s lives
Free induction and role-specific training
Support from experienced staff and regular supervision
Opportunities to meet new people and develop your confidence
Reimbursement for travel and agreed expenses
Valuable experience that can support your personal or career development
Inclusion and accessibility
Waythrough is proud to be an equal opportunities employer. We welcome applications from all backgrounds and communities, especially those with lived experience of the issues we support.
We have signed up to the Disability Confident Scheme - all applicants are welcome, and adjustments can be made to enable fair participation.
If you need adjustments or support to apply, please email our recruitment team: recruitmentteam@waythrough.org.uk
How to apply
If you’re viewing this advert on an external platform such as Indeed, please click ‘Apply via company website’ to view the full job description and submit your application.
Please note that while this role has a stated closing date, we reserve the right to close the advert early should we receive a high number of applications.
Closing date:
2026-03-30