Volunteer with the Doula Service

Become a Volunteer Doula in Birmingham, Sandwell & Solihull

Volunteers play a critical role in the running of our Doula Service, providing much-needed personal and emotional support to vulnerable pregnant women and new mothers across Birmingham, Sandwell and Solihull.

About us

  • A highly experienced former NHS midwife leads our team.
  • We are specialists in supporting complex cases where a woman may be involved with social services or other statutory agencies.
  • NHS-commissioned providers of health and care services for Birmingham, Sandwell and Solihull.
  • We build impartial, highly trusted relationships with vulnerable mothers and families.
  • There are a range of opportunities on offer, tailored to your skills, interests and availability.

You can find out more about our service by visiting our Doula Service page.

About you

Because we often support women who have experienced physical and emotional trauma, you must be compassionate and caring. You should also be open to working with women and families from diverse cultural backgrounds across the West Midlands.

Opportunities

Doulas – This is a more time-intensive role where you will be trained and prepared to support a woman throughout her pregnancy and be at the birth if needed. This opportunity suits individuals who can commit themselves and be flexible, sometimes at short notice. You may be retired, working part-time, unemployed, or a student interested in midwifery, nursing, or social work who would like to gain experience before deciding on a career path.
Minimum 5 hours per birth and a 6-month commitment required.

Drivers – Pick up and deliver essential items and donations to new mums across Birmingham and surrounding areas.

Befrienders – Either over the phone or in person, you will offer a friendly ear to service users, sign-posting to other services, advocating on their behalf or attending appointments with them.

Mother and Baby group – Our weekly Mother and Baby group provides a supportive space for new mums to meet, share and connect. Volunteers help with set-up, conversation and online group engagement.

Translators – Our clients reflect the diversity of Birmingham, Sandwell and Solihull. If you speak a community language we’d love to hear from you. We often need support in Arabic, Albanian, Romanian, Farsi, Bengali, Urdu, Pushto, and Kurdish (among others). Demand varies, so flexibility in your availability is appreciated.

Volunteering and claiming Universal Credit

If you receive Universal Credit, your volunteering with Bethel can count for up to half the time you agree to spend looking for or preparing for work in your Claimant Commitment.

Please inform the office that pays your benefits before you begin volunteering. More details can be found on GOV.UK.

Apply

To register your interest as a volunteer, please fill in the form below and a member of the team will contact you to talk to you about the role.

If you would like an informal chat about this opportunity, then please get in touch with Calis, our Volunteer Co-ordinator, on 0777 668 6855 or email calis@bethelnetwork.org.uk.  Calis is part-time and works Tuesday to Thursday.

 

The time I spent with the project was one of the most enjoyable and fulfilling times of my life. It was also a very humbling time – helping another woman during childbirth and the early days after they have given birth – the times when they are most vulnerable – has had a profound impact on me as a person. It put a lot of things into perspective and made me realise how strong women are, what they can achieve and what they can overcome. Thank you for allowing me to be part of the project.

Best wishes to all of the doulas and staff, what wonderful role models you all are and what a huge difference you are making to vulnerable women, many of whom have sadly experienced some terrible horrors and hardships in life.

Former volunteer Doula

As a Doula Champion, you might accompany expectant mothers to prenatal appointments, provide birthing support if needed, help new mums with newborn care and breastfeeding, and ensure they attend their 6-week postnatal checks. You become a trusted companion and advocate for mothers who might otherwise be alone or uncertain.

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You will receive accredited doula training from experienced professionals (led by an ex-NHS midwife) , covering birth coaching, maternal health, and safeguarding. By the end, you’ll be equipped with the skills and
confidence to support women one-on-one.

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This pathway is ideal if you are interested in maternity care or midwifery. It offers invaluable hands-on experience – from attending births (optionally) to postpartum support – giving you a taste of a career in maternal health. Many Doula Champions use this experience as a springboard into NHS roles, midwifery training, or paid doula work in the future.

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Key activities: You will provide one-to-one support through active listening sessions – this could be over the phone, via video call, or in person. You let people share their feelings, and you offer empathy and guidance towards further help if needed (such as suggesting community services). Often, just being there to listen can make a huge difference.

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Training provided: You will undergo intensive training in reflective listening and mental health first response. Our training (often delivered via Zoom over a series of sessions) will teach you how to handle sensitive conversations, maintain confidentiality, and know your boundaries . By completion, you’ll be a certified listening volunteer with skills applicable to counseling or psychology fields.

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Emphasize volunteer scope: Rapha Champions commit to at least an hour per week of listening support for a client after training , which can often be arranged flexibly. You might have regular weekly calls with a client for a period of time. There are also opportunities to facilitate group sessions or community support groups as you grow in experience.

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Benefits and career pathways: This pathway is perfect if you’re interested in mental health, counseling, or social work. The experience you gain – in communication, empathy, and understanding mental health – is highly relevant to careers in counseling, psychotherapy, mental health nursing, or community support roles. Rapha Champions have a pathway to progress into formal counseling courses or mental health roles in the NHS or voluntary sector.” (For example, mention “You could go on to become a paid listening service coordinator or pursue qualifications in therapy – the programme can open these doors.

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