'I always wanted to be somebody, but now I realise I should have been more specific.'

At Build on Belief we have a comprehensive training programme that we are really rather proud of. Written workshop by workshop over a decade, it is unique to the charity. 

Our training programme comes in four distinct sections. There are six workshops that we ask all volunteers to attend at the first opportunity. These are necessary for people to be able to undertake their roles with confidence and in safety. After all, we must never forget that we are working with vulnerable adults, and are legally and ethically bound to do this in a thoughtful, safe and constructive manner. These workshops look at topics such as 'Boundaries and Confidentiality'; 'Safeguarding'; 'Diversity and Discrimination' and 'Communication Skills'.

The rest of our training workshops are free to access but not compulsory. There are eleven separate workshops for people who wish to know more about drugs and alcohol, and perhaps have an ambition to work in the field at a later date. We look in detail at specific substances and have workshops on 'Alcohol'; 'Cannabis'; 'Heroin and other Opiates', 'Novel Psychoactive Substances', and so on. 

There are a smaller group of workshops for people who wish to advance through the internal organisation of Build on Belief, covering subjects such as, 'How To Be A Team Leader', and 'Supervising Your Peers'.

Last but by no means least, we have workshops with a personal development and recovery focus, such as 'Confidence and Self Esteem', and 'Surviving Mutual Aid Meetings'. 

Unlike many training programmes for volunteer working in the addictions field it is not accredited, and this is entirely intentional. Over the years we have had many volunteers who struggle with written work, or for whom English is not their first language. For many volunteers, attending these workshops might be their first brush with training or education in a great many years, and we therefore intend our training to be as 'user friendly' as possible.

With that in mind, we train by and large using scenarios, discussion points, short lectures and handouts. The intention is to make it fun, friendly, informative and as stress free as possible! A detailed list of our workshops can be found below.