Volunteer Case Study - Andy Monk

27 January 2011

I first heard of Voice UK when I was walking through the atrium of Derby University, where I'm currently studying for a degree in psychology.

There was a volunteer fair for all sorts of organisations and charities, at the time I did not really pay much attention to it. I was approached by a young lady called Amy who proceeded to inform me as to what Voice UK did and told me of all the work they did to help people.

After talking to her in more depth about what I could do to help, I agreed to volunteer on the help line. I filled in all the necessary paperwork and left it with them. Later that week I was contacted and invited to go down for an induction. This was in depth and very informative and looked at the charity as a whole, I also got to meet the other volunteers and staff who shared their experiences at voice u.k with me. Later I was talked through what I would be doing and what training I would receive before going on the helpline. I had to fill out a C.R.B form (Criminal records bureau form) to check if I was eligible to work within the charity. Once the check came back fine I was given hours to suit my university and social time table.

I was given further training and went through different scenarios that typically occur on the helpline and acted them out in the form of roll play. I found this very useful as it helped prepare me as to what to expect on the help line. After going through case studies and the do's and don'ts when on a Voice UK call, I was placed with a volunteer that was currently working on the helpline. I was shown firsthand how to deal with the calls and was allowed to observe calls being taken.

When I felt confident enough and was fully trained, I was then allowed to answer calls with the observation of a colleague. This way they could aid me if I came into any difficulties and to point out areas where I could improve. I have found the whole process very rewarding and enjoyable; it's a great feeling knowing you can really help someone in need, by just giving up a few hours a week of your time.

If you are interested in becoming a Voice UK volunteer please contact us using our Volunteering Enquiry Form. Or alternatively please contact Amy Burton on 01332 291 042.