Wayne's world of volunteering – where help is just a click of the mouse away

It was while browsing the Do-it website,(www.do-it.org.uk) that he found something he'd like to try. He was looking for a challenge and wanted to help a group of people he hadn't previously reached in his voluntary work.

Now he spends one night a week as an online chatroom moderator from his home in Dewsbury.

Every Monday, at 8pm, Wayne officially opens and moderates a live chat on TheSite.org, an online guide to life for 16-to-25-year-olds, run by the charity, YouthNet. It has an active community of young people who use the discussion boards to debate anything from what's on TV to sexual health issues. But during a live chat, it is Wayne's job to ensure users are talking happily, constructively, and everyone is getting their say.

What makes Wayne's job more challenging is that he is blind.

He uses special software for the visually impaired. He has a device attached to his computer which tells him what is being written on the screen. His special keyboard tells him which key he has hit.

"It's like an online pub, and I suppose I am a cross between a bouncer and a counsellor," Wayne says. "But there's rarely any trouble. Most people come because they have an issue they want to speak about, and everyone works together to share advice and past experiences. Everyone wants to help each other."

The topic of chats can vary and depend on what users want to talk about. In one session, for example, the community discussed computer games, crushes on celebrities, football, the Eurovision Song Contest and dentists.

But the chats are also designed to help young people who might be struggling with an issue, such as self-harm, and don't know where to turn.

As well as listening, Wayne tries to point users in the right direction by sending them links to advice articles on TheSite.org and to other websites, or suggesting offline services that might be able to help.

Wayne doesn't have a background in counselling, but he received training from staff at YouthNet when he started volunteering.

"At first, this was done over the phone and online," says Wayne. "The fact that I didn't have to travel and could do my training remotely was one of the reasons I liked the opportunity. I didn't need any qualifications, just willingness to help."

Wayne was trained in how to write constructive responses to young people in need and what sort of resources to offer them. He was also taught the technical aspects of running the live session – something he had not done previously.

"I get feed-back after every session so I know what I did well and where I can still improve," he explains.

"It's great, because I'm constantly learning – there's always a way to do things better. I feel like I'm part of a team even though I'm volunteering from my home."

Up to 12 people come and go in the chatroom during a session. Wayne has become an expert in using screen-reading software, and, as a result, now teaches other blind people how to use it as part of a local voluntary project run by the Kirklees Visual Impairment Network.

"I had never thought of working in the voluntary sector before, but it has really changed my outlook. The voluntary sector offers something other businesses can't. People are doing it because they want to do it, not because they are being paid to."

Wayne's experiences as a volunteer have prompted him to do more volunteering in the support sector, and he recently became a trustee of a self-help depression charity in his area.

"Volunteering for TheSite.org has made me realise how many people suffer mental health problems, and the impact such illnesses have.

"When you know you're helping people, it makes you feel so good," Wayne explains.

"Sometimes, it's just being there to listen that can make the biggest difference, and the more volunteering you do, the more it inspires you to help."

Wayne is keen to promote the sentiment that there are no barriers for people who want to volunteer, and that it's a great way to develop your ambitions. He feels that his voluntary roles have both helped to serve the community and help him learn about himself.

"A good attitude is better than any qualification," he states. "But voluntary work is also a good alternative to formal qualifications. The skills I have learnt could take me on to other work, and maybe into the mental health sector."

National Volunteers Week

runs through the week. To find

out more, visit www.volunteersweek.org.uk

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