By Olivia Rowland

A supportive environment and colleagues you know you can trust aren't always guaranteed in a work environment, but they're always available to volunteers at Mental Health Matters in Oxford.

The organisation offers its volunteers support and space to talk about anything - whether it's connected with a volunteer's role or not.

Volunteers are essential to Mental Health Matters. They help run an information centre and telephone helpline for people experiencing mental health problems, as well as their families, friends and carers.

Volunteers often listen to callers who need to talk about issues they're currently experiencing, which can include thoughts of suicide, worries about loved ones and fears about long-term mental illness.

This means that for volunteers, support, space and trust are essential.

The volunteers' roles sound tough, and some of the situations they work with distressing, but as Information Co-ordinator Susan Weaver points out, with one in six adults suffering from a mental health problem at any one time, many of the issues volunteers deal with are close to home.

Susan explains that the caring atmosphere is just one of the many elements of the role that attracts volunteers. The sense of teamwork can bring a real reward.

"We really have to work as a team: there are no right or wrong answers to our callers' questions," she says. "As volunteers we often talk through the issues together and share our ideas."

Building skills

Developing the skills required for the role is part of what attracts new volunteers. For example, volunteers for SANEline, a national helpline providing information and support to those experiencing mental health problems, undertake a training programme that is accredited by the Open College Network and endorsed by the Royal College of Psychiatrists.

"We don't ask for our volunteers to have any knowledge, and they don't need any experience," says SANEline manager Sam Cheatle. "But they do need listening skills and to be able to project empathy over the phone. It's about connecting with people - being able to be there for them in situations that are difficult and isolating."

SANEline volunteers are well-supported in their roles. As well as receiving training, each volunteer is assigned a mentor and can speak to paid members of staff and experienced volunteers about any difficult situations they come across during their shifts.

SANE is currently recruiting volunteers for SANEmail, an initiative offering information and advice via email from the organisation's London office. Aimed particularly at young people and people who find it difficult to communicate over the phone, SANEmail will be run alongside SANEline. Potential volunteers can be of any age and will receive full training.

Breaking down barriers

Volunteering can also be a way for former service users to build their confidence and fight the stigma that can still be attached to mental health problems.

Many of Mental Health Matters' volunteers are former service users, and Susan Weaver believes that their involvement with the organisation is vital, as they have a unique insight into the mental health system.

Giving voice

There are plenty of other ways to get involved in volunteering, depending on your own experience and the time you can commit. Many organisations offer voluntary placements in their offices, helping with administration, and some, including SANE, run research projects that need input from volunteers.

Others run advocacy projects, supporting patients at psychiatric hospitals by giving them a voice. Advocates keep patients informed about their rights under mental health law and help them make appropriate choices.

"If you want to be surrounded by interesting people, I'd definitely suggest working or volunteering within mental health," says Susan. "We come across so many different viewpoints on life and it's never dull."

Search the do-it.org.uk database for mental health volunteering opportunities in your area.

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