Claire's story
Claire is an accountant from Hampshire. She has worked as an online peer advisor for TheSite.org for one year. An unlikely agony aunt, the 30-year-old says she has found the best way to volunteer.
By day I work as an accountant, but in the evenings I spend a little time each week helping young people with relationship difficulties. I've always been interested in psychology and what makes people tick, so back in March last year I went online to do-it.org.uk to see if I could volunteer. My work can be unpredictable, so I couldn't commit much time or a regular day.
On do-it.org.uk, I found a type of opportunity called 'virtual volunteering', which means you can volunteer wherever you are. The position that caught my eye involved answering anonymous questions emailed by young people to TheSite.org - an online guide to life for 16 to 24-year-olds. As an online peer advisor, you can work remotely and online. It seemed like a great way to do some volunteering without giving up too much time.
TheSite.org supplies a personalised response to every question it receives within three working days through its askTheSite facility. These can be on any subject, such as money troubles, sexual health, study or housing. Those types of questions are answered by professionals from organisations that partner with askTheSite, including Shelter, Samaritans and Citizens Advice, but questions on relationships are answered by peer advisors as well as experts. I never imagined becoming an agony aunt, but training and support was provided, so I thought I'd give it go. When I was younger, there were often questions I felt I couldn't ask anyone I knew. Now I had a chance to help others in the same position.
I went to three training sessions at YouthNet's offices (the charity behind TheSite.org) which are spread over weekend days that didn't interfere with my time. We were taught to write responses by practicing writing skills and going through question examples. I learnt how to compose objective replies, not to draw conclusions about the type of person writing-in, or be influenced by my past experiences. Some of the young people ask shocking or depressing questions, while others face the same kind of emotional problems we all do. Each one deserves good-quality, supportive and impartial advice.
By May, I was ready to answer my first question. I chose to do one question per week, over the weekend, so I'd have plenty of time to reply. I usually do it from home on a Friday afternoon, which fits around my schedule. I sign in, go through the recent questions, and then choose one I think I'll be good at answering. I flag that question so that no other advisors choose it - there is a team of about 50 of us, all working remotely. Then I get to work!
It can take anything from half an hour to two hours to write an answer, depending on how much research I do. Sometimes I think about the question overnight, or go online and see what other advice is already available. Often I'll include links in answers to articles on TheSite.org or other websites.
At first, YouthNet assigned me a mentor who gave feedback and advice about my answers. It was helpful and encouraging to hear I was on the right track, as well as reassuring that someone else was checking my work. The feedback was delivered over email, but I did eventually meet my mentor, Matt Whyman, at an event at YouthNet. As well as being an advisor for TheSite.org, Matt has worked as an agony uncle for national magazines and is a published author, so his comments were very insightful.
After six months, YouthNet contacted me to say they were confident I could answer questions without a mentor. Every answer is still double-checked by YouthNet, but I take satisfaction knowing I can independently assist the charity in responding to the thousands of questions it receives, and ultimately, help a young person somewhere. Relationship advisors receive general feedback from recipients who choose to say "thank you", which is usually heart-warming. Volunteering for TheSite.org also helps me stay in touch with young people's issues and keep 'the daily grind' in perspective. I've learnt a lot about what young people face these days and been moved by some of the questions I've answered - it reminds me to always stay positive about my own life.
Virtual volunteering was definitely the right choice for me. The flexibility of time and location means I can give a little every week, without any strain on my personal or work life. The variety of questions means there's always something new to learn, and although the questions are anonymous, it does feel like a personal way of helping people. I'd recommend virtual volunteering to anyone who thinks they haven't got time to give – you've probably got an hour or so a week, and you'll be amazed to discover the helpful knowledge you can pass on to someone struggling. After all, who'd go to an accountant for relationship advice?!