S H O U T FO R S U P P O RT I N A C R I S I S
SHOUT FOR SUPPORT IN A CRISIS
Get Involved
BY EMMA EDEN
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and The Duke and Duchess of Sussex publicly launched SHOUT in May this year. SHOUT is the UK’s first free 24/7 text service for anyone in crisis anytime, anywhere. Supported by a nationwide team of Crisis Volunteers, it takes people from crisis to calm every day of the week. I signed up to be a Crisis Volunteer after being given a flyer advertising that SHOUT needed volunteers. I started my training last October
and after undertaking 25 hours of training online over 6 weeks, I took my first conversation in December. I am now one of 1,500 active Crisis Volunteers who have taken 145,000 conversations since the service went live. Volunteering with SHOUT
is extremely flexible – I am able to schedule weekly shifts in 2 hour blocks or add ad hoc shifts. I volunteer from
W W W. G I V E U S A S H O U T. O R G/ VOLUNTEER-WITH-US
home and all I need is a laptop and a secure Wi-Fi connection.
GET HELP
MORE INFO
If you are experiencing a mental health crisis and need support, you can text SHOUT to 85258 for free, confidential support at anytime.
For more information or to sign up, visit www.giveusashout. org/volunteer-with-us/
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By volunteering with SHOUT you can have an impact on people’s lives and make a difference by resolving crises. I have learnt an entirely new way of communicating with people, as well as advanced problem solving and crisis management skills.
One of the biggest pluses for me is that you can volunteer anywhere you want – from your home, in the office or with a group of friends. A Supervisor will be there to support you during your shift and you will also be allocated a Coach who will provide ongoing professional development.