7 December 2000

SANELINE ASKS THE RETIRED TO VOLUNTEER

SANELINE, the national mental health telephone helpline, is targeting the ‘grey market' in a search for volunteers to answer the thousand calls it receives, on average, each week.

Following the award of a lottery grant of £181,959, which the Macclesfield helproom will share with its sister helproom in Bristol, SANELINE appointed volunteer outreach worker Simon Marsh to help attract new volunteers from all walks of life, including the over 65s. One of his first ports of call was The British Legion in Chestergate Road, Macclesfield, where Simon talked with pensioners about the UN-backed International Year of Volunteers, launched on Tuesday (5 December).

Simon Marsh said: "Anyone over 20 can train to become a helpline volunteer but we would particularly like to hear from people who are now retired and have many years of rich experience to bring to the role. Today mental illness affects one family in four and makes no distinction between old and young."

The members of the British Legion understand what it means to be ‘called up'. The first of December marks the start of the International Year of Volunteering so now is a great time to decide to give some free time to a good cause."

SANELINE Manager, Hal Westhead, said: "We receive many more calls than we can currently answer, so we need people prepared to undergo training who can give us some of their time to help people in distress."

Volunteers agree to give one four-hour shift per week. Anyone who would like further information about volunteering at SANELINE's helproom in Queen Victoria Road, Macclesfield - should call 01625 429 050.

SANE was established to help meet the challenge of mental illness, by informing people and changing attitudes, providing care, and initiating medical research. SANELINE (0845 767 8000), is the only national out-of-hours telephone helpline to give practical information, crisis care and emotional support to people coping with mental illness, and receives about 1000 calls a week. SANELINE is open between 12pm and 2am every day.

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More information on the International Year of Volunteering can be found at www.iyv2001england.org