Mental health charity volunteers celebrated

A Derbyshire mental health charity is benefitting from the help of a group of student volunteers, thanks to a partnership project between Derbyshire Voluntary Action and University of Derby.

Derbyshire Recovery and Peer Support has attracted 18 students from the University to work on the charity’s ‘Tech Buddy Scheme’, which pairs volunteers with individuals who are not confident or too anxious to use technology.

The volunteers are now working with individuals to ensure they are able to stay connected with friends, family and access the online support that is out there, avoiding what is known as ‘digital isolation’ and reducing anxiety around digital usage.

Ellie Scott, Derbyshire Recovery and Peers Support’s volunteer co-ordinator

They also have the opportunity to promote the scheme across the charity’s social media channels and as group development volunteers, helping to facilitate and strengthen the area’s peer support groups.

The charity was introduced to the students by Community Chesterfield, an organisation which aims to strengthen the local health and social care sector in the area by connecting community and voluntary groups in the town with the University of Derby.

The work of the group is now being celebrated as part of 2021 Volunteers Week, which is taking place between 1 and 7 June. Volunteers Week, which is a national initiative, is a chance to recognise the fantastic contribution volunteers make to our communities and to say thank you for the work that they do.

Ellie Scott, peer and volunteer co-ordinator at Derbyshire Recovery and Peer Support, which is part of national charity Rethink Mental Illness, said:

“During lockdown last year when our face-to-face peer support groups were forced to move online, it was clear that there was a huge amount of anxiety within our service users around using the internet. This was creating a huge block for them and leading to the feeling of being isolated.

“It became clear that there was a real need for more support around digital isolation in our area and that’s when Tech Buddies was created. However, I soon realised I would need volunteers to help run the service one-to-one to give our service users the best possible support.

“After working with students from the University of Derby as part of a research project for one of their modules, we were thrilled when many of them said they wanted to become volunteers. We are so extremely grateful for the support we have from them, it really has been such an amazing help. Without them, we wouldn’t be able to help nearly as many people with reducing their feeling of digital isolation as we do.

“Also the support from Community Chesterfield has been invaluable. It was thanks to Alison there that we were initially introduced to the students, so I know we wouldn’t have had anywhere near the amount of amazing volunteers we have now if it wasn’t for her. To have access to a support network like that in the area has been an incredible help.”

As a result of input from the student volunteers, Ellie is now also hoping to set up a project at the University of Derby, aimed at encouraging 18-25 year olds to get talking about their mental health more, as well as launching peer support group within the university itself.

Alison Gibson, community development worker at Community Chesterfield, said: “I’m absolutely delighted to hear from Ellie that such a big group of students have given up their time to volunteer and that they are making such a hugely positive impact on the Tech Buddy scheme.

“This really is what Community Chesterfield is about – creating opportunities between the community and voluntary sector and the University of Derby. Not only is it a fantastic way of students gaining transferrable skills for employment, but it also strengthens the organisations they work for by allowing them to increase the support they can provide their service users.”