Get Involved > Volunteer

SOS Help relies on its volunteer listeners and non-listeners to provide our year-round listening service.

Many volunteer opportunities are available and recruitment sessions are held twice a year. These sessions enable potential recruits to meet and talk with current volunteers – it’s the best way to find out if you would like to join us.

There are two ways to volunteer: as a Listener, you answer the phone and listen to callers, and as a Supporter, you help with the logistics, publicity, and general running of SOS Help.

Listeners are volunteers who can commit to at least 15 months with SOS Help. This includes the initial training followed by a commitment of 3 shifts (4 hours each) and 1 ongoing training meeting per month.

Listeners are selected after two interviews, the first of which is conducted by a current listener, the second by a professional therapist in order to gauge the potential listener's capacity to be warm, empathic and non-judgmental.

Click to learn more about training.

Supporters are volunteers who handle the logistics, work on publicity, set up fundraising events, and assist in the general running of SOS Help.

Committed and willing volunteers are needed to donate their time and skills in many areas, such as:

• Designing and distributing publicity material (posters and flyers)
• Liaising with publications to place notices and ads about SOS Help
• Working with schools and students and attending local events to publicise the service
• Event planning, such as organising fundraisers like book sales and tombolas
• Writing or editing articles for SOS Help’s newsletter
• Public relations

Supporters commit to a minimum of 6 months and for membership they:

• Attend at least 50% of monthly meetings throughout the year
• Participate in 2 events or activities per year
• Complete training (one all-day training session with listener trainees and one evening training session for supporters only)

Volunteering with SOS Help is a heartening and inspiring experience. If you would like to share in it, please call SOS Help on 01 46 21 46 46 (local rates apply) or visit our events page to find out about our next recruitment session dates.