New year, new challenge - Are you interested in becoming a Community Champion?

Sam_Alumni

Happy new year to you all! 

I hope everyone has had a great christmas and new year, @Alex and I are back and raring to go, we are looking forward to a wonderful 2018.  We also have @PippaScope returning next week and our new intern @Lasian_Scope joining the team.

The community team are supported by a group of fantastic volunteers called Community Champions.

A community champion is a user who has volunteered to help welcome new members, offer responses to posts, engage in discussions, and to generally work with the community team to make sure that the community is safe and supportive.



One of our champions @CaderMac says:

My favourite thing about volunteering for the community is being able to signpost somebody who’s in need to somewhere where they might be able to find support or just something that might lift their mood a little bit, often I don’t have specialist advice but I can say hello, you know, let them know that people are interested and that there are people who can help them. 

@mossycow says:

Im not an expert, that is not my job.  My job is to meet and greet people on the forum.  Id like to feel that I know how they feel, that I can be empathetic to their worries and their fears, definitely fears and the idea is that I’m a warm, hopefully welcoming presence. Perhaps if they’re on in the middle of the night and you lovely people aren’t at work to catch them and I can refer them on possibly to the helpline or to other points of information on the website.

I really am enjoying this voluntary job, partly because I am able, somehow, to give back when in a lot of other aspects I am not able to do my proper job which is as a music teacher, but I can hopefully give back.

If you are interested in finding out more, then get in touch with us at community@scope.org.uk

CaderMac

I would definitely recommend becoming a Community Champion - it is a great way be a part of something wonderful from the comfort of your sofa! 

I look forward to chatting with lots more of you in 2018 x 

Sam_Alumni

Thanks so much @CaderMac - it is an absolute pleasure to have you on board!!

Topkitten

As much as I do a lot of what is needed I go into depressive phases where I cannot even log in. When I do it's pot luck whether I am feeling suicidal or not. Actually I feel that way every day, most days I suppress it into the background.

I hope though that others respond to this and help,

TK

MonicaNobrega2

 WONDERFUL¬!

Sam_Alumni

Hi @MonicaNobrega2
I have edited your post as you cannot share posts requesting money on the online community.

Thanks for understanding.

nanjack

I echo what top kitten has written as someone who has just been diagnosed with cancer and still coming to terms with it all hut this is a great source of support and help so hopefully lots of people will come forward

Sam_Alumni

We understand that this isnt for everyone, we have a great team of Community Champions and hope others will join us.  But if you can't help right now, then please know that by being a member here you are already helping so many

mossycow

I understand. The first thing I asked Sam before I became a community champion was that there would be times I couldn't post. In fact the last 2 weeks I've been quite poorly and not posted at all. Where as other times I've been able to contribute.

So may still be worth asking about? But obviously that won't work for everyone. 

Topkitten

In my case @mossycow it is not just the physical side that makes things difficult but the effect it has on my mental state, that and the reaction (or lack of them) I get from the system regarding my situation. I vary from being reasonably ok although down to the lowest from the low. Not suitable to try to be nice to people when I can barely keep my hands off a bottle of tablets.

There are also times when I read a post or talk to someone irl and they compare their backache or muscle problems to real disablement issues and I simply no longer have the strength and forgiveness in me to be nice to them about themselves and their overestimate of the support they are entitled to. Sometimes I cannot even tell whether they are telling the truth or not anymore.

TK

mossycow

@Topkitten sorry, hope you didn't think I was trying to recruit you.

Gosh, you spund like you feel like utter *****.  I know what you mean about reading others posts. I find that hard.... I can't even open the ones about benefits as it's mental torture. 

You having a total ***** time?



*please enter a much stronger word here.... 

bevt2017

Hi @Sam_Scope
I hope you find some volunteers?
I was made a community champion for 5 yrs I'm my last job
It was Good fun and very rewarding.
Good luck

Topkitten

@mossycow I won't post further here as it's all elsewhere. At the moment everything good I turn my hand to turns to dust in my fingers before I can even get a grasp on it.

TK

Sue52

Good morning all, 
How do I become a community champion for Scope. This is something that I would love to be involved in. At the moment i am working for a local charity helping the community in all different areas of life, from making them a cup of tea to helping with benefits etc. 

Sam_Alumni

Hi @Sue52

Can you email us on community@scope.org.uk ? 

Thanks!

Charles

Hi, I am interested to become a community champion. Thanks, Charles Hardisty  

Sharronrosa

YES...am interested in becoming a community champion!!

Sam_Alumni

Hi @Charles and @Sharronrosa I have emailed you both