Do you want to volunteer your time to give back to the LGBTQIA+ community?

Can you provide calm words, sometimes under pressure, when they’re needed most? 

Do you identify as trans and/or non-binary and want to undertake training in a safe space?

If so, we have something for you! 

Who are we?

Switchboard LGBTQIA+ exists to provide members of the LGBTQIA+ community, as well as their friends, family and those supporting them, with a listening service that they can contact via phone, instant message and email between the hours of 10am to 10pm every day.

We are happy to talk to service users about any topic they wish. Topics we often talk to service users about include: sexual health, safer sex, relationships, coming-out, gender identity, transitioning, mental health, experiences of hate crimes, support for meeting other LGBTQIA+ people and making friends, and much more.

However, we want to also be upfront and transparent about the fact that not all of our conversations are positive or constructive. Our volunteers can also be exposed to abuse from the public, manipulative callers, sexual fantasies and safeguarding concerns.

To find out more about what it means to volunteer with Switchboard, check out the short video below.

What is the role?

We are on the look-out for people to join Switchboard as Phone and Chat Volunteers.

Within this role, volunteers commit to taking a 3 hour shift every 2 weeks on either our phone lines or online web chat services. The channel you choose to book a shift on is up to you!

Whether you speak with people online or via phone, however, you’ll still be communicating with them in real-time, ensuring service users can reach out to us and offering an ear to listen to them whenever they need.

Volunteers who support Switchboard in this capacity are trained to take both phone calls and respond to instant messages. They do not respond to emails, however. 

Training for trans and non-binary folk

At Switchboard we are working to ensure that our volunteer membership reflects everyone within the LGBTQIA+ community. We want service users to be able to speak with volunteers who can empathise with their experiences and volunteers to connect with folks from a wide range of different backgrounds, cultures and identities.

To help enable us to do this even more, we have created brand new dedicated training groups for different identities within the LGBTQIA+ community. 

This group training group is specifically set up for trans and non-binary folk. This training group will undertake our core acceptance training with fellow trainees and Switchboard trainers who also identify as trans and non-binary themselves. Our hope is that this space enables trainees to ask questions, put our listening toolkit into practice and discuss their approaches to different scenarios in an engaging, enjoyable way.

Please note that this route into our organisation is only available to trans and non-binary applicants. For other roles available, please visit: https://switchboard.lgbt/volunteer 

Who are we looking for?

To ensure we can provide a high quality service to those who contact us, we are looking for volunteers who:

• Simply put, like communicating and chatting with other people (you’re most likely a people-person who feels energised by this type of communication)

• Feel comfortable taking calls and speaking over the phone to people you do not already know

• Are familiar with different instant messaging platforms (such as WhatsApp and other chat tools) and the types of communication they might receive

• Are able to read between the lines to decipher messages

• Are good listeners who let others lead conversations and instead create the space they need

• Are able to ask broad, open questions to keep conversations flowing

• Understand the importance of using the right tone when communicating in writing, and are able to flex their writing style to suit different people

• Have a strong attention to detail, with a particular focus on spelling and grammar

• Are able to evaluate sources of information and identify those that can be trusted, from those that cannot

• Know when to challenge and when to step back

• Have essential digital literacy skills (such as using email tools such as gmail and outlook, search the web for information and copy and paste website URLs)

• Understand and support our mission

• Have an awareness of the challenges facing the LGBTQIA+ community

• Are empathetic in nature

• Agree to uphold our values of being non-directive and non-judgemental

What are the next steps?

If you’d like to join us as an Phone and Instant Messaging (IM) Volunteer, we would love to hear from you!!

The steps to apply for this voluntary role are:

1. Click ‘Apply now’ and answer the 5 questions outlined in the application form to the best of your ability (please write a minimum of 100 words per answer - these answers are assessed and determine whether you move to the next stage so please provide as much detail as possible!), and complete the demographic survey (we cannot progress your application without this)

2. Complete an online assessment

3. Attend an information and interview session

4. Sign up for a CAT (core acceptance training) course

If you would like to ask any questions, you can  email our Volunteer and Training Manager, Henry, via henry.aspinall@switchboard.lgbt