Get Connected wins Centre for Social Action backing to pilot remote volunteering

Get Connected, the free UK helpline dedicated to helping under 25s with any issue, has this week been awarded a grant from Nesta’s Centre for Social Action Innovation Fund, which is run in partnership with the Cabinet Office. The grant will enable Get Connected to expand their volunteer base across the country. More than 1,000 organisations applied for funding, with less than 30 being successfully selected and approved by the Minster for Civil Society.

The grant, earmarked for the charity’s Digital Connectors project, will support the charity to harness technology to help even more children and young people in crisis every year. Currently operating from one helpline centre in London with support from almost 100 trained volunteers, the grant will allow Get Connected to enlist volunteers around the country to answer incoming pleas for help through web chat and SMS.

Demand for Get Connected’s helpline service is growing, but through digital social action, by March 2016 Get Connected will mobilise people's energy and talents to help up to 35,000 vulnerable children and young people a year through their helpline and a further 250,000 via their website and app.

Jessica Taplin, CEO at Get Connected, says: “This grant is amazing and well deserved recognition of the expertise and knowledge Get Connected brings to the sector. Utilising digital technology for social action will empower the service, expand our reach and deliver a cost effective way of supporting every greater numbers of children and young people.”

Mandeep Hothi, Senior Programme Manager at Nesta, says: “We are delighted to be supporting Get Connected. Their professionalism and commitment to supporting young people has consistently impressed. As well as helping Get Connected to grow, we hope this work demonstrates the potential of digital social action to other organisations.”

Get Connected has been proudly supported by Dixon’s Carphone, previously Carphone Warehouse, since 2001. Andrew Harrison, Deputy Group Chief Executive, says: “This grant will enable the charity to scale like never before and help more children and young people across the UK. Brilliant news.”

For more information visit www.getconnected.org.uk

ENDS

NOTES TO EDITORS: For more information or accompanying images please contact Catherine Sweet, Marketing & Communications Manager at Get Connected: 020 7009 2516 / catherine sweet@getconnected.org.uk

· Get Connected is the free, confidential & multi-issue national helpline service supporting vulnerable young people under 25 all over the UK. Last year 180,378 young people accessed our services.

· Get Connected is registered charity number 1081840 and depends entirely on voluntary donations. Get Connected is a key partner of Child Helpline International, a global network of 173 child helplines in 142 countries. Helpline information:

Call FREE: 0808 808 4994 (1pm-11pm daily)
Text for FREE help 80849
Email: help@getconnected.org.uk
Web chat: www.getconnected.org.uk (1pm-11pm daily)
WebHelp 24/7: www.getconnected.org.uk
Free Get Connected App available for Android and iOS