Skip over main navigation
  • Log in
  • Basket: (0 items)
Self Injury Support

We Are Here To Support You By  Phone Email Text Support Webchat 

Menu
  • Coping with Covid-19
    • A Space for Self-Harm Zine
    • Experience-led Self-Help Resource
    • Self help resource in Cantonese, Polish & Punjabi
    • Dealing with Self-Harm in a Pandemic
    • First Aid for Self-Harm
    • Seeking Treatment and Self Advocacy
    • Harm Minimisation
    • Distractions and Displacement
    • Exploring Alternatives
    • Coping with Coronavirus Blogs
    • Online Health Workshops for Women in Bristol
  • About Us
    • Who We Are
    • Our story
    • Our impact
    • What is self-injury?
    • Why does it happen?
    • Our team
      • Staff
      • Trustees
      • Volunteers
    • How we're funded
    • Jobs
    • Our Policies
    • Feedback
    • Complaints
    • Contact Us
  • Help & Support
    • Emotional Support Services
    • Common Questions About Self-Harm
    • Self-help Info and Resources
    • Supporting Someone who Self-Harms
    • UK Support Groups and Other Services
    • Urgent Help
  • Training & Resources
    • Self-Harm Training
    • Free Downloads
    • Publications and Resources
    • Can you share information about my research project?
  • SiS Library
    • About the Self injury Support Library
    • Library Directory
    • SiS Library Feedback
    • Recommending Resources
  • Updates & Blogs
    • Latest news
    • Women Listening to Women heritage project
    • Self-injury Insights
    • Our events
    • Stories of Change
    • Stories of Us
  • Support Us
    • Donate now
    • Volunteer for us
    • Volunteer Stories
    • Fundraise
    • Give to an appeal
    • Crowdfunding
    • Corporate support
  • Discover Our History
  • Admin
    • Log in
  • Basket: (0 items)
  1. Support Us

Volunteer Stories


Steph, TESS Support Service Volunteer

"I'm 29, a volunteer for TESS and a recovered self injurer. My years of self harm were ones of acute loneliness; I felt like I didn't even understand myself or my feelings, so how could anyone else? Self harm is an issue often misunderstood, one that can be tied up with feelings of guilt or shame, but a service like TESS provides not only a safe space to share these feelings but somewhere they can be fully heard and validated.

If a service like TESS had been available during my years of self harm, I am fully confident it could have spared me from a lot of pain and confusion. 

It has been during the past few years as I have grown in strength and confidence that I felt determined to give something back and help  others in similar situations to my own. Working for TESS has not only helped me to validate and further heal my own experiences with self-injury, but has given me hope for the current generation of young women. You may feel lost, angry, sad and confused, but you are not alone. Help is out there, and there are people who will listen."


Freya, CASS Helpline Volunteer 

"I decided to volunteer for SIS because I strongly believe in the feminist ethos of women helping other women, and I wanted to be able to give something back. It's also really easy and convenient timing to fit around the rest of my life. I find the work fulfilling- you can really tell that what we offer is extremely meaningful to people. I've had the opportunity to learn so much about psychology, and the nature of empathy and relationships. What I like about the service is it's completely non-judgemental openness, and its willingness to 'listen without fixing' which I think can be really hard to find elsewhere."


Rosa, Marketing and Awareness Raising Volunteer

"I have been really enjoying the role so far and it is such a friendly team to be around in the office. I work as a Campaigns, Volunteers & Events Manager in the charity sector but felt I’d like to volunteer in a women’s support organisation after work. It seemed to me that Self Injury Support provide such needed services – and in a previous job I had supported female survivors of domestic abuse and found this rewarding, and in my own time I have been involved with women’s rights groups. Therefore I got in contact with Self Injury Support and was really pleased that they were able to develop a volunteer role for me.

So far during my volunteering time I have been writing a project plan for Self Injury Support to further promote their training days. I’m designing an awareness leaflet, and have been reviewing the current contacts, alongside researching new organisations that may be interested, such as universities and nurse colleges. I have also been helping out with a few other promotional and awareness raising activities and a trust fundraising application.

Coming in to the office it is clear to see the absolutely amazing level of support that the dedicated team provide to women in emotional distress and those who self-injure. The Helplines and other services seem such an essential service to many women. I was shocked to learn that the UK has one of the highest levels of self-injury in Europe. It is vital that there is greater awareness in the UK about this issue and the undeserved taboo alleviated so that women are more likely to reach out for help when they need it."

*names have been changed in line with our service confidentiality policy

Published: 3rd August, 2018

Updated: 22nd August, 2018

Author: Louise Coleman

Share this page
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Latest

  • Past Event: Women Listening to Women: A History of Self-Injury & Mental Health Activism

    Past Event: Women Listening to Women: A History of Self-Injury & Mental Health Activism

    Find out about the gendered stereotypes of self-harm, and how pioneering women-led services like Self Injury Support have countered them.

  • Making Gentle Activism

    Making Gentle Activism

    Gentle Activism uses the oral histories collected by the Women Listening to Women project to explore the history of Bristol Crisis Service for Women. But what was the process of creating these podcasts like?

  • Women Listening to Women website, podcasts and exhibition launched!

    Women Listening to Women website, podcasts and exhibition launched!

    Our Women Listening to Women oral history project has launched a host of new resources including an exhibition, podcasts and a brand new website. Find out about the history of the incredible women who made the organisation what it is today, and used empathy and listening to change understandings of self-injury.

  • In It Together: Resources

    In It Together: Resources

    A selection of resources to support you making change in the world. Put together by Charlotte Randomly, these resources compliment our In It Together: Skills for Listening and Change workshops.

Related

  • Women Listening to Women website, podcasts and exhibition launched!

    Women Listening to Women website, podcasts and exhibition launched!

    Our Women Listening to Women oral history project has launched a host of new resources including an exhibition, podcasts and a brand new website. Find out about the history of the incredible women who made the organisation what it is today, and used empathy and listening to change understandings of self-injury.

  • Volunteers

    Volunteers

    Volunteer Profiles Coming Soon.

Most read

  • Women's Self Injury Support Services

    Women's Self Injury Support Services

    Please don't hesitate to contact us for free, confidential, non-judgemental support around self-injury and related issues. All services open Tuesday and Thursday from 7pm - 9.30pm. Please click here for details of how to access our support services.

  • UK Support Groups and Other Services

    UK Support Groups and Other Services

    Comprehensive listing of local and national self-harm and self-injury support groups and organisations

  • Rainbow Journal - Personal Self-Help Diary

    Rainbow Journal - Personal Self-Help Diary

  • Helpful responses to self-injury

    Short and long term helpful responses to self-injury

  • What if I don't want to stop self-harming?

  • Distractions and alternatives

    Distractions and alternatives

  • About Us - Our Vision, Our Mission, Our Values

    About Us - Our Vision, Our Mission, Our Values

    Read more about our vision that anyone who uses self-injury knows they are not alone; that everyone understands that self-injury is a complex and important issue we should all care about and that together we tackle both the causes and stigma of self-injury.

  • What is self-injury?

    Understand more about self-harm and self-injury

  • Why does it happen?

    Find out some of the reasons behind self-harm and self-injury

  • New and Updated Self-Harm Training

    New and Updated Self-Harm Training

    Self injury Support has 30 years’ experience in delivering high quality self-harm training to a wide variety of settings and participants. Our approach is participative and reflective, and is focused on bringing the voice of people who use self-harm into the room, building empathy and confidence for supporters.

Sign up for our newsletter

* indicates required
Email Format

Please select all the ways you would like to hear from Self injury Support:

You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the link in the footer of our emails. For information about our privacy practices, please visit our website.

We use MailChimp as our marketing platform. By clicking below to subscribe, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to MailChimp for processing. Learn more about MailChimp's privacy practices here.

Contact us 

Self injury Support
PO Box 3240
Bristol
BS2 2EF

Office/Admin Number:
0117 927 9600
[email protected]

Links

  • Our support services
  • Training
  • Volunteer with us
  • Sitemap
  • Accessibility
  • Cookies Policy
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms & Conditions

Follow us

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin

Registered Charity Number: 1092299