Lancaster University Project Worker Receives Volunteer Of The Year Award

Rose Johnston of Lancaster University has been awarded the title of Berkshire NHS Trust Volunteer of the Year for her work as a moderator on an online mental health forum.

Rose volunteers for the Support Hope and Recovery/Resource Online Network (SHaRON) which is an online therapeutic networking platform designed to plug the gap when people need help out-of-office hours.

Rose said she was surprised to have won.

“Volunteering on SHaRON has been amazing, the team are so supportive and make volunteering a lot of fun.”

Her voluntary work with SHaRON is connected to her role as a project assistant on the Lancaster University iPOF study led by Professors Fiona Lobban and Steve Jones from the Faculty of Health and Medicine.

The study aims to evaluate mental health peer forums (also called online communities), where people with a shared interest or concern can “post” messages to others and get their advice and support.

The research aims to identify why some forums are more successful than others in supporting users, and which ones should be offered to people seeking help.

Rose said: “Volunteering as a moderator has given me first-hand experience of what it is like to use a forum and understand what kind of information people want to find out when they access forums. It also highlighted the importance of the role of the moderators in helping to provide support to those using the forums.”

SHaRON provides a secure environment for patients, relatives and carers alike to talk and support each other 24/7 and is supported by NHS clinical professionals, volunteers, patients and ex patients, designed especially for people who have mental health conditions.

The Star Award recognises a volunteer with the Trust who has:

Shown exceptional dedication to improving the care and experience of patients, carers and their families
Had a big impact on the people or service that they support. For example, they may have developed a new way of working or a solution that has benefited patients, carers, staff or a service.
SHaRON is in use across Berkshire, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire, Mersey Care and Isle of Wight NHS Trusts, supporting over 5,500 patients.