Keele Management School Publications KMS News | Issue 3 | Page 12

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Keele Management School News l Summer2015

Students helping students:
How volunteering works both ways
Student volunteering is a rewarding experience and volunteering for Keele Nightline rewards both the
volunteer student and the student who calls for help.
Engaging with voluntary work allows students to use the skills they get from their degree, develop
new skills, enhance their CV and make a difference to their local community.
In this article, Jon Robinson, Keele Nightline’s Publicity and Fundraising Officer, interviews one of
Nightline’s student volunteers, a KMS student, about what volunteering means to them. As Nightline is a
confidential service the student cannot be identified, so for this interview we will call the student Norman.
Jon: To get us started, could you tell us what Keele Nightline
actually is?

Jon: What skills do you think Nightline offers you which are
particularly relevant to KMS students?

Norman: Keele Nightline is a confidential and anonymous
listening and information service. We’re open 7 days a week
during term time from 9pm-3am. Nightline is open when
most other services offered by Keele are closed. Students
can contact us via either a telephone (including for free
from a campus phone), our online chat, email or SMS.

Norman: Nightline has given me a boost in many of my
transferable skills that I didn’t think it would. Specifically to
KMS, my communication skills have improved tenfold. It’s
amazing how many people have conversations without ever
really listening to what the person they’re talking to is saying.
That’s a skill which takes lots of practice, and I’ve had a lot of
opportunity to work on it. I also help out with running the
service, and that’s meant that I’ve improved on skills such as
leadership, as well as budgeting and administration.

Jon: But what does “listening and information service” mean?
Norman: It’s all about being there for students as a listening
ear. We don’t give advice, but we do help people to explore
whatever’s bothering them in full, in a supportive and
non-judgmental environment. People can open up to us for
as long as they want, about anything they want, and we’ll
always take what they’re saying really seriously and give
them our full attention. The information side is just that –
we have loads of factual information available about the
campus and the local area, and we can try our best to
answer any questions.
Jon: Why do you personally volunteer with Nightline?
Norman: I chose to volunteer with KNL because I initially
felt like it would be a challenge to do something like this.
Now I am involved with Nightline, it is really rewarding.
I love the feeling that I can go to bed after an evening
volunteering with Nightline knowing that I have helped
someone in their time of need, often at the darkest hours
of the night. I have met some amazing people, and have
gained so much experience in aspects of life I never would
have expected!

Jon: How can other students follow in your footsteps?
Norman: It depends what they want to do. I love being a
Listening Volunteer with