Volunteer Of The Year

Rob (PSY) - I am pleased to announce our Volunteer Of The Year is Robin (PSY). Robin’s journey with TeenHelp started more than 15 years ago and during that time she has been a constant presence at the heart of our volunteer community. In recent years, Robin has played a pivotal role in leading TeenHelp as a Project Co-ordinator where she has shaped how the site runs and supports members today.

Whether it’s mentoring and encouraging volunteers, introducing ambitious new ideas, or dealing with challenges with both sensitivity and diplomacy, she has helped keep TeenHelp running smoothly day after day. Her professionalism, thoughtfulness and genuine care for this community have left a lasting mark and her contributions over the years are not easily measured, or replaced.

This award recognises an exceptional legacy of service, leadership and commitment. Robin’s influence on TeenHelp will be felt for a long time to come and her presence has meant more to this community than words can fully capture. Congratulations Robin and thank you for everything you have given.

Winter Awards - Outstanding Contribution

Rianna (Mindfulness.) - Rianna has been a TH volunteer for many years in a range of roles across the site. She brings continual dedication and enthusiasm to the community, creating regular discussions on the Forums, replying to others regularly and being welcoming, helpful and friendly to everyone she comes across.

Volunteer Of The Year

Dez (¯|_(ツ)_|¯) - Dez has been a vital part of our online community for an impressive 14 years, and her impact is felt by everyone who interacts with her. Dez is consistently active in the Forum and Chat Room, answering questions, offering advice, and is there to chat to anyone who needs it. Her genuine willingness to help makes everyone feel welcome and valued, and she doesn't let her own struggles prevent her from being there for others.

Her friendly and kind nature makes it easy to talk to her and it's inspiring to see her support others even when she’s going through tough times herself. As a dedicated moderator, Dez helps to ensure TeenHelp remains a safe space for anyone to share their experiences and seek support. Members have shared how much her support has meant to them, often saying that her kindness and support helped them through tough times.

“I believe Dez deserves recognition for all the hard work she's put in, not only this year, but also for her unwavering dedication over the years.”

That’s why I’m delighted to announce that is this year’s Volunteer Of The Year. Congratulations Dez and thank you for everything you do for TeenHelp!

Winter Awards - Outstanding Contribution

Frankie (Mending Me) - Whether it’s giving advice, welcoming new members, or joining in on discussions in the Chat Room, Frankie can often be found engaging with the community in a cheerful and friendly way. The time and effort they put into TeenHelp ensures that the site remains an open, encouraging environment for new and old members alike.

Court (Resilient) - Court has been a member of the TeenHelp staff team for years and continues to be an active presence in the Chat Room and around the Forums. From keeping the site safe through her moderating duties to contributing to conversations in the Chat Room, Court is a familiar face for many and her dedication to the site doesn’t go unnoticed.

Volunteer Of The Year (December 2023)

Sue (Silvan) - Sue has been a volunteer for a few years as a Graphic Designer and now our Design Officer. She has made an incredible difference to TeenHelp through her beautifully designed graphics, which have brightened up TeenHelp and its social media pages immensely. Her infographics are especially eye-catching and engaging and it's always a joy seeing her new creations.

She is both hard-working and dedicated to her role. The sheer number of graphics she has created is amazing! Colleagues find her very pleasant to work with, organised and excelling in her role which make their jobs easier.

Not only this, but she is also very thoughtful, warm and friendly to everyone in Chat and around the Forums.

I'm delighted to award our Volunteer Of The Year Award to Sue this year - congratulations!

Summer Awards - Inspiration

Holly (Celyn) - Holly is a dedicated volunteer who goes above and beyond to provide personalised, empathetic and helpful replies to every user she interacts with. Her unwavering kindness, thoughtfulness, and compassion shine through in all of her replies. One grateful user said, "I will always remember the helpful support and guidance Holly provided me in the past. Her insightful and compassionate replies were exactly what I needed during a difficult time." Holly plays a crucial role at TeenHelp and ensures the HelpLINK service operates smoothly and efficiently.

Summer Awards - Outstanding Contribution

Lydia (WhisperingSilence) - Lydia is a helpful and active volunteer in Chat. She has recently taken on the additional responsibility of a moderator role to help with the overall running of TeenHelp. Lydia is attentive and responsive to anyone requiring support. She has a genuine compassion to help others, offering users the opportunity to communicate with her directly if needed.

Emmie (Arabesque- golfing girl.) - Emmie approaches all of her roles with exceptional dedication. She has an abundance of ideas and posts interesting topics which encourages user discussions. She also offers valuable suggestions to address gaps or areas for improvement within the site. She makes such a positive contribution overall and is a great asset to TeenHelp!

Volunteer Of The Year

Sue (Silvan) - Sue has been a volunteer for a few years as a Graphic Designer and now our Design Officer. She has made an incredible difference to TeenHelp through her beautifully designed graphics, which have brightened up TeenHelp and its social media pages immensely. Her infographics are especially eye-catching and engaging and it's always a joy seeing her new creations.

She is both hard-working and dedicated to her role. The sheer number of graphics she has created is amazing! Colleagues find her very pleasant to work with, organised and excelling in her role which make their jobs easier.

Not only this, but she is also very thoughtful, warm and friendly to everyone in Chat and around the Forums.

I'm delighted to award our Volunteer Of The Year Award to Sue this year - congratulations!

Volunteer Of The Year (December 2022)

Haley (Halcyon) - Haley is TeenHelp's queen of content and editor-in-chief. She has been a Staff member for over 13 years, starting first as a HelpLINK Mentor before moving to our Newsletter team where she stayed. She's moved up through several roles taking on more responsibility until becoming Project Coordinator.

Haley has kept all our publications & various content channels running for many years - including our newsletters, articles, resources, graphics, social media, competitions & more. She's always got fresh ideas for creating something new for our community and has led our teams to make them happen.

She always gives everything her all and every TeenHelper will recognise and appreciate the amazing content she's created across TeenHelp. Her dedication to TH is absolutely breathtaking, we're so lucky to have her with us.

That's why this year I'm pleased award our Volunteer Of The Year Award this year to Haley!

Congratulations Haley!

Summer Awards - Outstanding Contribution

Sam (Ambedo.) - Although Sam has recently rejoined Staff, she has made a big impact already, whether that's through insightful and helpful replies on HelpLINK, supporting users around the forums and chat room. Sam is warm, empathetic and patient and it's wonderful to see her around again.

Hollie (Everglow.) - Hollie is a thoughtful and compassionate volunteer giving detailed and helpful advice to users and is a constant source of support on HelpLINK and around the forums. Her article topics are very extensive and interesting to read and she is always willing to get involved.

Summer Awards - Inspiration

Emmie (Arabesque- golfing girl.) - Emmie works hard and always tries to lift the spirits of those around her. Her enthusiasm to help others is refreshing and she is well-loved by everyone she speaks to. She always does her best to bring the community together, creating interesting topics for discussion around the forum.

Volunteer Of The Year

Haley (Halcyon) - Haley is TeenHelp's queen of content and editor-in-chief. She has been a Staff member for over 13 years, starting first as a HelpLINK Mentor before moving to our Newsletter team where she stayed. She's moved up through several roles taking on more responsibility until becoming Project Coordinator.

Haley has kept all our publications & various content channels running for many years - including our newsletters, articles, resources, graphics, social media, competitions & more. She's always got fresh ideas for creating something new for our community and has led our teams to make them happen.

She always gives everything her all and every TeenHelper will recognise and appreciate the amazing content she's created across TeenHelp. Her dedication to TH is absolutely breathtaking, we're so lucky to have her with us.

That's why this year I'm pleased award our Volunteer Of The Year Award this year to Haley!

Congratulations Haley!

Volunteer Of The Year (December 2021)

Rob - Rob has been a dedicated Project Coordinator for nearly 15 years and a member of TeenHelp for as long as we can remember. Much of what Rob does is behind-the-scenes work that enhances all of our experiences with the website, chat room, and other services that we love. It's time and effort that can easily go unnoticed, but is essential to keeping TeenHelp up and running on a daily basis.

Over the past year, Rob has worked hard to unify the team of volunteers that oversee TeenHelp's operations and publications. He has utilized his real-world expertise to support Staff and accelerate progress on some much-anticipated projects and activities, which has led to exciting new features being released for the website in particular. Rob continues to look to the future of TeenHelp and how it can remain relevant in the 21st century.

In addition to staying focused on long-term goals identified within TeenHelp's Action Plan, Rob takes time on a regular basis to provide mentorship, guidance, and mediation when it is needed. "Heavy is the head that wears the crown," and we want to take this opportunity to acknowledge that TeenHelp simply wouldn't exist if not for Rob's willingness to take on the tremendous responsibility of Project Coordinator for all these years.

Congratulations on receiving the 2021 Volunteer of the Year Award, Rob! You deserve it, and we are so grateful for all you do for us. Thank you!

Summer Awards - Outstanding Contribution

Rika - Rika is really active and supportive in Chat and recently did some great work for Outreach. Although she hasn't been on Staff for too long, she has already much such a positive contribution to TeenHelp and is a big asset to the team. Rika also came up with some good ideas for recent Terms and Service changes.

Sarah (eaty) - Sarah is always in the Chat Room making sure runs smoothly. This year she has put in place loads of fun new activities to keep people entertained from movie nights to polls and topics of the month which made the Chat environment great. A Chat member told us "She was one of the first people I spoke to here, and she was volunteering even back then."

Sue (Silvan) - Sue has made beautiful infographics and social media graphics, which has brightened up our pages. She also took the initiative to make a post for Halloween and made wonderful designs for us to use in our profiles. She's great at writing captions for social media and posts interesting topics around the Forums. She's a dedicated volunteer and a great asset to TeenHelp. A member told us, "I think her graphics are fantastic!" and "Makes them fun and appealing to members". Her work should not go unnoticed as she puts the effort into making those.

Summer Awards - Inspiration

Kayla (Oneirophobia) - Kayla shares lovely uplifting photos in the Chat Room, which always helps to brighten things up. She's also a great photographer and has recently made a wonderful poster for TeenHelp. She's a supportive member and pleasant to talk to. She's done some good work in social media too.

Volunteer Of The Year

Rob - Rob has been a dedicated Project Coordinator for nearly 15 years and a member of TeenHelp for as long as we can remember. Much of what Rob does is behind-the-scenes work that enhances all of our experiences with the website, chat room, and other services that we love. It's time and effort that can easily go unnoticed, but is essential to keeping TeenHelp up and running on a daily basis.

Over the past year, Rob has worked hard to unify the team of volunteers that oversee TeenHelp's operations and publications. He has utilized his real-world expertise to support Staff and accelerate progress on some much-anticipated projects and activities, which has led to exciting new features being released for the website in particular. Rob continues to look to the future of TeenHelp and how it can remain relevant in the 21st century.

In addition to staying focused on long-term goals identified within TeenHelp's Action Plan, Rob takes time on a regular basis to provide mentorship, guidance, and mediation when it is needed. "Heavy is the head that wears the crown," and we want to take this opportunity to acknowledge that TeenHelp simply wouldn't exist if not for Rob's willingness to take on the tremendous responsibility of Project Coordinator for all these years.

Congratulations on receiving the 2021 Volunteer of the Year Award, Rob! You deserve it, and we are so grateful for all you do for us. Thank you!

Volunteer Of The Year (December 2020)

Emma (Golfing girl) - Emma has volunteered with TeenHelp for the last three years as a HelpLINK Mentor. She is regularly active across the site, creating threads in the Support Forums, responding to HelpLINK requests, checking in with others, and overall always willing to help other people.

She has been a thoughtful contributor to TeenHelp, and has devoted an enormous amount of time to guiding, helping and being most kind and compassionate to others.

One user told us, "The day I joined your site, it was Golfing girl who had made me feel welcome. That day onwards I wanted to stay and make home here."

This is exactly the kind of volunteer who makes TeenHelp a strong community. We are truly grateful to be blessed with such a wonderful volunteer as Emma. Congratulations Emma!

Summer Awards - Outstanding Contribution

Chantal (MsNobleEleanor) - Chantal is very organised and puts a lot of work into our communications, especially social media accounts. She has successfully driven our social media pages this year to get the word out about TeenHelp and we have gained more followers recently as a result.

Hollie (Everglow.) - Hollie is active around the forums and gives thoughtful and compassionate advice. She has also done a lot behind the scenes, such as helping to re-write a template letter for outreach and we've gotten more responses from organisations such as schools since her input!

Stacey - Stacey is enthusiastic and has a can-do attitude. She recently helped to write an article celebrating TeenHelp's anniversary and it was very wonderful and heartwarming to read. She gives great advice and wrote a very informative article about harm reduction. "I love how she returned to TH and quickly made it a point to get involved."

Sue (Matter) - Sue has found multiple ways to contribute to the site both as a member and staff. She has designed some amazing graphics for the site and contributes a lot by creating interesting threads and generating content for social media. She is very organised and gets things done well ahead of the deadlines, which is really helpful. "She truly is an asset to TeenHelp!" "Because of her, our social media pages have vastly improved!"

Volunteer Of The Year

Emma (Golfing girl) - Emma has volunteered with TeenHelp for the last three years as a HelpLINK Mentor. She is regularly active across the site, creating threads in the Support Forums, responding to HelpLINK requests, checking in with others, and overall always willing to help other people.

She has been a thoughtful contributor to TeenHelp, and has devoted an enormous amount of time to guiding, helping and being most kind and compassionate to others.

One user told us, "The day I joined your site, it was Golfing girl who had made me feel welcome. That day onwards I wanted to stay and make home here."

This is exactly the kind of volunteer who makes TeenHelp a strong community. We are truly grateful to be blessed with such a wonderful volunteer as Emma. Congratulations Emma!

Winter Awards - Outstanding Contribution

Sarah (eaty) - This year Sarah has led the launch of the new Chat Room. "Sarah has provided a consistent presence and demonstrated a solution-focused attitude", helping to deal with novel situations and overcome challenges our Staff members have encountered while implementing the new area.

Mallika - Mallika joined at the beginning of the year and very quickly made a positive impact on TeenHelp. Her advice is always very thorough and thoughtful and she is a constant source of support, replying to HelpLINK as well as around the Forums. "Her presence here is very comforting." "Her contributions are well thought out, caring, and show a lot of knowledge with each post she makes."

Jenna (Melancholia.) - Jenna recently made an outstanding contribution by taking the initiative to create a Halloween movie night graphic at the last minute. "Jenna, without prompting, presented a graphic we could use to promote the event on the website and on our social media pages." which we are very grateful for.

Winter Awards - Inspiration

Lynds (Just Peachy.) - Lynds has recently returned to TeenHelp and in that time it has been clear how inspirational she has been in interacting with other members especially in the Chat Room. She "embodies many of TeenHelp's values, whether it be kindness, patience" and adds much to the community here.

Sarah (Rivière) - Sarah is a regular member who constantly provides support/advice on the Forums, she is "so level-headed and calm in her responses, no matter what the situation may be", which on countless occasions has helped others to find solutions to very challenging problems.

Volunteer Of The Year

Holly (Celyn) - Holly has been volunteering with TeenHelp for over five years, and in that time she has helped a tremendous amount of people, whether through HelpLINK, Live Help or around the forums. She is a very reliable volunteer who goes above and beyond to help our users with tailored replies to each individual. She is extremely kind and caring which shows in all her replies.

She is consistently active around the site, working hard in all her roles and HelpLINK definitely runs more smoothly with Holly overseeing it. Holly is a great asset to TeenHelp and truly deserves this award, well done!

Winter Awards - Outstanding Contribution

Cassie (cynefin) - Cassie has been consistently producing content for all areas of publications and has written and published a record amount of articles this year. She is active in all areas and it's thanks to her that publications continue to be a success. Despite all the areas that she oversees, Cassie also contributes a lot around the forums, posting caring and helpful advice to fellow users.

Emma (Golfing girl) - Emma is always around to offer support and has taken the time to message and befriend so many of our users individually, to help them feel welcomed and less alone. This hasn't gone unnoticed and one user even said, "She put a lot of effort into taking care of everybody else on this forum. To make us feel unique and to remind us someone noticed them." This is really heartwarming feedback and is testament to how thoughtful and kind she is.

Jess (SunShine2002) - Jess contributes to TeenHelp in her own special way. She has submitted a large amount of high quality photos this year. Her amazing photography skills have helped to make TeenHelp a brighter place.

Winter Awards - Inspiration

Jenna (Girlfromplanetmars) - Jenna has inspired many through her creative writing in the self expression forum. One user commented that they enjoyed reading her thought-provoking pieces.

Jordan (Heathen) - Jordan continues to be a source of warmth and support for our users. She is one of the most active non-staff members, giving helpful advice around the forums, despite personal challenges. Her advice is insightful and compassionate which shows that she really cares.

Sarah (Rivière) - Sarah is a former staff member, but still helps others around the site when she can. Her advice posts are really empathetic and thoughtful while also being down-to-earth.

Volunteer Of The Year (December 2018)

Jenna (.:Bibliophile:.) - Jenna has been volunteering with TeenHelp for nearly ten years. Starting off as a HelpLINK Mentor, Jenna has over the years worked on many different areas of TeenHelp and has become one of the most active people on the site. She has maintained her activity as a Moderator for quite some time and regularly tackles issues on the site. She works hard as Newsletter Officer and does a lot for publications - she is incredibly reliable and an asset to TeenHelp as a whole. She supports her fellow Staff members and gives guidance when needed. Jenna encourages others to participate in things on the site. One user told us, "Jenna was the first person I ever really talked to when I joined the site. She helped me navigate the site and answered any questions I had. Our communication developed into a great friendship." She conducts herself in a very kind and thoughtful manner, and also has lots of great ideas. Jenna has helped to broaden the activities for users, introducing group movie watches to keep members entertained. Jenna has been really active around the site and worked hard across all of her roles. Her dedication is really admirable and it never goes unnoticed. She truly deserves this award. Congratulations Jenna!

Summer Awards - Outstanding Contribution

Kylie (Recommencer) - Kylie is a reliable and active member of the Articles Team and has written some fantastic articles recently, which have been really good quality and published onto the site for all to enjoy. She also provides warm and insightful advice to support and encourage other members. She is definitely an asset to TeenHelp!

Summer Awards - Inspiration

Jen (Butterfly.) - Jen has put a lot of effort into improving herself, and some of her recent replies on the site have been really thoughtful and caring. Jen writes well, and has made some excellent contributions to the Articles database. Additionally, she has provided interesting topics for Forum discussions, for example in the Current Events and Debates forum, which has brought lively discussions to TeenHelp.

Mark (CrusadingAvenger) - Mark has recently returned to the site and has posted inspirational messages for both new and existing users to help them to stay motivated and encourage them to move forward and take control of their problems - Keep up the great work Mark!

Tigereyes - Tigereyes has been posting some really helpful advice around the site recently, which has been a great benefit to those seeking support. Some users have also commented how much they have enjoyed reading their wonderful Self Expression posts!

Volunteer Of The Year

Jenna (.:Bibliophile:.) - Jenna has been volunteering with TeenHelp for nearly ten years. Starting off as a HelpLINK Mentor, Jenna has over the years worked on many different areas of TeenHelp and has become one of the most active people on the site. She has maintained her activity as a Moderator for quite some time and regularly tackles issues on the site. She works hard as Newsletter Officer and does a lot for publications - she is incredibly reliable and an asset to TeenHelp as a whole. She supports her fellow Staff members and gives guidance when needed. Jenna encourages others to participate in things on the site. One user told us, "Jenna was the first person I ever really talked to when I joined the site. She helped me navigate the site and answered any questions I had. Our communication developed into a great friendship." She conducts herself in a very kind and thoughtful manner, and also has lots of great ideas. Jenna has helped to broaden the activities for users, introducing group movie watches to keep members entertained. Jenna has been really active around the site and worked hard across all of her roles. Her dedication is really admirable and it never goes unnoticed. She truly deserves this award. Congratulations Jenna!

Winter Awards - Outstanding Contribution

Cassie (cynefin) - "Cassie has provided so much to publications. Without her around the site I don't think publications would be the same. She does a ton to support other staff members and she does an amazing job at moderating. She's awesome in regards to showing our users compassion." "She is very organized and professional. She always comes through."

Chantal (MsNobleEleanor) - "Chantal has really flourished and has produced unique ideas within publications. She has written some really awesome articles and I enjoy the insight and creativity she provides to publications." "I think her improvement overall this year, and the fantastic work she is doing is worthy of recognition."

Holly (Celyn) - "Holly continues to do amazing work mentoring users and supporting them through whatever challenges they may face. She is always active in the support forums and gives amazing guidance for users." "She is kind to everyone, gives good advice especially in Mental Health and Rape and Abuse and you can tell that she really cares about what she does on the site." "Holly provides amazing insight around the site and I don't think HelpLINK would be the same without her."

Emma (Golfing girl) - "Emma is active and her responses to people, especially advice giving responses have been compassionate and genuine." "I feel she deserves an award because she is always there for people."

Winter Awards - Inspiration

Doglover2 - "Doglover2 is really helpful around the site, posting replies to many different threads offering support and encouragement. She is always thoughtful, friendly and empathetic in how she speaks to users and helps to brighten up the site."

Jordan (Noire) - "She is the most helpful, active non-staff member who seems to have the most knowledge in varying areas and gives amazing advice for those who ask. She is just so caring, genuine, and has a great sense of humor. I am really happy she is a member of TeenHelp, even after all these years. She definitely keeps the site going!"

Oliver (arepo) - "Oliver has dedicated a lot of time to Teenhelp. They've provided a ton of insight on a number of different things and they have always tried to help encourage and support our users." "They recently created two fantastic infographics, and a few different layouts as well. They were really professionally done, and will definitely enhance our resources and social media posts. I think Oliver should be recognised for their time spent for these, their creativity and skill to make them look so professional."

Rowan (RORO) - "RORO just joined recently but has been incredibly active in the Forums and has had a profound impact on users on the site. Their posts are always inspirational and I'd like to see them given an award."

Volunteer Of The Year (December 2017)

Chess (Narrative.) - Chess has volunteered for TeenHelp for over seven years in loads of different roles - From HelpLINK, Live Help and Community Mentors, to Articles and Newsletter Editors, there aren't many areas Chess hasn't been part of! "Chess is very kind and caring and goes the extra mile to make people feel supported and cared for." is one comment that stands out - And it's so true! So many people have been touched by Chess' thoughtful compassion over the years. "If someone needs Chess, Chess will always make time for them." More recently Chess has been heavily involved in our publications, leading our Newsletter team and being part of our Articles team too, where their hard work has ensured we have kept publishing pieces regularly for everybody to benefit from. "Chess is a great leader and is so good at bringing the team together" Chess is also excellent at supporting, motivating and inspiring her fellow volunteers, and I'm sure most Staff eagerly await the annual "Staff Compliment Day". Through it all, Chess remains "kind, upbeat, and funny". Chess is truly a remarkable individual and an asset to the TeenHelp team! Congratulations Chess!

Summer Awards - Outstanding Contribution

Frankie (Aca-awkward) - Frankie is an active member of Staff who is very friendly and helpful around the site. She truly does care about the users on TeenHelp and is always willing to go the extra mile. She is keen to learn and improve and as one nomination said "she's really evolved into a great Staff member".

Dez (Melancholia.) - Dez has been one of the most active Staff members for many years and works throughout the site in many roles. Dez has shown true dedication, from supporting Newsletter and Articles, to helping users with encouraging advice and support. In the words of one nomination Dez is "such an inspiring and caring individual" and it is only fitting she receives this award.

S.Z. (~Radio Flyer~) - S.Z. contributes a lot of great advice around the site. They are always there to try and help people and encourage them with kind words, offering thoughtful and caring replies. Their dedication, kindness and patience are amazing assets to Teenhelp and we hope they will continue to grow here.

Crystal (Svisttt) - Crystal is very friendly and provides comfort and reassurance to those struggling with a range of topics including self harm, depression and suicide. Crystal is very encouraging when she posts and also provides sound advice. She has a creative way when it comes to dealing with mental health including her idea of making 'happy boxes'.

Summer Awards - Inspiration

Jordan (DanceCommander) - Jordan has been a dedicated and active member for many years. She is kind while also being honest. She deals with a lot in her every day life but that never seems to prevent her from being kind or trying to be supportive to our users.

Jess (Jess~) - Jess is always posting around the site and giving thorough advice. She is honest in what she thinks and feels and her advice has helped loads of users throughout the years.

Kate (Kate*) - Kate has been on TeenHelp for many years and actively contributes to the site. When she replies to threads she gives a lot of great insight and works hard to uplift other users even when she is struggling herself.

Latte - Latte is very new to TeenHelp, however has already made a mark. Their replies are very down to earth, honest and give good advice. We hope she will stick around for a long time!

Volunteer Of The Year

Chess (Narrative.) - Chess has volunteered for TeenHelp for over seven years in loads of different roles - From HelpLINK, Live Help and Community Mentors, to Articles and Newsletter Editors, there aren't many areas Chess hasn't been part of! "Chess is very kind and caring and goes the extra mile to make people feel supported and cared for." is one comment that stands out - And it's so true! So many people have been touched by Chess' thoughtful compassion over the years. "If someone needs Chess, Chess will always make time for them." More recently Chess has been heavily involved in our publications, leading our Newsletter team and being part of our Articles team too, where their hard work has ensured we have kept publishing pieces regularly for everybody to benefit from. "Chess is a great leader and is so good at bringing the team together" Chess is also excellent at supporting, motivating and inspiring her fellow volunteers, and I'm sure most Staff eagerly await the annual "Staff Compliment Day". Through it all, Chess remains "kind, upbeat, and funny". Chess is truly a remarkable individual and an asset to the TeenHelp team! Congratulations Chess!

Winter Awards - Outstanding Contribution

Emma (Golfing girl) - Although a fairly recent addition to our volunteer team, Emma has already made a huge impact. As one of our most active HelpLINK Mentors she has helped dozens of people already. She has shown great empathy and validation for members when helping them, a great first step on Staff that we hope will continue into next year!

Jenna (~Abibliophobe~) - Jenna continues to be a hard working and reliable volunteer, contributing across the site, from providing advice, moderating and supporting fellow Staff members. She is warm and friendly to everybody and the nominations show how appreciated she is.

Paige (xxpaigiexx) - Paige is one of TeenHelp's longest standing volunteers, having been a HelpLINK Mentor for around nine years. Her focus has always been on HelpLINK during that time and it has been great to see a regular, reliable face here for members when they need somebody.

Volunteer Of The Year (December 2016)

Cassie (Cassado) - Cassie has volunteered for TeenHelp for nearly three years in a number of roles. Starting out on HelpLINK, Cassie gave and still gives thoughtful and encouraging advice in both HelpLINK and the Forums. It is clear to anyone that Cassie truly cares about people and her replies are always well thought out, helpful and top-quality. More recently Cassie has dedicated her time to our publications teams and her hard work has kept our Articles and Newsletter going strong this year despite being short staffed overall! With dozens of articles to her name and currently leading the Articles team too, Cassie has helped create loads of new informative resources to help people out, educate and entertain. Cassie has worked incredibly hard this year, going above and beyond any expectations and contributing consistently across the site. She truly deserves this award. Well done Cassie!

Summer Awards - Outstanding Contribution

Brittany (.Brittany.) - Brittany is active across the site and is always willing to get involved. She often works hard to motivate and support staff and users alike, sharing positive thoughts and compliments to brighten their days.

Chess (Psychomachia.) - Chess is, in the words of one nomination, “a source of comfort, compassion, and friendship”, and shows this everyday through the support she gives to users, while also moderating the forums in a “super kind and efficient” way.

Holly (Celyn) - Holly continues to provide huge dedication to HelpLINK and the Support Forums, responding to often problematic or difficult situations in a positive way, helping users “to look at things from a different perspective” and making their situations “seem less daunting to overcome”.

Sammi (Metanoia.) - Sammi has shown great commitment across the site, giving supportive advice to members “whether they post just once or they've been here for years.” As one nomination said, “She helps out wherever no matter what the user asks for.”

Tortellini (aguy) - Tortellini is extremely friendly and is always willing to chat to anybody who just needs someone to talk to, sharing positive messages with them even if he's never spoken to them before.

Volunteer Of The Year

Cassie (Cassado) - Cassie has volunteered for TeenHelp for nearly three years in a number of roles. Starting out on HelpLINK, Cassie gave and still gives thoughtful and encouraging advice in both HelpLINK and the Forums. It is clear to anyone that Cassie truly cares about people and her replies are always well thought out, helpful and top-quality. More recently Cassie has dedicated her time to our publications teams and her hard work has kept our Articles and Newsletter going strong this year despite being short staffed overall! With dozens of articles to her name and currently leading the Articles team too, Cassie has helped create loads of new informative resources to help people out, educate and entertain. Cassie has worked incredibly hard this year, going above and beyond any expectations and contributing consistently across the site. She truly deserves this award. Well done Cassie!

Winter Awards - Outstanding Contribution

Chantal (WretatsyRemedial) - Chantal has contributed thoughtfully to a number of areas of TeenHelp, helping to keep our FCRDs running for several months, while more recently contributed to our publications through numerous quality pieces and editing work.

Holly (Celyn) - Holly has been one of our HelpLINK Mentors for several years and has shown consistently high activity and ongoing dedication to providing great advice in one of our busiest areas, which is greatly appreciated.

Junior (Special Agent) - Junior is one of our most active Live Help Mentors! Through being available to speak to those who need someone to talk to, Junior has helped keep Live Help online more often and provide a friendly and supportive ear when needed.

Jessie (Palmolive.) - Jessie has been a Mentor for many years now and stills comes on to give thorough and supportive advice in HelpLINK and the Forums with kindness and compassion.

Lexi (Querencia.) - Lexi has been one of our Community Mentors for two years and has a good presence around the site and is friendly helping new users, which she does very consistently and with great effort!

Oliver (Kartoffel) - Oliver is highly visible around the site the site and has been a Community Mentor along with a Moderator for a few years now, spending much time helping talking to others and helping them out!

Volunteer Of The Year

Dez (Epiphany.) - Dez has been a volunteer with TeenHelp for over four years now. Her involvement in TeenHelp has spanned many areas of the site including Forums, HelpLINK, our Newsletter, Articles, as a Project Advisor, a member of committees and taking up a new role as Forums and Community Officer. In fact it is hard to find an area of TeenHelp that Dez hasn't helped out in at some point and I suspect many of you have encountered her, showing how truly dedicated and widespread her activity has been. Despite having responsibilities over important areas such as supervising a team of volunteers and moderating, Dez continues to tirelessly provide fantastic advice across the site as well as writing articles and pieces for our Newsletter too! Her time helping everybody on TeenHelp has been instrumental in keeping the site running this year and I hope she will continued to be involved next year. Congratulations Dez, you really deserve this award! The wonderful prize for this award is receipt of our Deluxe Sponsor incentive.

Outstanding Contribution Awards

Cassie (Cassado) - Outstanding contribution to Articles. Cassie has been writing and editing great articles for TeenHelp for some time now and her efforts and passion towards this area are greatly appreciated by users who have read her articles.

Jordan (DanceCommander) - Outstanding contribution to providing support. Jordan volunteers as a Live Help Mentor where she is known for giving clear and concise advice that those seeking support find extremely helpful in finding alternatives to their situations.

Louise (LlamaLlamaDuck) - Outstanding contribution to supporting Staff. Although Louise has already received an award for the same thing previously, she continues to be recognised as extremely helpful to other Staff members by tackling problems on the site and providing thorough and timely answers to questions that help volunteers do their jobs.

Outstanding Contribution Awards

Jessie (Palmolive) - Outstanding contribution to HelpLINK and the Support Forums. Jessie has been a HelpLINK Mentor for a number of years and is well known for giving fantastic detailed and compassionate advice in both HelpLINK and the Support Forums. Despite personal challenges, Jessie always tries to come back and help others when she can, which is really admirable and shows how dedicated she is.

Laura (Anglidash) - Outstanding contribution to providing support. Laura gives advice in a number of areas on the site including HelpLINK and the Support Forums. She is always eager to listen and support others, is caring and ensures her advice is tailored to each person.

Lizzie (Lizzie) - Outstanding contribution for dedication/long service. Lizzie has been a Staff member for many years and has worked across a wide range of roles, including HelpLINK, as a Moderator and on various committees and projects. Lizzie has shown great dedication to the site. She always strives to solve problems and works hard to keep on top of things to the benefit of everybody.

Michael (In The Rye) - Outstanding contribution for a newcomer. Michael hasn't been volunteering for very long, but has already proved himself to be very friendly and welcoming to new users as well as posting thorough advice in the Support Forums especially the Education and Careers forum.

Outstanding Contribution Awards

Adam (Adam the Fish) - Outstanding contribution to the Articles Team. Adam is currently our Senior Article Editor, and with good reason! Adam has devoted his energy to editing articles, a time-consuming task that can seem deceptively simple to others. What's truly impressive is that Adam continues to remain active in the Forums and elsewhere on the site despite the amount of work that goes into his primary role!

Haley (Halcyon) - Outstanding contribution to quality and publications. Haley has been a Staff member for many years but much of what she does happens behind the scenes. Most of her time has been spent successfully running TeenHelp's Newsletter, but more recently she has taken on our Articles and Resources too. Her ongoing dedication has kept TeenHelp publishing new content regularly and maintains high standards for all work, which has a direct positive impact on users who read our pieces. Despite ongoing demands in these areas Haley never complains and instead just gets on with the tasks at hand. Without her hard work we wouldn't have the great range of quality materials we have on the site now.

Louise (LlamaLlamaDuck) - Outstanding contribution to supporting Staff. Louise has been a Project Advisor for over two and a half years. In that time, she has gone above and beyond in supporting our team of Staff members in a variety of ways. Most notably, Louise has been very active in the Discussion Forums and as a member of the Disputes and Volunteering Committees. TeenHelp runs much more smoothly thanks to her hard work every day!

Traci (Coffee.) - Outstanding contribution to educating users. Traci is being recognised for the wealth of knowledge she shares with TeenHelp's users. Traci candidly discusses sexual health and relationships site-wide in order to assist users in making good choices for themselves. As well as this Traci has sought to educate our Staff members, helping to clarify moderating procedures to ensure consistency. Overall Traci's efforts have helped to raise awareness across the site.

Outstanding Contribution Awards

Amber (Amber) - Outstanding contribution to a positive environment/long service. Amber has been on TeenHelp for over ten years and has spent the majority of those years as a Staff member, covering roles including HelpLINK, Chat and Moderation. She spends many hours in the Chat Room helping to cheer people up and make them laugh, bringing a more relaxed atmosphere to the site that many have appreciated over the years. She actively listens to users and provides advice to help them. As one nomination said, “she truly cares”.

Cassie (Cassiopeia.) - Outstanding contribution to providing support. In addition to her duties in HelpLINK, Articles and as a Moderator, Cassie posts many great replies in the Support Forums, both providing detailed advice as well as welcoming new users. She replies to a lot of threads that don't currently have any replies, which means everybody can get the help they need. It has also been great to see her replying to advice from other Staff members so that her colleagues feel supported in their own troubles too.

Holly (DutchWelshWolf) - Outstanding contribution for a newcomer/reaching out. Although relatively new to Staff, Holly has already made an amazing contribution to the site. She shows great enthusiasm and dedication to her role on Staff and posts regularly in the Support Forums too. As well as replying to requests for advice, she has made a point of reaching out to users to help them get the support they need, which shows a very proactive approach.

Nala (Nala.) - Outstanding contribution across the site. Nala has made a fantastic contribution across the site, posting in the Support Forums, welcoming new users and sending countless supportive messages to people. She is known for being very friendly, welcoming and genuine and eager to help everybody who needs it. Although she is no longer a Staff member, I have decided to issue this award anyway. I think the sheer number of nominations Nala received is a testament to how appreciated she was on Staff and how much she will be missed.

Volunteer Of The Year

Robin (PSY) - I am delighted to be able to give our very first Volunteer Of The Year Award to Robin (PSY). Robin has been an important part of our volunteer team for over five years. She has worked across many areas of the site, including HelpLINK, Articles and holding a number of Moderator and committee roles. More recently she has taken a lead on our volunteering side through her Volunteering Officer role and as a Project Advisor. Robin has shown great dedication to TeenHelp across all of her roles and no doubt many of you have spoken to her before. She quietly supports both Staff and other users alike, answering questions and providing feedback to volunteers. She gives fantastic advice and encouragement and has written and edited many articles that educate users. She does a lot to keep the site running largely behind the scenes, and while many may not see this work it is vital to the smooth daily running of TeenHelp. Her hard work has been invaluable over the last year and I hope it will continue to be over the next one. Her contribution is certainly one that would be missed. Well done Robin, you really deserve this award! The wonderful prize for this award is receipt of our Deluxe Sponsor incentive.

Outstanding Contribution Awards

Chess (Mercicle.) - Outstanding contribution to supporting and encouraging others. Chess is well known for being very friendly to everybody around the site. I'm sure all staff fondly remember and look forward to receiving their messages on her “Staff Compliment Day”. Each year she always takes the time to send nice messages to each and every Staff member even those she doesn't know that well. For several years she has also co-ordinated the large Articles Team, involving and supporting many Staff and users alike in writing articles.

Dez (Merpop.) - Outstanding contribution beyond main duties. Dez is very active in her official roles on TeenHelp, but incredibly she also manages to work really hard in areas that she doesn't need to be active in. She replies to almost every HelpLINK request despite not even being a Mentor and it is hard to imagine HelpLINK surviving without her. Her quality of advice is fantastic and she is both caring and knowledgeable in her replies.

Jenna (.:BreakingBeautifully:.) - Outstanding contribution for consistent effort. Jenna has been on Staff for over five years and has been consistently hard working during that time. She has contributed significantly to HelpLINK, where she has been a Mentor throughout her time on Staff. But she has also contributed significantly to ensuring threads in the Forums are answered, moderating and writing articles too. Her contribution to TeenHelp would be sorely missed.

Sarah (Rivière) - Outstanding contribution to the Support Forums. Sarah posts regularly in the Support Forums giving fantastic detailed advice. She is always on hand to answer questions, often those that others haven't answered yet. She ensures that everybody feels listened to and supported, which is great to see.