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#YourShout: National Helpline Needs YOU!

Posted by Tom (Sub-Editor) from Cardiff - Published on 08/01/2016 at 15:48
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No helpline for young people should run without the direct input of young people.

That’s why Meic – the national helpline for 0-25’s in Wales (yes, from zero!) – is asking young people how they’d like to get involved to improve Meic. They've made a one-minute survey to help the thousands of young people every year in Wales who rely upon them for information, advice and what’s called advocacy (more on that below*). If Meic is new to you, it's no bother, you can still contribute.

From meeting the Government about Meic, to becoming a helpline trainee; from evaluating what they do, to helping pick their staff; from attending events like Freshers’ Fayres, to using your social media wizardry / #madskills; they want to know – without you having to commit to anything - how young people might be interested in getting involved in their work.

They also want to know how they can help you… to help them… to help you… (they’re very helpful people, honest!). I can vouch – I’ve spoken to them before via IM and I found them great!

So, their survey - which will literally take you one minute - is here in English and here in Welsh. It's called Meic Santa Survey...

...yes, I know that Santa has been and gone and you’ve probably binned or burned the coal he left you, but this really important survey is on until the end of January (and Santa might just put you on the nice list if you do it!).

[Oh, and thought you were the only one who doesn’t like Christmas? Check out Laolu’s Story here.]

Mountain view

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*Extra information: What the Christmas bells is advocacy?!

Advocacy. It’s not avocado, the highly nutritious green fruit hailing from central America (I don’t think anyone’s ever invented an avocado helpline – but we think they should!). It’s not Advocaat, the Sunderland FC head coach until Oct 2015 hailing from the Netherlands (Advocaat could have done with a helpline after a poor start to the 2015-16 Premier League season…). It’s advocacy…

If you don’t know where to go for help, find it difficult to express yourself or feel you are not listened to, advocacy can help. An advocate will give you the help you need: to help yourself or to talk to someone else for you so that your situation can change.

This doesn't mean you get exactly what you want. But, it does mean you should feel that you have been listened to; your thoughts, wishes and feelings have been taken into account; and your situation has changed in some way.

A Meic advocate is #SomeoneOnYourSide.

Back to the survey. So, a helpline that provides a service to give young people a voice also needs your voice to help them run the service… Thanks!

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Meic is the 24/7 information, advice and advocacy helpline for young people aged 0-25 in Wales, open 365 days a year. Young people can contact Meic by phone (080880 23456), text (84001) or instant message (www.meiccymru.org).

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